When it comes to fat loss, especially for women over 40, the advice we’ve been fed for years has always been about eating less and exercising more. But what if that’s not the full picture? In fact, what if eating more is exactly what your body needs to break through stubborn fat loss plateaus? If you’ve hit a wall in your weight loss journey, the problem might not be overeating—it might be under-eating. Let’s dive into why eating more could be the missing piece to your fat loss puzzle.
Why Is Fat Loss So Hard After 40?
As we age, particularly after 40, our metabolism naturally slows down. This isn’t news to most women. What is surprising, though, is that this slowdown isn’t just because of age—it’s often due to loss of muscle mass. Muscle is your body’s fat-burning engine. The more muscle you have, the more calories you burn, even at rest. Unfortunately, years of dieting, pregnancy, and even everyday stress can chip away at your muscle, leaving you with a slower metabolism.
But here’s the kicker: constantly eating less and exercising more—without focusing on maintaining or building muscle—only makes the problem worse. This cycle leads to further muscle loss, an even slower metabolism, and the frustrating realization that you’re eating less and still not losing weight.
The Key to Fat Loss Over 40: Eat More, Build Muscle
If you’ve been slashing calories for years and hitting the gym with little to no results, it’s time to rethink your strategy. The truth is, women over 40 need more calories, not fewer, to build muscle and heal their metabolism.
Why?
Muscle requires fuel. When you eat more, particularly with a focus on protein and nutrient-dense foods, you provide your body with the building blocks it needs to repair and grow muscle. More muscle means a faster metabolism, and a faster metabolism means your body burns more fat, even when you’re not working out.
Is Your Body in “Starvation Mode”?
If you’ve been dieting for years, your body might be in what’s commonly referred to as “starvation mode.” This happens when you don’t provide your body with enough calories for an extended period of time, causing your metabolism to slow down in an effort to conserve energy. Essentially, your body is trying to protect you from what it perceives as starvation.
What’s the solution? Metabolism Reset—slowly increasing your calorie intake to reset your metabolism and allow your body to heal. This is especially important for women over 40, whose metabolisms have likely taken a hit after decades of calorie restriction.
The Muscle Metabolism Connection
Eating more isn’t just about calories—it’s about nutrients, particularly protein. Women over 40 often don’t get enough protein to support muscle maintenance, let alone muscle growth. If your goal is to lose fat, you need to focus on building muscle to rev up your metabolism.
Building muscle doesn’t mean bulking up. It means creating lean, toned muscle that keeps your metabolism running efficiently. And the only way to do that is to provide your body with the fuel it needs to build and repair that muscle.
How Eating More Can Lead to Fat Loss
Eating more to lose fat seems counterintuitive, but it works when done strategically. Here’s how:
Increase Protein Intake – Protein is key to muscle growth and maintenance. Aim to get at least 1 gram of protein per pound of body weight. (Yes. 1g/lb! Protein needs increase with age!)
Focus on Fiber-Dense Carbs – Add more fiber-rich carbs to your diet, such as fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. These foods provide the thermogenic energy your body needs to function optimally, and burn more fat.
Strength Training – Combine eating more with strength training exercises to build muscle. Lifting weights isn’t just for bodybuilders—it’s the most effective way to maintain muscle and boost your metabolism after 40.
Be Patient – Fat loss through muscle-building isn’t instantaneous, but it’s sustainable. Stick with the process, and over time, you’ll see your body transform in ways that dieting alone could never achieve.
Final Thoughts: Shift Your Mindset, Shift Your Results
If you’ve been stuck in a cycle of eating less and exercising more with little to show for it, the problem isn’t you—it’s your approach. For women over 40, the key to unlocking fat loss is a mindset shift. Instead of focusing on eating less, focus on eating more—more protein, more nutrients, and more food to fuel your body. Pair that with strength training, and you’ll not only burn fat but also create a healthier, stronger version of yourself.
If you’re ready to break free from the endless cycle of dieting and discover what it feels like to nourish your body for real results, it’s time to eat more, not less.
