If you're in perimenopause and doing everything right — eating well, exercising, trying to manage stress — but your metabolism is still stuck and the weight won't move, muscle loss is probably the piece nobody's told you about. Muscle loss doesn't just change how your body looks. It slows your metabolism, wrecks your blood sugar, and drains your energy — and perimenopause speeds it up faster than most women realize. In this episode, I break down why it's happening, why more cardio and less food make it worse, and what you actually need to do instead — including what this means if you're on peptides. Perfect for women in perimenopause or menopause who are frustrated that nothing is working no matter how hard they try. 00:00 Podcast Intro 01:09 Why Muscle Matters 02:17 Sarcopenia Explained 03:47 Estrogen Stress Carbs 05:51 Why Diet Cardio Fail 07:30 Hidden Signs Muscle Loss 08:51 Protein Strategy 11:57 Strength Training Basics 13:13 Cortisol Regulation 14:54 GLP1 Peptides Detour 18:15 Personal Story Lessons 19:43 3 Steps and Wrap Up 21:26 Final Outro Check out the full show notes at https://cindistickle.com/podcast/ep-135-perimenopause-muscle-loss-why-its-the-metabolism-piece-no-one-talks-about Connect with Cindi Perimenopause Morning Reset - https://cindistickle.myflodesk.com/nervoussystemorningresetpodcast GLP-1 Nutrition in Perimenopause & Menopause Workshop - April 14 - https://cindistickle.com/glp-1-nutrition-in-perimenopause-menopause Book a Metabolism Consultation: https://calendly.com/cindistickle/metabolism-consultation Come hang out in my Facebook Group - https://www.facebook.com/groups/nobsmenopause