Menopause weight loss — what actually changes and what to do

The change isn't about willpower. Estrogen drop reallocates body fat toward the midsection (visceral, not just subcutaneous), insulin sensitivity falls 10-20%, sarcopenia accelerates without resistance training. So 'eat less, do more cardio' fails because the muscle keeps disappearing and the metabolic rate falls with it. The three evidence-backed shifts: (1) prioritize STRENGTH over cardio — heavy compound lifts 3×/week preserve lean mass when nothing else will; (2) bump protein to ≥1.6 g/kg bodyweight; (3) lower refined-carb dose per meal — you can still eat carbs, but distribute them across the day and pair every starch with protein + fibre.

Volya's onboarding asks for age and menstrual status; the AI coach uses both to shape recommendations. Recipes filter by ≥20 g protein per serving by default for users 45+. The workout planner skews strength-heavy with 1 cardio + 1 mobility day per week, not the other way around. Photo-plate scan logs carbs/protein/fibre per meal so you see the recomposition signal in real numbers, not the scale. Symptom-tracking (hot flashes, sleep, mood) can also feed the coach's response — recovery days matter more during this transition.