Easy Protein-Drink Hack to Lose A ‘Menopause Belly’ 50% Faster: Get Weight Loss Results
Fairlife protein shakes taste like dessert—and there’s proof they help speed-shrink a woman’s waist
When a doctor referred Christa Scott Fioresi, 54, to a local clinic for help with menopausal symptoms, the Atlanta empty nester was hoping to cool hot flashes and quiet anxiety. And she did just that. At the same time, she learned simple strategies that fight over-50 muscle loss and target a stubborn ‘menopause belly.’ Christa’s whole body firmed up as her waist shrunk 8 inches. “Was I surprised by the weight loss? Yes! But more than that, I’m surprised by how strong I feel. I have never felt this strong.” Read on for age-defying details that can help any woman shrink her waist quickly.
‘My middle kept getting bigger’
For most of her life as a working mom of two, “I thought of myself as midsize,” says Christa. Sure, her weight crept up over the years. But if she really focused on eating less and moving more, she could get back into smaller jeans. At least that was the case until perimenopause hit.
As Christa dealt with the first wave of hormonal changes in her late 40s, she started to get significantly heavier, especially packing on pounds around her middle. “And nothing I did seemed to work anymore.” Over time, other menopausal symptoms like mood issues and night sweats left her feeling wiped out. “I saw a video from a holiday party and didn’t recognize myself. I worried about my long-term health.” She scheduled a checkup and was soon learning strategies to feel like her old self again-—including a surprisingly convenient and waist-shrinking strategy backed by recent French research.
Woman's World Answers
The magic of protein after menopause
Relieved to find insurance covered the Emory University-affiliated clinic she was sent to, Christa met with one of their nutritionists. The first advice she got: “I needed to gradually increase to at least 100 grams of protein per day,” she says.
Turns out, protein contains building blocks we use to make and maintain everything from enzymes and hormones to skin and brain tissue. “As humans get older, we develop something called anabolic resistance, which means it takes more protein to heal ourselves and maintain bones and muscle,” explains Ted Naiman, M.D., author of The P:E Diet. Getting more protein is just plain good for us—plus, there’s evidence it triggers changes that speed weight loss.
Christa had already been using the free MyFitnessPal app to track what she ate. She was able to pull it up and see that she was getting less than 50 grams of protein a day. “I started looking for ways to add 5 or 10 grams of extra protein at most meals,” she recalls. Just with baby steps, “I felt a difference right away.”
As Christa’s progress continued, she found she often wasn’t hungry enough to eat the yogurt, chicken and salmon needed to reach her 100-gram goal. So she tried protein drinks and bars. “I’d put unflavored collagen protein in my coffee, have a protein shake after exercising or grab a protein bar as a midafternoon snack,” she says.
Christa’s new favorites included Fairlife shakes (with 26 to 42 grams of protein per serving), Rx Bars (about 10 grams per serving) and a “protein water” called Protein2o (with 15 grams a serving). They tasted great and allowed her to begin consistently hitting 100 grams a day. “It took three months to get to that point,” she says. But once she did—bam!—10.25 pounds came off that month, equal to a full pants size.
Why protein drinks slim a menopause belly
It’s all about getting enough protein to prevent and reverse age-related muscle loss. A Harvard-led study published in Nutrition Journal is an example of many that show postmenopausal women who eat more protein carry significantly more muscle.
Fun fact: In addition to giving us strength, muscle tissue is constantly burning blood sugar to maintain itself, says Forever Strong author Gabrielle Lyon, D.O. Because of this, when we have more muscle, “blood sugar improves, cravings dissolve, energy shoots up, mood gets better and metabolism goes up,” she says.
We also experience a nice drop in hormones linked to really stubborn ab flab. The effect is so dramatic, a 2021 study at the Sorbonne in Paris found that among dieters given two daily protein drinks, even peri- and postmenopausal women began to burn belly fat 50 percent faster than with a healthy diet alone.
Building muscle helps shrink a menopause belly too
Christa, who has always been active, didn’t increase the time she spent working out. “I just replaced some of what I was doing with three strength training sessions a week,” she shares. So in addition to 35-minute daily walks, she uses a mix of 10-minute muscle-building routines she accesses on Apple Fitness+. (She even modified them so they didn’t bother her bad knee or shoulder.)
Christa credits the combination of extra protein and strength training with much of her transformation. And scientists agree, since all the benefits you get from boosting muscle growth with protein are dramatically enhanced when you add toning moves. A study on postmenopausal women found just two weekly strength sessions and a couple of weekly walks significantly boosted belly burn, with some women in a diet-plus-strength training group nearly doubling loss of abdominal fat compared to women who dieted without exercise.
Christa is thrilled to have dropped 49 pounds and traded size-14 jeans for size 4s, but she wants to make it clear that was never her goal. “I focused on little changes that could help with my health going into the next phase of my life. As they became habits, a lot of good things happened,” she says. “I controlled my menopausal symptoms, I got so much stronger, I have more confidence than ever.”
While adding protein and strength training were the main strategies Christa used to transform her body after menopause, she did get calories down too. “It wasn’t something I stressed about, because as I ate more protein, I was naturally a lot less hungry,” she says. “I was also adding fiber from things like produce and beans, which I knew was good for my overall health and helped a lot with hunger too. So it was easy to track everything on MyFitnessPal and stay in a calorie deficit.”
Without ever pushing hard, she shed 49 pounds, fives sizes and 8 inches from her waist in about a year. She encourages every woman to take those first small steps. “It’s never too late to become a healthier version of yourself!” For more inspiration from Christa, follow her on Instagram, TikTok or YouTube.
Great protein shakes, drinks and treats to try
To get belly-flattening results like Christa, use the free MyFitnessPal app to keep calories at a healthy level while getting about 100 grams of protein a day. To ensure you reach your protein goal, incorporate protein drinks or bars. Christa says she also aimed to get more fiber, another factor proven to help women over age 50 slim down faster. Looking for a great protein booster to try? We’ve got delicious ideas here.
Top-rated flavor
Christa loves Fairlife’s chocolate Core Power shakes, with 26 grams of protein and 170 calories. Folks agree they taste just like chocolate milk. Another option: Core Power Elite, which is pricier but has 42 grams of protein per bottle.
Super satisfying
For a fast protein fix, stash Barebells bars in your bag or glove box. They come in fun flavors like birthday cake, cookies & caramel and salty peanut. Each bar boasts 20 grams of protein for just 200 calories.
Research-backed
One serving of Almased protein shake mix is packed with 24 grams of protein, plus special peptides and other metabolism–speeding ingredients. The mix is backed by 30+ university studies proving how effective it is.
Bonus recipe: Protein-packed whipped yogurt!
This viral treat is delish—and boasts over 30 g protein per cup
Ingredients:
- 1 cup Greek yogurt
- ½ scoop any protein powder, any flavor
- Optional add-ins: berries, healthy sweetener, cocoa, peanut butter powder
Instructions:
Just mix everything together until creamy and airy using a blender food processor or hand mixer. Garnish an enjoy. Serves 1
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