MD: Why This Low-Effort Strength Method Is the Best Thing You Can Do to Lose Weight During Menopause

If you’re over 40 and gaining weight, feeling inflamed, or constantly tired no matter what you do – this is for you.

For most women, menopause changes everything. And the first signs can show up well before you expect, often in your 40s.

It’s not just hormones directly related to menopause, but also how your body responds to exercise, food, sleep, and stress.^{1, 2}

And while it may feel like you’re doing everything “right,” you’re probably not getting the results you want.

Dr. Natalie Rowe, a board-certified endocrinologist, says the reason is simple but often ignored:

“Menopause is already a huge stressor on the body. Add intense exercise and strict diets on top of that – things that usually spike cortisol – and it will make your body cling to fat like never before.”

Why Is It So Hard to Lose Weight During Menopause?

When most women in their 40s or 50s start noticing weight creeping on, especially around their belly, hips, and thighs, their first instinct is to do what they’ve always done: eat cleaner, move more, and try harder.

They swap pasta for salads. Sign up for early-morning HIIT classes. Start counting calories. Maybe even try intermittent fasting.

But here’s the truth: menopause changes the rules completely. And no one warns you.

“I see it constantly,” says Dr. Rowe. “They’re doing everything they’ve been told – and still gaining weight. The issue isn’t effort. It’s way deeper than that.”

During menopause, estrogen and progesterone drop sharply, but cortisol and inflammation rise in response.3

The result? Your body starts holding onto fat and becomes much more sensitive to stress.^4,5

That means even calorie cutting, long cardio sessions, or fasting won’t help you lose weight.

Instead of burning fat, your body holds onto it as a protective response to stress.⁶

And it’s not just the scale.

Elevated cortisol (the stress hormone) levels (a major byproduct of stress and exercising)⁷ can also worsen hot flashes, sleep disruptions, anxiety, brain fog, and weight gain, especially around your waist or belly.⁸

This is why the old “eat less, move more” mantra not only doesn’t work – all this added cortisol worsens your weight loss efforts during menopause.

So What’s the Alternative – Just Accept the Weight Gain?

Absolutely not.

Menopause does bring change, yes.

On average, women gain 8-15 lbs during menopause, mostly around the belly and hips.⁶

But that doesn’t mean you’re doomed to feel out of control in your body.

The secret? Working with your hormones, not against them.

“That’s why I started recommending Asian Pilates,” says Dr. Rowe.

“It’s low impact, beginner-friendly, and surprisingly effective for menopausal women because it strengthens your body without triggering more stress.”

And unlike what the name suggests, “Asian Pilates” isn’t some trendy gimmick.

Pilates itself was developed in the early 1900s by Joseph Pilates as a method of controlled strength, posture, and rehabilitation.

What makes Asian Pilates different is that it merges those classic Pilates principles with slower, breath-led Eastern practices inspired by Tai Chi and Qigong – creating a calm, joint-friendly way to build core stability and reshape the body.

While many women dismiss Pilates-style movement because it “doesn’t burn enough calories,” the truth is – it can improve body composition and metabolic health more reliably when your system is under hormonal stress.⁹

Why? Well…

Pilates-style training supports strength and body composition without the same stress response as intense training for many midlife women.¹⁰

Breath-led mind-body movement has been linked with improved stress regulation, helping reduce the “wired but tired” state that keeps the body stuck.¹¹

And structured low-impact movement can support metabolic markers and consistency, which matters more than intensity during menopause.¹²

And it can be done longer and more often without exhaustion or cravings afterward.

“Most of my patients are shocked by how quickly their body starts to shift when they stop fighting it,” she explains.

“Less puffiness, better energy, fewer hot flashes, and real weight loss – without pushing themselves to the brink.”

So Where Do You Even Begin?

This is where most of my patients get stuck.

They come in exhausted and frustrated, telling me they’ve tried it all. And once we start digging into their routines, I hear the same questions over and over:

“How often should I do Pilates?”

“Do I need to do long sessions to see results?”

“Should I be doing fast Pilates? Reformer Pilates? More reps?”

“Do I need to count calories? Track macros? Log everything I eat?”

They start filling up notebooks with workouts. Saving long playlists of Pilates videos. Downloading apps for tracking water, steps, calories, sleep… all of it.

And still – they’re unsure if they’re doing it right.

It’s overwhelming. It’s exhausting. And frankly, it’s not sustainable.

That’s why I now tell every patient the same thing:

Just use the Body Booster app.

It takes out all the confusion and gives you exactly what your body needs during this phase of life. Nothing more, nothing less.

Inside the app, you’ll find:

✅ A personalized plan for weight loss tailored to your fitness level and goals
✅ An easy-to-follow meal plan designed to support stable energy and hormone balance
✅ Fasting, water, and step trackers so you’re not juggling five different apps
✅ Proven stress-relief techniques built into the movement and breathwork
✅ Over 100 guided meditations to help calm your nervous system and support better sleep
✅ Small daily challenges that help build consistent, healthy habits over time

And honestly? This is the advice I end up giving after months of seeing a patient, once they finally connect the dots and say out loud:

“I think my weight gain might be menopause-related.”

It is.

And I’ll save other women the time (and the co-pays) by saying this up front:

If you’re navigating menopause and want to feel better in your body, this is the place to start.

Thousands of Women in Menopause Already Feel the Difference

You Don’t Have to Fight Your Body Anymore

If you’ve been doing everything “right” and still feel stuck…

If the scale won’t move, the cravings won’t stop, and your workouts leave you feeling worse instead of better…

It’s not your fault. It’s not your age. It’s your hormones.

Body Booster’s Asian Pilates program gives a steady, science-backed shift. It’s a method that’s MD-approved, menopause-friendly, and designed to reduce stress load, not increase it.

Or… one that works with you, not against you – in your phone, or printed so you can fit it in your bullet journal.

“You don’t need to do more. You need to do what’s right for your body right now,” says Dr. Rowe.

This is your permission to stop pushing so hard and to start feeling like yourself again. Strong, calm, steady, and back in control.