7 Reasons Diets Don’t Work After 40 (and What to Do About It)
I get it. Dieting after 40 is HARD. And what if I told you that “dieting” might be doing more harm than good?
Your body is changing, your hormones are shifting, and the things that worked for you in the past are NOT WORKING anymore. Then you toss in the stress of your daily life, the processed foods everywhere, and the gurus telling you to just eat less, move more, and take a pill…
It’s enough to make you want to throw your scale out the window.
If you’re hungry, frustrated, and barely seeing results, the solution isn’t to cut yourself off from foods you love and sweat it out.
The solution is understanding your body's needs. So that’s what we’re talking about today.
Reason #1: Chronic Stress and It’s Impact on Weight
If you already know me, you knew I was gonna go here. Because it’s the first problem we have to address if you want real, lasting results.
You're no stranger to stress, especially if you’ve juggled life into your 40s. Stress affects everything. Sleep, mental health, physical health, relationships, and even how your body manages weight.
So I’m going to keep talking about it 😀
The Role of Cortisol in Weight Gain
Have you ever wondered why stress makes you want to reach for a tub of ice cream? That's the work of cortisol, a hormone released when you're under stress. This sneaky hormone can ramp up your appetite and make your body hold onto fat, especially around your belly. It's like cortisol turns your body into a fat-storing machine.
- Increased Appetite: Cortisol can make you feel hungrier (even if you’re not), pushing you towards comfort foods.
- Fat Storage: It promotes storing fat, especially in the belly area, which is linked to more health risks.
- Metabolism Impact: High cortisol levels can slow down your metabolism, making weight loss tougher.
Dieting Stress
Trying to stick to a strict diet only piles more stress onto your plate. Constantly worrying about
- what you’re “allowed” to eat
- when you can eat next
- if you can eat when you go out with friends or family
- where to eat on vacation
- how much you ate
- how much you can eat for the rest of the day
- did you forget to track what you ate
- blah blah blah…..
It’s unnecessary pressure (see above for why that matters). And it keeps your focus so much on food, that you can’t eat lunch without thinking about dinner. This sets you up to eat everything in sight when you’re tired and frustrated with it all.
The key to managing stress is not to overhaul your life, but to find balance. Finding joy in little things, like a quiet cup of tea, a short walk, or a moment to do NOTHING, can be as important for your waistline as any diet.
A healthy balance will help you much more than added diet stress.
Reason #2: The Guilt of Being Human
When all the diets and routines that have worked for you before STOP working, it can make you feel like you’re the problem. Like you’re doing something wrong. You're not alone. It's easy to fall into a pattern of guilt when things don't go as planned with your diet. The problem is, this cycle of guilt can make you feel like throwing in the towel altogether.
But understanding these feelings can help you find a healthier approach.
How Food Guilt Can Lead to Unhealthy Choices
You know those moments when you sneak a cookie (or 3) and then beat yourself up about it for the rest of the day? That’s the kind of guilt that can make food choices feel like moral decisions rather than dietary ones.
This cycle of thinking can make your relationship with food feel like a toxic tug-of-war that can lead to
Overeating: You might think, "I’ve already messed up, so what's one more cookie?"
Loss of Control: Guilt can make it seem like you’re on a runaway train, leading to more unhealthy choices.
Emotional Eating: Food becomes a comfort in stressful times, making it even harder to stick to healthy habits.
These are normal reactions in our human minds, but they don’t have to rule your life.
Breaking the Cycle of Guilt and Overeating
Food or dieting guilt has the same effect on your progress as trying to run a marathon with one foot stuck in the mud. It’s a hard stop.
Changing how you think about and interact with food can help you get out of the mud.
Here are some strategies to help you break the cycle and make positive changes:
- Acknowledge Your Emotions: Start by recognizing when guilt kicks in. Ask yourself, "Why do I feel this way?" And then explore what comes up for you. Is it true? Is it healthy? Is it helping you? Simply understanding your feelings can make a big difference.
- Practice Mindful Eating: Focus on your food and enjoy every bite, from taste to texture. This can help you become more in tune with your body's signals, so you're eating because you're hungry, not because you're feeling guilty.
- Redefine "Success": Cut yourself some slack. Let go of the idea that success means perfection. Every meal isn’t a test. It's more about balance over time than about "good" or "bad" meals.
- Create a Support Network: Share your feelings with friends or join a group of women with similar goals. Connection helps you realize you're not alone, and releases the pressure to be perfect.
- Set Realistic Goals: Make small, achievable goals that are in line with your lifestyle and needs. Don’t seek out instant results, just try to improve 1% everyday.
The guilt won’t disappear overnight, but each step will help you reframe your mindset and break the chains. This journey is emotional as much as physical, and your mind controls everything you do.
When you can get your mind under control, the confidence, ease, and results will follow.