If you’ve been eating less, exercising more, and still not seeing results, you might feel like your metabolism is working against you. The truth is, years of dieting, stress, and over-exercising can slow your metabolism down, making it harder to burn fat and feel energized.
But don’t worry—a metabolism reset can help. By giving your body what it needs, you can heal your metabolism, rebuild muscle, and start seeing progress again. Here’s how to start your metabolism reset in 5 simple, actionable steps.
1. Understand Why Your Metabolism Needs a Reset
Before diving into the reset, it’s important to know why your metabolism might be sluggish. Chronic dieting, skipping meals, or eating too few calories signals to your body that it needs to conserve energy. This leads to a slower metabolism, fatigue, and even weight gain.
Think of your metabolism like a phone battery. If you keep draining it without recharging, it won’t function efficiently. A metabolism reset is about giving your body the fuel and recovery it needs to start working optimally again.
2. Stop Starving Your Body
One of the biggest mistakes people make is eating too little for too long. While cutting calories can lead to short-term weight loss, it also slows down your metabolism over time.
The first step to resetting your metabolism is eating enough to support your body’s needs. To figure out how much you should be eating, calculate your TDEE (Total Daily Energy Expenditure)—this is the number of calories your body needs to maintain its current weight.
Start by gradually increasing your calorie intake to reach your maintenance level. Yes, the scale might fluctuate initially, but this is your body adjusting to getting the fuel it desperately needs.
3. Prioritize Protein
Protein is your best friend during a metabolism reset. It helps build and repair muscle, which is critical for boosting your metabolism. Muscle is metabolically active tissue, meaning the more you have, the more calories your body burns—even at rest.
Aim for 0.8–1 gram of protein per pound of body weight daily. Include protein-rich foods like:
Lean meats (chicken, turkey, beef)
Eggs
Greek yogurt
Tofu and tempeh
Legumes and lentils
Pro tip: Make protein the star of every meal to keep your metabolism fueled and your muscles happy.
4. Start Strength Training
Cardio might burn calories, but strength training is the real game-changer when it comes to resetting your metabolism. Lifting weights helps you rebuild lost muscle, increase your metabolic rate, and reshape your body.
Here’s how to get started:
Focus on compound movements like squats, deadlifts, and presses that work multiple muscle groups.
Start with 2-3 strength training sessions per week.
Gradually increase the weight or intensity to challenge your muscles (this is called progressive overload).
And no, lifting weights won’t make you bulky! Instead, it’ll help you burn fat, build strength, and feel more confident in your body.
5. Prioritize Rest and Recovery
Recovery is just as important as what you do in the gym. Your body needs time to repair and grow stronger, so don’t skip this step.
Here’s how to prioritize recovery:
Get 7-9 hours of quality sleep per night.
Stay hydrated to support muscle recovery and overall health.
Incorporate active rest days with light activities like yoga, stretching, or walking.
Remember: More isn’t always better. Overworking your body without proper recovery can lead to burnout and stall your progress.
What to Expect During a Metabolism Reset
A metabolism reset isn’t a quick fix—it’s a long-term solution for healing your body and setting the foundation for sustainable fat loss. During the reset, you might notice:
More Energy: As your body adjusts to eating more, you’ll likely feel more energized and motivated.
Muscle Gains: With the right nutrition and strength training, you’ll start building muscle, which helps boost your metabolism.
Scale Fluctuations: Don’t panic if the scale goes up temporarily. This is a normal part of the process as your body adjusts to proper fueling.
Ready to Reset Your Metabolism?
If you’re ready to take the first step, these five steps will set you up for success:
Understand your body’s needs.
Stop under-eating.
Prioritize protein.
Start strength training.
Focus on recovery.
Want more guidance? Download my free Quick Start Guide for step-by-step instructions for getting started on your journey.
It’s never too late to reset, rebuild, and reclaim your health. Start your metabolism reset today, and let’s make this your strongest chapter yet!
Are you working hard to lose weight, eating less than ever, but still not seeing results? You’re not alone. Many women over 40 experience these exact frustrations, and the culprit is often an overlooked issue: a sluggish metabolism. The good news? A metabolism reset can help you break free from this cycle and finally achieve sustainable fat loss.
