Why You’re Gaining Weight in Midlife (And How to Fix It!) Ep 1

S: Welcome! It is so amazing that you’re here. This 8-part series is intended to break myths, empower women, and provide real, actionable steps. We’re going to help midlife women manage their weight without extreme diets or over-exercising.

I’m Sharlene Styles, a holistic nutritionist, metabolism mechanic, and life coach.

C: And I’m Cheryl Gordon, a professional yoga therapist. The real reason I’m here - partnering with Sharlene - is because I wish this resource had been available to me ten years ago

S: After years of helping women transform their health, I found myself facing challenges when I hit perimenopause. What once worked—just didn’t anymore. That led me to dive deep into hormones, metabolism, and midlife health—first to solve my own struggles, then to help others do the same. Now, I’m here to share what actually works, so you don’t have to waste time guessing or feeling stuck.

C: Sharlene and I are committed to getting this essential info out to women like us. Each episode will be under 20 minutes and blend nutrition, movement, stress management, and mindset to create sustainable results.

S: Cheryl and I are dedicated to supporting women, like you and like us, find answers in a sea of misinformation and outright craziness sometimes.

C: Let’s dive in. Sooooo, menopause kicked my butt. I’m a little embarrassed to admit that it wasn’t the hot flashes, wrinkles or sleeplessness that drove me to finally ask for help. It was the weight gain.

S: So many of my clients come to me frustrated about menopause weight—especially that stubborn 'menopause belly' that seems to appear overnight and refuses to budge. And I get it! It’s confusing because what worked in your 30s just doesn’t work the same way anymore.

C: The messaging in my mind was so judgemental! You are snacking too much. You should cycle longer, get your heart rate up!

S: Ok, first myth busting… let’s just shout this from the rooftops! Miidlife weight gain isn’t just about eating less and moving more—it’s about changing hormones and a shifting metabolism.

And here’s the why… As estrogen declines, fat storage patterns shift, and your body starts holding onto weight—especially around the midsection. At the same time, insulin sensitivity decreases, making blood sugar spikes (and crashes) more common, which fuels cravings and increased fat storage. Throw in higher cortisol from stress, which signals your body to store fat as “protection,” plus a natural decline in muscle mass, and suddenly… your metabolism is running at a completely different speed than it used to. I can’t wait to show you the metabolism facts in our next episode.

C: We have a great visual for you to help explain this next episode.

Beating myself up that I wasn’t exercising enough, or that I had to cut out all carbs, was definitely not the answer. I know this, not only because the research supports this, but because my own body was proving it!

S: But here’s the good news—you’re not stuck with it. Midlife weight gain isn’t inevitable. Once you understand how your hormones and metabolism are shifting, you can make small, strategic adjustments that work with your body instead of against it.

C: Let’s talk about those adjustments. I just want to highlight that making all the changes at once is counterproductive. Change is sustainable when it’s sequential and broken into manageable bites.

It means I needed to set some goals, be kinder to myself and find patience as my body and I figured out this stage of life. And Sharlene, this is what you do with your clients…. Create individualized plans, right?

S: I’ve worked with hundreds of women just like us.

One of the biggest shifts we can make to support your metabolism is prioritizing protein.

As we age, muscle mass naturally declines, which slows metabolism and makes it easier to store fat—especially around the midsection. Protein is key to preserving muscle, keeping your metabolism active, and preventing that stubborn weight gain.

It also stabilizes blood sugar, which helps reduce cravings, energy crashes, and the fat-storing effects of insulin spikes. And bonus—it keeps you fuller for longer, so you’re not constantly battling hunger.

So, what does this actually look like? It varies from person to person but 25–30 grams of protein per meal is a good general zone. That could be 3 eggs at breakfast, a piece of salmon or chicken at lunch, or a hearty lentil and veggie bowl at dinner. A bit of an advanced strategy is to make sure you get a variety of proteins in your diet. It’s easy to eat the same foods on rotation, yet our bodies need a variety of nutrients from various foods, specifically amino acids from proteins that our bodies can’t make on their own.

So, instead of focusing on eating less, start focusing on eating smarter. Fuel your body with enough protein, and you’ll naturally support your metabolism, energy, and hormones—without feeling deprived.

C: I had to be willing to take a fresh look at so many of my lifestyle habits. I did yoga daily, meditated, lots of hiking and biking. Achy joints caught me off guard. It made me nervous to move. That zumba class could put out my back, etc. As we lose muscle mass, we become more susceptible to injury. It’s a vicious circle. Then we really do get old.

You feel achy because estrogen acts as a regulating factor in nearly all types of musculoskeletal tissue, including bone, tendons, muscle, cartilage, ligaments, fascia, and even adipose tissue. The midlife drop in estrogen that begins in perimenopause is the catalyst for it all.

