Cutting Out Sugar Brought My Energy Back During Perimenopause

I was exhausted. I was getting eight hours of sleep and still feeling like I could barely function. I was drinking coffee constantly. I was eating sugar constantly. I was crashed in the afternoon every single day. I would make it to three o'clock and then I would hit a wall where I could barely keep my eyes open. It was affecting my work, my relationships, my everything. I thought it was just perimenopause. I thought I had to accept that this was my life now. Then I cut out sugar and my energy came back. I did not have to accept this exhaustion. I just had to stop feeding it.

How I got here

I had always had a sweet tooth. I had always eaten sugar. But during perimenopause, my blood sugar regulation seemed to get worse. I would eat something sweet in the morning and I would be fine for a bit. Then by mid-morning I was crashing. I would eat a snack to pick myself up. I would get a spike of energy. Then I would crash again. The cycles were getting more intense. My mood was affected by the crashes. I was anxious, irritable, depressed during the low points. I was bouncing between high and low all day. My doctor mentioned that blood sugar regulation can be affected during perimenopause. She suggested cutting back on sugar. I thought she was crazy. Cut out sugar? That was not going to happen. But I was desperate.

What I actually did

I did not cut out sugar completely because I knew I could not sustain that. Instead, I cut out added sugars and processed foods that were high in sugar. I kept some sugar in my diet but only from whole foods like fruit. I stopped drinking sugary drinks. I stopped eating desserts and candy and processed snacks. For the first three days, I had headaches and cravings. I really wanted to quit. But by day four, something shifted. I was less grumpy. By day five, my energy was noticeably better. By day seven, I realized I did not have the afternoon crash anymore. By the end of the first week, I was sleeping better. By the end of two weeks, my mood was significantly better.

What actually changed

My energy stabilized. I no longer have the afternoon crash. I can focus better. I have more consistent energy throughout the day. My mood is more stable. I do not have the anxiety and irritability that came with blood sugar crashes. I sleep better. My skin looks better. I have lost weight even though I did not change anything else. The benefits have been surprising and significant. I did not realize how much sugar was contributing to my perimenopause symptoms. Cutting it out addressed multiple issues at once.

What my routine looks like now

I eat whole foods. I cook at home most of the time. I avoid processed foods and added sugars. I allow myself some sugar on weekends from whole foods like fruit. I track my energy levels and mood using PeriPlan and I can clearly see that when I slip back into sugar, my symptoms get worse. When I stick to whole foods, I feel so much better. This change has been one of the most impactful things I have done for my perimenopause.

If you are exhausted during perimenopause, it might be worth evaluating your sugar intake. You might be surprised at how much better you feel when you cut back. This is not medical advice, and your fatigue might have many causes. Please talk to your doctor about your specific situation to rule out other medical causes of fatigue.