The Hidden Hormone Shift No One Talks About

Struggling with bloating, fatigue, and hot flashes? Discover the hidden hormone shift in perimenopause + how to reclaim your energy.

You’re smart. You eat healthy. You exercise. You do all the “right” things.

And yet… you’re exhausted. You’re bloated. You’re moody. The scale keeps creeping up.

Sound familiar?

Here’s what I want you to know: you’re not broken. You’re in perimenopause. And the hidden hormone shift you’re experiencing is something millions of women struggle through silently — sometimes without even realizing what’s happening.

I know, because that was me.

And honestly? At first, I had no clue.

My Wake-Up Call

When I first started perimenopause, I didn’t even recognize it. I thought my body was just acting weird. It wasn’t until much later — looking back with hindsight (and you know what they say, hindsight is 20/20) — that I could finally connect the dots.

It started with my cycle.

My period was always irregular, but suddenly it was really unpredictable. One cycle stretched to six weeks. I remember thinking: Am I pregnant?

I mean, logically I knew that wasn’t possible. My husband had a vasectomy. We didn’t use other protection because… well, why would we? But in that moment, when my period was late, my brain went there anyway.

When it finally came, I was relieved. “Phew — not pregnant.” But then the pendulum swung the other way. My next cycle was only 21 days. Basically, I had two periods in one month. Not my ideal situation.

And then things got even wilder:

A 60-day cycle.
An 11-day cycle (yes, really). Five days of bleeding, six days without, then another period.
An 12-month stretch without a period at all.

As a teenager, getting my period was never something I loved. But during those long stretches without one, I felt like I was losing a piece of my womanhood. It was confusing and emotional — because no one really prepares you for this stage of life.

Hot Flashes and the Weight Creep

Then the hot flashes started.

At first, I thought they were kind of… cool. (No pun intended.) It’s hard to describe — it wasn’t like a fever or external heat, but this strange internal surge. Like your body just catches fire from the inside out.

But it didn’t stay “cool” for long. Night after night, they interrupted my sleep. I’d wake up sweating, exhausted, and frustrated.

And then came the weight gain.

One December, seemingly overnight, I gained 15 pounds. I hadn’t changed my eating. I wasn’t eating cake and ice cream all day long. But my clothes no longer fit, and I felt completely betrayed by my own body.

So I went to the doctor.

I explained my weight gain, my concentration issues (what I now know was brain fog), and the frustration of not knowing what was going on. His solution? He handed me a prescription for Vyvanse, saying it would help control my appetite.

I was dumbfounded. Appetite wasn’t the issue. I wasn’t overeating. Something deeper was going on.

But I didn’t know what to say, so I left in silence.

And that’s when I realized: traditional medicine doesn’t have all the answers for women in perimenopause.

Why I Became a Perimenopause Coach

A little while later, I came across FIT CHICKS Academy, where I earned my Fitness and Nutrition Expert certification. Around the same time, they launched a Holistic Perimenopause & Menopause Coaching program. And my gut said: I need this.

Not just for me, but for all the women like me who were struggling in silence.

Because the truth is: you are not less of a woman because your body is changing. You’re not broken. You’re not failing.

Women are incredible. We are strong, resilient, nurturing, & wise. We carry life, we pass on wisdom, we adapt, we endure. We are queens.

But queens deserve support, knowledge, and tools.

And that’s why I do this work.

The Hidden Hormone Shift

Did you know that 80% of women in perimenopause experience increased belly fat, fatigue, and disrupted sleep?

This isn’t about willpower. This isn’t about “eating less and moving more.”

It’s about hormones.

Your body is navigating major shifts, including:

Estrogen: fluctuating wildly (sometimes high, sometimes low).
Progesterone: declining, leaving you without the calming balance it normally provides.
Cortisol: spiking because your stress response is overactive.
Insulin: shifting, leading to resistance or sensitivity issues.
Leptin & Ghrelin: your hunger and fullness hormones, making it harder to regulate appetite.

So when trainers or health “gurus” say hormones have nothing to do with weight gain? Wrong. Dead wrong. Hormones affect everything.

That’s why you can “do everything right” and still feel like your body is fighting you.

Why This Matters

Hormonal imbalance isn’t just about weight gain or hot flashes. It impacts your whole life:

Your relationships (mood swings, intimacy struggles, unexpected anger).
Your career (brain fog, unfinished projects, loss of focus).
Your confidence (feeling like you don’t recognize yourself anymore).
Your health (inflammation, insulin resistance, higher risk of disease).

And when your health is off, everything feels harder.

But here’s the good news: once you understand what’s happening, you can take back control.

You Don’t Have to Struggle Alone

For the longest time, I thought I was the only one. That there was something wrong with me.

But the truth is: perimenopause is a normal phase of life. It’s just one no one prepares us for.

That’s why I created my webinar: Beat the Bloat, Boost Your Energy, and Cool the Hot Flashes — The Hidden Hormone Shift No One Talks About.

In just 30 minutes, I’ll show you:

Why you feel bloated, exhausted, and moody (even if you eat healthy and exercise).
The real role of hormones in weight gain, cravings, and energy.
Simple shifts you can start making right away to rebalance your body.
How to move through this stage feeling empowered, not defeated.

Because you are amazing. And you deserve to feel like yourself again.

👉 Click here to watch the free webinar replay now

Final Thoughts

Perimenopause doesn’t mean you’re broken. It doesn’t mean you’re less of a woman.

It means your body is shifting, and it’s asking for something different.

And when you learn how to work with your hormones instead of against them, everything changes.

You can beat the bloat.

You can boost your energy.

You can cool those hot flashes.

Most importantly? You can reclaim the vibrant, confident, unstoppable woman you are.

👉 Watch the free webinar replay here — and let’s do this together.

With love,

Susie Friesen

Healthy Body Coaching

Categories: : Hormone Balance