Stop Cutting Calories and Ditch the Diet for good!
Starving yourself at 1200 calories and eating the "clean" foods isn’t a strategy, it’s your BIGGEST setback.
Let’s Be Honest…
If cutting calories worked long term, you wouldn’t still be working towards the same goal for years.
You’d already have the sculpted arms, lifted glutes, and cinched waist you’ve been working so hard for.
But here’s what most women over 40 don’t want to hear...
You can’t build muscle and that hourglass figure while living in a calorie deficit forever.
Some of you have been dieting since the ‘90s, still eating “clean” and wondering why you look skinny fat. Your body has adapted to survive on less, not thrive. And the longer you stay in that deficit, the slower your metabolism becomes.
I know because I've been there! I called it discipline, but it was really destroying me from the inside out causing more stress, more fat storage, more burnout, and constant fatigue.
I was doing “everything right” from training hard, eating clean, avoiding carbs and somehow feeling worse. My energy tanked. My sleep was trash. My body was stuck.
It took me years to realize that the very thing I thought made me fit was what was keeping me stuck in my 40s.
The Diet Mindset That’s Holding You Back
We were raised to believe less is more.
Less food. Less fat. Less of you.
And for years, it worked...until it didn’t. Not only is the deficit wrecking your, but Because after 40, your metabolism, hormones, and recovery have completely changed too.
When you keep slashing calories, your metabolism slows, your hormones shift into survival mode, and your body starts holding fat instead of burning it. This is why women after 40 start to gain fat especially around your midsection.
That “menopause belly” isn’t random; it’s a side effect of a starving metabolism.
This is Why You Feel Soft, Bloated, and Frustrated
Here’s what really happens when you chronically under-eat:
Muscle loss: The very thing that keeps your body tight and firm starts disappearing.
Slower metabolism: Your body learns to survive on less, burning fewer calories.
Hormonal chaos: Cortisol spikes, thyroid slows, and your energy crashes.
Fat storage: Your body clings to every calorie because it doesn’t feel safe.
So even though you’re “doing everything right,” you feel softer, weaker, and constantly stuck.
How to Break Free from Diet Prison
Here’s what I teach women inside Strong & Sexy and it’s exactly what changed my own body after years of dieting:
Stop chasing the scale. Muscle weighs more, and that’s a good thing.
Increase your calories gradually. Reverse out of your deficit with intention.
Prioritize protein. Aim for at least 1g per pound of goal body weight.
Lift heavy AF. Focus on progressive overload, not endless cardio for workouts.
Recover like the athlete you are. Sleep, rest, and manage stress as best as you can.
This isn’t about eating whatever you want. It’s about fueling your body so it can perform to transform.
So stop cutting calories.
Ditch the diet for good.
And start eating like a woman who lifts!
Coach Nancy Di Nino
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