Here are three major signs that your body is begging for a reset—and what you can do about it.
1. You’re Eating Less but Gaining Weight
If you’ve been slashing calories, skipping meals, or turning down dessert at every opportunity, yet the scale keeps creeping up, your metabolism could be in survival mode.
When you consistently eat too little, your body adapts by slowing your metabolism to conserve energy—a process known as metabolic adaptation. Over time, this can cause:
• Fatigue: Your body lacks the fuel it needs for everyday activities.
• Muscle Loss: Your body breaks down muscle for energy, which further slows your metabolism.
• Weight Gain: A slower metabolism means fewer calories burned, even at rest.
What to do:
Instead of cutting calories further, focus on eating more whole, nutrient-dense foods and gradually increasing your calorie intake to support your metabolism. This process, known as a “metabolism reset,” helps your body feel safe to burn fat again.
2. You Feel Constantly Exhausted and Burned Out
You might think your tiredness is just part of getting older, but chronic fatigue can be a red flag that your body isn’t getting the nutrients it needs. If you’re eating healthy, exercising regularly, and still feeling like you’ve been hit by a truck, your metabolism may not be functioning optimally.
Symptoms of metabolic burnout include:
• Waking up tired even after a full night’s sleep.
• Crashing in the afternoon or struggling to stay motivated for workouts.
• Feeling irritable or overwhelmed by everyday tasks.
When your body is undernourished, stress hormones like cortisol spike, which further slows fat loss and can even lead to weight gain, especially around the midsection.
What to do:
Focus on fueling your body properly by eating balanced meals that include protein, healthy fats, and fiber. And don’t forget to prioritize recovery—sleep, hydration, and active rest days are essential for repairing your metabolism and rebuilding lost energy.
3. You’ve Hit a Plateau or Regain Weight Faster Than Ever
You lose a few pounds, only to hit a frustrating plateau—or worse, the weight comes back almost immediately. This is a classic sign of metabolic adaptation, often caused by years of yo-yo dieting. Each time you go on a calorie-restrictive diet, you lose muscle along with fat. Over time, this decreases your muscle mass, which lowers the number of calories your body burns at rest.
The result?
• You burn fewer calories doing the same workouts.
• You gain weight more easily, even when eating less.
• Fat loss becomes harder with each passing year.
What to do:
It’s time to focus on strength training to rebuild lost muscle and boost your resting metabolic rate. Muscle is metabolically active tissue, meaning the more you have, the more calories you burn—even while resting.
What Is a Metabolism Reset?
A metabolism reset is about giving your body what it needs to function optimally. It involves:
1. Eating More: Gradually increasing your calorie intake to maintenance levels so your body stops fighting against fat loss.
2. Strength Training: Building lean muscle to support a higher metabolism and a stronger, more toned body.
3. Balancing Hormones: Improving sleep, reducing stress, and eating enough to support your body’s recovery processes.
The goal is to create a foundation where your metabolism works with you—not against you. It’s not about quick fixes but about long-term, sustainable results.
Ready to Reset Your Metabolism?
If any of these signs sound like you, don’t worry—you’re not alone, and there’s hope. The first step to breaking free from the diet cycle is to understand your body’s unique needs and take action to heal your metabolism.
Want to learn more? Download my free Quick Start Guide to get started with simple, actionable steps you can take today. Or check out my workout app, where I provide strength-training plans designed specifically for women over 40.
It’s never too late to reset, rebuild, and reclaim your strength. Let’s make this your strongest chapter yet!
When it comes to how you feel and look, it’s important not to ignore what’s going on inside in attempts to “fix” the outside. A metabolism reset is a process of nourishing and repairing your body from within in order to reap the exterior benefits. But how can you measure your progress as you go through the reset phase?
While you may not always see outward changes right away, there are certain cues that indicate the progress of your metabolism reset. Let’s take a look at five ways you can measure your metabolism reset progress.
Muscle Regained
If you are going through a metabolism reset, chances are that you have already lost muscle due to dieting or other lifestyle factors. During the reset, you should expect to see some of that muscle regained, however, this may not be visible without a DEXA (or similar) scan. Depending on the length of your reset and your starting body fat percentage, your body composition may undergo some visible changes as well.
