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Your brain is working against you — and perimenopause is why.

When estrogen and progesterone start shifting, they don't just change your body. They rewire the way your brain handles mood, stress, cravings, and sleep — and that can pour gasoline on emotional eating.

This isn't a willpower problem. It's biology.

In this episode, I break down exactly what's happening inside your brain and body during perimenopause and menopause — so you can finally stop blaming yourself and start understanding what's actually driving the urge to eat.

You'll learn:

• Why estrogen is a neuroactive hormone — and what happens to your mood and cravings when it drops
• How serotonin instability makes sugar feel like relief (it literally is, temporarily)
• Why your dopamine system gets blunted — and why your brain chases salty, sweet, high-fat foods to compensate
• The cortisol-belly fat connection and why "menopause belly" shows up even when nothing else has changed
• How your amygdala gets louder while your rational brain gets quieter — making emotional reactions harder to manage
• Why ghrelin and leptin go haywire, leaving you hungry, unsatisfied, and chasing food that doesn't fill you
• Why sleep is the linchpin — and what happens to hunger and cravings when sleep quality drops

And then we connect it all to what actually helps.

I share why dieting harder in this season usually backfires — and what a moderate, compassionate approach looks like instead: protein at every meal, gentle movement, daily de-stressing, nervous system support, and learning your emotional eating patterns without shame.

I also talk about finding a provider who truly understands menopause care and labs — and why that conversation (whether you choose HRT or not) can be a complete game changer.

If this episode makes you feel seen, please subscribe, share it with a friend who needs the explanation, and leave a review — so more women can find the support they deserve.

If you are interested in learning more about my new Breakthrough Menopause Coaching Program, join the waitlist and you will be the first to know all the details when it opens in August of 2026. Click here to join the list: https://go.kristinjonescoaching.com/menopause-coaching-wait-list

Connect with me online:

1. Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kristinjonescoaching/
2. You Tube channel, Kristin Jones Coaching: https://www.youtube.com/@KristinJonesCoaching44

3. You Tube channel, Breakthrough Emotional Eating Podcast: https://www.youtube.com/@breakthroughpodcast-44
3 . Website: https://www.kristinjonescoaching.com

If you want to learn how to stop nighttime eating, get my 3 Day Nighttime Snacking Reset: https://go.kristinjonescoaching.com/nighttime-snacking-reset

Needing more specific and direct support for your emotional eating and overeating? Check out my online course, Stop Dieting Start Feeling, and my personalized coaching program, Breakthrough To You.

If you found this episode helpful, don't forget to leave a review on the platform you used to listen and share it with your friends on your Instagram stories. Also, be sure to follow me on Instagram @breakthroughemotionaleating, and don't hesitate to slide into my DMs to share your thoughts and fee...