Holiday Weight Gain Is Real — And It Affects Women in Perimenopause Even More
Holiday weight gain affects everyone — but it’s especially challenging for women in perimenopause.
Fluctuating estrogen, dropping progesterone, more reactive cortisol, and slowed metabolism make weight easier to gain and much harder to lose. These hormonal shifts also contribute to bloating, cravings, gut imbalance, fatigue, and skin issues like redness, acne, and rosacea.
But here’s the part most people don’t know:
Holiday weight gain is small… but permanent.
- Average holiday weight gain: 0.37 kg (~0.8 lbs)
- Net weight retained until spring: +0.48 kg (~1 lb)
- Additional weight gained the rest of the year: NONE
Meaning:
❗The weight we gain during the holidays is the weight we keep.
Over years, that adds up — especially for women entering perimenopause.
Why Holiday Weight Gain Is Worse for Women in Perimenopause
During perimenopause, hormonal shifts make weight gain easier and weight loss harder.
✔ Estrogen fluctuations leads to:
- Higher insulin resistance
- Larger blood sugar spikes
- More abdominal fat storage
✔ Progesterone decreases results in:
- Water retention
- Bloating
- Increased inflammation
- Digestive sluggishness
- Mood Imbalances
- Anxiety, depression, irritability
- Sleep disturbances & Insomnia
✔ Cortisol becomes more reactive
Holiday stress + poor sleep leads to:
→ Elevated cortisol
→ Belly fat
→ Cravings
→ Fatigue
Women can burn 150–200 fewer calories per day in perimenopause.
✔ Gut microbiome shifts lead to:
→ Bloating
→ Cravings
→ Constipation
→ Dysbiosis
→ Skin flare-ups
The Holiday Domino Effect: Weight Gain → Dysbiosis → Skin Issues
Even small changes can trigger:
- Gut dysbiosis or microbial imbalance in the gut
- Bloating
- Sugar cravings
- Brain fog
- Mood changes
- Sleep disturbances and insomnia
- More hormonal imbalances
- Joint pain
- Redness
- Acne
- Rosacea
- Psoriasis flares
- Dermatitis
Your skin mirrors what’s happening internally.
How the 9-Day Functional Medicine Longevity Detox Helps
This science-backed, evidence-based protocol supports:
Why This Detox Works So Well for Women in Perimenopause
It targets the exact systems disrupted during perimenopause:
▪ Gut
▪ Liver detox pathways
▪ Blood sugar
▪ Cortisol
▪ Inflammation
▪ Hormone metabolism
This is why results are fast and noticeable.
The Bottom Line
But with the right support, you can restore balance quickly.
The 9-Day Functional Medicine Longevity & Anti-Aging Detox gives women the reset their body is craving.
Ready to Reset After Holidays?
Break the cycle of inflammation, holiday bloat, perimenopause weight gain, gut inflammation. Support your gut, immune system, hormonal balance, detox for perimenopause, metabolism, and skin — from the inside out.
As a Certified Functional Medicine Practitioner my Expertise Encompasses:
- Immune System: frequent illness, UTIs, yeast infections
- Allergies, Asthma
- Skin Problems: acne, cystic acne, rosacea, dermatitis, ichthyosis, psoriasis, vitiligo, melasma
- Inflammation: arthritis, rhinitis, joint & muscle pain, migraines, headaches
- Sleep Disturbunces, Insomnia
- Gut Problems: IBS/IBD, bloating, acid reflux, gas, constipation, diarrhea, parasites, fungal/yeast overgrowths
- Hormonal Imbalances: PCOS, PMS symptoms, weight problems/inability to lose weight, thyroid problems
- Hair Loss, Alopecia
- Mood Imbalances: anxiety, depression, irritability
- Metabolic Dysfunction, Insulin Resistance, Type 2 Diabetes
- Optimizing Wellness for Successful Pregnancy
- Autoimmune Conditions: Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, grave’s disease, reumatoid arthritis (RA), lupus, etc
- Bone Health: osteopenia/ osteoporosis
- Effective Anti-Aging Strategies without Injectables with the inside-out & outside-in approach
- Detoxification of Heavy Metals, Mycotoxins, Environmental Toxins
- Reversing Breast Implant Illness
- Preparation for the Explant Surgery and Optimization of Wellness & Vitality Post-Explant
With Love and Gratitude,
Natalie Maibenko
Functional Medicine Practitioner
DISCLAIMER:
Information and content on this website is provided for information and educational purposes only, and is not intended as a substitute for the advice provided by your physician or other healthcare professional. No information offered here should be interpreted as a diagnosis of any disease, nor an attempt to treat or prevent or cure any disease or condition. If you have any concerns or questions about your health, you should always consult with a physician or other healthcare professional. Do not disregard, avoid, or delay obtaining medical or health-related advice from your healthcare professional. Always speak with your healthcare provider before taking any medications or supplements and before making any changes to your health regimen. Information provided on this website does not create a doctor-patient relationship between you and any professional affiliated with this website. Information and statements regarding dietary supplements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration and are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. I am not acting in the capacity of a doctor, licensed dietitian-nutritionist, therapist, or psychologist and will not diagnose, treat or cure any disease, condition or other physical or mental ailment of the human body. Rather I serve as a mentor and guide who helps a client to reach her/his own health and wellness goals through implementing incremental, positive, healthy, sustainable lifestyle changes that help the client to live and thrive using simple methods.
