Could Your Diet Be a Source of Stress?

It's 8:00 in the morning.

You're exhausted, but you've got a million things to do.

So you grab your coffee and head out the door.

Breakfast?

You'll get to it later.

By 11:00, you're starving.

You grab something quick—or maybe you make it to lunch, but you're so hungry that you eat as fast as possible while answering emails, running errands, or trying to get through your workday.

Then somewhere along the way, you decide you need to make a change.

Maybe you've gained a few pounds.

Your pants aren't fitting quite like they used to.

Your energy is all over the place.

Your perimenopause symptoms seem to be getting more noticeable.

So you decide it's time to get serious.

You cut out carbs.

You switch to fat-free everything.

You start skipping meals.

You try intermittent fasting because someone on social media swears it changed her life.

You cut your calories way back.

And you're determined to finally lose the weight.

But instead…

You're exhausted.

You're cranky.

You're thinking about food ALL. THE. TIME.

You're craving something sweet by 3:00 PM.

You're starving by dinner.

Your sleep isn't great.

And those pants?

They're still getting tighter.

You find yourself thinking:

“I'm doing everything right. Why isn't this working?”

If this sounds familiar, I want to invite you to consider something you may not have thought about:

Could the way you're approaching food actually be adding stress to your body?

Not because food is stressful.

But because your body needs food.

Food provides energy and nutrients your body needs to function, including carbohydrates, proteins, fats, vitamins, minerals, and water. These nutrients provide energy and the building blocks your cells need to do their jobs.

And during perimenopause, when your body is already navigating hormonal changes, sleep changes, mood changes, and changes in body composition, it may be worth taking another look at how you're fueling yourself.

Not to find another diet.

But to ask:

“Is the way I'm eating actually supporting the body I have today?”

🌿 Food Is Fuel

Let's start with a mindset shift.

Food isn't something you have to earn.

Food isn't always just “good” or “bad."

Your body needs fuel.

Fuel to support daily functioning.

Fuel to support hormones.

Fuel to support longevity.

Carbohydrates, protein, and fat are the three macronutrients, and each plays a different role in keeping your body functioning. Carbohydrates are an important source of energy, protein provides amino acids used to build and maintain tissues such as muscle, and dietary fats provide energy, help build cell structures, and help your body absorb certain vitamins.

And that brings us to a few habits that might be worth reevaluating.

🚩 Is Your Diet Sending Your Body the Wrong Message?

This isn't a list of things you're not allowed to do.

I'm not going to tell you that you should never fast, never drink coffee, never eat a low-fat food, or never enjoy a piece of cake.

Because everyone's body, health history, preferences, culture, lifestyle, and needs are different.

Instead, I want you to get curious.

Is my current nutrition working for me?

Is there another way I could approach it?

What happens when I experiment?

Let's look at a few common examples.

🥑 Fat-Free Everything

For years, “fat-free” was practically synonymous with “healthy.”

But dietary fat has important jobs in the body. It provides energy, helps form cell structures, protects organs, and helps the body absorb fat-soluble vitamins such as vitamins A, D, E, and K.

So rather than automatically choosing the lowest-fat version of everything, it may be worth looking at the type and overall quality of the fat you're eating.

🌿 Something to try:

Instead of asking:

“Is this food fat-free?”

Try asking:

“What kind of fat does this food contain, and what else am I getting from it?”

Think foods such as:

🥑 Avocado
🥜 Nuts and seeds
🫒 Olive oil
🐟 Fatty fish
🥜 Nut butters

You don't need to fear fat.

Your body needs good sources of dietary fats.

You also don't need to add enormous amounts of it to everything.

Balance and quality matter.

🍠 Cutting Out Carbohydrates

Carbs have gotten a pretty bad reputation over the years.

But carbohydrates are an important source of energy, and your body breaks them down into glucose, which many cells use for fuel. Carbohydrate-containing foods can also provide fiber, vitamins, minerals, and other beneficial plant compounds.

That doesn't mean all carbohydrates are created equal.

A donut and a bowl of oatmeal both contain carbohydrates, but they bring very different nutritional packages to the table.

So rather than:

“Carbs are bad.”

What if we asked:

“What kinds of carbohydrate are going to give my body the most nourishment?”

