Stubborn belly fat that won’t budge — no matter how “healthy” you’re eating?

It’s not your willpower. It’s your hormones. During perimenopause, shifts in cortisol, insulin, and oestrogen can create a perfect storm that tells your body to store fat around your middle — even if you’re eating less and moving more.

In this blog, I want to break down why belly fat becomes so resistant in perimenopause, and what the real, sustainable strategies look like.

The Hormone Shift That Sabotages Your Waistline

As oestrogen and progesterone begin to fluctuate (often years before your periods actually stop), your body becomes more prone to storing fat — especially visceral fat around the belly. This is partly due to falling oestrogen, which plays a role in insulin sensitivity and fat distribution.

At the same time, many women start sleeping less, feeling more stressed, and noticing more sugar cravings. It’s not in your head. It’s hormonal — and your body is doing its best to adapt.

But that adaptation can come with a softer middle, bloating, and stubborn weight gain that doesn’t respond to the usual tricks.

Why Calorie-Cutting Backfires

One of the biggest myths around weight loss is that eating less always leads to losing weight. But during perimenopause, under-eating can actually signal to your body that it’s in danger. In response, cortisol (your main stress hormone) rises, and metabolism slows down to conserve energy.

This state of chronic stress not only makes it harder to lose weight — it encourages your body to store more fat, especially around the middle. And let’s not forget the impact on your mood, sleep, and energy when you’re not eating enough.

Instead of starving your body, the real solution is about eating the right foods at the right times to support your hormones.

Cortisol, Insulin & Oestrogen: The Belly Fat Triangle

These three hormones are major players when it comes to fat storage in midlife.

• Cortisol: rises with stress, poor sleep, under-eating, and overexercising. High cortisol = more belly fat.

• Insulin: becomes less efficient during perimenopause, meaning your body stores more glucose as fat.

• Oestrogen: as levels drop, it becomes harder to regulate blood sugar and fat distribution.

This hormonal trio can create a cycle that keeps you stuck — unless you actively support balance through nutrition, movement, stress reduction, and the right supplements.

Ready to Start Now?

If this all feels familiar — the bloating, the belly weight, the sense that your body is working against you — you're not alone. And you're not stuck. I've created two resources to help you take the next step:

Free Guide – Your First Steps to Hormone Balance

If you're just getting started and want a gentle nudge in the right direction, this guide covers some of the simplest, most powerful shifts you can make to begin supporting your hormones, calming inflammation, and feeling more like yourself again (with side effects of weight loss where you want to lose it. 👉 Download it here

Reclaim Your Mind – 30-Day Hormonal Reset Protocol (£15)

For those who are ready to go deeper, my paid protocol walks you through a full 30-day reset designed to reduce anxiety, lift low mood, and tackle hormone-related belly fat head-on. It includes:

✔️ Detox guidance

✔️ Full food and supplement plan

✔️ Mind-body tools

✔️ Emotional healing support

✔️ Recipes, trackers, and testing insights. 👉 Grab your copy here

Or if you’re not sure where to start, I’d love to support you 1:1.

Book a FREE DISCOVERY CALL BELOW or chat with me through my website with your questions — I always read and reply personally.