Weight Stabilization
Weight gain (if any) has stopped, and you’re eating at your “goal” calorie level. If you have been steadily gaining weight prior to or during the reset, then tracking whether or not this has stopped can be an effective way to measure progress. Even though the scale isn’t the only indicator of progress, it can still provide useful information about changes in your body composition over time and whether or not the reset is working for you.
Improvement in Hair/Skin/Nails
During a metabolism reset, it is common for hair skin nail (HSN) health to improve drastically as micro- and macronutrients are made available for repair and growth processes within the body. This can also occur when hormone levels become balanced and as gut health improves from consuming nutrient-dense foods that support digestive system functioning properly and efficiently.
Appetite/Energy Has Regulated
If you were experiencing ravenous hunger and cravings before starting the program and/or feelings of fatigue throughout the day then tracking how these symptoms have changed since beginning can be another great way to measure progress! Generally speaking if cravings have decreased/stabilized and energy levels have increased then this could again indicate improved hormonal balance from proper nourishment!
Strength Gains
Lastly, strength gains are another great way to measure metabolisms reset progress! Our muscles respond best when we show them love through movement, exercise, and…FOOD — so if you’ve been consistently working out throughout this phase (and eating enough food!) strength gains should start going through the roof! This could look like an increase in weight lifted or reps completed but either way, it’s a sure sign that things are moving in the right direction. Tracking changes in strength over time will help give insight into how well muscles are recovering after workouts due to adequate nutrient uptake which again points towards efficient metabolic functioning!
Adjust your Focus
Measuring progress during a metabolic “reboot” isn’t about focusing solely on external factors – like weight loss – but rather looking internally at how our bodies are responding to proper nourishment after years of being deprived from essential nutrients needed for optimal functioning. By understanding these five key indicators we can assess progress along our journeys more accurately while avoiding disappointment over false expectations the diet industry has been shoving down our throats for decades!
Ultimately, if we focus on what’s happening inside then eventually those outside changes will follow – even if they do take time before becoming visible! So don’t forget – RESET IS NOT A FAT LOSS PHASE – prioritize your healing by addressing “what lies beneath” first & celebrate ANY and ALL small victories (in the areas listed above) along this amazing journey!
Are you looking to lose weight, but don’t have time to hit the gym? Are workout videos your go-to solution? Though they may seem like an easy way to get in a workout, not all videos are created equal. In fact, many of them can actually be quite ineffective when it comes to weight loss. But don’t worry – we’re here to help! Read on for our tips on how to make your workout videos more effective for weight loss.
Part 1
Part 2
The Truth About Workout Videos: How To Make Them More Effective For Weight Loss
Once upon a time, working out at home was reserved for the Richard Simmons, Jane Fonda, leotard, thong, leg warmers, aerobics, aerobics, and more aerobics era. But with the explosion of Beachbody and other late-night infomercials (are there other infomercials?), most of us have grown to accept a visual of more muscular-looking individuals using dumbbells on our home workout screens.
This new era of workout videos provides instant access to some of the top trainers of the industry today: Jillian Michaels, Kelly Coffey-Meyer, Jackie Warner, Cathe Friedrich, Chalene Johnson, and so many more. The convenience of working out at home can be a fantastic thing for the motivated individual or the person who enjoys the “feel” of being in a class setting (minus worrying that one might be judged by classmates – gasp!! “can you believe she’s wearing those pink pajama pants?!”).
With the (over)abundance of workout vids, we might assume that ripped, superfit types (as seen on the videos) are also in plentiful supply. If you are one of the growing numbers of at-home exercisers (like me), you may be wondering when your ripped-ness will arrive. Or, perhaps you glumly think that you’re the only person who works your butt off with these annoyingly-ripped-freaks-of-nature yet still look like you gave birth last week. Grrrr…How is it possible to work your buns off yet still not be able to fit said buns into those skinny jeans? To collect bucket-loads of sweat from doing 30-Day Shred (for 120 days!), yet have no semblance of becoming “shredded” any time soon?
