It’s an un-fun fact: Most women experience some amount of midlife weight gain. If body changes have made you feel as if you don’t recognize yourself in the mirror these days, there are things you can do—including taking certain supplements—to help support your hormones and metabolism. Working with a trained menopause specialist, like a Midi clinician, can help you devise a robust treatment plan for addressing weight gain, including the best supplements for your goals.
As if hot flashes and insomnia (and a few dozen more symptoms) weren’t enough, the majority of women notice something new showing up at midlife: extra weight. For some, it may be a few pounds that make their current clothes just a smidge tighter or more significant weight gain that seemingly comes out of nowhere and forces you to size up entirely. On top of that, how weight is distributed can change too, with more of it settling around the middle (hello, meno belly).
There are several reasons for these shifts which we’ll address in a minute, but first we want you to know that while, yes, weight gain is a common challenge for most women during perimenopause and menopause, there are things you can do to get the scale moving in a healthier direction.
One is to focus on nutrition and consider supplements you can take during perimenopause. When appropriate, supplements can support your hormones and metabolism, giving your body what it needs to function and feel well during these pivotal years.
Read on to learn more about which supplements can help with perimenopause weight gain and what you need to know about weight loss in midlife.
Understanding Perimenopause and Weight Gain
Think of perimenopause as a perfect storm for weight gain. Hormonal shifts, lifestyle changes, and midlife stresses all come together to create a scale-spiking environment. Here are the many factors that can contribute:
Hormonal Changes
A decline in estrogen during perimenopause (the phase leading up to menopause when periods stop completely) doesn’t just trigger symptoms like hot flashes or mood swings—estrogen also plays a role in maintaining a steady weight. It’s important for a healthy metabolism because estrogen helps regulate how much you eat and the calories your body burns, which keeps weight (relatively) consistent. When estrogen declines, however, how the body uses calories changes, potentially leading you to eat more, which in turn causes your blood sugar to rise and make more fat. As a result, you may end up consuming more calories than your body is burning. Hence, the weight gain.
Natural Aging
Women lose 3-5% of muscle mass in each decade starting at age 30. That’s a huge problem for weight management since muscle is metabolically active, meaning it burns calories even at rest. Losing muscle not only slows metabolism, it also makes you feel weaker, so you may cut back on everyday activities and calorie-burning exercise.
Less Physical Activity
Another common change that can happen with age: Moving less. At this stage, you may notice that you're settling into a more sedentary lifestyle, sitting to commute, at your desk to work, and on the couch to (finally!) relax at night. Absolutely no judgment here—life is hectic and many tasks can keep you pinned in front of a computer or sitting in your car. But if you continue to eat the same as you did when you were more active, weight gain is pretty much guaranteed.
Diet Shifts
You may see a shift in eating habits during perimenopause, some of which are related to hormonal changes and some that aren't. Stress can naturally creep up during midlife (there's a lot on your plate!), and so can accompanying stress eating. Sometimes dining alongside insatiable growing teens in the household, combined with a metabolism that is changing can collide to mean you're fueling up more than your body needs, leading you to accumulate more fat.
Lack of Sleep
Unfortunately, during perimenopause, insomnia and night sweats can affect your sleep. Stress plays a role here too—mounting life stresses can weigh on our emotional and psychological wellbeing, keeping you up at night as your mind loops through anxious thoughts. Both stress and lack of sleep can have an impact on your hunger and satiety hormones, making you more likely to choose less healthy food options that are typically higher in calories. And when you're already worn out and exhausted, finding time to exercise can feel like even more of a challenge.
If seeing all that on the page feels stressful in itself, we get it. Talk about a pile on. First, give yourself a break: A full 87% of Midi patients experience weight gain and body changes. While common, it’s not inevitable or permanent, and it’s time to introduce some new approaches. At Midi, our clinicians work with women to successfully achieve their weight management goals. Sometimes simple life adjustments make a big difference, other times medications, like GLP-1s (semaglutide) or supplements can help.
Weight Loss Success Stories
Managing Menopausal Symptoms
For many women, perimenopause can feel like an uphill battle. Along with midlife weight gain, you may also be dealing with common menopause symptoms that affect your physical and mental health, including:
- Irregular periods
- Hot flashes and night sweats
- Insomnia and other sleep problems
- Mood changes, irritability, and rage
- Vaginal dryness
- Decreased libido
- Brain fog
The best way to manage these symptoms is to work with a healthcare professional, like a Midi clinician, who can design a plan tailored specifically to you, which might include lifestyle support for diet, exercise and healthy sleep, botanicals and supplements, non-hormonal medications, and hormonal medications including hormone replacement therapy (HRT).
