If you feel like you’re doing everything right but still gaining weight, you’re not alone. This is one of the most frustrating experiences, especially for women in their 40s and beyond. You clean up your diet, you make better choices, you put in more effort than ever before, and yet somehow the scale keeps creeping up. It feels like your body is no longer responding the way it used to.
In the back of your mind you're thinking: Maybe it’s you. Maybe you’re doing something wrong.
Or, it has to be the hormones. It's always the hormones…
But you’re not imagining it, and you’re not broken. And while your hormones do change in your 40s and beyond, there are still other, very powerful factors that impact your bodyweight. When you start paying attention to these things, weight loss will get easier.
Believe me, because I've worked with hundreds of women in their 40s and 50s. And when they understand the things I share in today's blog post and video, their bodies do start changing in the direction that they like.
So here are the five key points that are important to understand and implement, if you're in your 40s or above and feel like you're not getting fat loss results despite eating healthy.
One of the biggest misconceptions is that eating healthy automatically leads to weight loss.
On the surface, it makes sense. If you’re choosing whole foods, avoiding processed junk, and making better decisions, you think that you should be losing weight. And for those people who used to eat a lot of processed foods and now cut them out, yes, they will see weight loss. Because by cutting out all these foods they also eliminate a lot of calories. Less calories usually means weight loss.
However, there's more to the story. Weight loss still comes down to calories and many of those super-clean foods are still very high in calories.
Healthy food is not calorie-free. Things like nuts, oils, granola, and even certain smoothies can add up quickly without you realizing it. You can be eating organic, clean, high-quality meals and still be in a calorie surplus. Therefore, no weight loss.
Of course, it is better for you to eat natural, organic, clean foods because you do get more nutrition, more vitamins and minerals, antioxidants. There are less chemicals, less pesticides and hormones. Of course. But, when it comes to losing weight, calories still matter. If you’re not in a calorie deficit, your body will not lose weight.
Once you realize that and change things so that you don't only look at what's “organic” and “clean” but start taking into account calories, and you'll create a reasonable calorie deficit the way I teach you in my Calorie Setup Guide, you'll see that you start losing weight.
Many women believe they’re eating well because they include things like salads or lighter meals. But when you look closer, oftentimes the two key ingredients that matter for weight loss are still too low.
Two of the most important components are protein and fiber.
Protein helps you feel full, supports muscle, and keeps your metabolism more active. Fiber-rich vegetables add volume to your meals, helping you feel satisfied without adding a lot of calories.
So, if you are eating a salad every day but this salad is very small and only consists of little bit of lettuce and a few slices of tomatoes, this could mean that you eat more of the other things like rice, pasta or bread products that are much higher in calories.
If you are eating protein with every meal but your protein is 1-2 ounces of chicken on a small salad, you are not getting enough protein, the nutrient that fills you up and helps you build muscle.
Without enough of fiber and protein, you'll feel hungry, snack more, and rely on higher-calorie foods that don’t keep you full for long.
The shift is simple but powerful. Instead of building meals around carbs or convenience foods, start with a solid portion of protein and add a large serving of vegetables. This changes how full you feel, how much you eat, you're staying in a calorie deficit more easily, and you'll lose weight,
Another hidden factor is portion size.
Most people don’t feel like they’re eating that much. And it may be true, the portion sizes aren't necessarily huge.
It’s a handful of nuts here, a little extra sprinkle of cheese there, maybe an additional “drizzle” of olive oil or a slightly larger serving at dinner. None of it feels significant in the moment.
But those small differences add up fast.
Did you know that just once ounce of almonds gives you 160-170 calories, and you get only 6 grams of protein but 14 grams of fat from it? There goes the story that nuts are a high protein food 🙂 They're not. They're a high fat food, and very high calorie food.
So every 200 to 300 calories a day might not seem like much, but over time it can completely stall your progress or even lead to weight gain. And because it doesn’t feel like overeating, you're not aware that you're eating more than what you need. So it’s incredibly frustrating when you gain weight while feeling like: “But I'm not eating that much!!”
This is why tracking your food can be such a powerful tool. Not because you need to be obsessive, but because it gives you awareness. If you're not sure how to track your food with My Fitness Pal, I have a tutorial for you right HERE.
When you start tracking, you begin to see the difference between what you think you’re eating and what you’re actually eating. That awareness alone can change everything. It allows you to make small, intentional adjustments instead of guessing and hoping for the best.
