Gail lost 20kg during menopause and never went hungry

At 56, and in the thick of menopause, Gail got the reason she needed from a routine blood test. In just over a year, the Sydney teacher lost more than 20kg, dropping from 103kg to 82.2kg. The surprise? None of it came from eating less. It came from eating enough food so that she was never hungry. 

*Weight lost over 12 months. Individual results may vary.

Life before the weight loss

For Gail, the weight built up slowly, then menopause changed the pace.

“The weight crept on over time, and then menopause caused greater weight gain in a short time,” she said.

She ate reasonably well, though she did enjoy sweet foods. For around 12 years she’d done Pilates, mostly to ease ongoing joint and muscle pain. Even so, the scales kept climbing, and she passed 100kg.

Gail’s moment of truth

Gail had wanted to lose weight for a while, but it was her yearly check-up that turned that into action. Over three years, her blood tests had shown her cholesterol steadily rising, and her GP suggested she take a closer look at her diet.

She’d tried before. In the lead-up to her son’s wedding she’d cut back on carbs, but she was hungry all the time and it didn’t stick. This time she chose the CSIRO Total Wellbeing Diet, a higher-protein program backed by CSIRO research and followed by more than 500,000 Australian members.

Getting started was the hard part, and it came with an unexpected twist. She tested positive for Covid the day she planned to begin.

“I tested positive for Covid on the day I started. While I thought about not starting, it gave me time to get my head around the program and the app,” she said.

How Gail’s life has changed

The biggest shift was how much Gail got to eat.

“A typical day involves lots of food,” she said.

Breakfast is oats with fruit, nuts and yoghurt, or a program favourite like the banana oat pancakes. Lunch is a salad with protein in summer, or a soup in winter, and dinner is protein with plenty of vegetables. There's still room for morning and afternoon tea, and an evening treat, one of Gail’s favourites is the dark chocolate and date loaf.

She used the app’s recipe finder, food search and food log, leaned on the meal plans and shopping lists early on, then planned more for herself as it became habit. Two or more mornings a week, she heads to aqua aerobics, which she’s come to enjoy.

Just over a year in, Gail had lost more than 20kg, going from 103kg to 82.2kg, with 17kg of it gone in the first six months. The number on the scales was only part of it. A reflux problem she’d lived with for years eased noticeably.

“Losing weight has significantly reduced this issue,” she said.

And there was the small, telling moment. “I’m comfortable wearing tops tucked into pants, which I haven’t done for many years,” she said.

The role of protein

Learning how much protein to eat was one of Gail’s biggest takeaways. The CSIRO Total Wellbeing Diet is built around higher-protein eating, which helps keep you fuller for longer, and for Gail that showed up as meals that satisfied rather than left her wanting.

“The amount of food you need to eat means you are never hungry,” she said.

It features at both lunch and dinner, and she still weighs her protein along with her carbs and fats. Getting portions right was the other lesson that stuck.

“Portion size matters. It’s easy to overeat,” she said.

Not sure how much protein is right for you? The amount your body needs changes with age, activity and life stage, and it’s easy to fall short.

Find your personalised daily target in minutes with the Protein menopause calculator.

What worked for Gail

• Just start. Making the decision to begin was the hardest part for Gail. Once she had, the rest followed.
• It’s easier than you expect. “Give the CSIRO diet a go. It isn’t as hard as you expect it to be.”
• You won’t go hungry. The amount of food on the plan meant Gail never felt deprived.
• Mind your portions. “Portion size matters. It’s easy to overeat.”
• Play the long game. Gail’s plan now is simple: keep following the food guidelines for good and stay at a healthy weight.

Inspired by Gail? If menopause has shifted how your body responds to food, find out how much protein you need, and take a look at the program suited to women in midlife.