Still Gaining Weight After 40? Read This Before You Cut Carbs Again

I remember staring in the mirror at 42, convinced something was wrong with my body.

I was tired, inflamed, gaining fat, and nothing was working.

I had done this so many times before: 1,300 calories, no carbs, double workouts. It always worked. Until it didn’t.

That’s the moment everything changed for me.

What no one tells you is that after 40, your body needs a different plan. Not less food. Not more workouts. Just smarter strategy.

I stopped chasing skinny and started chasing strong. I focused on building muscle, fueling properly, and training in a way that aligned with my hormones.

Now, in my 50s, I feel lean, energized, and more confident than I did in my 30s. And if you’ve been stuck, frustrated, and blaming yourself, I’m here to tell you this: your body is not broken. It just needs the right plan.

Here are 5 truths that helped me shift from stuck to sculpted:

Eat More to Build More

One of the biggest lies we’ve been sold is that eating less is the key to looking lean. But for women over 40, especially those dealing with hormonal shifts, this approach backfires fast.

When you drastically cut calories, your body starts slowing down your metabolism to survive. Instead of burning fat, it clings to it. If your goal is a sculpted, strong body, you need fuel, and that means eating enough food, especially carbs.

Carbs help replenish muscle, regulate hormones, and give you energy to train hard. The right calories do not make you gain weight; they help you build the lean muscle that reshapes your body.

Lift Heavier and With Purpose

Cardio is great for heart health, but it won’t give you toned arms or a lifted booty. That comes from strength training.

Lifting weights builds lean muscle, and muscle is what gives your body shape. It also boosts your metabolism long after your workout ends. But it’s not just about picking up weights, it’s about lifting with purpose.

That means focusing on proper form, pushing yourself to challenge your strength, and progressing week over week. It’s time to stop fearing the weights and start seeing what your body is truly capable of.

Track Your Macros

Guessing will get you nowhere. If you want real results, you need to know what’s going in your body. Tracking your macros, protein, carbs, and fats, helps you fuel your workouts and your recovery.

Most women are surprised to learn they’re undereating protein, which is essential for muscle repair and fat loss. When you track, you remove the guesswork. You’re no longer wondering why you’re not seeing progress, you’re in control of your nutrition, and your results will reflect that. Tracking is not obsessive. It’s empowering.

Recovery Matters

You can do everything right in the gym, but if your body isn’t recovering properly, it won’t change.

Recovery isn’t just about rest days, it’s about sleep, hydration, stress management, and hormone balance. If you’re constantly stressed, overworked, and sleeping 4 hours a night, your body will hold onto fat, stall progress, and leave you feeling exhausted.

Recovery is where the magic happens. It’s when your muscles rebuild, your energy is restored, and your body resets. You don’t grow stronger by doing more. You grow stronger by recovering better.

Train With Intention

Stop going through the motions in your workouts. If you’re mindlessly repping out exercises with no plan, you’re wasting time.

Women over 40 need more than random workouts, they need a structured plan built on progressive overload (getting stronger over time), mind-muscle connection (feeling the muscle you’re working), and proper form.

Training with intention means every rep has a purpose. It means tuning into your body, focusing on execution, and pushing with precision. This is how you go from just being “active” to actually building a body that looks like it lifts.

The Strong & Sexy Shift

This is the exact approach I now coach inside my Strong & Sexy Blueprint.

The women in this program are just like you. They’ve tried everything. They’ve been told it’s their age. And now, they are finally seeing visible muscle, defined glutes, capped shoulders, and tighter midsections.

I know what it’s like to feel like you’re doing everything right and still gaining fat. I lived it.

But now, I know how to help women over 40 train smarter, not harder, and get results that last.

If you are done spinning your wheels and ready to actually look like you lift, then it’s your time.

Want in? DM us “STRONG & SEXY” on Instagram to learn how to build a body you’re proud of, no starvation, no two-a-days, and no guessing or submit an application and I will send more details on how I can help.