This is the part that often gets overlooked, but it’s incredibly important.
If you’ve been dieting on and off for years, your body has been through a lot. Many women feel like they’ve been trying to lose weight for most of their adult lives. Starting, stopping, restricting, then starting again.
This cycle takes a toll.
Because most diets are too extreme or too restrictive, they’re not sustainable. Eventually, your body pushes back. Hunger increases, energy drops, and you reach a point where you just can’t keep going.
And when that happens, you eat more and more, enjoying all of the things that you didn't let yourself have while on this restrictive diet, and weight often comes back. Sometimes more than before.
Over time, this cycle can make fat loss feel harder. Not because your body is broken, but because it has adapted to years of inconsistency, restriction, and rebound. Especially the rebound–most people gain back more than what they initially lost.
This is why a sustainable approach matters so much. Not just what you do when you’re “on track,” but what you can maintain long term without constantly starting over.
As you get older, your body naturally loses muscle if you don't do anything about it. And with less muscle, your body burns fewer calories throughout the day.
Not lifting weight is one of the biggest reasons why managing your body composition will start to feel harder. You might be eating the same way you always have, but your body is no longer using energy the same way.
This is where strength training becomes essential.
Building muscle increases your metabolism and helps your body burn more energy, even at rest. It also improves strength, stability, and overall health.
Walking and cardio are great for general health, but they’re not enough on their own to counteract muscle loss. Strength training is the piece that brings everything together.
When women start strength training consistently, even just a few times per week, they often notice a shift. Their body starts responding again. And yes, it really does matter that much. You can't afford to skip it. Truthfully, if there's one thing I could say to every aging woman, it's this: PLEASE start strength training. This will give you more health, strength, vitality and independence than you ever thought possible. Even if it's uncomfortable at first, the benefits always outweigh that.
If you don't know where to start, get my FREE strength training program Fit from Scratch. By signing up, I will send you the bodyweight version as well as the dumbbell version, and you can choose which one is better for you.
If you’ve been feeling stuck, frustrated, or like your body just isn’t cooperating anymore, there’s a reason for that.
The approach you’ve been following no longer matches what your body needs right now.
Once you understand these five pieces and start adjusting them, everything changes. You stop guessing. You stop starting over. And for the first time in a long time, you feel like your body is actually working with you instead of against you.
If you’re ready to feel in control again and start seeing progress that lasts, I invite you to apply to work with me. We’ll talk through your goals, where you’re at right now, and what you need most. If it feels like the right fit for both of us, we can move forward together.
If you want to get started on your own, grab my free plan, Calorie Setup Guide.
More resources:
Fit From Scratch: Free follow-along workouts that are beginner-friendly. Choose between bodyweight only or dumbbells option: https://kerstenkimura.com/fit-from-scratch/
FREE Lean Ladies Calorie, Protein and Workout Guide: https://kerstenkimura.com/lean-ladies-calorie-protein-and-workout-guide-2/
FREE Course Strong and Sensitive: https://kerstenkimura.com/14-day
FREE nervous system regulation guide for anxiety: https://kerstenkimura.com/3-somatic-exercises-free-guide/
Beginner Level Strength Training Program: https://courses.kerstenkimura.com/train-to-build-starter-program/
Intermediate Level Strength Training Program: https://courses.kerstenkimura.com/train-to-build-intermediate/
Fit and Fueled Vault: A collection of 75+ video trainings providing sustainable, holistic approach to strength, nourishment, and nervous system regulation for women. NO DIETS. https://courses.kerstenkimura.com/fit-and-fueled-vault-course/
Emotionally Fit is my emotional awareness program for chronic pain or other chronic symptom recovery. You can find it here: https://courses.kerstenkimura.com/emotionally-fit-program/
Visit my Etsy store: https://www.etsy.com/shop/dotsbykersten
Apply to work with me: https://forms.gle/6NNHGmhvBQERvmu67
Get in touch:
Website: kerstenkimura.com
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@kerstenkimurafitness
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/KerstenKimuraCoach/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kerstenkimuracoaching/
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Subscribe: RSS
Come shop Costco with me! In this video you'll see everything I put in my…
In 2020, I lost a good amount of body fat by doing exactly these 5…
Before you start using the calories My Fitness Pal gave you for weight loss, here's…
Why is it that people in Northern Europe stay fit without crazy diet fads and…
What are the best foods to buy at Costco when you are 40+ and want…
If you are tracking your food with My Fitness Pal but aren't seeing the weight…
