Damn periods. I mean, I get the purpose that they serve and everything but — like I’ve said before (and I tell every “love niece” and goddaughter that I have): if there is one thing that you will deal with for the rest of your entire life after it begins, it’s a damn period.
Take me, for example. As I’m accepting that I am in peak perimenopause, if there are two things that make that abundantly clear, it’s the fact that 1) the period that I used to be able to set everyone’s watch by now, wants to show up whenever it feels like it and 2) my natural Coke bottle shape is something that I have to be hella intentional about maintaining; mostly due to what is known as "menopause belly."
How do I know it’s that? Because it’s only become an issue over the past 2-3 years (since perimenopause can last anywhere from 4-10 years…that’s how I’ve connected those dots) my belly wants to look bloated far longer than PMS these days. Plus, whenever I do gain a couple of pounds, my stomach is exactly where things go (le sigh).
And just why is that? Long story short, as women inch closer into menopause, their estrogen and progesterone levels start to fluctuate all over the place — and that can make it easier for the body to accumulate and store fat. Plus, if you add to that the fact that we lose muscle mass and things like night sweats and mood swings can make it harder to rest (which means that our cortisol levels tend to also be off the charts) — well, yeah…our bellies have a high chance of revealing all of this.
Is there anything that can be done? The good news is, yes. By incorporating the following 12 tips into your lifestyle, I can vouch for the fact that you can keep your menopause belly in check while also making your (other) perimenopause symptoms more manageable.
1. Eat Healthy Fats
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Although I get that it might sound counterintuitive to eat fat if you want to lose fat, there is a method behind the madness. For one thing, fatty foods are able to keep you feeling fuller for a longer period of time. Also, they can lower your cholesterol levels, provide you with a boost of energy, help your system absorb the nutrients that it needs, and yes, help you to lose weight.
When it comes to that last point, there is actually a saying that states that “fat helps you to burn fat.” The key is to consume what is considered to be “healthy fats,” including salmon, avocados, eggs, nuts, and dark chocolate.
2. Then Eat (More) Protein
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Remember how I said in the intro that losing muscle mass comes with going through the stages of menopause? Well, when you up your protein intake, that helps to build more muscle. Some other benefits that come with protein consumption are it helps to stabilize your metabolism, reduces hunger cravings, and it plays a role in helping you to burn more fat, too.
Foods that are high in protein include red meat, poultry, eggs, quinoa, chickpeas, black beans, and dairy (or dairy alternatives like oat milk, almond milk, and flax milk).
3. And Some Anti-Inflammatory Foods
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I won’t lie to you; it really does suck that some of the best-tasting foods can also cause inflammation in your system. Foods like fried ones, sugar, red meat, and white-ish, including white pasta, white rice, and white pasta (yep, all of the fun stuff). The reason why inflammation is problematic as all get out is that, once it hits the systematic level, that significantly increases your chances of being diagnosed with diabetes, heart disease, arthritis, Alzheimer’s disease (wild, right?), and yes, obesity.
So, while we’re talking about foods that are good for you, also grocery shop for ones that fall into the category of being anti-inflammatories. Foods like dark leafy greens, cherries, almonds, olive oil, and tuna certainly qualify.
4. Consume More Vitamin C
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Did you know that there is a direct link between body fat and a low amount of vitamin C in your system? No joke. What’s even wilder is if you’re not getting as much of this nutrient into your system, your waistline is one of the first places where the “evidence” could very well show up — not to mention the fact that a vitamin C deficiency can also result in drier skin, bleeding gums, vision issues, and bad moods.
So, if you don’t eat a lot of citrus fruit, berries, cantaloupe, spinach, or peppers, definitely take a vitamin C supplement. Oh, and try to keep it below 2,000 mg a day. Even though your body will get rid of the vitamin C that it doesn’t need, too much of this nutrient can definitely lead to an upset stomach.