Reason #3: Restricting Food Groups
Most of the gurus and fad diets out promise quick results by cutting out entire food groups. Think keto, paleo, sugar free, vegan, low fat etc. But this usually does more harm than good.
A balanced diet is crucial, especially as your body ages and changes.
Each food group brings its own benefits to the table, and ignoring them can lead to more health issues.
Why the Body Needs All Food Groups
Our bodies are like cars. They need the right fuels to run smoothly. Proteins, fats, and carbohydrates are like the gas, oil, and coolant. You need all of them for your system to work properly.
Proteins: They're the building blocks of life. Proteins help repair tissues, build muscles, and keep you strong. If you aren’t eating enough protein, your body can start to use muscle for energy, and that’s not what we want.
Fats: Don't fear fats. They're not the enemy here. Healthy fats help your body absorb vitamins, keep your skin nourished, provide energy, support hormone production, shield organs, and boost brain and nervous system health.
Carbohydrates: These are the energy providers; sugars and starches are your body's main source of fuel. If you cut carbs out entirely, your metabolism slows, leaving you sluggish. Your car wouldn’t function without fuel, and your metabolism can’t either.
Risks of Nutrient Deficiencies
When you cut out food groups, you’re missing out on crucial vitamins and minerals. These nutrient deficiencies can cause havoc on your health. Here are just a few ways this can do more harm than good:
- Osteoporosis: Without enough calcium and vitamin D (found in dairy and certain green vegetables), your bones can become fragile over time.
- Low Energy Levels: Low carb diets can leave you feeling constantly fatigued, because they’re your body’s main energy source.
- Weakened Immune System: Vitamins and minerals like vitamin C, zinc, and selenium support your immune system. Leaving them out makes you more prone to getting sick, and makes it harder to heal.
- Poor Mental Focus: Without enough healthy fats, your brain functions more slowly, robbing your concentration and memory.
In order to support your body’s needs, you need a well rounded diet with lots of variety.
Focus on balance instead of restriction. Food is your ally, not your enemy.
Reason #4: Hormonal Changes
We can’t stop the changes that naturally happen in our bodies after 40. It can be easy to feel confused and out of control when hormones shart to shift and your body starts to look different. It’s like someone flipped a switch, and your body has a mission that doesn’t work with your goals anymore.
No, we can’t change it. But we can learn to work with these changes and adjust our approach.
Impact of Aging Hormones on Weight
As you age, your hormones are programmed to act differently in your body. They have their own agenda. For women, this usually means a decrease in estrogen and progesterone. Slight changes can lead to weight gathering in unflattering areas like the belly.
These shifts are connected to how hormones regulate where and how your body stores fat. It's not just about what you eat or how much you exercise; it's how these hormones work in your body. They can cause slowing of your metabolism and changes to your body's response to foods.
Integrating Hormonal Health into Dieting After 40
So, how can you manage these changes? Well, it's time to make friends with your hormones. Welcome the dietary changes that respect what your body needs now. Here are some simple things you can do to work with your body, instead of against it:
- Focus on Protein: Increase your protein intake to help keep your muscles and metabolism strong
- Include Healthy Fats: Omega-3s and good fats can help balance hormones and support brain health
- Keep Carbs Complex: Choose whole grains and fibers over simple sugars
- Stay Hydrated: Most of your brain and body are made up of water. Make sure you’re getting enough to keep things flowing
- Add in Vitamins: Eat plant of foods rich in calcium and vitamin D to maintain bone strength and overall health
Adapting your diet to suit your body's needs doesn’t have to be hard. Think of it like a dance that works with your body's rhythm, not against it.
Simple shifts will help you embrace your body after 40 with confidence and grace.
Reason #5: Disrupted Hunger Hormones
Have you ever finished a diet, only to eat everything in sight and on the pounds you just worked so hard to lose? This struggle is real.
The problem here is the disruption of your two hormones, leptin and ghrelin. These hormones are vital to managing your hunger, but they're thrown out of balance by low-calorie diets.
Leptin and Ghrelin Imbalances
Leptin and ghrelin are like the ying and yang of your hunger hormones. Leptin tells your brain that you're full, while ghrelin sends the message that you're hungry. When you drastically cut calories, leptin levels drop, and you feel unsatisfied. On the flip side, ghrelin levels may rise, making you feel like eating the whole buffet.
I know, it doesn’t seem fair. You're trying so hard to see the numbers go down on the scale, but living on fewer calories than you actually need can make it hard to stick to the plan, and sabotage your goals.
The Long-Term Effects of Dieting on Hunger Signals
Low-calorie diets can lead to a long-term battle with hunger. You might drop weight quickly, but research warns that these diets can mess with your hunger hormones long term. You can feel hungrier and deal with strong cravings, for over a year after you stop dieting!
The scale might have shown some quick results, but it's like borrowing money without thinking about the interest. The weight you lost can quickly pile back on, sometimes with extra pounds.
This happens because your body's natural signals are still out of whack, pushing you to eat more than your body needs.
