Perimenopause and the Diet Dilemma: How to Eat Without Feeling Restricted or Deprived

If you're reading this and thinking "Why can’t I stop eating? Why am I gaining weight even though I’m trying so hard?" — I want you to know: you are not alone.

For many women, perimenopause brings a frustrating mix of weight gain, cravings, low energy, poor sleep, anxiety, and a deep feeling of being out of control with food.

Maybe what used to work for you — a little dieting here and there, cutting back when you needed — simply doesn’t work anymore. And maybe now, it just leaves you feeling exhausted, restricted, and even more defeated.

I see you. I hear you.  And today, I’m here to tell you there is a different way forward — without dieting, calorie counting, or feeling deprived.

Let’s dive into how you can eat well in perimenopause without falling into the diet culture trap. 🌸

The Perimenopause Diet Dilemma

In your 20s and 30s, managing your weight might have felt straightforward — skip a few meals, add some extra workouts, and voila. But in perimenopause?  Everything changes.

Your hormones (especially oestrogen and progesterone) start fluctuating wildly, affecting:

• Your appetite

• Your metabolism

• Your body’s ability to regulate blood sugar

• Your cravings (hello 4pm snack attack)

Add in poor sleep, fatigue, joint pain, mood swings, brain fog, and the mental load of work, family, and life — and it’s no wonder you’re feeling stuck.

The traditional diet advice you might have relied on no longer fits your changing body or your reality.  And honestly? It’s not your fault. Diet culture sold you a lie: that you just needed to "eat less, move more" — and if you can’t, you must be the problem. You are NOT the problem. Diet culture is. In perimenopause, what your body truly needs is nourishment, not punishment.

Why Restriction Doesn’t Work Anymore

When you restrict food — whether through cutting calories, skipping meals, or following extreme diets — your body experiences stress. And during perimenopause, you’re already navigating higher baseline stress levels thanks to hormone shifts. More restriction = more stress = more cortisol = more cravings, weight gain, anxiety, and burnout. It's a vicious cycle.

Restriction can also:

• Disrupt your sleep

• Increase cravings for sugar and refined carbs

• Cause blood sugar crashes

• Worsen mood swings

• Drain your energy even further

It’s not just hard to diet during perimenopause.  It’s actually harmful to your body’s delicate hormonal balance. Instead, you need to work with your body, not against it.

Eating Without Restriction: What It Really Looks Like

So, if not dieting, then what? It starts with a balanced diet for perimenopause — one built on steady nourishment, gentle structure, and self-compassion.

Here’s what that means:

1. Prioritise Protein at Every Meal

Protein becomes your secret weapon in perimenopause. It helps stabilise blood sugar, keeps cravings in check, supports muscle mass, and boosts energy.

Aim for about 25–30g of protein at each meal — think eggs, chicken, fish, tofu, Greek yoghurt, cottage cheese, or a quality protein powder.

🌟 Quick Tip: A breakfast of scrambled eggs with spinach and feta on wholegrain toast is a perfect perimenopause start.

2. Embrace Healthy Fats

Forget low-fat diets. Your brain, hormones, and skin need healthy fats like avocado, nuts, seeds, olive oil, and oily fish (like salmon or sardines).

Healthy fats help regulate your mood, beat fatigue, and even support your joints (goodbye, shoulder pain and creaky knees).

3. Fuel Your Body with Fibre

Fibre is crucial for balancing blood sugar, supporting gut health, and keeping your digestion running smoothly — especially if brain fog, bloating, and mood swings are daily struggles.

Add plenty of colourful veggies, berries, oats, beans, and wholegrains.

🌟 Quick Tip: Half your plate should be veggies at lunch and dinner — the more colours, the better!

4. Honour Your Hunger

One of the most powerful shifts you can make?  Stop fighting hunger. Start honouring it. Eat regular meals and snacks every 3–4 hours.  This keeps your blood sugar steady, reduces cravings, and helps you reconnect with your body’s natural signals.

Skipping meals only leads to crashing later — and that's when mindless snacking or overeating creeps in.

5. Nourish Your Nervous System

Stress directly impacts your ability to eat well.  When you’re stuck in "fight or flight" mode, your body craves quick energy — sugar, refined carbs, processed food.

Simple daily practices like deep breathing, getting outside in nature, or even just slowing down at mealtimes help nourish your nervous system and reduce emotional eating.

You’re Not Lazy. You’re Tired.

If cooking healthy meals feels overwhelming right now — it’s not because you’re lazy or weak.  It’s because your body is burnt out. Start small.

• Stock your fridge with easy, nourishing foods (think pre-cut veggies, ready-cooked grains, rotisserie chicken).

• Plan simple meals — you don’t need gourmet recipes.

• Lean on batch cooking or shortcuts without guilt.

🌟 Quick Tip: A stir-fry with frozen mixed veg, pre-cooked chicken, and tamari sauce takes less than 10 minutes.

It’s Time to Find Your Forever Way of Eating

Perimenopause isn’t a problem to fix.  It’s an invitation to finally let go of diet culture and step into a way of eating that feels good, sustainable, and supportive.

✨ No more restriction. 

✨ No more calorie counting. 

✨ No more beating yourself up.

You deserve to eat in a way that nourishes your body, honours your hunger, and brings you energy and joy.

This is your forever way of eating.

You Are Not Alone

If you’re nodding along thinking “This is me. This is exactly how I feel” — please know that you are not alone.

I work with women just like you every single day — women navigating cravings, fatigue, anxiety, and the deep feeling of "what is happening to me?"

You don’t have to figure it out on your own.  You deserve compassionate, expert support tailored to your perimenopause journey.

✨ Ready to Eat Without Restriction? ✨

If you’re tired of feeling stuck and ready to find your forever way of eating through perimenopause, I’m here to help, you don’t have to do this alone. Click here to book a free disco call me.