Many women entering menopause experience a slowing metabolism, stubborn body fat and declining energy.
I experienced the same frustrating changes in my own body. What I eventually discovered was that the only real solution was building lean muscle through progressive strength training — a journey that eventually led me to competitive bodybuilding.
Before discovering the power of muscle building after menopause.
Before Bodybuilding Entered the Picture
Actually, the idea of bodybuilding never really piqued my interest. I was more of a dynamic, "power" kind of girl - setting athletic goals similar to track and field sports.
I loved jumping up on boxes, slinging sledgehammers, sprinting against an opponent (especially males) and winning the race.
I pushed myself to be the “little badass” instructor, teaching classes and performing all the movements without skipping a beat. I spent hours teaching myself about how the body moves (kinesiology) and becoming the "Queen of Athletic Movement."
A Bodybuilding Challenge
One day, one of my fitness class participants threw down a challenge that I never expected:
"Why don't you join me and train for a body building competition?"
My initial response was:
“I don’t think that’s for me. I’m not sure I see the value in just getting on stage and holding poses. I mean — how is that a demonstration of athletic skill and ability?”
Nonetheless, I relented and decided that maybe it was a new challenge I could conquer. As it turns out, that single "challenge" would eventually lead me into a completely new chapter of my fitness journey.
The Long and Winding Road
Little did I realize that I would absolutely fall in love with the process of training for a sport that supports muscle development, body fat reduction and long-term metabolic health. And a true heart and soul discipline beyond what I had experienced thus far in my career.
At the time, I was 44. I was “in shape” for all of my dynamic fitness activities and had been in the fitness industry for about 18 years.
In fact, I had already owned a fitness business and trained thousands of client who sought better health and wellness.
I was quite well known within my circle for my expertise.
The First Competition
That first competition I had only 14 weeks of training led by an IFBB (International Federation of Body Building) coach who told me up front that, for me, this was going to be a difficult road because my current activities were counter-intuitive to the kind of training required for body building.
I didn’t quite understand -- or believe her. But, she was right!
I didn’t place at all in that show because I came in way too small but let me tell you — my life during that training was completely transformed.
I couldn’t believe the grit and patience it takes to actually build a body.
The adherence to all the details of the training regimen and the discipline gave me a completely different outlook on the level of true fitness it creates.
Although I didn’t place in that first competition, the experience changed my understanding of what the human body is capable of achieving.
Bodybuilding isn’t for the faint of heart
Nor is bodybuilding for the person who is “willy-nilly” about their training.
It requires complete focus not only in the gym but also in the kitchen — and even above those things - it requires sacrifice and a rewiring of the heart and soul as to what you believe definition of metabolic fitness really is.
I went on to compete again in 2015 at age 46 and came closer to placing — getting 7th place out of approximately 22 participants who ranged in age from their 20’s to late 60’s.
Then... Menopause Came a-Knockin’
If you've been through this life-changing hormonal shift, you know exactly what I'm talking about.
It's like witnessing a car crash.
You watch in horror as your body betrays you on every level.
In my case, I even stopped menstruating for a full calendar year right after the 2015 competition.
The hormonal changes of menopause didn’t just affect how I felt. They completely altered how my body responded to training, nutrition and recovery. My symptoms to name a few:
Gained 25 pounds in just a few months
Wasn’t sleeping (sometimes all-nighters)
Lost muscle and replaced it with body fat.
Uncontrollable rage & was emotionally erratic
Hair loss
Joint pain
Hot flashes and night sweats
Low libido and no fitness drive
Chronic anxiety
Debilitating headaches
Dry Skin
Vision changes
It didn’t matter what I did, how much I continued to exercise, how disciplined I was in the kitchen — NOTHING touched it. NOTHING made it budge.
My post-menopause struggle lasted nearly 10 years.
The Turning Point
Then came THE day…
Something shifted.
