Can’t Lose Belly Fat During Menopause? Your Gut May Be the Problem

In this episode nutritionist Lynda Enright, explores the lesser-known connection between gut health and stubborn weight gain during (peri)menopause. Lynda discusses how factors like chronic inflammation, disrupted insulin sensitivity, and elevated cortisol levels can impede weight loss efforts, especially around the abdomen. 

She provides actionable strategies such as incorporating anti-inflammatory foods, boosting fiber intake, managing stress, and considering gut repair techniques. The episode also features the inspirational story of Angela, a client who successfully lost weight by healing her gut. Lynda concludes by offering a free guide with natural ways to reduce menopause symptoms, encouraging listeners to understand and address their underlying health issues.

00:00 Introduction: Understanding Menopausal Weight Gain

01:21 The Role of Gut Health in Weight Management

02:13 How Inflammation Affects Weight Loss

05:12 Strategies to Reduce Gut Inflammation

07:43 Angela's Success Story

09:52 Conclusion: Healing from the Inside Out

When you're ready, here are 3 ways I can help you to feel your best during perimenopause and menopause:

1. Want more science-backed health tips? Click here to sign up for my free weekly newsletter for practical advice on navigating menopause with confidence:

2. Click here to get the free guide: 5 Natural Ways To Reduce Menopause Symptoms.

2. For more information about Lynda and how she supports women on their health journey, click here to learn more.

3. Interested in seeing if nutrition coaching with Lynda is right for you? Click here to book a free discovery call with Lynda.

