Lindsay ZahnerHealth and Wellness Coaching

#menopause #menopausesupport #menopausefitness #nutritiontips

16 Jan 2026 · 2 min

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1:45

The speaker recounts a two‑year period of limited activity due to injury during which they ate in a modest calorie deficit with high protein to preserve muscle. After fully recovering, they resumed intense strength training but kept the same low‑calorie diet. This mismatch caused a cascade of symptoms—low energy, unexpected naps, reduced appetite, decreased heart‑rate variability, increased hair shedding, and a softer midsection—despite being in a deficit. The speaker explains that training like an athlete while still eating as if injured leads to water retention, poor recovery, lingering soreness, hormonal stress, and stalled fat loss. To fix it, they now eat near true maintenance, boost carbohydrate intake for recovery and energy, fuel training days more heavily than rest days, and allow the nervous system to recover. The core message is a reminder that calorie intake must be adjusted whenever training volume or intensity changes, and the advice is offered as a practical guide for anyone hitting a plateau or unintentionally regaining weight.

Chapters

I thought something was wrong with my body, but when I reevaluated my current lifestyle, it all made sense. Quick backstory: for the last 2 years, I couldn't strength train because of an injury. So I did what made sense at the time. I ate in a small calorie deficit and prioritized protein to keep fat gain and muscle loss in check while my activity was limited. And it worked! For that season of my life. Fast forward to now. I'm finally lifting again. Training harder than I have in years. But then I started noticing things didn't add up. My energy tanked outside the gym. I was taking afternoon naps, and I am not a napper. My appetite was weirdly low. My heart rate variability dropped. My hair started shedding a little more than normal. And my belly felt softer, not leaner. And my first instinct was the same one most people have: am I eating too much or too little? Here's what was actually happening. I was training like an athlete, but still eating like I was injured. My calorie needs changed, but my intake didn't. That mismatch can show up as water retention— hello squishy midsection— poor recovery, soreness and inflammation that lingers for longer than normal, blunted appetite, hormone stress, poor sleep, and fat loss stalling even though you're in a deficit. So here's how I'm fixing it. I'm eating closer to my true maintenance now that I'm lifting again. I'm increasing carbs mostly for recovery and energy. I'm fueling my training days more and my resting days less, and I'm letting my nervous system calm down instead of pushing harder. Softness doesn't always mean fat gain. Sometimes it's just a stressed, underfueled body asking for support. Take this as your reminder: if your training changes, your calories probably need to change too. If this sounds familiar, save this post or share it with someone who's doing everything right but has either hit a plateau or is slowly gaining the weight back.