Addressing menopausal symptoms and weight gain with a holistic approach can be the best way to find relief and achieve lasting weight loss results.
Nutrition and Supplements for Fighting Weight Gain
During midlife, you’ll need to make adjustments to your diet to support your body’s changing hormones. While there is no one “magic bullet” for weight loss, certain nutrients are important to make sure you’re getting enough of what your body needs. Here are some of the best menopause supplements to consider:
Calcium & Vitamin D
Not just good for strong bones, calcium may affect fat cell production, metabolism, and absorption, and the nutrient may slightly bump up your body’s calorie-burning engines. That said, the scientific evidence that these nutrients are sure-thing weight loss helpers is still a bit conflicting—but we do know how important they are for you overall, so they should be top of your list no matter what. Your best bet is to combine vitamin D with calcium. D is one of the best vitamins for menopause because it helps your body absorb calcium, and you can find this nutrient combo in yogurt, dairy and plant-based milk, and canned sardines and salmon. If you don’t get what you need from your diet, ask your clinician if you’d benefit from a supplement.
Omega-3 Fatty Acids
Omega-3 fatty acids are a type of heart-healthy fat found in foods like fish and seafood, flax, chia and walnuts, and some fortified foods. Although research isn’t consistent, there’s evidence that omega-3s may help improve body composition due, in part, to their anti-inflammatory benefits, especially when paired with a reduced-calorie diet. Omega-3s may also provide diabetes support for healthy blood sugar and lipid levels.
Fiber
Honestly, fiber is not your grandma’s supplement anymore. Something really amazing happens when you consume fiber-rich foods (and yes, maybe supplements to fill the gaps): Research shows that making the single change of eating more fiber helps you lose weight, according to The Journal of Nutrition. Fiber is filling and it feeds good bacteria in your digestive tract to support gut health, which is also linked to a healthy weight.
Protein
It’s time to say yes to protein, the nutrient that helps your body maintain lean mass (muscle, bone) and is necessary for building muscle, too. (Your body also burns slightly more calories metabolizing protein.) In addition, there’s emerging evidence that increasing protein even a little bit may prevent weight and belly fat in midlife, according to commentary published in BJOG: An International Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology. In addition, if you are losing weight, you’ll inevitably lose some muscle, too. A protein-packed diet will help preserve as much muscle as possible as the scale ticks down, which, in turn, will keep your metabolism humming to help you maintain your new lower body weight.
Magnesium
Say hello to the sleep-supporting mineral. Magnesium helps promote the production of melatonin (a hormone needed for sleep), relaxes the body in preparation for sleep, and may even lessen anxiety to quiet the racing thoughts and worries that can keep you up at night. That’s why people who get adequate magnesium also tend to get the sleep they need. Lack of sleep is a common culprit behind weight gain because it can make you slog through the day (so you’re less active) and affect your appetite so you reach for more calorie-dense foods.
Probiotics
Probiotics provide beneficial bacteria for a healthy gut microbiome, and have been shown to help ease some symptoms of depression and anxiety, according to a review and meta-analysis in the journal Microorganisms. Mood problems during midlife can make it more difficult to maintain the healthy habits that help you lose weight, from making balanced diet choices to sticking to an exercise regimen. Another plus for probiotics: It can help ease GI distress triggered by declining estrogen and progesterone. If you have symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) like bloating, probiotic supplements—specifically strains Lactobacillus, Bifidobacterium, and Bacillus—may help alleviate those belly-bothering symptoms.
Creatine
Creatine is not just a supplement that muscled-up bros at the gym are taking. There may be benefits for women’s physical and mental health, including during the menopausal transition. Creatine is a substance found in meat and fish, but it’s also available as a powdered supplement. Taking creatine daily can support muscle growth and strength plus exercise performance, and it may also promote better mood and brain power, according to a review in the journal Nutrients.
Berberine
You may have heard about berberine —after all, in some circles it’s being called “nature’s Ozempic.” So what is it? Derived from the berry of the berberis shrub, berberine has been shown in several studies to help lower blood sugar levels and improve cholesterol levels—two health markers exacerbated in menopause. A few recent studies also show that this influence on our metabolism translates into weight loss, too. "We pretty consistently see improved blood sugar levels and lipid panels in patients on berberine, while the weight loss response is mixed,” says Midi’s Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Kathleen Jordan.
There is some concern that berberine's alteration of the gut microbiome may have other unknown health impacts, so many choose to use it for a limited time, usually less than six months at a time, to allow the gut to revert to baseline. "For patients who may have pre-diabetes or a modestly elevated cholesterol who also want to lose a few pounds, we often see them choosing berberine as their first line attempt,” says Dr. Jordan.
