If you feel like your body has hit the brakes somewhere in your 40s or 50s, you’re not imagining things.  It’s true – perimenopause impacts your metabolism.   Jeans feel tighter, energy dips are deeper, and your weight creeps up even when you’re doing everything “right.”

So, what’s going on?

The answer lies in the natural shifts that occur in your midlife life-stage, especially for women.  Hormones, stress, poor sleep, and metabolic changes all play a big role in slowing down your metabolism.

But there’s hope.

Understanding why your metabolism is changing gives you the power to support it, and even turn it around.

What’s really going on in peri-menopause

The Hormonal Handbrake

As you transition through perimenopause and into menopause, your oestrogen and progesterone levels drop. These hormones aren’t just about periods and reproduction. They influence your body temperature, mood, sleep, fat storage and, yes, your metabolism. Lower oestrogen makes your body more insulin resistant, meaning it has a harder time processing sugar.  This leads to increased fat storage, especially around the belly.

Oestrogen also supports the function of mitochondria, your body’s energy powerhouses.

Less oestrogen = less energy efficiency.

Your Liver’s Role

The liver plays a central role in your metabolism, detoxifying hormones, medications, alcohol and environmental chemicals. But by midlife, your liver can be sluggish from years of stress, processed foods, hormone medications (like the pill or HRT), and alcohol.  A sluggish liver means your body can’t clear out excess hormones or toxins efficiently, which contributes to inflammation and fat storage.

When the liver is overwhelmed, the body stores excess toxins in fat cells. It’s a protective mechanism. So even if you’re eating well, a tired liver could be making it harder to lose weight.

Stress: The Hidden Weight Gain Trigger

You might be used to just “pushing through,” but chronic stress raises cortisol levels.  This stress hormone signals your body to store fat, particularly visceral fat around your belly, and can break down muscle.

Less muscle = slower metabolism.

Cortisol also disrupts your circadian rhythm, sleep, digestion, and immune function, creating a cascade of fatigue, cravings, and weight gain.

Sleep and the Circadian Connection

Sleep isn’t just rest, it’s also important for metabolic repair time. Poor sleep affects hormones like leptin and ghrelin, which control hunger and fullness. Ever noticed how you crave carbs after a bad night’s sleep? That’s not willpower. That’s biology.

Circadian rhythm disruption (thanks to blue light, shift work, late-night eating or poor sleep hygiene) throws off your metabolic rhythm. Your body doesn’t know when to burn and when to store, leading to energy crashes and weight gain.

Inflammation: The Metabolism Blocker

Chronic low-grade inflammation is a silent saboteur of metabolic health.  It increases insulin resistance, disrupts hunger cues, and can even damage mitochondria. Where does inflammation come from? Processed foods, alcohol, poor gut health, lack of movement, and environmental toxins.

Inflammation is also a common factor in auto-immune conditions, joint pain, and brain fog.  All things many women start to experience during perimenopause.

Muscle Mass and Movement

From your 30s onwards, you naturally start to lose muscle mass, a condition known as sarcopenia. Muscle is metabolically active tissue, which means it burns more energy than fat, even at rest.

Less muscle = lower resting metabolic rate.

If your activity levels have dropped or you’re not doing any form of resistance or weight-bearing exercise, this loss accelerates.

Hormone Medications and Metabolism

Hormonal treatments like the contraceptive pill, HRT or corticosteroids can disrupt your liver and metabolic pathways. They alter how your body stores fat, regulates insulin, and clears out waste products. They’re not inherently “bad,” but they can make weight management harder if the rest of your metabolic system is struggling.

Here’s What You Do

Here are a few powerful, simple changes you can start right away:

1. Eat within a 12-hour window to support circadian rhythm and liver function. For example, 7am breakfast and finish dinner by 7pm.
2. Start your day with a high-protein breakfast within an hour of waking. It supports cortisol balance, energy, and metabolism.
3. Move your body every day, even if it’s just a 20-minute walk or a few minutes of strength training. Keep it simple and consistent.
4. Prioritise sleep, and go to bed at the same time every night, avoid screens at night, and create a wind-down routine.
5. Cut back on alcohol, even one glass can impact liver function, sleep, and fat metabolism.
6. Support your liver with bitter greens like rocket, dandelion, and lemon water.

Why the Metabolic Balance Program Works

The Metabolic Balance Program is designed for exactly this kind of midlife metabolic challenge.  It’s not a one-size-fits-all diet.  a personalised food plan based on your unique blood chemistry, guiding your body back to balance, improving liver function, lowering inflammation, and supporting hormonal health.

Most women find their energy improves, cravings settle, sleep deepens, and the weight finally starts to shift.

This is about more than just weight loss. It’s about regaining your vitality, confidence, and clarity as you navigate the changes of midlife.