This can make dieting after 40 feel like a losing game, where the rules seem rigged against you.
Which leads right into our next topic.
Reason #6: The Myth of Quick Fixes
The promises of instant weight loss can seem tempting, like the magic pill we’ve all been waiting for. But these "quick fixes" do far more harm than good. Chasing instant results can lead to a cycle of frustration and disappointment. Again, not what we’re going for. You deserve better than that.
Understanding Sustainable Weight Loss
Sustainable weight loss has to be built on a stron foundation in order to last. Rushing the foundation (of anything) leads to future cracks and instability. Rapid weight loss strategies might show quick results, but they will eventually crumble and fall apart. Here's why it’s worth your time to build a strong foundation::
- Healthier Habits: Gradual weight loss gives you time to develop lasting healthy habits. You learn what works best for your body, which creates a positive relationship with food.
- Reduced Stress: Quick fixes add to the pressure and stress, making you feel like you need to win some race. Sustainable approaches thrive in a steady pace, nurturing your body and mind.
- Long-Term Success: Like planting a garden, sustainable weight loss takes time, but the bounty is worth it. Give yourself the grace to slowly grow into the person you wish to become. Start sowing the seeds today. You’ll be happy you did.
When faced with a flashy diet promising rapid results, ask yourself: “Would I rather have a momentary win, or a lifetime of health?”
Long-Term Strategies for Success
Creating lifestyle shifts that last is the key to maintaining a healthy weight without constant dieting. Here's a roadmap to guide you:
- Set Realistic Goals: Aim for progress, not perfection. Shift one thing at a time, and aim for 1% improvement each day.
- Mindful Eating: Focus on your meals without distractions. Savor every bite. Notice how your body feels when you eat.
- Balanced Nutrition: Make sure to include all food groups — proteins, fats, and carbs. Your body needs them all to function.
- Regular Activity: Find exercise you enjoy. It doesn’t have to be the gym; it might be dancing, walking, swimming, or yoga.
- Stay Hydrated: Water plays a big role in every system in your body. Keep a bottle handy, and sip throughout the day.
- Quality Sleep: Rest is crucial. Poor sleep messes with your hormones that control hunger and metabolism.
- Self-Compassion: Celebrate small victories BIG and be kind to yourself. Life happens, and no journey is without its bumps.
The path to health is not just a destination, but a beautiful journey. You've got this.
Reason #7: Muscle Loss and Slower Metabolism
Don’t you wish you still had the metabolism you had in your teens and twenties? Yeah, me too. But after 40, your metabolism that once seemed unbreakable starts to slow down. Your favorite jeans start to hug you a little too tight in all the wrong places.
Why does this happen? Well, everything we covered above plays a huge part in your muscle mass. And muscle mass is what keeps your metabolism flowing.
Why Muscle is Essential for Weight Management
Think of your muscles as the furnace of your metabolism. They burn calories even when you're just sitting on the couch binge-watching your favorite show. With each passing year after you turn 40, your body starts to lose muscle mass naturally. This process, known as sarcopenia, can lower your daily calorie burn.
Muscles aren't just for bodybuilders. They're vital for everyone, especially when you’re trying to manage your weight. More muscle means more calories burned, even at rest. Maintaining muscle mass is key to keeping your metabolism running smoothly.
Incorporating Strength Training into Your Routine
I know you’re already busy, and adding another thing into your daily routine can seem daunting. But including strength training in your daily routine doesn’t have to be hard. It's not about pumping iron for hours and bulking up. It's about finding simple ways to add strength-building activities into what you’re already doing.
- Start Simple: Begin with bodyweight exercises like wall push-ups, squats, and lunges. These exercises can be done anywhere. Walking through your house, getting up from your chair (and down, and up, and down..), or waiting for dinner to cook. No gym required.
- Set Realistic Goals: Aim for at least two strength training sessions per week. Consistency is key, so focus on making it a habit rather than chore.
- Use What You Have: If you don't have weights at home, use household items. Cans, water bottles, or even books can be great for a little resistance.
- Mix It Up: Keep things interesting by trying different activities. Yoga and Pilates are excellent for building strength and flexibility, plus they can be fun and relaxing.
- Get Moving with Friends: Exercise doesn’t have to be a solo journey. Invite friends for a workout session or join a community class. Accountability can be a powerful motivator.
Strength training is about empowering yourself to stay energetic and balanced. It doesn’t have to be hard. Again, focus on 1% improvement, and watch how your body and confidence start to change (the good kind).
Stay Connected
If you want more simple tips and easy shifts you can make in your health journey, join my free Facebook group here for:
- Free group coaching every tuesday
- Free resources, masterclasses, and digital guides
- Support and community with other women focused on improving their health after 40
- Practical advice that is fun, rewarding, and simple
- Radical acceptance of who you are and where you are on your journey.
You’re beautiful, I believe in you, and you got this!