5. Sip on Some Oolong Tea
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Is herbal tea something that you enjoy? Yeah, me too. As you’re in the process of building up your collection, make sure that you’ve got some oolong tea around. Aside from the fact that it’s loaded with antioxidants, it can lower your diabetes risk, it can help to keep your heart healthy and strong and oolong tea has a solid reputation when it comes to weight management. One reason is because it’s great at increasing your metabolism, which is also something that can take a bit of a dive during perimenopause and menopause.
6. Exercise
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There is no way that you’re going to be able to take weight off and keep it off without doing some form of exercise. Cardio helps to burn fat, while strength training helps to give your body some definition and build muscle mass. And what if the thought of going to the gym several days a week is a total turn-off? Walking, participating in online yoga classes, jogging around your neighborhood, using free weights, and even playing with your children all qualify as exercises that will help get rid of belly fat.
However, if you’d like some specific exercises that will help to get that menopause belly where you want it to be as soon as possible, check out Prevention’s “17 Best Exercises to Burn Belly Fat, According to Personal Trainers”.
7. Monitor Your Stress Levels
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I have shared many times before that some pretty serious health issues are directly tied to stress: asthma, diabetes, depression, heart disease, and, yes, obesity. Know what else I read a while back? Currently, over 2 out of 3 women are considered to be either overweight or obese, and when you think about how stress-filled a lot of our lives are…how could the connections not be made?
Because cortisol can throw your metabolism off and decrease the muscle mass that you’re already losing during perimenopause and menopause and because that, too, can contribute to belly fat — well, that’s just one more reason to reset boundaries with any person, place, thing or idea that is stressing you out. For so many reasons, it’s just not worth it, sis.
8. Inhale Some Clary Sage
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Any time that I pen a health-related article, if I can find a way to incorporate essential oils, I will. Today, it’s clary sage because there is a direct correlation between inhaling it and losing belly fat. For one thing, it can help to regulate your moods. Another benefit of clary sage is it can help to reduce your stress hormone (cortisol) and, again, that means less fat accumulation including when it comes to your belly area.
9. Research Caralluma Fimbriata
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If you’ve heard of Caralluma Fimbriata before, I am 1000 percent impressed. For those who haven’t, it’s an herb that helps to manage your serotonin (a chemical that sends messages throughout your body) levels. What does this have to do with belly fat? Well, some studies reveal that when you take in this particular herb, it can get your serotonin levels to suppress your appetite and ultimately reduce belly fat; that’s why many diet pills have it listed as one of their ingredients.
10. Up Your Iron and Calcium
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Although you might’ve read or heard somewhere that once you stop having a period, you won’t need as much iron (because you’re not losing as much blood anymore), there is some scientific data that pushes back on that. For instance, one study reveals that iron and calcium, together, can help to keep your bones strong once that time of your life transpires.
When you add that to the fact that some intel also says that iron supplements can help to regulate a high-fat diet while calcium helps to regulate how fat is processed in your body — if you know that you’re not getting enough iron and calcium, now is the time to be more intentional about doing so.
11. Get More Sleep. And Rest.
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Perimenopause and menopause are a real mutha when it comes to trying to get a good night’s rest. A huge reason is due to night sweats, which are another result of estrogen and progesterone acting like they are on a roller coaster ride at Six Flags. And if you don’t make sure to get at least six hours of sleep every night, that can cause you to pack on some pounds because 1) it causes you to eat less, 2) it stabilizes your metabolism, 3) it gives you the energy that you need to consistently exercise, and 4) it can help to keep your stress levels down — and since there is scientific research to back up that stress can directly lead to abdominal fat accumulation, that is something to take special note of.
While we’re on this topic, also make sure to REST too — and yes, there is a difference. While sleep helps your mind and body to rejuvenate and refuel, rest helps even your soul to calm down and refresh itself. When you do things like stay off of electronics, read (an actual book), listen to nature sounds, pamper yourself, and take a day off to do absolutely nothing, that also decreases your cortisol levels so that weight gain is harder for you to experience.