Choosing When to Take a Supplement
For each of the nutrients listed above, you should focus on getting what you need through food, but supplements may help fill in the gaps in your diet. You might:
- Consume fortified plant or dairy milk for calcium and take a calcium supplement.
- Ramp up your intake of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and legumes to get more fiber, and take a fiber supplement on the regular.
- Eat more chicken or fish to get ample protein, but add a protein shake to hit your nutritional goals.
Fitting it all in your diet and making sure you get the nutrients you need is tough. We’re all struggling a bit: Most Americans don’t get enough fiber and we’re woefully under consuming magnesium. If you’re not eating a lot of fish or seafood, you may be skimping on omega-3s, too. Connecting with a Midi weight specialist for personal recommendations on diet changes and supplements can be key to lasting success.
If supplements are part of your Care Plan, you’ll be advised to use supplements that say on the label that they are third-party tested, which ensures that they are safe and free of contaminants. In addition, you can come up with a plan with your healthcare professional on how to get more healthy foods into your diet while following your taste preferences, eating habits, and values (because food should make you feel good in all the ways). In other words, blanket supplement and diet recommendations rarely hit the target; you need advice customized to you.
The Takeaway
- While midlife weight gain is common and frustrating during perimenopause, there are many ways you can tackle it.
- Diet and exercise are key to weight loss during the menopause transition, as well as ensuring that you’re supplementing your diet with key nutrients that can boost your metabolism
- Consider talking with a healthcare professional about Rx options, including if weight loss drugs like GLP-1 medications are right for you, or if HRT (to address menopause symptoms) can help you shed pounds.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Which supplements help with perimenopause weight gain?
Ensuring you get enough fiber and protein, which may come from dietary sources and supplements, are two of the most important nutrients for weight loss and maintenance.
How do I stop weight gain during perimenopause?
Adjusting your diet to align with your body’s new calorie needs is the first step to stopping weight gain during perimenopause. That’s no easy task! However, in making changes to your diet, such as focusing on fiber- and protein-rich foods, you can eat a balanced, nutrient-packed diet, avoid fads, and change how your body feels. In addition, physical activity, proper sleep, and stress management all support a healthy weight.
What about probiotics?
Probiotics provide beneficial bacteria for a healthy gut microbiome, which have been shown to help ease some symptoms of depression and anxiety, according to a review and meta-analysis in the journal Microorganisms. Mood problems during midlife can make it more difficult to maintain the healthy habits that help you lose weight, from making balanced diet choices to following an exercise routine. What’s more important from a weight perspective are prebiotics—of which (non-digestible) fiber is the main component, which can help you feel full and support healthy weight. Examples of prebiotic foods are onions, leeks, artichokes, wheat, and bananas.
What can I take to lose weight during perimenopause?
There are no specific weight-loss supplements we recommend that will drive significant weight loss. (In other words, there are no shortcuts.) That said, we know supplements, including nutrients like fiber and probiotics, can help. In addition, hormone replacement therapy (HRT) can improve menopause symptoms that set the stage for weight gain (like sleep-disrupting night sweats). Once those are cleared up, many women find it easier to make the diet and activity changes that help them maintain a healthy weight. Some women might also consider using targeted weight loss drugs like GLP-1 medications (semaglutide) depending on their current health.
How to lose perimenopause belly fat?
Follow an anti-inflammatory diet that includes vegetables, fruits, whole grains, legumes, nuts and seeds, and lean proteins like fish and chicken. Aim to eat 20 to 30 grams of protein per meal. Exercise will also help reduce belly fat and keep stress at bay (which, you guessed it, promotes the accumulation of abdominal fat). HRT is not a weight loss drug, but hormone therapy may also help address "meno belly" and improve metabolic health.
If you’re in perimenopause or menopause and want guidance from clinicians who specialize in women’s midlife health, book a virtual visit with Midi today.
Hormonal change is at the root of dozens of symptoms women experience in the years before and after their period stops.
Our trained menopause specialists can help you connect the dots to guide you towards safe, effective solutions.
Whether you need personalized guidance or a prescription routine to tackle symptoms—including vaginal dryness and irritation, brain fog, hot flashes, sleep trouble, mood swings, and weight gain—we’ve got you covered.
Midi’s mission is to revolutionize healthcare for women at midlife, wherever they live and whatever their health story. We believe that starts with education, to help all of us understand our always-changing bodies and health needs. Our core values guide everything we do, including standards that ensure the quality and trustworthiness of our content and editorial processes. We’re committed to providing information that is up-to-date, accurate, and relies on evidence-based research and peer-reviewed journals. For more details on our editorial process, see here.