Numbers that matter.

Cory
Aug 27
5 min read

Updated: Aug 29

This is my story……and I know every body and journey are not the same.

But if there are pieces that are helpful or encouraging to you—please take them.

Personally, I never had a problem with my weight…until my mid 40s.

Celebrating my 47th with a COREFIT workout!

I have been relatively healthy and active my entire adult life. My eating habits as a kid were abysmal, but I gradually improved them as I got older. Also, let me just get this off my chest: I don’t like to cook, and I don’t especially love meat.

In my mid-40s, I slowly started to gain weight even though my lifestyle really hadn’t changed.

I remained active and was eating as well as I ever had in my life.

And I think this is true for so many of us in perimenopause. And so frustrating.

I tried to lose weight by eating less processed food and drinking less—or no—alcohol.

Those things did not work for me.

Fast forward to this year. At 51, I decided to get a DEXA scan. (A DEXA scan measures body composition, including muscle, fat and bone.)

This was about six years into my gradual weight gain. And you know how it goes. The weight slowly adds on and on, and you don't necessarily realize how much has changed—or how unhealthy some of those changes may have become.

At that DEXA, I was at an all-time high weight (heavier than during my pregnancies even). While my lean mass and bone density were excellent (wins!), my total mass, body fat and visceral fat "needed focus."

I knew my weight and body fat were high. But when I saw that visceral fat number, something switched in me.

I knew I needed to do something different.

Because vanity is one thing, but health and longevity are another.

If you don't know, visceral fat is the fat stored around your abdominal organs, and higher amounts are associated with increased risk for things like cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, fatty liver disease, and some cancers.

No thank-you!!!

That same day, I also had an RMR (Resting Metabolic Rate) test. This test gave me information about how many calories my body burns at rest and whether I was burning primarily fat or carbohydrates for fuel.

Armed with the information that my visceral fat was unhealthy—and with a better idea of how many calories my particular body needed—I decided to try something I had never tried before:

Counting calories.

I am a nutrition coach, and in my training, they basically say calorie counting has significant limitations/does not work.

Why? Because people don't estimate their portions well. Food labels aren't perfectly precise. People and activity trackers aren't particularly accurate at estimating calories burned. There is a lot of room for error.

PLUS, it's tedious, and a lot of people burn out from it.

And I will admit that I needed to take a break from it this summer.

BUT…it definitely worked for me.

And here's why:

1. My calorie target was higher than I expected. Based on my RMR testing and estimated daily needs, I used a calorie deficit target of about 1,950 calories per day. That was more food than an online predictor would tell me I could eat while losing weight.

2. It gave me a ceiling. I was already pretty good at eating nourishing foods, but I would also reach for less nourishing items here and there. Those little extras could just keep adding calories without me realizing how much they added up.

3. I realized I wanted every calorie to count. I needed to feel satisfied with my 1,950 calories, so I became much more intentional about choosing foods that actually nourished my body and kept me full (i.e. lean proteins and fiber).

4. For the first time in my life, I consistently hit my protein target of about 150 grams. Lean proteins gave me a lot of bang for my buck. I also learned to front-load my day with more protein and calories so I felt fuller and more satisfied throughout the day. Previously, I felt like I needed to "save" my calories for evening and social settings.

In addition, based on my testing and goals, I decided to add "Zone 2" training to my current fitness regimen, which consisted of approximately three days of heavy lifting and one or two days of HIIT or sprint training.

Zone 2 training sometimes gets a bad rap in today's fitness advice for perimenopausal women. And personally, I still think heavy lifting and higher-intensity work deserve a higher priority in most women’s training.

But I had time to add four 45-minute Zone 2 sessions each week.

AND…I found that I really enjoyed them.

I'd listen to a podcast, move my body, and finish feeling energized instead of exhausted.

🤔So what actually caused the weight loss?

I think I lost weight because I made meaningful changes to both my diet and my overall activity level.

Was it specifically calorie counting and Zone 2 training?

Maybe. Maybe not.

Calorie counting helped me skip some of the less nourishing options and prioritize protein, fiber and foods that kept me satisfied. I think those choices made a huge difference.

Zone 2 training added more movement to my week. I don't think there was anything magical about the fact that it was specifically Zone 2. I think it mattered that it was lower-intensity movement that I could recover from easily. I wasn't getting sore from it, and it didn't interfere with my strength training.

And honestly, I think it was good for my mental and emotional well-being too.

So why am I writing this?

Because perimenopause can be incredibly frustrating. You can find yourself gaining weight even though you don't feel like you've made some dramatic negative change to your diet or lifestyle.

And you may have to do something you've never had to do before to change it.

I'm not writing this to say that you should count calories and add Zone 2 training.

I don't think there is one strategy that's right for every woman in perimenopause.

But if you're serious about getting healthier and what you've always done isn't working anymore, I do think getting more information about your individual body—and being willing to consider strategies you've never needed before—can be a great place to start.

Here's the funny part:

I didn't get the testing because I wanted to start a weight-loss journey.

I got the numbers because I was curious.

And then my weight-loss journey began.

I didn't even know it at the time.

I didn't even take a before picture.

But six months later, I had the testing repeated.