3 Mistakes I Made When Trying to Lose Weight (And How to Fix Them After 45)
★★★★★
2023/12/04
“Diane, you have to exercise and lose weight,” my GP exhaled sharply.
“You’re 57, your cholesterol is way up, and you’re getting very overweight. It’s just a matter of time till something gives out.”
Dumbfounded, I left the room. The ride home was a blur…
Did he mean that I was done for?
Or was he just being unprofessional to a burnt out 200-pound woman who is always tired… and unable to lose weight since menopause…
Well, two months later, I’m thankful for the tough love I received that day.
Because something’s got to give, right…
Thankfully, it was my weight.
But before I tell you how I finally did it…
It’s time for me to confess.
While now I’m in the best place I’ve ever been (in terms of my weight)…
Just a few months ago, I felt like a stranger in my own body.
I avoided mirrors and social events.
It felt like my best years were slipping away…
And the truth is — I have tried to lose weight. Countless times.
I’d been down the rabbit hole of diets and workout fads. You name it, I’d probably tried it.
Detox teas, counting points, extreme workouts that left me more drained than energized… nothing seemed to stick.
I’d follow a diet religiously for a week…
But then, time and time again, I’d find myself looking through my fridge in the middle of the night.
The weight clung on (of course).
But worst of all, fatigue became my ever-present companion…
I was stuck.
It seemed like my body had declared a rebellion against every attempt I made to shed those stubborn pounds.
Now I know why…
But first, I have to stress: my solution worked for ME.
You might have to tweak it towards your own body…
Thankfully, there are tools that make this process easier.
But more on them later.
Let’s talk about the 3 reasons why I wasn’t losing weight after turning 45:
Reason #1: I didn’t know what was happening in my body
After menopause, my metabolism took a dramatic hit.
But I didn’t know that.
I thought I was burning the same amount of calories as before…
Turns out, I was wrong.
Everything had changed — from my hormones to my cravings…
So I had to try and see beyond the scale by tracking my metabolism…
Which eventually led me and my body to be on the same page again.
I can’t stress enough how much that helped.
Reason #2: I was losing muscle
As I said… I tried exercising, but it was never enjoyable for me.
Which made me lose muscle mass.
And although I don’t care to be “shredded”, the heart is a muscle too…
Worst of all, the abs I lost were replaced by fat…
So while the scale wasn’t budging, I was looking worse and worse each year…
I had to find a sustainable solution that would help me rebuild and keep my muscles.
Thankfully, I was able to start moving without any risk of injury…
And I finally stuck to my routine (more on that later).
Reason #3: I was nutrient deficient
What I never realized is that our nutrient needs change as we age.
A woman in her 30s needs to eat different things than one in her 60s…
For example, as we age, we lose collagen, which can lead to saggy skin, achy joints, and wrinkles.
So we need to eat more of it to compensate.
On the contrary, sometimes women need to eat less iron-rich foods after menopause…
Because they stop losing iron with menstruation.
All these intricacies apply to weight loss as well.
It’s a lot of complicated jargon, so I left it up to professionals to figure it out for me.
And I’m so glad I did, because…
Addressing these concerns led to visible results in just a couple months.
Here’s a rundown of what I did to lose 40lbs:
#1 — I started listening to my body.
It might sound advanced, but it’s really not.
I used a specific health monitoring tool (I’ll let you in on it a bit later).
It showed me how many calories I was burning, how well I slept, how quickly my heart was beating when I exercised.
The one I chose has a specific advantage — it works away from my phone.
It’s a huge benefit for me because I don’t have to worry about always staying connected.
#2 — I gained muscle, which helped me burn fat faster
I didn’t do ANY cardio.
I stuck to a 15-30 minute bodyweight routine every other day.
[Same woman doing light yoga or a plank]
Most exercises I could even do at home, so no money wasted on a gym membership.
A lot of women my age dread exercising because they have bad knees or a bad back.
I do too (my back is definitely difficult)…
Thankfully, I found a routine that was crafted with my specific health concerns in mind…
And no, I’m not talking about an expensive personal training program.
Although I did get coaching along the way for a fraction of the cost.
And the best part?
My coach had a full picture of my health and progress because I could share my data from my health monitoring tool.
This feedback loop helped me improve way faster.
#3 — I got my nutrition in check (no dieting!)
My coach helped me craft a meal plan that’s fit for me.
I had to go through a thorough (yet quick) Q&A session to assess my needs.
And just after a few weeks of following this plan, most of my nutritional deficiencies definitely subsided.
My skin started glowing, and my hair and nails started growing like crazy.
My cholesterol is looking better too.
The special meal program took into consideration my food preferences, goals, and the metrics from my health monitoring tool.
This was the biggest turning point in my journey…
Although I believe that doing all 3 things at the same time helped me speed things along.
I’m not going to pretend to be an expert on weight loss…
I’m just sharing the tools that helped me lose 40 pounds (and counting!)
It’s up to you if you want to try this approach or not.
If you do, you can start your meal plan Q&A below — simply click on the button.
After the Q&A, you will have the option to receive the same health tracker I used and get access to the same coaching program.
According to my progress forecasts, I should reach the size I was in my 20s in just a few weeks…
Is your transformation just a simple Q&A away too?
Get your own weight loss forecast here: