Perimenopause: What Is Happening to Me? Understanding the Shift and Finding Support.
If you're in your 40s or 50s and finding yourself more tired, a little foggy, gaining weight without explanation, or feeling anxious for no clear reason, you’re not imagining it. These are common signs that your body is entering perimenopause.
I often describe this stage as puberty in reverse. Just like our teenage years, hormones are shifting, emotions may be unpredictable, and things feel unsettled. But unlike puberty, we now have knowledge, tools, and the opportunity to support this transition, naturally and effectively.
What Is Perimenopause?
Perimenopause is the lead-up to menopause, the time when your reproductive hormones, particularly oestrogen and progesterone, begin to fluctuate and gradually decline. This hormonal shift can start in your early 40s (sometimes earlier) and may last several years [1].
Menopause itself is defined as 12 consecutive months without a period. But for many women, perimenopause is where the real changes begin, physically, mentally, and emotionally. It’s a natural transition, not a disease or failure. In fact, it’s a powerful physiological recalibration.
Why Do I Feel So Different?
Because your hormones influence far more than your menstrual cycle. Oestrogen helps regulate mood, brain function, insulin sensitivity, and even joint lubrication. Progesterone plays a calming role, helping to regulate GABA (a neurotransmitter that promotes relaxation), support quality sleep, and balance nervous system arousal [2,3].
As these hormones fluctuate, often in irregular, unpredictable patterns, you may feel emotionally unsettled, physically off-centre, or just “not quite yourself.” This isn’t a weakness. It’s physiology.
Common Symptoms of Perimenopause
Weight gain, particularly around the middle
Fatigue, even after sleep
Brain fog, forgetfulness, or slower mental clarity
Anxiety or low mood, often without a clear cause
Trouble falling or staying asleep
Heavy, irregular, or unpredictable periods
Hot flushes or night sweats
Decreased motivation, libido, or emotional resilience
Many women say, “I just don’t feel like myself anymore.” That’s often your body’s way of asking for support, not punishment.
Why Am I Gaining Weight When Nothing Has Changed?
One of the most common questions I hear is: “Why am I gaining weight if I’m eating the same?”
During perimenopause, metabolic changes make weight gain more likely, especially around the abdomen. Declining oestrogen levels can reduce insulin sensitivity, which affects how your body processes carbohydrates and stores fat [4].
Think of insulin as a key trying to unlock your cells to let energy in. When resistance builds, that door stays shut. Glucose stays in the bloodstream longer and is more likely to be stored as fat. This shift can happen even with no change in diet or activity.
That’s why I routinely screen for early signs of insulin resistance in midlife women. Addressing it early can protect not only your waistline, but also your brain, heart, and energy levels [5].
Your Gut, Your Mood, and Your Hormones Are Connected
We now know that gut health plays a major role in hormone clearance, mood balance, and even perimenopausal symptoms [6]. An imbalanced microbiome may contribute to inflammation, poor oestrogen metabolism, and impaired detoxification.
The gut-brain-hormone axis is like a conversation between your inner ecosystem, your nervous system, and your hormonal rhythms. When they’re in sync, symptoms ease. When out of sync, women often feel anxious, tired, puffy, and mentally flat.
That’s why functional testing for gut health and hormone metabolites can provide valuable clues in perimenopause care [7].
Perimenopause Is a Natural Shift, Not a Decline
It’s easy to view this stage as “the beginning of the end” but I see it as an invitation into the next chapter. Just as adolescence required support, boundaries, and understanding, so does midlife.
Your body is recalibrating. It’s asking for slower mornings, deeper nourishment, fewer stressors, and more connection, not self-criticism. When we honour the shift, rather than resist it, something beautiful happens, clarity, intuition, and strength rise.
Culturally, we’ve been conditioned to fear this stage. But across the world, from Ayurvedic and Chinese medicine to modern anthropology, menopause is viewed as a powerful threshold: one that brings wisdom, authority, and deeper self-knowing [8].
What Can Be Done?
You don’t have to “push through” or silently suffer. Perimenopause is a natural process but one that often benefits from tailored support, especially when symptoms disrupt daily life.
I use a personalised, integrative approach, which may include:
Nutritional medicine to support hormone metabolism, stable blood sugar, and anti-inflammatory pathways
Practitioner-prescribed herbal medicine for nervous system support, menstrual regulation, or sleep
Targeted nutraceuticals such as magnesium, B-complex, omega-3s, and adaptogens
Functional testing to assess hormone levels, cortisol rhythm, gut health, detoxification, and nutrient status
Health coaching to shift mindset, support change, and build emotional resilience through this life stage
Real Change Is Possible
I’ve seen women go from exhausted and anxious to energised and grounded. From foggy and frustrated to clear and connected. But it doesn’t happen by chance; it happens when we create space to listen to the body, support its needs, and adjust to its new rhythm.
This isn’t about fixing what’s broken. It’s about meeting your body where it is and guiding it forward, gently and powerfully.
This Next Chapter Can Be One of Your Best
Perimenopause is not an end; it’s a shift into something new. With the proper support, it can be a season of clarity, confidence, and alignment.
This is the time to take stock of what you want, what you need, and how you want to feel. The physical recalibration mirrors an emotional and spiritual one. For many women, it’s the beginning of their most grounded, intentional, and powerful chapter yet.
Let’s Take the First Step Together
If you're feeling unlike yourself and wondering if it could be hormonal, you're not alone. You don’t have to guess, and you don’t have to do it alone.
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Written by Kylie Cloney BHSc. Complementary Medicine. Adv. Dip Nutritional. Medicine.
Wellness for Life - Your Plan, Grounded in Science, Guided by Nature.
MEDICAL DISCLAIMER - blog is for educational purposes only - please see our medical disclaimer
References
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Prior JC. Progesterone for symptom control during the menopausal transition. Women’s Midlife Health. 2018;4:1-11. doi:10.1186/s40695-018-0032-6
Gordon JL, Girdler SS. Hormone replacement therapy in the treatment of perimenopausal depression. Curr Psychiatry Rep. 2014;16(12):517. doi:10.1007/s11920-014-0517-2
Carr MC. The emergence of the metabolic syndrome with menopause. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2003;88(6):2404-2411. doi:10.1210/jc.2003-030242
Sites CK, et al. Menopause-related changes in body fat distribution. Am J Obstet Gynecol. 2002;187(5):1077-1082. doi:10.1067/mob.2002.127917
Menon R, et al. Role of the gut microbiome in postmenopausal health. Clin Ther. 2020;42(9):1659-1672. doi:10.1016/j.clinthera.2020.07.013
Taylor CM, Pritschet L, Yu S, Jacobs EG. Applying a women’s health lens to the study of the aging brain. Front Hum Neurosci. 2019;13:224. doi:10.3389/fnhum.2019.00224
Beyene Y. Cultural significance and physiological manifestations of menopause. Maturitas. 1989;11(1):1-17. doi:10.1016/0378-5122(89)90103-6
Davis SR, Lambrinoudaki I, Lumsden M, Mishra GD, Pal L, Rees M, et al. Menopause. Nat Rev Dis Primers. 2015;1:15004. doi:10.1038/nrdp.2015.4
Genazzani AR, et al. Emotional and cognitive changes during the menopausal transition and postmenopause. Maturitas. 2010;67(2):131-135. doi:10.1016/j.maturitas.2010.06.025
Disclaimer:
This post is for general education only and is not medical advice. Please consult your healthcare professional. See our Medical Disclaimer.