Eps 443: Eating More and Exercising Less Helped Me Lose Weight in Perimenopause

Are you eating well, exercising consistently, and still gaining weight or feeling worse in your body?

For years, I believed the answer was to tighten up my nutrition, burn more calories, and become more disciplined. I was a personal trainer and nutrition coach, working out six days a week, eating around 1,400 calories, and still watching my body change.

In this episode, I share the personal experiences tat contributed to what I now call “health debt,” including a life-threatening postpartum hemorrhage, years of low energy, sleepless nights supporting my daughter through anxiety, repeated illness, grief, divorce, solo parenting, and the pressure to keep showing up as though I was fine.

I also explain why perimenopause may expose the strain your body has been carrying for years, why eating less and exercising more can stop producing results, and what changed when I finally began eating more, exercising less, prioritizing protein, and allowing my body to recover.

Weight gain may be the symptom that gets your attention, but it may not be the first problem your body needs you to address.

In This Episode

00:00 Why health-conscious women can do everything right and still gain weight

01:20 Working out six days a week, eating 1,400 calories, and getting worse results

02:20 How I entered the fitness and nutrition industry

03:08 What I now understand about the “eat less, move more” approach

04:32 Childbirth, low iron, motherhood, sleeplessness, and the experiences that accumulated in my body

07:20 What I mean by health debt and why perimenopause can expose it

08:51 The symptoms I began experiencing at 37

11:20 Waking at 4 a.m., doubling my pre-workout, and cutting more calories

12:52 Why pushing harder made my exhaustion and weight gain worse

15:52 Why normal lab results did not mean my symptoms were imaginary

17:25 What happened when I began eating more and exercising less

18:30 Navigating grief, divorce, solo parenting, and another period of overwhelming stress

20:30 Becoming a Functional Diagnostic Nutrition Practitioner

21:32 What functional testing helped me understand about my digestion, gut health, hormones, and recovery

25:36 Why weight loss was not the first problem my body needed to solve

27:12 How intense workouts can add more pressure when your body is already struggling

29:59 The first step toward working with your body instead of fighting it

Connect with Bria

Instagram: @theperiodwhisperer

Website: https://theperiodwhisperer.com

Ready to start losing weight differently in midlife?

Join me for Lose Weight Smarter in 7 Days, a FREE challenge for midlife women who want to begin moving toward sustainable weight loss without heavy workouts or extreme dieting.

During our seven days together, you’ll learn how to:

• Make simple shifts around food and protein

• Use walking and supportive movement instead of punishing cardio

• Build morning and sleep habits that support your recovery

• Understand how stress and your nervous system affect your body

• Take one realistic action every day with support and accountability

This is not a promise of a dramatic seven-day transformation. It is an opportunity to stop overhauling everything at once, begin working with your changing body, and notice how it responds to a different kind of support.

The free challenge begins August 22 inside our Skool community. Enrollment closes August 21 at 11:59 PM.

Join Lose Weight Smarter in 7 Days here:https://docs.google.com/document/d/1UM4d2bFxPo_1gJcjmPYnjOyHzGLgcgKUtDDQHlN9fgQ/edit?usp=sharing