12. Don’t Diet
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As more time goes by and more research is being done, many physical and mental health professionals are coming to the conclusion that diets aren’t the way to go when it comes to losing weight. Instead, to get the long-term results that you seek, it’s important to focus on the reasons behind what got you to the weight where you are and the lifestyle changes that need to happen in order to get the results you seek. So, as I close this out, it’s important to keep in mind to not rely on diets to get your belly fat under control; this includes doing trendy things like taking Ozempic.
I personally know several people, who aren’t diabetic, who are relying on it to drop a few pounds, and not only is that causing a shortage in the drug for diabetics who actually need it, but it’s also frowned upon when used in this fashion. In fact, you should only take it if a medical professional has advised you to. Instead, old-fashioned eating right and exercising is the healthier way to go — for your overall health and well-being and to get that menopause belly where you want it to be.
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So, we handpicked one hundred It Girls who embody that palpable It Factor moving through us as young Black women, the kind of motion lighting up the world both IRL and across the internet.
It Girl 100 became xoNecole’s most successful program, with the hashtag organically reaching more than forty million impressions on Instagram in just twenty-four hours. Yes, it caught on like wildfire because we celebrated some of the most brilliant and influential GenZennial women of color setting trends and shaping culture. But more than that, it resonated because the women we celebrated felt seen.
Many were already known in their industries for keeping this generation fly and lit, but rarely received recognition or flowers. It Girl 100 became a safe space to be uplifted, and for us as Black women to bask in what felt like an era of our brilliance, beauty, and boundless influence on full display.
And then, almost overnight, it was as if the rug was pulled from under us as Black women, as the It Girls of the world.
Our much-needed, much-deserved season of ease and soft living quickly metamorphosed into a time of self-preservation and survival. Our motion and economic progression seemed strategically slowed, our light under siege.
The air feels heavier now. The headlines colder. Our Black girl magic is being picked apart and politicized for simply existing.
With that climate shift, as we prepare to launch our second annual It Girl 100 honoree list, our team has had to dig deep on the purpose and intention behind this year’s list. Knowing the spirit of It Girl 100 is about motion, sauce, strides, and progression, how do we celebrate amid uncertainty and collective grief when the juice feels like it is being squeezed out of us?
As we wrestled with that question, we were reminded that this tension isn’t new. Black women have always had to find joy in the midst of struggle, to create light even in the darkest corners. We have carried the weight of scrutiny for generations, expected to be strong, to serve, to smile through the sting. But this moment feels different. It feels deeply personal.
We are living at the intersection of liberation and backlash. We are learning to take off our capes, to say no when we are tired, to embrace softness without apology.
And somehow, the world has found new ways to punish us for it.
In lifestyle, women like Kayla Nicole and Ayesha Curry have been ridiculed for daring to choose themselves. Tracee Ellis Ross was labeled bitter for speaking her truth about love. Meghan Markle, still, cannot breathe without critique.
In politics, Kamala Harris, Letitia James, and Jasmine Crockett are dragged through the mud for standing tall in rooms not built for them.
In sports, Angel Reese, Coco Gauff, and Taylor Townsend have been reminded that even excellence will not shield you from racism or judgment.
In business, visionaries like Diarrha N’Diaye-Mbaye and Melissa Butler are fighting to keep their dreams alive in an economy that too often forgets us first.
Even our icons, Beyoncé, Serena, and SZA, have faced criticism simply for evolving beyond the boxes society tried to keep them in.
From everyday women to cultural phenoms, the pattern is the same. Our light is being tested.
And yet, somehow, through it all, we are still showing up as that girl, and that deserves to be celebrated.
Because while the world debates our worth, we keep raising our value. And that proof is all around us.
