When Weight Feels Overwhelming

My Story, Menopause, Food, and Why Nourishment Still Matters

For many years, weight felt like a battle.

I yo-yo dieted for over three decades. Like so many women, I spent years thinking I just needed to try harder, be stricter, eat less, or exercise more. There were times when I felt in control, and other times when it all felt exhausting. It was not just about weight. It was the mental load that came with it — the overthinking, the frustration, and the feeling of starting again and again.

Exercise became an important part of my journey. Movement helped me in ways dieting never really could on its own. It gave me structure, focus, and a sense of doing something positive for myself rather than constantly feeling deprived. But even with that, menopause brought its own challenges.

Like many women, I noticed changes around my middle. Bloating, tummy weight, lower energy and brain fog all became more noticeable. My body felt different, and sometimes unfamiliar. It could be disheartening. I know how easy it is at that stage to feel uncomfortable in your clothes, fed up in your own skin, and tempted by anything that promises a quick fix.

At some point, though, I made a personal decision that helped me enormously: I ditched the scales in my 50s.

For me, the scales were not helpful. They could too easily affect my mood or make me focus on a number rather than how I actually felt. These days, I roughly know where I am by how my clothes fit. If things start to feel tighter, I notice. I also know that my sweet tooth can creep in, and that often shows up not just in cravings, but in how I feel in myself and in my clothes. That awareness feels far more useful to me than chasing a number.

What has really transformed my thinking, though, has been my training in nutrition and health coaching.

I have always been a foodie. Food is one of life’s pleasures for me, and I never want eating well to feel joyless or punishing. I like tasty food. I like meals to feel satisfying. But my nutrition training has changed how I think about food completely. I no longer see it simply as calories, guilt, or “being good”. I see it as information. I see it as support. I see it as nourishment.

That shift has been powerful.

Now I make sure I include fish once or twice a week, think more carefully about protein, and really pay attention to fibre. I think more about what food is doing for me, not just what it weighs or how many points it might once have had on a plan. I have never been one for weighing food personally — for me, it just feels too much of a faff. Instead, I focus more on balance, nourishment, and how food helps me feel day to day. Better nutrition has brought me more clarity, steadier energy, and a better sense of looking after myself.

That does not mean perfection. It means awareness, balance and moderation.

Movement matters too. For me, it has been an important part of the picture — not just for weight, but for mood, energy and feeling more like myself. It supports physical health, helps build routine, and can be a powerful way to care for both body and mind.

And that is the message I feel strongly about now, especially as conversations around GLP-1 medications become more common. Medications such as semaglutide and tirzepatide (to name a few) can play an important role for some people as part of medical weight-management support.[1,2,4-6] They may help reduce appetite, support weight loss, and make change feel more achievable for some individuals.[1,2]

But even when medication is part of the picture, nourishment still matters.

We still need nutrients.
We still need protein.
We still need fibre.
We still need to support our energy, digestion, muscle, wellbeing and long-term health.[3]

This matters even more because eating less can sometimes mean people unintentionally under-eat protein, fibre or overall nourishment if they are not supported well.[3] That is one of the reasons why good habits, food quality, and a sustainable routine still matter so much.

Our bodies need nourishing, not just shrinking.

For me, a happy, balanced weight is not about chasing an unrealistic ideal. It is about feeling comfortable in myself. Feeling good in my clothes. Having enough energy for life and movement. Not letting weight become something that limits confidence, activity, or enjoyment. It is about feeling well enough to live well.

And that is why I believe the bigger conversation matters so much.

Whether someone is trying to lose weight naturally, navigating midlife changes, or considering weight-management support such as GLP-1 medication, the foundations still matter. Food quality matters. Nourishment matters. Long-term habits matter. Longevity matters. [3-6].

We only have one body. We need to look after it now, not only for today, but for the years ahead.

That is the place I now come from as both a woman who has lived this and as a nutrition and health coach. Not from judgement. Not from extremes. But from experience, compassion and a much deeper understanding of what our bodies truly need.

Because when we nourish ourselves properly, we are not just managing weight.

We are supporting energy, mood, confidence, resilience, health and quality of life.

And that matters so much more than the number on the scales.

Disclaimer: This blog is for general information only and reflects my personal experience alongside my work as a nutrition and health coach. It is not medical advice. Any decisions about weight-management medication or health concerns should always be discussed with your GP, prescriber or appropriate healthcare professional.

References

1. Wilding JPH, Batterham RL, Calanna S, Davies M, Van Gaal LF, Lingvay I, et al. Once-weekly semaglutide in adults with overweight or obesity. N Engl J Med. 2021;384(11):989-1002.
2. Jastreboff AM, Aronne LJ, Ahmad NN, Wharton S, Connery L, Alves B, et al. Tirzepatide once weekly for the treatment of obesity. N Engl J Med. 2022;387(3):205-216.
3. Mozaffarian D, Agarwal M, Aggarwal M, Alexander L, Apovian CM, Bindlish S, et al. Nutritional priorities to support GLP-1 therapy for obesity: a joint advisory from the American College of Lifestyle Medicine, the American Society for Nutrition, the Obesity Medicine Association, and The Obesity Society. Am J Clin Nutr. 2025;122(1):344-367.
4. National Institute for Health and Care Excellence. Overweight and obesity management. NICE guideline NG246. London: NICE; 2025.
5. National Institute for Health and Care Excellence. Semaglutide for managing overweight and obesity. NICE technology appraisal guidance TA875. London: NICE; 2023.
6. National Institute for Health and Care Excellence. Tirzepatide for managing overweight and obesity. NICE technology appraisal guidance TA1026. London: NICE; 2024.