🌿 Something to try:

Instead of focusing on eliminating carbohydrates, experiment with choosing more nutrient-dense sources such as:

🍓 Fruit
🥔 Potatoes and sweet potatoes
🌾 Oats and whole grains
🫘 Beans and lentils
🥕 Vegetables

And consider pairing carbohydrates with protein, healthy fats, or fiber to create a more satisfying meal.

You don't necessarily need to fear the carb.

You may simply need to upgrade the carb.

⏰ Skipping Meals or Going Too Long Without Eating

This one can be tricky because meal timing is highly individual.

Some people genuinely prefer a later breakfast.

Some people use time-restricted eating.

And some people simply aren't hungry first thing in the morning.

The question isn't whether you must eat at a particular time.

The question is:

“How does my body respond when I regularly go long stretches without eating?”

Do you feel fine?

Or do you eventually become:

😵‍💫 Irritable
🍪 Obsessed with snacks
😴 Exhausted
🍽️ Extremely hungry
🧠 Unable to focus

If you're regularly going from coffee at 7:00 AM to a frantic lunch at 1:00 PM and then wondering why you're ravenous at dinner, that may be information worth paying attention to.

🌿 Something to try:

Experiment with adding actual nourishment earlier in the day.

Maybe that's:

🥚 Eggs + whole-grain toast + fruit

🥣 Greek yogurt + berries + nuts

🥑 Avocado toast + eggs

🥤 A smoothie with protein, fruit, and other nutrient-dense ingredients

It doesn't have to be a huge breakfast.

Just give your body some fuel and see what you notice.

🚨 Crash Diets and Too-Little Food

“I need to lose weight, so I'm just going to eat way less.”

We've all been there.

The Monday morning declaration.

“This time I'm serious.”

The dramatically reduced calories.

The tiny portions.

The hunger.

The eventual rebound.

Then the guilt.

Then starting over.

Again.

And again.

Here's where I want to shift the conversation.

Instead of asking:

“How little can I eat and still lose weight?”

What if you asked:

“How can I nourish my body while supporting my health goals?”

Your body needs energy to do all the things it does every day—breathing, circulating blood, maintaining body temperature, moving, thinking, repairing tissues, and keeping your organs working.

That energy comes from food.

And yes, energy balance matters when it comes to body weight. But your body isn't a calculator that only cares about calories in and calories out.

It also needs the nutrients that come with those calories.

Protein.

Carbohydrates.

Fats.

Vitamins.

Minerals.

Fiber.

Water.

And this is where things can get a little interesting.

When you drastically cut calories, your body doesn't simply shrug and say, "Okay, I guess we're eating less now."

Your body is designed to respond to an energy shortage.

As calorie intake drops and weight is lost, the body can adapt by becoming more energy-efficient—meaning it may reduce the amount of energy it uses at rest and during everyday activity. Hormonal and nervous-system changes can also increase hunger and encourage the body to conserve energy.

In other words, your body may start working harder to protect its energy stores.

That's one reason why eating less and less isn't necessarily a sustainable answer.

And when calorie restriction is severe, there's another concern: you may also be cutting out nutrients your body needs to function well.

You can technically eat fewer calories while still eating a nutrient-rich diet—but the more restrictive the diet becomes, the harder it can be to consistently get enough protein, healthy fats, carbohydrates, fiber, vitamins, and minerals.

So instead of asking:

"How few calories can I eat?"

It may be more helpful to start asking:

"How can I nourish my body with the food I eat?"

That shift doesn't mean ignoring your goals.

It means remembering that your body needs nourishment, not just a smaller number on a tracking app.

🌿 Something to try:

Instead of immediately taking something away, start by asking:

“What can I add?”

Can you add more vegetables?

More protein?

More fruit?

More fiber?

More nutrient-dense foods?

More variety?

Sometimes improving the quality of what you're eating can be a much more supportive place to begin than simply trying to eat less.

💪 Don't Forget Protein

If we're talking about fueling your body in midlife, we need to talk about protein.

Protein provides amino acids that your body uses to build and maintain tissues, including muscle.

And maintaining muscle becomes increasingly important as we age.

So rather than obsessing over a specific number, start with a simple question:

“Do I have a quality source of protein at most of my meals?”