This year alone, Naomi Osaka returned from motherhood and mental health challenges to reach the semifinals of the US Open. A’ja Wilson claimed another MVP, reminding us that beauty and dominance can coexist. Brandy and Monica are snatching our edges on tour. Kahlana Barfield Brown sold out her new line in the face of a retailer that had been canceled. And Melissa Butler’s company, The Lip Bar, is projecting a forty percent surge in sales.
We are no longer defining strength by how much pain we can endure. We are defining it by the unbreakable light we continue to radiate.
We are the women walking our daily steps and also continuing to run solid businesses. We are growing in love, taking solo trips, laughing until it hurts, raising babies and ideas, drinking our green juice, and praying our peace back into existence.
We are rediscovering the joy of rest and realizing that softness is not weakness, it is strategy.
And through it all, we continue to lift one another. Emma Grede is creating seats at the table. Valeisha Butterfield has started a fund for jobless Black women. Arian Simone is leading in media with fearless conviction. We are pouring into each other in ways the world rarely sees but always feels.
So yes, we are in the midst of societal warfare. Yes, we are being tested. Yes, we are facing economic strain, political targeting, and public scrutiny. But even war cannot dim a light that is divinely ours.
And we are still shining.
And we are still softening.
And we are still creating.
And we are still It.
That is the quiet magic of Black womanhood, our ability to hold both truth and triumph in the same breath, to say yes, and to life’s contradictions.
It is no coincidence that this year, as SheaMoisture embraces the message “Yes, And,” they stand beside us as partners in celebrating this class of It Girls. Because that phrase, those two simple words, capture the very essence of this moment.
Yes, we are tired. And we are still rising.
Yes, we are questioned. And we are the answer.
Yes, we are bruised. And we are still beautiful.
This year’s It Girl 100 is more than a list. It is a love letter to every Black woman who dares to live out loud in a world that would rather she whisper. This year’s class is living proof of “Yes, And,” women who are finding ways to thrive and to heal, to build and to rest, to lead and to love, all at once.
It is proof that our joy is not naive, our success not accidental. It is the reminder that our light has never needed permission.
So without further ado, we celebrate the It Girl 100 Class of 2025–2026.
We celebrate the millions of us who keep doing it with grace, grit, and glory.
Because despite it all, we still shine.
Because we are still her.
Because we are still IT, girl.
Meet all 100 women shaping culture in the It Girl 100 Class of 2025. View the complete list of honorees here.
Featured image by xoStaff
Apparently, there was a Thanksgiving episode that featured all of the friends having dinner together. And y’all, there was simply no way that I was going to mention the latter without shouting out the original (amen?).
Okay, so with that out of the way — Friendsgiving. Something that I appreciate about twists to holidays like this is that it’s a reminder that there is no one way to celebrate special occasions. And so, if, for whatever the reason, you will not or cannot be with family during the holiday season, there are certainly other alternatives at your disposal.
That being said, if the thought of spending time with friends this Thanksgiving is something that you’d like to do, yet you’re not sure how to host it in a way that will make Friendsgiving a fan favorite for your entire circle — I’ve got 10 suggestions that can make the planning process easy as pumpkin (or sweet potato) pie.
1. Position Chrysanthemums or Orchids for Your Table Décor
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Let’s start with décor first. Listen, aside from cleaning up your place, you don’t have to be over the top. If you put together a really nice centerpiece or put a flower at each table setting, honestly, you’re all good. And if you’re someone who is big on details and symbolism, my recommendation would be to go with some chrysanthemums and/or orchids.
When it comes to chrysanthemums, not only are they a peak fall flower, they represent things like friendship and happiness. And orchids? They tend to bloom during the fall and spring seasons and, not only are they about luxury, certain orchid colors also symbolize friendship (for the record, yellow roses symbolize friendship too). Perfect.
2. Incorporate Scents That Cultivate Gratitude
Speaking of cultivating a warm and inviting space, you can never go wrong with scented soy candles — or at least having an essential oil diffuser in a few spots. Some scents that actually help to bring in the spirit of gratitude include vanilla, jasmine, ginger, cedarwood and frankincense.
