As Emma entered her 40s, her body began changing in ways she couldn’t quite explain.
“The weight came on gradually rather than all at once, which made it quite easy to ignore for a while,” the Brisbane woman tells The Weekly. “But alongside it I was experiencing bloating, brain fog, lethargy and a real lack of motivation. I also started having hot flushes and sleepless nights, which I’d never experienced before turning 40.”
It didn’t occur to her that perimenopause might be behind any of it. Emma had thought menopause was something that happened later, in your 50s.
“What was really frustrating was feeling like the things that had always worked for me weren’t working anymore,” she says. “I was still exercising, mainly walking, but probably not often enough, and I had a desk job and was eating takeaways quite regularly.”
Like many women trying to manage their weight, Emma’s instinct was to cut back.
“I would sometimes skip meals because I thought eating less and cutting calories would help me lose weight,” she explains.
When Emma had a DEXA scan, the results showed she had high body fat and lower lean mass than expected for her age.
“That scared me because suddenly it wasn’t just about what I looked like or what the scales said,” she says. “I started thinking about my health longer term and where I could be heading if I didn’t make some changes. I didn’t want to just be ‘skinny’, I wanted to be toned, strong and healthy as I got older.”
Why weight can change in midlife
Emma’s experience is a familiar one. In a new online survey of 1303 female CSIRO Total Wellbeing Diet members aged 40 to 55, almost eight in 10 reported gaining weight at this stage of life.
Almost 90 per cent said menopause had affected their wellbeing in some way, with one in five describing the impact as significant.
CSIRO research scientist Dr Gilly Hendrie says there are several reasons weight and body composition can change during perimenopause and menopause.
“As oestrogen declines, women can lose muscle mass and we can also see a redistribution of fat around the abdomen,” she explains. “Less muscle can mean a slower metabolism, which can contribute to gradual weight creep even when you feel like you haven’t really changed how you eat.”
Eating less seems like the obvious answer but how much we eat is only part of it.
“When we gain weight, our natural reaction is often, ‘I need to eat less.’ And sometimes weight gain can relate to eating more kilojoules than we need, but when we’re talking about ageing well, including during the transition to menopause, we need to focus on the quality as well as the quantity of the foods we’re eating,” Dr Hendrie adds.
Where protein comes in
Most women in midlife aren’t getting enough protein. Looking at data from Australia’s latest national nutrition survey, CSIRO found women aged 40 to 55 were falling around 35g short each day. Only one in three was meeting the target.
“Protein is particularly important because it helps manage appetite and supports muscle mass, strength and overall physical health,” Dr Hendrie says.
“So when we’re thinking about weight management, we don’t want to focus only on losing kilos on the scales,” she adds. “We also want to retain muscle and support strength and physical health.”
Of course, there are limits to what protein can do. “Protein isn’t a magic fix for menopause or weight gain, but getting the right amount within a healthy and balanced diet is one practical thing women can do to support their bodies during this stage of life.”
How much protein should you aim for?
For weight management, Dr Hendrie recommends around 1.2g of protein per kilogram of body weight each day.
“For example, if we look at an average Australian woman weighing around 90kg, that would mean a target of about 110g of protein a day,” she explains.
Your needs will depend on your age, weight and health goals. The free CSIRO Protein Calculator can help you work out a starting point.
Spreading protein across the day matters too. “Traditionally, Australians tend to eat most of their protein at dinner, so for many women it’s actually about redistributing their intake and increasing the amount they’re getting at breakfast and lunch,” Dr Hendrie says. “A useful guide is around 25-30g of protein at each main meal.”
Easy ways to add more protein
You don’t need to stock up on protein powders, bars or packaged “high protein” foods.
“Small changes across the day can make a meaningful difference,” Dr Hendrie says. “Most Australians are already getting a reasonable amount of protein at dinner, so breakfast, lunch and snacks are often the easiest places to start.”
She suggests:
- Breakfast: Add eggs, milk or a high-protein yoghurt. Two eggs provide around 12g of protein.
- Lunch: Try canned fish, chicken, eggs, dairy or legumes. A cup of lentils provides around 18g of protein, while 100g of chicken provides around 25g. Nuts and seeds can also be added to salads, and beans to soups or casseroles.
- Snacks: Greek yoghurt, nuts, cheese and crackers or a latte are all easy options.
The changes Emma made
Emma lost 14.5kg over nine months on the CSIRO Total Wellbeing Diet and has kept it off for more than a year. A follow-up DEXA scan showed she had gained 5kg of lean mass.
“Before starting the CSIRO Total Wellbeing Diet, I was eating roughly half the amount of protein I do now,” she says.
These days, Emma eats regularly and builds her meals around protein.
“What surprised me most was how much more satisfied I felt when I was eating enough protein,” she adds. “I wasn’t as tempted to snack on unhealthy options, and it completely shifted my thinking away from restriction.”
For Emma, a typical breakfast might be oats with peanut butter and almonds, or eggs with halloumi and spinach. “If I’m having lunch out, I might choose salmon and avocado sushi or a zucchini slice, and if I need a snack I’ll have something like a small tin of tuna or a bit of cheese,” she says.
As well as walking, Emma started doing cardio classes, weights and Pilates. She now feels more energetic, happier and more relaxed around food.
“I think the biggest thing was recognising that it wasn’t going to happen overnight,” she reflects. “I’ve always treated it as a marathon, not a sprint.”
“I’ve learned that you don’t have to fight your body as you go through these kinds of life phases. Understanding my body and giving it what it needs has made a huge difference.”
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