That might be:

🍳 Eggs

🐟 Fish

🍗 Chicken or turkey

🥩 Lean meats

🥛 Greek yogurt or cottage cheese

🫘 Beans and lentils

🌱 Tofu, tempeh, or other plant proteins

Again, we're looking at quality over quantity.

🌸 Your Body Today Is Not Necessarily the Body You Had 10 or 20 Years Ago

This may be one of the hardest things to accept.

Maybe you used to skip breakfast and feel fine.

Maybe you could eat whatever you wanted.

Maybe a certain diet worked beautifully for you.

Maybe you could cut calories for a few weeks and drop weight easily.

And now?

Not so much.

That doesn't mean your body is broken.

It means your body has changed.

Perimenopause itself is a time of significant hormonal transition, and symptoms and experiences vary widely from woman to woman.

Your sleep may be different.

Your stress may be different.

Your activity may be different.

Your muscle mass may be changing.

Your appetite may be different.

Your hormones are changing.

So maybe it's time to stop asking:

“Why can't I eat the way I used to?”

And start asking:

“What does my body need now?”

That is a very different question.

📱 And Please Be Careful With “What Worked for Her”

You see it all the time online.

“This is how I lost 20 pounds!”

“This is what I eat every day!”

“Cut these five foods and watch what happens!”

“Fasting changed everything for me!”

And maybe it did.

But she is not you.

Your body is different.

Your hormones are different.

Your health history is different.

Your stress is different.

Your sleep is different.

Your activity is different.

Your needs are different.

Social media can be a wonderful place to find ideas and inspiration.

But inspiration isn't the same thing as personalization.

You don't have to copy someone else's strategy to take good care of yourself.

🌿 Quality Over Quantity

This is really where I want to land with all of this.

Nutrition isn't simply:

How much are you eating?

It's also:

What are you eating?

What nutrients are you getting?

How satisfying is your food?

How do you feel after eating?

Are you giving your body the fuel it needs?

You don't need to eat perfectly.

You don't need to eliminate entire food groups.

You don't need to follow the latest diet trend.

And you don't need to compare your plate to someone else's.

Instead, think about building meals that offer your body quality fuel and a variety of nutrients.

A protein source.

A carbohydrate that works for you.

Healthy fats.

Fruits and vegetables.

Fiber.

Water.

And foods you actually enjoy.

Because eating should be about nourishment and pleasure.

🔎 Try a Little Food + Body Detective Work

If you're feeling stuck, here's an experiment I love.

For one or two weeks, keep a simple food and body journal.

Don't count calories.

Don't grade yourself.

Don't label foods “good” or “bad.”

Just gather information.

Track things like:

🍽️ What you ate

⏰ When you ate

😴 How you slept

⚡ Your energy

😊 Your mood

🌸 Your perimenopause symptoms

🍫 Your cravings

☕ Caffeine

🍷 Alcohol

🏃‍♀️ Movement

And then look for patterns.

Maybe you notice that when you skip lunch, your afternoon cravings are intense.

Maybe you notice that a protein-rich breakfast helps you feel more satisfied.

Maybe you notice that alcohol affects your sleep.

Maybe you notice that eating more consistently helps your energy.

Maybe you notice that eating more helps your pants fit a little better.

Maybe you discover absolutely nothing.

That's information, too.

We're looking for patterns—not perfection.

💛 Change the Question

I think so many of us have spent years asking:

“What do I need to cut out?”

What if we started asking:

“What can I add to support my body?”

More nourishment.

More quality.

More variety.

More protein.

More fiber.

More whole foods.

More awareness.

More curiosity.

And maybe a little less guilt.

Because your body isn't something you need to punish into submission.

It is something you get to care for.

And sometimes caring for it means recognizing that the strategy that worked five, ten, or twenty years ago may not be the strategy that serves you today.

That's not failure.

That's information.

Your body is giving you information all the time.

The goal is to listen.

💛 A Little Support

If you're tired of trying to figure out what your body needs all by yourself, that's part of why I created The Pause Party.

Inside the membership, we focus on understanding your changing body and finding realistic ways to support it—without perfectionism, fear, or another giant list of things you're “supposed” to do.

You'll find education, coaching, accountability, community, weekly Lunch & Learns, and practical resources to help you make small, sustainable shifts that fit your life.

Because the goal isn't to follow someone else's perfect plan.

It's to learn how to listen to your body and figure out what works for you.

🌸Join The Pause Party