5 Practical Steps to Stay Motivated in Menopause for Weight Loss

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Learning to Manage Your Mind When the Scale Doesn’t Make Sense

If you’ve ever stared at the scale and thought, “I’m doing everything right—why is it going up?!” this post is for you. As a Trim Healthy Coach, menopause fitness specialist, and midlife woman myself, I know firsthand how defeating it can feel when you’re doing all the right things and not seeing the results you expected.

But I also know this: your mindset might be the most important tool you’ve been overlooking.

This post will walk you through one of the most transformational tools I use with my clients (and myself!) to stay consistent, motivated, and aligned in midlife—even when progress feels slow or invisible.

Let’s talk about managing your mind when you can’t manage the scale.

Why Mindset Matters More Than the Number on the Scale

Here’s the deal: what you think shapes how you feel, and how you feel drives what you do (or don’t do). That’s why two women can see the exact same number on the scale and have completely different reactions.

• One spirals and gives up.
  
• The other reassesses, stays consistent, and keeps going.
  
  

What’s the difference? It’s not willpower. It’s mindset.

Especially in perimenopause and menopause, when your hormones are shifting, your body is changing, and the results take longer, mindset isn’t just a nice bonus—it’s your survival tool.

The Thought Model That Changed Everything for Me

I learned this tool during one of the hardest seasons of my life—perimenopause. I was grieving, overwhelmed, and honestly felt like I was falling apart. I cried for a year straight. I didn’t feel like myself. I couldn’t “get it together.”

And then I discovered a tool that helped me renew my mind in a way that felt practical and doable. It’s called the CTFAR model, from Brooke Castillo at The Life Coach School. But I see it as a tool for Romans 12:2—the renewing of your mind.

What is the CTFAR Model?

Let’s break it down:

• C = Circumstance (neutral fact)
  
• T = Thought (your brain’s interpretation)
  
• F = Feeling (caused by your thought)
• A = Action (what you do or don’t do)
  
• R = Result (what you create)
  
  

This tool helps you pause and take responsibility—not in a blame-y way, but in a hopeful way. It puts you back in the driver’s seat of your mindset, which is crucial when your hormones and scale feel out of your control.

Let’s walk through this real-life example from a coaching client.

The Unintentional Model (default reaction)

• Circumstance: The scale shows a 2-pound gain.
  
• Thought: “Nothing I do works.”
  
• Feeling: Defeated.
  
• Action: Overeat, skip workouts, doubt the plan, sabotage.
  
• Result: No progress—and now I feel even worse.
  
  

Sound familiar? It’s such a common loop in midlife. But what if we flip it?

The Intentional Model (renewed mindset)

• Circumstance: The scale shows a 2-pound gain.
  
• Thought: “It’s okay to feel frustrated—and I can figure this out.”
  
• Feeling: Determined (or hopeful, empowered, curious—pick what resonates).
  
• Action: Stay on plan, assess what might need adjusting, show up with self-compassion.
  
• Result: Stay consistent. Build trust with yourself. Keep moving forward.
  
  

See the difference?

Helpful Thoughts to Try When You Feel Defeated

The goal isn’t to “positive think” your way out of reality. The goal is to find a more helpful, hope-filled thought that keeps you showing up for yourself.

Here are a few that I love and share with my clients:

• “Caring for myself means learning what works—not giving up.”
  
• “Progress is about consistency, not perfection.”
  
• “My body might be healing in ways I can’t see yet.”
  
• “Everything is figureoutable—with God’s help.”
• “It’s okay to feel frustrated—and I can still make good choices.”
  
  

Find one that feels true (even just a little bit), and practice it. Write it down. Say it aloud. Put it on your fridge or mirror.

Why This Mindset Shift Matters in Midlife

Perimenopause and menopause bring a storm of changes that can make weight loss feel like an uphill battle. Your hormones are shifting in ways that affect everything—how your body stores fat, how your metabolism functions, even how you feel emotionally from day to day. Many women start noticing belly fat appearing almost overnight, energy levels tanking, and motivation that used to come easily now feels completely out of reach. It’s not just about willpower anymore. What used to work doesn’t work the same way, and that can be deeply frustrating and confusing.

This is why mindset matters so much more in this season of life. If you’re still measuring success based only on what the scale says, you’ll constantly feel like you’re failing—even when you’re doing everything right. The old way of pushing harder, restricting more, and chasing quick fixes just doesn’t fit our midlife physiology anymore. We need a new framework—one that includes hormone awareness, long-term consistency, grace for the journey, and most importantly, a renewed mind that helps us show up even when progress is slow. This mindset shift allows you to stay committed without burning out and to care for your body even when it’s not "performing" the way it used to. It keeps you anchored in your "why," instead of stuck in the numbers.

What to Do When You’re Doing Everything “Right” but Not Losing Weight

Here’s a quick checklist to walk yourself through before giving up:

Have I tracked my meals or portions for accuracy?
Am I eating enough protein and fiber?
Have I considered hidden inflammation (like stress or sleep issues)?
Am I being consistent—really consistent?
Am I lifting weights or walking daily?
Have I checked in with my hormones?
Have I given it enough time?

Then ask: What thought is going to help me stay in the game?

Because consistency—not perfection—is what moves the needle in midlife.

Practice Makes Progress: The Power of Renewing Your Mind

This is a skill. It’s not magic. It takes time, repetition, and practice. Just like training your muscles, you can train your thoughts.

Want to know the best part? This tool works even if the scale never moves. Because the real win is showing up for yourself with love, trust, and consistency. And that changes everything.

You don’t have to believe every thought your brain throws at you. You can choose a new thought. One that aligns with your values. One that keeps you moving forward. One that renews your mind.

Midlife weight loss is not just about carbs or cardio. It’s about mindset, hormones, and consistency.

And friend—you are not broken. You are in progress. And I believe in you.