Hi Reader

If you’re in menopause or peri-menopause and wondering:

“How long is it going to take me to lose this weight and finally feel like myself again?”

—trust me, you’re not alone.

A while back, I was asking myself that exact question.

Back when I owned my Crossfit gym, I would always first meet with new members and ask them about their goals. About a third of the membership was women 43 and up. Some were in peri-menopause wondering what the heck was happening to their bodies and others were in menopause in all it’s glory…frustrated with their increasing belly along with all the other changes that happen.

Some of these members wanted a quick fix. One or two workouts a week, a magic pill ( which didn’t exist) and a diet that included all the things that got them to where they were in the first place.

I’ve always believed there is a big difference between being kind and being nice. Nice is when we tell people what they want to hear and kind is when you tell it like it is…..I always chose the later and I think that’s why my business grew to be successful.

Real information yields real results, and results speak for themselves.

At 48 years old I was in body builder shape. I was on the cover of magazines, writing articles of prevention magazine and my posters were on the walls of Lululemon stores.

I thought I had escaped the wrath of menopause.

But then it hit me in my mid 50’s. My waist began to expand which left me frustrated…..especially coming from where I came from.

By my later 50’s I’d like to say I “took a break”. I sold my gym to a young couple, stopped training as intensely, and over time my diet went down the drain…..especially after covid came around.

One day I looked in the mirror and literally didn’t recognize myself.

This was not who I was, who I am or who I wanted to be.

I’ve never had a problem with getting or looking older….we all get there….but that belly I had developed…..well I just had to do something about that.

I tried all the things I had done before.

​Tons of training.

Miles of running

Eating low calorie

​But my belly wouldn’t budge even though the scale was starting to move.

It wasn’t until I really focussed on fat loss, not weight loss did my transformation begin.

👉 There’s a big difference between weight loss and fat loss.

The scale can drop because you’ve lost water or even muscle—not fat. And that’s why so many women feel stuck.

What really matters, especially in menopause, is losing fat while keeping your muscle, your strength, and your energy.

Once I shifted my focus to fat loss—and away from obsessing over the scale—everything changed.

Here’s what a realistic timeline looked like for me:

✅ Weeks 1–3: I noticed less bloating and my waist started to feel smaller. It wasn’t dramatic on the scale yet, but my clothes fit better.

✅ Weeks 3–6: My jeans felt looser, and I felt lighter and more comfortable moving my body.

✅ By 3 months: Friends and family started asking me what I’d been doing. Even though the scale hadn’t dropped a ton, my body looked completely different.

✅ 6 months – 1 year: This is where the real magic happened. I felt strong, confident, and like myself again. And the best part? I no longer felt like I was “dieting.” It was just my lifestyle.

These results started snowballing into other areas of my life.

My business started to grow faster as I showed up with more confidence and energy. That translated into relieving any stress financially ( Reg my partner lost his job during covid which put some strain on our household)

My relationship with Reg flourished. I felt sexy again and that translated into….well…you know 😉

My energy and sleep got better so I had more energy for grandkids and all the things we love to do as a family.

I even took up a new sport at 62!

The key for me was consistency over perfection.

Some days weren’t perfect. But I kept going.

Now, I genuinely don’t have to try as hard anymore. Healthy habits just feel like part of who I am.

So if you’re in menopause, frustrated with your belly, and wondering if it’s even possible—please hear this:

It absolutely is.

It doesn’t happen with crash diets or killing yourself in the gym. It happens with eating enough protein, lifting weights, managing stress, and sticking with it week after week.

Trust me. The best transformations don’t happen overnight—but they DO happen.

Stick with it. Your future self will thank you.

Ruth

P.S. Tonight I will be going LIVE in our Free menopause community on Facebook. 8PM Eastern 5PM Pacific HERE I’ll be talking about what to do if HRT is not an option for you. It wasn’t for me and the strategies I share will be the exact strategies I follow to this day!