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From 1 episode and 5 videos

What should a menopause weight loss plan include?

Answered by Nikkiey Stott, Maggie Topham and WarriorBabe's coaches · Updated

The short answer

A menopause weight loss plan should be built on strength training three to four times a week, enough food with protein throughout the day, balanced carbs and fats, and real recovery. The show is clear on what to leave out: crash dieting, endless cardio and six-day training weeks that keep your body in survival mode.

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  1. Nikkiey on the two pillars of a menopause plan: strength training and nutrition

    Plays from 1:06 · Ep. 67: How to Build Muscle and Lose Fat During Menopause

  2. How much exercise a menopause plan needs, and why it's less than you think

    Plays from 6:57 · Video: Is Overtraining Causing Your Menopause Weight Gain?

  3. The nutrition mistakes to avoid, plus a full sample day of eating

    Plays from 2:41 · Video: Lose 30 Pounds After Menopause: Workouts and Sample Meals

  4. Maggie on eating substantially more to finally lose weight in menopause

    Plays from 7:39 · Video: Losing 60 Pounds in Menopause: 5 Habits I Stopped

  5. Why stress, mindset and recovery belong in your menopause plan

    Plays from 2:12 · Video: Getting Lean in Your 50s During Menopause: 3 Key Strategies

The full answer

On Ep. 67, Nikkiey explains that two pillars matter most: strength training and proper nutrition, ideally by learning your macros. As estrogen and testosterone decline, muscle, strength and bone density can drop. Lifting helps you keep muscle, and muscle burns more calories than fat even at rest. One WarriorBabe coach lays out the framework as three to four strength sessions a week, intentional walking, and one or two short conditioning sessions only if recovery supports it. Another video uses four full-body sessions a week.

Next comes food, and enough of it. Coaches name the biggest mistakes women over 40 make: eating too little, skipping protein through the day, and fad diets that ignore hormonal shifts. The plan they describe includes:

Nikkiey recommends tracking macros for balance and accountability. Another video says the goal is not strict calorie restriction. Both point the same way: measure so you fuel your body, not so you starve it.

  • Protein from chicken, fish, eggs, tofu, Greek yogurt and low-fat dairy
  • Healthy fats like avocado, nuts, seeds, peanut butter and olive oil
  • Carbs from oats, rice, fruit, whole grains and vegetables
  • Plenty of water

Recovery and mindset belong in the plan too. One coach explains that under-eating, poor sleep and stacked workouts with no rest can keep cortisol chronically high, which the show links to holding fat around the midsection. Another video adds stress-reducing habits, celebrating small progress and a supportive community. Maggie shares that healing her metabolism meant eating substantially more. Her breakfast is now about 600 calories, roughly what she once tried to live on all day, and the weight slowly came off. A coach notes that eating more while your weight holds steady is itself a win.

The hormone explanations here are how the show describes it, not medical advice. For symptoms or medications, work with your doctor.

From WarriorBabe's coaches (how we write our answers). For education, not medical advice: talk to your doctor about your own health.

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Menopause & Perimenopause Weight Loss →

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