It’s one of the most repeated lines in the fitness industry:
“You just need to eat in a calorie deficit.”
And while technically true, that advice rings hollow—especially for women navigating perimenopause or postmenopause. Lately, I’ve seen coaches I once respected take this hard stance when talking about menopausal weight gain, completely ignoring the complex hormonal shifts at play.
So let’s clear the air. This isn’t about calling people out. It’s about calling up a more accurate, compassionate, and effective approach to fat loss in midlife—especially when visceral fat becomes the main player, and the usual rules no longer apply.
Understanding Visceral Fat vs Subcutaneous Fat
What Is Subcutaneous Fat?
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Located just under the skin—hips, thighs, arms.
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It’s the pinchable, softer fat most people are familiar with.
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Less risky metabolically but can feel frustrating cosmetically.
What Is Visceral Fat?
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Found deeper in the abdomen, surrounding organs like your liver and intestines.
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Not something you can see or grab—but it matters a lot more.
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Highly inflammatory and hormonally active, contributing to insulin resistance, heart disease, and chronic conditions.
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Often responsible for the “meno-belly” many women struggle with during midlife.
Menopausal hormonal shifts encourage the body to store more visceral fat—even if your weight stays the same.
Why a Calorie Deficit Isn’t Enough in Menopause
Yes, a calorie deficit is required for fat loss.
But in peri/menopause, the way your body processes that deficit changes. Here’s why oversimplifying it doesn’t help—and can even make things worse.
Hormonal Changes Shift Fat Storage
Estrogen plays a protective role in fat distribution. When it declines, the body shifts from storing fat subcutaneously to storing it viscerally. This happens regardless of whether you’re eating “clean” or “watching calories.”
Muscle Loss Impacts Metabolism
Lean muscle is your metabolic engine. Starting in your 30s—and accelerating in menopause—you naturally lose muscle mass. Less muscle means a slower resting metabolic rate.
If your fat loss plan doesn't include strength training and protein, you're likely losing more muscle than fat, which worsens overall body composition.
Chronic Stress Affects Visceral Fat
Visceral fat is highly responsive to cortisol, your main stress hormone.
Sleep deprivation, overtraining, life stress, and under-eating all spike cortisol, which can trigger more fat storage around your organs—even in a calorie deficit.
Research Doesn’t Reflect Reality
A male coach might proudly say he’s “studied the research on menopause for years,” but here’s the problem:
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Most studies were done on men or premenopausal women.
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Menopausal women are still massively underrepresented in clinical trials.
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Real-world variables—like disrupted sleep, joint pain, hormone fluctuations, and mental load—aren’t reflected in the lab.
So no, citing research doesn’t automatically mean you’re offering helpful or applicable advice.
What Actually Works for Menopausal Weight Loss
Rather than shrinking women down with outdated tools, let’s build strategies that actually support the menopausal body.
Prioritize Strength Training
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Lifting weights 2–4 times a week helps preserve or rebuild muscle, boosts metabolism, and improves insulin sensitivity.
Eat More Protein
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Aim for 25–35 grams per meal to support muscle maintenance, satiety, and blood sugar stability (or approximately 1g of protein per pound of body weight each day).
Reduce Stress and Improve Sleep
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Walking, restorative movement, breathwork, and recovery days are non-negotiables.
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Burnout won’t get you leaner. It will get you stuck.
Fuel for Performance, Not Restriction
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Your body isn’t broken. It’s different.
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You don’t need to punish yourself to be strong, fast, or fit.
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Respecting your physiology is the most effective fat loss strategy there is.
The Bigger Issue: Tone Matters
One of the biggest barriers to progress for menopausal women isn’t a lack of discipline.
It’s the tone of the conversation.
When coaches speak with certainty but lack lived experience, it can feel dismissive and invalidating.
Especially when:
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They’ve never felt a hormone crash derail their training.
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They’ve never watched their body change overnight without changing their habits.
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They don’t understand what it’s like to be told you’re doing it wrong when you’re doing everything right.
That’s why this conversation needs to evolve—and include voices that reflect the reality of this life stage.
Calories Still Matter, But Context Matters More
Let’s be clear. Fat loss does require a calorie deficit. But for women in peri/menopause, that deficit needs to be crafted with context, care, and a strategy that honors the hormonal landscape.
If you're in the trenches of peri/menopause and tired of being told you're just not trying hard enough, I see you.
You don't need a tighter food scale—you need a new framework.
Want personalized support with your menopausal training and body composition goals? Let's chat about working together or explore my coaching options here.