We need to understand that the musculoskeletal syndrome of menopause affects approximately 70 percent of us. Yet in 40 percent of women who suffer from it, no structural findings will manifest on x-rays, MRIs, or scans. Doctors might misdiagnose the syndrome as psychological or just tell you to get used to getting old.

You see the scale going up and the pressure to exercise more increases.

S: But if your joints are achy, exercising MORE isn’t fun. And it adds more things to your “to do” list that gives you enough stress as it is.

C; The big game changer for me was acknowledging that the stress of my life was hoarding the weight.

S: Oh, cortisol! If you’re dealing with stubborn midlife weight gain, stress might be playing a bigger role than you think.

Cortisol is your body’s main stress hormone, and when it’s running high—whether from work stress, poor sleep, skipping meals, or even over-exercising—your body goes into “survival mode.” That means holding onto fat, especially around your belly, and slowing down digestion because your body thinks it needs to conserve energy.

And here’s the kicker—even if you’re eating well, if your cortisol is too high, your body may not be digesting and absorbing nutrients properly. So instead of fueling your body, food can sit like a brick in your stomach, leading to bloating, sluggish digestion, and energy crashes.

C: Let’s admit it. Even yoga teachers, Sharlene and I both practice daily, have STRESS. Stress response isn’t inherently bad. It’s how I get up out of bed in the morning or how Sharlene and I got these videos organized. You’re not doing anything wrong if you have some stress. It’s the chronic, wearisome, “I have no control over this stress” that we’re talking about.

S: But there is good news. You can absolutely lower cortisol naturally. It takes some lifestyle shifts, but simple things—like eating balanced meals (instead of skipping or rushing through them), taking deep breaths before you eat, and actually allowing your body to slow down, like prioritizing sleep and rest—can make a huge difference.

C: Us goal oriented, kick ass women really need to start prioritizing our own comfort. This was a key point in my weight loss last year. Taking a deep dive into how to create a feeling of safety and kindness for myself.

Decades of making sure everyone else was happy and fed left me starving for a little nurturing. It was really tough to come up with a plan that celebrated my small wins and proved to my nervous system that I was a priority. Everything was about relaxing with a glass of wine or indulging in chocolate as a refuge from discomfort. Or retail therapy. None of which truly nourished my soul.

Resting is vital to weight loss. We’ll talk more about that in episode 4. So is investing in authentic, supportive relationships. This means boundary setting, asking for what we need and truly being present in the moment. This is episode 7 (maybe my favourite).

So Sharlene, if you had to just boil this down to a couple key points, what would be the new rules for midlife weight management?

S: It really comes down to a few key shifts that make all the difference in midlife.

First, balance your blood sugar. If your blood sugar is spiking and crashing all day, your body is constantly in fat-storage mode and contributing to even more physical stress.. So instead of skipping meals or grabbing quick carbs, focus on protein, fiber, and healthy fats at every meal to keep things steady.

C: A shout out here to mindful eating. We’ll talk more about that next session. Magic stuff.

S: Second, prioritize protein. We naturally lose muscle as we age, and that slows metabolism. Eating enough protein—about 25 to 30 grams per meal—helps preserve muscle, keeps you full, and supports fat loss. But eating protein isn’t enough on its own. We need to use that protein. Which leads to number 3…

Which is to focus on building muscle instead of burning calories. A lot of women try to out-cardio midlife weight gain, but too much cardio can actually backfire by raising cortisol and breaking down muscle. Strength training and walking are far better for metabolism and hormone balance and to put the protein to use.

C: Strength training for women is essential! You can get a great bone building workout done in about 20 minutes vs an hour on the treadmill. Look at the time you can save!

S: Fourth, support your nervous system. If your body is in a constant state of stress, high cortisol tells it to store fat—especially around the belly as well as increases cravings and impacts sleep, which when heal and cover leading to even more stress. uggh! Simple things like deep breathing, slowing down when you eat, and getting quality sleep make a massive difference.

C: Be sure to tune in to episode 5 to learn a lot more about sleep and weight loss.

S: Midlife weight management isn’t about eating less and moving more. And your body that’s not working the one it once did? It’s not broken—it’s always working for you. The key isn’t pushing it harder or getting frustrated with it, but understanding what it needs now and learning to work with it. When you do that, everything gets easier.

C: Sharlene, I so appreciate how you have researched and field tested this wisdom so thoroughly. I hope so many women watching this share this series with their friends. We can create a revolution!

S: I’m down for that! Tune in to our next episode when we dive a little deeper into metabolism. It’s not just calories in and calories out.

C: In the meantime, you can find more resources on either of our websites, www.purenaturalhealth.ca or www.cherylgordonyt.com

S: For now, check out the links in the show notes to access my FREE five day hormone balancing meal plan to get started.

C: Please subscribe to this substack so you don’t miss any episodes. Comment to let us know how your empress journey is unfolding and whether these topics affect you too.