This is typically because, as consumers, we tend to equate sweating with results. Moving nonstop during your workout, doing endless reps, or cardio moves between lifts will surely provide the sweat. Unfortunately, the amount of sweat you leave behind has little to do with the reshaping of your body. As great as it feels, your body will eventually adapt to ANY workout you repeatedly do, and you’ll stop seeing results. So should you toss your hopes of getting fit at home and run to the nearest gym? Not necessarily. It’s always great to work with what you’ve got (and I, for one, am not willing to shew my pink PJs just yet).
Here are five ways to make any DVD worthwhile:
Lift heavier
Make any DVD work harder by simply picking up a heavier weight. Even if you only have one or two DVDs to work with, increasing the weight you’re lifting is a quick plateau prevention/fix. Just because the people on the screen are using five-eight pounds doesn’t mean you need to. Pick a weight that challenges you (i.e., you can’t do MORE than two reps beyond the amount you’re supposed to be doing) and will bring you the results you’re after. You’re all good, even if you come up a few reps shorter than “the crew.”
Most home workout DVDs have far too many reps for the desired results. For strength gains, lift as heavy as you can for up to seven reps. For muscle building and definition, lift for eight to 12 reps, and for endurance (cardio), perform 12+ reps (or as directed by the DVD). For best results, alternate all three rep ranges using weight appropriate for each range.
Take Notes
To have tremendous success with the previous tip, be sure to take a moment to bring a pen and pad with you to the workout area. Jot down the exercises done in the vid and how much weight you used. Whenever you discover that you could’ve kept going, put an asterisk or other symbol (like an up arrow) to let you know to go up in weight next time. ALWAYS lift heavier if you can safely do so.
You’re not doing yourself any favors by using the exact weight amounts for months at a time, no matter how much sweating is going down. Also, keep track of how many reps you did so that you can adjust the next time around. If you could do 12 pounds for 15 reps, you know that you’ll need to go heavier if aiming for eight to ten reps next time around. Keeping a journal of your workouts (exercises, reps, sets, and rests) is key to successful training, whether at home or the gym.
Press Pause
Pressing pause is perfectly acceptable if the DVD moves too fast (this will become incredibly relevant when increasing lift poundage). It becomes tough to lift heavy enough weights when doing circuit-type workout vids (a weight move followed by a cardio move – or weighted moves with no rest between sets). This may tempt us to believe that we can’t go heavier, but this is far from the truth.
While I would typically recommend doing a workout via a professional, as written, the first few times around, this becomes significantly less relevant the 88th time the video is done. It’s OK to stray from the pro at this point and pause the dang thing so that you can get some severe muscle involvement happening. Using the rep ranges discussed above, base your “rest” periods on the amount of weight and reps that you’re doing — just as you would in the gym.
The goal of endurance needs very little rest (30 seconds or less) between exercises, muscle building requires slightly longer (30-60 seconds), and strength requires the longest (60-90 seconds). If the crew is doing 15 reps and you’ve chosen to do only six, consider the “extra” time they are pumping out reps as part of your rest period.
Re-Purpose “Strength” DVDs
Most DVDs suggest dumbbells that are far too light have too many reps and not enough rest to be considered a proper “strength” workout. No problem. Why not change how you view your vids and accept the faster-paced workouts for what they genuinely are…cardio! Most so-called strength videos on the market are just glorified HIIT workouts. So why not treat them as such.
Metabolic cardio and HIIT are all the rage these days anyway, so using your old circuit workouts for cardio helps you cash in on this trend. This also works well as an alternative for those who can only make it to the gym a couple of times per week. Plan your lifting days for when you have access to heavier equipment at the gym and your cardio (via video) on the days that you can’t make it.
Swap Out Moves (or Equipment)
Let’s face it. Doing the same moves day in and day out for three years isn’t gonna “shape and tone” anything no matter how many times your DVD coach has told you so. Just as we get comfortable when we know what move is coming next on the DVD (or what words for that matter!) so do our bodies. And let’s just say that changes don’t happen when you’re comfortable…well, not good changes anyway.
