Hitting 35 can feel like stepping into a stream.
Our bodies are shifting and moving, and if we don’t dig our heels in a bit, we’ll be swept away.
As you move into your mid-30s and beyond, a few key changes happen internally.
- Metabolism slows down
- Muscle mass starts to decline
- Stress hormones increase
- Estrogen and progesterone shift
All these changes come with a side effect: increased body fat.
The frustrating part? If we don’t want more body fat, the steps we used to take to drop weight before aren’t working anymore.
Even when we slash calories, shrink portions, stick with salads, and speedwalk several times a week, we can’t downsize our new tummies.
I know it’s stressful and confusing. Feeling like you can’t decide and dictate your own body composition can have a major affect on your confidence.
I want you to thrive in your 30s and beyond. So, in today’s blog, I’ll share how you can change your approach to match your changing body.
Let’s take a closer look at what’s going on internally. Then, we’ll know how to talk with our bodies in a new way, a way it can hear.
Doing Nothing = Floating Downstream
After about 35, our bodies shift. If we do nothing (or continue doing the same things we used to do to stay fit), we’ll float away with these changes. And the stream is headed toward:
- Muscle loss: This is called sarcopenia, and it’s the process of losing muscle mass as we age. In the past, people of all ages engaged in hard physical labor, which kept muscles strong. Today, we work at desks, sit in cars, eat at tables, and relax on couches. With age, our bodies start losing muscle mass rapidly.
- Hormonal imbalance Hormones shift with age, which increases muscle loss, sleep issues, and fat storage. It’s a major snowball affect. The more muscle we lose, sleep we skip, and fat we store, the more our hormones become imbalanced. We have to do something different to stop the snowball in its track.
- Loss of bone density: Your body’s natural process of breaking down old bone begins to exceed the rate of creating new bone after the age of 35. Hormonal shifts drive this change, making our bones more porous and fragile over time.
- Poor sleep: Hormonal shifts, increased stress, and a decline in melatonin production all happens after 35. These changes affect our sleep quality and circadian rhythms.
- Mood swings: Perimenopause can hit in our mid-thirties. Estrogen and progesterone decline and fluctuate, disrupting brain chemistry and causing moods to move up and down, sometimes rapidly.
The diets and workouts we used to dive into to lose weight when we were younger exacerbate the problem now.
After 35, Old Fitness Habits Exacerbate the Problem
Let’s get specific so you know why old strategies aren’t working anymore. Look at what’s happening internally:
- After 35, cortisol is higher. Cardio workouts raise cortisol even more, which disrupts estrogen balance.
- In our mid-30’s, our lean muscle mass starts to shrink. Low calories diets diminish muscle mass even more, resulting in weakness, bone loss, a slower metabolism, and further hormonal disruption.
- Hormonal shifts disrupt energy. Low-calorie foods often lack the nutrients our bodies need to create stable energy throughout the day. Energy crashes lead to intense food cravings that are impossible to ignore long-term.
Instead of letting the current of hormonal imbalance take you downstream, stand against it.
Let’s find out how…
Our Bodies Have a New Language. Learn It and See Change.
Inside, your body is changing. And if you want to get through to it, you need to learn it’s new language.
In the past, cutting calories and increasing cardio told your body “It’s time to drop bodyfat.”
Now, those same steps tell your body to increase cortisol, pull resources from your lean muscle mass, and hold onto belly fat.
It’s time we learn the new language.
You don’t need to adopt an extreme lifestyle. Simple, daily habits are enough to give you sturdy footing in the moving waters of hormonal changes that come with age.
Small changes in our approach will help get to the root of the issue. Once you start talking in the language of your shifted body, it won’t take long to start feeling better and seeing changes.
These are the new “words” you need to learn that communicate “lose fat” to your 35+ body:
A Nutrient-Dense Diet
Learn to cook! Homemade meals can be filled with the nutritious whole foods, protein, and fiber that you need. Find at least four core meals that you and your family love.
Consistent Sleep
Don’t roll your eyes! I know sleep hasn’t been the easiest thing to check off the list these days. Insomnia, restlessness, stress, and maybe hot flashes have made sleep seem impossible. All you need to do here is set yourself up for quality sleep. Then, let your body rest and take whatever sleep it can. The most effective ways at improving your sleep includes:
- Setting a consistent schedule: Wake up and go to sleep around the same time every day.
- Creating a good sleep environment: You want a dark, cool, and phone-free bedroom. Try a sound machine if you wake easily.
- Working out: With exercise, you’ll have increased melatonin, fall asleep faster, and improve your sleep quality.
- Eating smart: Skip sweet foods after dinner for balanced blood sugar and less waking throughout the night.
Physical Activity
Muscle is the key to weight loss and longevity. It’s the organ largely responsible for whether you live a long and healthy life. When our muscles are at their best, we’re less likely to get injured, experience hormonal imbalances, or suffer from chronic diseases related to excess body weight. Plus, the more muscle mass you have, the more calories you burn each day.
Limited Alcohol
Alcohol is a frenemy after 35. Temporarily, it helps us feel relaxed. But, alcohol pauses fat-burning, interferes with muscle recovery and growth, disrupts blood sugar balance, interrupts sleep, and upsets key hormones, like estrogen, cortisol, and insulin.
Save cocktails for special occasions. Make a hydrating mocktail instead!
“I See My Body Changing Before My Eyes!”
If you’re still in your 30s or early 40s, setting these habits now will completely shift the next two decades. Don’t let hormonal shifts drift you downstream on your health and wellness journey. Learn your body’s new language. Soon, you’ll see and feel the difference.
You don’t have to walk your health journey alone. In LEAN, we’ve carefully studied these changes and built steps that will help you feel and look your best after 35.
“Despite being incredibly knowledgeable about health and wellness and eating very clean, my weight has crept up since hitting 40 three years ago. I thought I had tried everything to budge the numbers on the scale to no avail.
I joined LEAN, and IT IS WORKING! I see my body changing before my eyes, only three weeks in, and my energy has vastly improved. It is a very simple program to follow, and I love knowing how to plan. Thank you, Amanda!”
Want a story like that? Join us. We’ll help you discover your healthiest self.