I can’t fully explain it, but my body sent me a signal. It was as if every cell in me finally said:
“Enough. The chaos stops here!”
For the first time in years, I didn’t feel broken. I felt like I could rebuild.
And on that day… I made a decision.
I hired a coach and committed to rebuilding my body — and my life. And going back to the stage and back to the sport that once made me feel strong, confident and alive.
I realized that rebuilding my metabolism would require a completely different approach to training and nutrition.
Bodybuilding for Women Over 50 After Menopause?
Here is the most important thing I quickly discovered.
Bodybuilding wasn’t the thing that had broken my metabolism…
It was the thing that could fix it.
Cardio alone wouldn’t do it.
Teaching endless fitness classes wouldn’t do it.
Starving myself (calorie deficit) definitely wouldn’t do it.
The answer was something many women are told to avoid:
Lifting Weights
Not casually
Not occasionally
With purpose
With intention
The goal was to build lean muscle and restore the metabolism that menopause had disrupted.
That lean muscle became the engine that would help me drop the 25 pounds of body fat that had accumulated during those difficult years.
Here's the truth: Lean muscle is metabolically active tissue. The more muscle we carry, the more calories our body naturally burns at rest.
The nutrition strategy was simple:
Feed that muscle
Support it
Preserve it
Instead of starving my body… I started to fuel it with intentional purpose and a strategy.
Ten Years Later...
With support from family, friends and coaches.
In 2025, after a full year of focused training, I stepped back onto the bodybuilding stage.
Ten years after the darkest period of my life.
And the transformation shocked even me.
During those ten years of hormonal chaos, I never stopped lifting weights.
At the time it didn’t seem to help the menopausal symptoms.
But what I didn’t realize was that underneath the “meno-fat” my body was quietly continuing to build and preserve lean mass.
When the Pieces Finally Came Together…
Everything changed.
At my return competition I placed:
3rd in Novice
5th Overall
5th in Masters 35+
But more important than the placements…
I rediscovered my sport.
I rediscovered my passion.
And I found the lifestyle that will carry me into the strongest years of my life.
Heavy lifting to protect bone density and keep body fat under control.
Low to moderate cardio to support heart health and manage cortisol.
Clean, whole foods to support gut health and recovery.
And the best part..? I know this journey is just getting started!
If You’re Reading This…
This journey became a real-world case study in how rebuilding lean muscle through strength training can restore metabolism and body composition after menopause.
Maybe something in this story feels familiar.
Maybe you’ve struggled with your metabolism.
Maybe menopause has changed your body in ways you didn’t expect.
Maybe you feel like the version of yourself you once knew is buried underneath fatigue, hormones or frustration.
I want you to know something.
You are not broken.
Your body can rebuild.
Your metabolism can recover.
And your strength can come back stronger than ever.
If you ever need encouragement, guidance or simply someone who understands this journey…
Please reach out to me.
Whether your goal is simply to become stronger, feel better in your own skin or even go all-in and step onto a bodybuilding stage someday, I would love to help you discover what your body is truly capable of.
Because sometimes all it takes…
Is one turning point.
And the decision to begin again.
This transformation didn’t happen overnight. But it proved something important — the female body is capable of rebuilding strength and vitality at any age.
Professional Gallery
Professional Qualifications
- ACE (American Council on Exercise) Personal Trainer Certificate
- NHCA (National Health Club Association) Personal Trainer Certificate
- AFAA (Aerobic and Fitness Association of America) Fitness Theory and Practice
- AFAA Kickboxing
- AFAA Step Aerobics
- Healthcare Dimensions: Silver Sneakers I and II
- Nautilus Institute: Schwinn Cycling Coach
- Reebok University: Cycle Reebok
- SCW (Sara's City Workout) Mat Pilates
- KFIT USA: Kettlebell Master Trainer
- IDEA Fitness Association Member
- Precision Nutrition: Fitness Nutrition Specialist
- Certificates in CPR/AED/O2/First Aid