Now that you’ve been taking notes on your workouts (ahem?) you can use that same notebook to plot out ways to shake things up. Again, I don’t typically recommend taking a program written by someone who creates them for a living, and adding your own perceived “improvements.” However, if you know at exactly which pitch of the background song that a particular exercise will start…you stopped seeing results from that move many moons ago. There are safe swaps that can be done to most moves so that you are keeping with the general theme of the program’s intent. For example, you can sub the move for a variation of that same move: plie’ squat for regular, step-ups or rear/side lunges in lieu of front lunges, hammer curls instead of traditional, etc…
Work With What You Have
You could also swap out equipment used in the vid, for equipment that you own but rarely use. I can’t count the number of messages I’ve received from women asking if it’s “OK” to use hubby’s Bowflex, Nautilus, Smith machine, etc down in the basement…umm, YES! Don’t be scared to put someone else’s dust-collecting equipment to use – I did and it changed my life! The Gold’s Gym setup that I currently use in “Kiki’s Cave” is also formerly-known-as “Father’s Day Gift/clothes dryer” lol.
Work with what you have. Does your teen son have an iron gym? Does hubby have an old bench and rack? Score! Have some crazy as-seen-on-TV gadget that you just couldn’t pass up? Use. it. Variety is the spice of life, and just may help you get excited about working out to your old DVDs again. Sub out the old-is-new-again equipment for similar body-part movements. Bench press during pushups. Use a rowing apparatus (lat pull-down, rowing machine?) for bent-over rows…or better yet, do pull-ups! Grab a Frisbee or gliding disc and do sliding lunges in place of regular. Use your Kettlebell in place of dumbbells, or sub Kettlebell swings (or sandbag cleans – see vid below) for another cardio move for circuit vids.
Take inventory of items you’d love to use, but never do, and allow your mind to wander. The possibilities are endless.
Not everyone can afford the time or finances that a full-time gym commitment requires. Workout videos provide a convenient alternative for busy moms, housewives, or students that simply can’t make it to the gym regularly (or at all). With new formats popping up daily — whether via DVDs, downloads, or free sources like YouTube and Fitness Blender — you can make this growing trend work in your favor (and keep getting results!) with a few simple tweaks.
Do you work out with videos? What are your tricks for keeping the results flowing?
In our last post, we talked about intuitive eating, what it is and how it can benefit you. In this post, we’ll discuss intuitive eating for weight loss. When it comes to weight loss, there are a lot of different methods people try. Some popular approaches include counting calories, eating low-carb or keto, and intermittent fasting. But what about intuitive eating? This approach eschews tracking or limiting food intake in favor of tuning into your body’s natural cues for hunger and fullness. Is intuitive eating a good option for those looking to lose weight? Let’s take a closer look.
Intuitive Eating for Weight Loss? Here’s What You Need to Know
Intuitive eating is not a weight loss method.
Many people ask the question, “will intuitive eating work for me?”,
If by “work,” you mean weight loss? If by “work,” you mean, “will I lose weight from eating more intuitively?” the answer is no. Sadly, if you think you will be able to eat whatever you want, when you want, and look like a fitness model in a magazine. It just doesn’t work that way. I would not do intuitive eating with a weight loss intent because that is not the purpose of intuitive eating.
As I mentioned in my previous post, Intuitive Eating: What is it, and How Can It Help You?… Intuitive eating is a method to heal people who struggle with a diet mentality and/or are recovering from over dieting. This helps reset the mind and body from things like binge eating, restriction, and the thought process of every food item being either “good” or “bad.”
We must first remember that everything has a mindset component associated with it. Whenever you get to the point where you are consumed with losing weight and start to have your identity wrapped around it, you usually start to run into issues thinking that weight loss will solve all your problems and make you happy is not the right path. In fact, it usually ends up having an adverse effect.
When we finally step away from looking for the all-in-one solution is when we can actually start finding the answers instead of compartmentalizing our lives. When it comes to seeing each individual thing for what it is, what it can be, and the purpose that it serves for you, you can lean wholly into that purpose.
Watch the video above as we dig more into this topic of intuitive eating and why it is not the best method for fat loss.
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