Perimenopause, Body Changes & The Mindset Shift We All Need

If you’re a perimenopausal woman struggling with symptoms, feeling frustrated by body changes, or confused by conflicting nutrition advice—you’re not alone. I’m Jo, a Registered Nutritional Therapist, and I’m right there with you. I’m 46, in the thick of perimenopause, navigating HRT, and still figuring things out, just like so many of the women I work with.

I probably started experiencing perimenopausal symptoms at 39, but I only realised what was happening about three years ago. Since then, it has been a wild ride. I’ve fought with GPs to access HRT, been referred to and discharged from the community gynae, sought help from a private doctor, and tried various types of HRT. And to be perfectly honest, I’m still not sure if my dosage is right—because some days I feel great, and other days, perimenopause kicks me in the arse.

My Dieting Past & Breaking Free From Diet Culture

For years, I was obsessed with what I should and shouldn’t eat. What foods were "good" or "bad"? What would help me lose weight? Keep it off? Every new diet promised the answer—Atkins, low GI, low fat, calorie restriction. And like so many women, I conflated weight loss with health.

Looking back, I wonder if I had some form of disordered eating. I took over-the-counter pills that promised to stop fat absorption (they just gave me the shits), skipped meals, restricted calories, and pushed myself through punishing exercise routines to “burn” more. I pored over celebrity magazines, comparing myself to women who were labelled “fat” (they weren’t) and “skinny”. It was a toxic cycle of feeling like I wasn’t good enough, and instead of stepping away from it, I doubled down.

Studying nutritional science changed everything for me. I learned how the body actually works—how food fuels digestion, energy production, hormones, brain function, and so much more. Now, as a Registered Nutritional Therapist, I help perimenopausal women find their forever way of eating—without calorie counting, restriction, or guilt. Instead, I encourage self-kindness, self-compassion, and small, sustainable changes that create real, lasting results.

But that doesn’t mean my mindset is always perfect. And today was one of those days that reminded me just how easy it is to spiral.

When Old Insecurities Creep Back In

Lately, I’ve noticed that some of my clothes are tighter around my waist and looser around my hips. Even though I know bodies change, and even though I teach women to accept these changes, it still messed with my head.

I made a conscious decision to give up running in October 2024 because it was affecting my health. Running gave me a rush—it made me feel strong, free, and fit. But it was starting negatively impact my health, so I switched to weight training. And while I’m learning to love it, if I’m honest, I’ve been worried about gaining weight. Seeing the changes in my body sent me into a tailspin.

I weighed myself. It depressed me. I searched my notes app for old body measurements. That didn’t help much either. And suddenly, there I was, feeling like I was right back in that toxic cycle of insecurity.

To top it all off, my perimenopause symptoms have been kicking me in the arse lately. This morning, after dropping my kids off at school, I had no memory of seeing my daughter go through the gates. Panic set in. I turned the car around, parked up, and asked the TAs at the gate if they’d seen her. They kindly went to check and confirmed she was settled in her classroom. I breathed a sigh of relief… until I walked back to the car park and saw my car. It had rolled backwards into the middle of the car park.

Because in my flustered, brain-fogged state, I’d forgotten to put the sodding handbrake on.

I felt mortified. I am usually the one who has her shit together. But lately? I don’t feel organised, I don’t feel like myself, and I definitely don’t feel like I have my shit together.

And all of this—the body changes, the brain fog, the self-doubt—triggered those old insecurities.

The Mindset Shift We All Need

Why am I telling you this? Because I know I’m not alone. If you’ve ever struggled with body changes, weight worries, or brain fog disasters, I want you to know: you’re not the only one.

Today’s experience actually made me think about writing a blog about why you need to throw the scales away—the problem with using weight as a measurement of success and alternative ways to track your health goals.

But what I think we all need, more than anything, is acceptance. Our bodies change as we get older, and this is not a negative thing. When we are babies, we need to put on weight to grow and develop. So at what point in life does change suddenly become a bad thing? Why do we fear it instead of embracing it?

Aging is a privilege. Our bodies shifting over time is normal. That doesn’t mean we can’t have health goals, but how we approach those goals matters. Chasing extreme weight loss, setting unrealistic expectations, and falling into the trap of all-or-nothing thinking only leads to frustration. I’ve seen it in my clients, I’ve experienced it myself, and I know how damaging it can be.

Instead, I encourage a flexible mindset—one that focuses on small, consistent changes over time. The journey isn’t linear, and it isn’t meant to be. Health is about more than a number on the scales, and it’s time we all started measuring success in a way that truly serves us.

Let’s Talk

So, tell me—have you had a brain fog disaster recently? Can you relate to these body image struggles? I’d love to hear from you, so drop a comment or send me a message. And if you’re tired of battling with diet culture and want to find your forever way of eating, I’d love to support you. Let’s ditch the guilt, embrace self-compassion, and create a way of eating that actually works for you.