5 Signs You’re Not Eating Enough to Lose Weight After 40 (It’s Not a Calorie Math Problem)
“I’m eating less than I ever have. I’m working out more. And the scale is going the wrong way.”
If that’s you, I believe you.
You’re not sneaking snacks. You’re not bad at math. And you didn’t wake up one day without the discipline that built your whole life.
Eating less used to work. Why did it stop?
What were we always told? Eat less, move more. It has to work eventually, right?
And it did! For years. You cleaned things up for a couple of weeks and your jeans fit again.
Now it works for a minute and then stops. The weight comes back and brings friends. You’re more tired than when you started.
So what do you do? You cut a little more. Because trying harder has worked for everything else in your life.
Your body thinks “less food” is a threat
You know the fight or flight story. A bear is chasing you through the woods. Your body doesn’t care about digesting your lunch right then. It’s got one job, and that’s getting you away from the bear.
Well, guess what. Your body can’t tell a bear from a skipped breakfast.
And you’ve already got plenty of bears. The emails. The meetings. The kids. Your parents.
So when you cut your food again, your body doesn’t hear “we’re trying to zip the dress.” It hears “one more bear.”
And a body that feels threatened holds on. It stores fat. It protects what it has. It’s being protective of you.
This isn’t a calorie math problem. This is your body saying, “Hold on there, Missy.”
5 signs you’re under-fueled
1. You hit a wall at 2pm. And you’re reaching for coffee or something sweet just to make it to five.
2. You think about food all day. What’s for lunch? Can I have a snack? Is it dinner yet? That’s not you being weak. That’s your body waving its arms at you.
3. You’re “good” all day, and then 9pm happens. You know the scene. You’re standing in the pantry eating out of the bag. You didn’t blow it at night. You under-ate all day.
4. Coffee is your breakfast. I see you, because I was you. I was the “running on Dunkin’” girl for years!
5. Your workouts wipe you out. And I mean can’t-get-off-the-floor exhausted. Not that clean, energized feeling after a good session. Just drained.
If you nodded at three or more of these, this message is for you.
She wasn’t failing. She was under-fueled.
I had a client who swore to me she was eating enough. I said, “I hear you, but I need to see it.” So she wrote it all down.
We changed one thing. Her first meal of the day.
About a week and a half later she texted me. “My energy is different. I’m not crashing. I’m not starving by lunch. I have my brain back.”
We didn’t touch her workouts. We didn’t change anything else. One meal.
And my client Sharalyn told me the biggest change for her was “feeling safe to eat real food again.” I love that so much.
Why I never start with a meal plan
Most women have no idea how much they’re eating. And it’s usually less than they think. Not more.
So I don’t hand you a meal plan and say “go for it girl!” I ask you to write down what you eat and when. No judgment. No red pen. Then we look at it together.
And the surprises show up fast. Six hours with nothing. A “lunch” that was salad with chicken. It looks healthy. It’s also not enough.
So now we know what you’re eating. The next question is what your body needs. And that’s not the same for every woman.
That’s where your data comes in. Your labs tell me what’s going on right now. Your genetics can tell me how you may be wired to handle fats, or how easily you feel full.
That’s why the plan that worked for your friend, did nothing for you. It was built for her body, not yours.
So before you start the next diet, ask yourself one thing. “Is this right for me?”
Food is one of the three pillars of how I work. Read more about Nourish.
3 things to do this week
- Eat a real breakfast tomorrow. Coffee with collagen doesn’t count. (Sorry.)
- Write down what you eat for three days. Don’t change a thing. Just write. And one of those days should be Saturday.
- Find your longest gap. How many hours do you go without eating?
More effort in the wrong direction is not the answer. A different direction is. And it takes a lot less than you think.
What’s driving your weight gain?
For a lot of women, food is the big one. For others it’s stress, hormones, or their gut.
I built a quiz to help you figure out which one is yours. It’s called What’s Driving Your Midlife Weight Gain? Seven questions, about a minute, and you’ll know where to put your effort first.
Modern Midlife Woman is a wellness education and coaching practice, not a medical practice. Our coaches do not diagnose, prescribe, or provide medical treatment. When appropriate, medical evaluation and prescription care are provided by licensed physicians through an independent medical platform.
The information on this website is for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always talk with your physician or another qualified healthcare provider about any medical condition, and before starting a new health regimen. Individual results vary and are not guaranteed.