If you’ve been trying to lose weight, you may have come across the concept of “Calories In, Calories Out” (CICO): as long as your calorie output (energy burned) is higher than input on average each day, you’ll lose weight.
This isn’t totally wrong, but it’s definitely not the whole story – especially for women in peri- and post-menopause.
Who does CICO reliably work for?
Men and pre-menopausal women who don’t have a history of chronic dieting and haven’t recently (last couple months) been in a calorie deficit. And even for them, CICO typically only works for 3 months or so, at which point your body adapts by slowing the metabolism, decreasing NEAT (calories burned from all your everyday non-exercise movements), and increasing your baseline cortisol level – all of which make fat loss much harder.
“OK, but what do I do if I am peri- or post-menopausal, and/or I do have a history of chronic dieting?”
As weird as it sounds, your goal should not be to lose weight. Hear me out.
If your ultimate goal is to lose body fat, the most effective and efficient way to do that is to GAIN MUSCLE. Now, too many women think “I really want to lose fat first – I’ll deal with gaining muscle later.”
Wrong. For YOU, gaining muscle is HOW you’re going to lose the fat.
Why? Building muscle leads to:
- Increased resting metabolic rate → more calories burned around the clock
- Increased insulin sensitivity → body more easily breaks down fat for use
- Decreased inflammation → hormones and fat-burning processes work more effectively
- More stable energy → better training consistency and daily movement
- Better appetite regulation → fewer cravings, easier adherence to nutrition plan
“OK, I’m convinced. So what do I do?”
- Eat at or slightly above maintenance.
- Do regular strength training, always pushing to lift heavier.
- Eat enough protein, enough carbs, enough fat.
- Hydrate and sleep well.
Your weight may decrease, increase, or remain stable – but your fat mass will decrease and your lean mass will increase. This alone will totally transform your metabolism and your body, and fat loss will get easier and easier.
The best part is… you’re getting the body you’ve always wanted without any restrictive dieting.
This is what I do every day with my 1:1 clients who’ve gotten amazing results. Women who were ready to give up after years of failed dieting, now losing 10, 20, 30 pounds and actually enjoying the process. If you’re interested in coaching, you can apply here.
Free: The Strong for Life Protein Guide
A woman’s guide to using protein to lose fat, build strength, and stay powerful through menopause and beyond.