Transcript

0:01

If you have been eating and exercising as you always have been, and even cutting calories, but you're stuck with extra weight, especially around the abdomen, it's not all in your head, and this episode is for you. Hi, everyone. Welcome here. We uncover the hidden factors affecting your health during perimenopause and menopause I'm Lynda Enright a functional nutritionist with 25 years of experience helping women feel their best Today, we're tackling a topic that hits close to home for so many women the frustrating weight gain Especially around the abdomen that does not seem to budge no matter what you try One overlooked culprit may be inflammation in your gut. Even if you don't have digestive symptoms, your gut health could be playing a major role in your weight struggles. By the end of this episode, you'll understand how the health of your gut impacts weight gain throughout menopause and what you can do about it. And stick around and I'll tell you how my client Angela finally started losing the extra fat around her middle when I helped her create a diet that healed her gut. So let's get started. Menopause doesn't have to feel like you are living in someone else's body. Your host Lynda Enright has spent the last 25 years helping women to thrive in midlife. Here you'll find science based practical advice that you can start using today to get real results for your health. Welcome to Joyful Menopause. I am passionate about understanding gut health because my poor gut health is what drove me to study nutrition 30 years ago. And it is exciting because even in the last five years, we have learned so much about the importance of your gut for everything to work right in your body, from digestive health, to immune function, to hormone balance, and for weight loss. So let's start by understanding your gut. It isn't just a tube where food passes through, it's a highly active, complex system that regulates your metabolism, your hormones, immune system, and even your mood. When your gut is healthy, it supports your body in processing nutrients efficiently. Managing inflammation and keeping your hormones balanced. But when your gut is inflamed, a condition often caused by stress, poor diet, or even hormonal shifts, it can trigger a whole host of problems that make it extremely difficult to lose weight. And here are three reasons that this could be happening. Number one, chronic inflammation disrupts insulin sensitivity. When your gut is inflamed, which can again be caused by things like stress or your diet, toxins from your cells can leak into your bloodstream. This then can trigger chronic low grade inflammation throughout your body, and this can affect insulin sensitivity leading to insulin resistance. Insulin is a hormone that helps your body store and use energy. And when you become insulin resistant, your body is more likely to store calories as fat, especially around the abdomen. Chronic inflammation not only worsens insulin resistance, but also makes it harder for your cells to burn fat for energy. A second reason is that gut inflammation elevates cortisol levels. Inflammation in the gut doesn't just stay in the gut, it affects your entire stress response system. The gut and brain are connected through something called the gut brain axis. Gut inflammation can increase your body's production of cortisol, your stress hormone. Cortisol promotes fat storage, particularly the kind of fat that is stored deep in your abdomen. If you're under stress or eating an inflammatory diet, it's like adding fuel to the fire. Addressing gut inflammation then helps calm your system and reduce cortisol's effect on your waistline. And third, pro inflammatory cytokines promote fat storage. This is your immune system. Leaky gut and inflammation can cause your immune system to release molecules that create more inflammation. So it can be this vicious cycle. More and more inflammation can then interfere with your body's hormone balance. A couple hormones that can be disrupted are insulin and leptin. These are important for regulating your body's hunger signals and fat storage. When the situation continues, it's essentially telling your body to hold on to fat as a survival mechanism. So this is why diet and exercise alone often isn't enough to overcome weight plateaus during perimenopause and menopause. Your body's inflammatory response is working against your goals. So why does this become such an issue, particularly during these years of perimenopause and menopause? Well, you're going through some big hormonal changes. As estrogen and progesterone levels drop, they affect the balance of gut bacteria. At the same time, stress hormones, things like cortisol might be high. And here's the thing, higher cortisol makes matters worse. High cortisol then can increase cravings, can slow your digestion and signal your body again to hold on to fat as a survival mechanism. So this can be why a lot of women find that their usual strategies like eating less or exercising more. actually make things worse Restrictive diets can deprive your gut bacteria of the fiber and the nutrients they need to thrive and over exercising can add more stress to your system, potentially exacerbating inflammation. The good news is that you don't have to stay stuck. There are actionable steps you can take to reduce gut inflammation and start seeing results. Today we're talking about your gut inflammation and how it might be standing in the way of you losing that frustrating abdominal fat during the years of menopause. In just a bit, I'm going to tell you a story about my client who got results by focusing on the health of her gut instead of calorie restriction and excess exercise. But first, let me give you four strategies for you to focus on. Number one, add, don't restrict. Instead of cutting calories, focus on adding anti inflammatory foods to your diet. Focus on whole, unprocessed foods. Think about colorful vegetables like leafy greens, healthy fats that are rich in omega 3s like salmon, flax seeds, chia seeds, or walnuts. Number two, focus on fiber to support your gut microbiome. Fiber is essential for gut health and hormone regulation. So you want to aim to include at least one high fiber food with every meal. This could be things like lentils, quinoa, or even a simple side of broccoli. You can also add fermented foods like yogurt, kefir, or sauerkraut to your diet or consider a high quality probiotic supplement. A diverse microbiome helps to reduce inflammation. Number three, manage stress effectively. Remember stress isn't just mental, it's physical too. Incorporating relaxation techniques like yoga, deep breathing, or even a short daily walk can do wonders for calming your gut and lowering cortisol levels. And number four, consider gut repair strategies. For some women, addressing a possible leaky gut is key. This might include adding supplements like glutamine or probiotics, but with this, I always recommend working with a professional to create a plan that's tailored to your needs. In just a moment, I want to tell you a story about my client, Angela. Today, I've given you some specific steps to heal your gut and shift your body so it will be easier to get rid of that stubborn belly fat. As always, I recommend you start with choosing one strategy that you can work on. Feeling overwhelmed with trying to do too much at once isn't helpful. The path to great health comes from one small step at a time. And to help you with that, you can grab my free guide, Five Natural Ways to Reduce Menopause Symptoms. In it, you'll find lots of specific things you can start with to create your best health during perimenopause and for many decades to come. To get that, you can go to the comments below and click on the link. As promised, to help illustrate how gut health can be the key to overcoming stubborn weight gain during menopause, let me tell you about my client, Angela. When Angela first came to me, she was feeling defeated. She had gained weight around her midsection, something she'd never struggled with before, and no matter what she did, it just wouldn't budge. She was eating a balanced diet. She was exercising regularly and reducing her calories, but nothing worked. Angela didn't come to me thinking that she had gut issues. In fact, when I asked her about her digestion, she shrugged it off. She said it wasn't a big deal. But as we dug deeper, I learned that Angela had been quietly dealing with constipation and diarrhea for years. It had become such a normal part of her life that she didn't even consider it a problem worth mentioning. This was a major red flag for me. I explained to Angela how chronic digestive issues like hers often lead to gut inflammation, which can disrupt key hormones like insulin and cortisol, making weight loss feel impossible. It wasn't just her digestion, it was her whole body that was being affected. So we started working on a plan. Together we created an anti inflammatory diet tailored to Angela's needs. We focused on foods that would soothe her gut like leafy greens, lean proteins, healthy fats, and fermented foods. At the same time we eliminated common triggers of inflammation like refined sugars and processed foods. The results were almost immediate. Within just a few weeks, Angela's digestive symptoms started to improve. Her bloating disappeared, her bathroom visits normalized, and she felt lighter and more energized. But the most exciting part for Angela was that she finally started to lose the belly fat that had been so resistant before. By healing her gut and reducing inflammation, her body was able to shift into fat burning mode. For Angela, it wasn't just about weight loss, it was about feeling good in her body again. Angela's story is a powerful reminder that the weight you're struggling with isn't always about calories or exercise. Sometimes the solution lies in healing your body from the inside out. If you're experiencing unexplained weight gain, even without obvious digestive issues, your gut health might be the missing piece of the puzzle. To wrap up, if you're feeling frustrated with stubborn weight gain during menopause, it's not your fault and it's not about willpower. It's about understanding what's happening beneath the surface and giving your body the tools it needs to heal and rebalance. Your gut is a powerful ally and when it's in good shape, weight loss can be easier, your energy can improve, and you can start to feel like yourself again. If this resonated with you, I encourage you to download my free guide, Five Natural Ways to Reduce Menopause Symptoms. You'll find more tips on navigating these years with confidence and clarity. The link is in the show notes. Thank you so much for listening until next time, take care of yourself and be well.