My body composition scan this year surprised me.
I went in expecting to maintain. That was the goal. After entering surgical menopause at 42 following a hysterectomy, I knew that protecting my muscle mass and bone density would require intentional effort. I was prepared to fight to hold onto what I had.
Instead, I found out I had gained 5 pounds of muscle and lost 3 pounds of fat.
At almost 46. Postmenopausal. After 4 surgeries.
I'm sharing this not to brag, but because I am tired of the narrative that muscle loss in menopause is inevitable. I hear it constantly, and I see it repeated all over social media. It is not the whole story.
Here is what actually moved the needle for me.
First, Let's Talk About Muscle and Menopause
When estrogen declines, the body becomes less efficient at building and maintaining muscle. This is real. The process is called sarcopenia, and it accelerates after menopause if you don't actively work against it.
But "less efficient" does not mean "impossible."
What the research consistently shows is that postmenopausal women who engage in progressive resistance training can build muscle. Not just maintain it. Build it. The hormonal environment is different, yes. But it is not a locked door.
The problem is that most of the messaging around menopause and body composition focuses on loss, decline, and damage control. Very little of it focuses on what you can actually do. That gap is exactly why I became a menopause coach.
What I Do: The Four Pillars
I want to be transparent: these are not complicated strategies. But here is what my routine actually looks like.
1. Consistent Strength Training With Progressive Overload
I have been lifting weights for over 15 years. In that time I have had 3 abdominal surgeries and 1 hip surgery. I have started from scratch more than once, rebuilding strength after each recovery.
I miss workouts sometimes. Life happens. But I always come back.
Right now, at almost 46, I am stronger than I have ever been in my life.
Consistency is the foundation. But consistency without structure only gets you so far. The reason my results changed is because I stopped just showing up and started following a plan.
Specifically, I follow a 12-week training block. I track my sets, my reps, and the weight I use every single session. And I make sure those numbers increase over time.
This is called progressive overload. It is the principle that the body adapts to stress, and that in order to keep building muscle, you have to keep increasing the demand you place on it. That does not mean you have to lift super heavy. It means that whatever weight you start with, you work to gradually increase the challenge over time.
You do not need a complicated program. You need a program you will actually follow, and you need to track your progress so you know when to push.
2. Prioritizing Sleep and Recovery
Muscle is not built in the gym. It is built during recovery.
When you strength train, you are creating micro-tears in the muscle tissue. The repair and growth happen when you rest, primarily during deep sleep. If you are skimping on sleep, you are leaving results on the table regardless of how hard you train.
This matters especially in menopause, when sleep disruption is one of the most common and disruptive symptoms. Night sweats, racing thoughts, and changes in sleep architecture can all chip away at the quality of rest you are getting.
My sleep routine:
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I aim for 7 to 8 hours every night
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I keep my bedtime and wake time consistent, even on weekends
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I keep my bedroom at 64 degrees
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I do a few minutes of breathwork before bed
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I fall asleep to a meditation track on Insight Timer
None of this is complicated. All of it requires consistency and intention.
3. Protein and Blood Sugar Regulation
You cannot build muscle without adequate protein. This is not up for debate.
After menopause, protein synthesis becomes less efficient, which means your protein needs actually go up, not down. Most women are not eating nearly enough.
I aim for 100 to 120 grams of protein per day. I used to weigh my food and track every macro meticulously. I do not do that anymore, because years of practice have given me a solid intuitive sense of what I am eating. But I got there by tracking first.
Beyond protein, I eat to regulate my blood sugar. Blood sugar dysregulation is extremely common in perimenopause and menopause, driven in part by declining estrogen's effect on insulin sensitivity. When blood sugar swings, energy crashes, cravings increase, and your body is more likely to store fat and break down muscle.
The most powerful tool I have found for blood sugar regulation is fiber. I aim for around 40 grams per day, which is well above the average American intake of around 15 grams. Fiber slows glucose absorption, feeds the gut microbiome, and keeps you full in a way that supports stable energy throughout the day.
Protein and fiber. Not a supplement stack. Not a detox. Not a 30-day elimination protocol.
4. Muscle as a Long-Term Investment
This might be the most important piece, and it is less about what I do and more about why I do it.
None of this is about aesthetics.
This is my nursing home prevention plan.
In my career as an occupational therapist, I have cared for many frail elderly women who lost their independence because they lost their muscle. Women who could no longer get up from a chair on their own. Women who could not lift their grandchildren. Women who needed help with basic daily tasks because their bodies had nothing left to draw on.
I watched what that looked like. And I decided it would not be my future.
Muscle mass is one of the strongest predictors of longevity and independence in older adults. It protects your joints, supports your bones, drives your metabolism, and determines whether you can live the life you want in your 70s, 80s, and beyond.
Building it in menopause is not vanity. It is strategy.
A Word About "Simple"
I want to name something, because I think it is important.
Everything I described above is simple. Lift weights progressively. Sleep. Eat enough protein and fiber. Do it consistently over time.
That is it.
But simple is not the same as easy.
If it were easy, everyone would be doing it. And the data tells us that most people are not. Most people are not getting anywhere close to the protein they need, the sleep they need, or the consistent structured exercise their bodies need. That is not a personal failing. It is a reflection of how hard it is to build and maintain habits without support.
The wellness industry will try to convince you that you need to bio-hack your way to results. That you need expensive supplements, strict protocols, or the one specific method that finally unlocks everything. That complexity is somehow the answer.
It is not.
But here is the honest truth: knowing what to do and actually doing it consistently are two very different things. That gap is exactly where a coach lives.
Working with a coach is not about learning secrets. It is about having structure, accountability, a personalized plan, and someone in your corner when things get hard or confusing or discouraging.
Most people do not struggle because they lack information. They struggle because they lack support.
Ready to Build Your Menopause Plan?
Helping my clients fall in love with strength training and learn to prioritize their bone and muscle health is one of the most rewarding parts of my work.
If you are ready to stop guessing and start building a plan that actually fits your life, I would love to work with you.
A Menopause Empowerment Session is where we start. It is a 75-minute virtual session where we dig into your history, your goals, and what has and has not worked, and we build a roadmap together.
Learn more and book your session here.
Not ready to book yet? Start here.
If you're still trying to make sense of what menopause is actually doing to your body, my free audio series is the place to begin.
"Menopause Doesn't Have to Suck" is a free 5-episode audio guide that walks you through why you feel the way you do, what your doctor may not have told you, and what actually helps. About 30 minutes total. Short enough to listen on a walk, substantial enough to change how you see this transition.
Get free access here.
Julie Parana, MS, OTR/L, CWHS is a licensed Occupational Therapist, Certified Women's Health Specialist, and Certified Menopause Coach. She navigated surgical menopause herself at 42 and now helps women understand and manage their menopause transition through her virtual practice, The Menopause OT.