05/02/2026
Still counting calories to shrink your perimenopause belly fat?
It doesn’t work like that — and here’s what no one tells you:
As estrogen drops, visceral fat (the deep, dangerous kind around your belly, back and organs) rises — often doubling from 5–8% to 15–20% of your total fat.
This fat is not the same as the stuff under your skin (subcutaneous fat).
It’s metabolically active — meaning it’s not just sitting there, it’s pumping out inflammatory cytokines that literally create more belly fat.
Yep. You could not make this sh*t up.
That’s not a willpower problem.
That’s biology.
But it’s fixable — once you understand what’s actually going on.
So what’s keeping belly fat stuck in midlife?
✅ Inflammation
→ Visceral fat is accelerated by inflammation — and it feeds off stress, poor sleep, and ultra-processed food.
✅ Cortisol
→ Cortisol rises in perimenopause — and belly fat has more cortisol receptors than anywhere else. Every stress spike? Straight to your waistline.
✅ Insulin resistance
→ Midlife shifts lower insulin sensitivity and belly fat also makes us more insulin resistance (don't shoot the messenger) — keeping blood sugar high and fat storage stuck on.
✅ Testosterone dominance
→ Estrogen falls faster than androgens — changing where fat is stored (hello belly + back).
Traditional advice like “just eat less and move more”?
Often makes it worse — raising cortisol, spiking cravings, draining energy, and pushing hormones even further out of whack.
Midlife weight gain is complex.
But the good news?
The solutions are simple.
Eat more of what regulates blood sugar, calms inflammation, builds muscle + supports your hormones — and you’ll actually see results.
Want to go deeper?
DM me “SYMPTOMS” and I’ll send my free Symptom Reduction Guide — includes belly fat and what actually helps.
Or follow for straight-talking, hormone-savvy strategies that work with your midlife body — not against it.