3. Use Upscale Paper Products to Dine With
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Let’s be real — a lot more of us would probably host events in our home if it wasn’t for the mess that is left behind in our kitchen once the festivities are over. Wanna avoid that? Use paper plates. No, I don’t mean the cheap Styrofoam ones. SMDH. These days, there are paper (and plastic) plate brands that will low-key blow your mind when it comes to how bougie they look. Some that are worth considering are located here, here and here.
4. Handwrite Thank-You Notes (Use Them As Place Settings)
If you’re like Tiffany (from the HBO series Insecure — what a time) was at that memorable dinner party when all hell broke loose between Lawrence and Issa and you’re pretty anal — I mean, particular — LOL — about place settings, it’s a nice touch to pick up some blank thank-you cards that you can write a personalized “I’m thankful for you because…” message in. Place each one where you’d like each friend to sit. They won’t see it coming and it’s a really nice touch.
5. Have Everyone Bring Their Favorite Homemade Dish
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Okay, and what if what has you on the fence about hosting is you don’t feel like doing a ton of cooking? Chile, this is where the concept of having a potluck comes in. Get everyone to bring the dish that they claim they cook the best and make sure to let them know how many individuals you plan on coming (so that they will make enough). You can even make a game out of it by having everyone anonymously vote for the first, second and third best dishes out of the bunch. Take it up a notch by having a prize for each winner.
6. Take a Warm Drink and Dessert Poll Beforehand
You know what isn’t discussed enough about dinner parties? Folks bringing desserts that other people don’t even like. SMDH. You can avoid this from becoming an issue at your Friendsgiving by sending an email (most people prefer that to group chats; let’s be real — and make sure to BCC everyone as well) asking everyone to share what their top three favorite desserts and warm drinks are. Then pick the top 2-3 out of the bunch. That way, you won’t have a ton of (for instance) coffee cake or apple cider lying around that no one even wanted in the first place.
7. Create a Signature Friendsgiving Mocktail and Cocktail
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Speaking of drinks, another way to make your Friendsgiving memorable is to come up with a signature mocktail (for those who don’t consume alcohol) and cocktail. For the mocktail, you can also poll your friends about their favorite mocktail or fruits and come up with a mixture of your own. For the cocktail — although National Friendship Day is actually in August, I did peep that there are certain drinks that have been created in its honor. Some of them are located here for you to do a bit of tweaking on (if you’d like).
8. Ask Everyone to Share Their “Favorite Friend Quality” of Another
You know how it’s customary for everyone to go around and share what they are truly thankful for before having dinner? Well, to continue along with the Friendsgiving theme, have each person share what their favorite friend quality is about the person to their right. If folks are just meeting each other for the first time, instead they can share what they value the most in friendship overall, along with a story of how it was displayed to them personally over the past 12 months.
9. Send Each of Your Guests Home with a Fresh Gratitude Journal
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Wanna send folks home with a nice parting gift? It would be so on-trend to give each of them a gratitude journal. Listen, we are in some crazy times right through here (at least in the States) and so, encouraging your friends to set some time aside, regularly, to think about and then outwardly express what they are grateful for? That helps to keep stress down, keep things in perspective and it reminds us all to maintain a positive mindset as much as possible.
10. Watch a Nostalgic Movie
While everyone is enjoying dessert and drinks, how about watching a movie that brings back fond memories? A list of some of the most popular movies to come out previous Thanksgiving weekends is located here and a list of some favorite Black holiday-themed films can be found here. It’s a way to wind down and share some laughs before everyone heads home.
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Friendsgiving. What a wonderful way to celebrate your friends while also observing Thanksgiving in a way that is totally on your terms. And now that you know how to put it together, what are you waiting for? Hit your friends up and let them know that, whether it’s on actual Thanksgiving Day or a few days before or after, you’ve got a special dinner in mind.
One that has a good time with amazing friends written ALL over it.
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