112. The Midlife Health Mistakes Keeping Women Stuck After 40
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Feeling like your body has changed after 40…even though you’re eating healthy and trying hard? In this episode, I’m breaking down the biggest midlife health mistakes I see smart, health-conscious women making that may be impacting metabolism, energy, hormones, muscle, recovery, and body composition.
If you’ve been frustrated by stubborn weight gain, lower energy, poor recovery, or feel like what worked in your 30s suddenly stopped working, this is for you.
In this episode, we cover:
- Why eating too little can backfire on metabolism, muscle, and hormones after 40
- The truth about cardio vs. strength training in perimenopause
- How stress, poor sleep, and over-functioning affect recovery and body composition
- Why midlife requires a different strategy for nutrition, hormones, and feeling good again
LINKS MENTIONED:
🎧Ep. 111 Why Belly Fat Shows Up in Your 40s (It’s Not Just Your Hormones)
🔥My new 6-week live program, Midlife Body Rebuild, opens in July!
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Why Midlife Health Requires a Different Strategy
Today we’re talking about something I see all the time with smart, health-conscious
women over 40…
You’re trying.
You’re eating “healthy.”
You’re working out.
You’re buying the supplements.
You’re listening to the podcasts.
And yet…you still feel pretty lousy.
Your energy isn’t what it used to be.
Your body composition has changed.
Recovery feels slower.
You’re frustrated because what used to work…isn’t working anymore.
And this is not me saying, “Welcome to aging, just accept it.”
No thank you. Hopefully by now you know my goal is to look and feel really good as I age and teach you how to do the same.
What I am saying is: midlife requires a different strategy. A sustainable, simplified approach.
Because if you used to be able to skip breakfast, survive on caffeine, do cardio five days a week and somehow functioned…
And now in your 40s, it feels like your body changed overnight and is saying…
“Yeah, we’re not doing that anymore”…
I want to walk through 5 big mistakes I see women over 40 making that keep them stuck.
And if you feel called out in any way, please know it’s coming from a place of love and education so you can start to make changes.
Let’s get into it.
Mistake #1: Eating Too Little
This one is so common.
And listen—I know why women do this.
Because somewhere along the line we were taught:
Eat less.
Snack less.
Cut carbs.
Shrink portions.
Be “good.”
So what does that look like in real life?
Coffee for breakfast.
A tiny salad with maybe some chicken or nuts thrown in for lunch.
Leftovers or takeout for dinner or your kids scraps.
Then wondering why you’re starving at 9 PM standing in the pantry eating random handfuls of things.
Or maybe you’re trying to lose weight, so you keep cutting calories lower and lower thinking:
“Well maybe I just need more discipline.”
But after 40 – oof – under-fueling backfires.
Especially if you’re active, strength training, walking 10k steps,
And if stress is already high.
You cannot build a resilient metabolism on empty.
And maybe some “experts” online are surviving on 1,200 calories and positive thinking.
But respectfully…no.
Midlife women need protein. We need carbs.
We need nourishment.
We need enough food to support muscle, hormones, recovery and blood sugar.
If your body constantly feels stressed, hungry, depleted or exhausted?
The answer is usually more support, not more restriction.
Start with the basics.
Are you eating enough protein? Most women have no idea. Start reading labels. Pay attention.
Are you skipping meals? If you’re not eating breakfast, lunch and dinner – you are skipping meals.
Are you terrified of carbs even though you walk 10,000 steps a day and work out a few days per week? We need carbs for energy, thyroid health, metabolism and muscle building. It’s not just about protein.
Mistake #2: Too Much Cardio, Not Enough Resistance Training
You do not need to destroy yourself in workouts to get results after 40.
Listen—I’m not anti-cardio.
Cardio is good for heart health.
Walking? Amazing.
Some intervals? Great.
But if your entire exercise routine is:
I must sweat.
I must do more HIIT.
I must burn calories.
…and you’re not building muscle?
Please hear me: after 40, muscle is non-negotiable.
It supports:
- metabolism
- insulin sensitivity
- blood sugar
- bone health
- longevity
- body composition / that toned look we’re all after
And in perimenopause? Estrogen shifts matter too.
This is one of the reasons women suddenly feel softer, weaker, or like their body composition changed. More weight in the middle – I did an episode on belly fat last week – I’ll link it in the show notes.
But when women hear weight lifting, they often think “bodybuilder” or “bulking”
And I get that. I’m someone who responds very well to weight lifting. And if I push too hard or go too heavy, I don’t like how I look. We’re all different and you may need more moderate weight and to focus on certain movements to achieve the body composition you want.
But lifting weights?
Building strength?
And challenging your muscles?
That really matters now.
And honestly, one of the biggest mindset shifts I’d love women to make is this:
Stop trying to shrink yourself – instead, start trying to strengthen yourself.
Mistake #3: Ignoring Recovery
Oh my gosh.
Especially for my high-achieving women.
Women who are doing all the things.
Taking care of everyone.
Working.
Managing households.
Helping aging parents.
Running kids around.
Trying to be healthy.
Trying to remember where they left their coffee.
Can we agree midlife women are carrying a lot?
And then somehow we convince ourselves:
“I’ll sleep when I’m dead.”
Respectfully… we need better standards.
Poor sleep.
High stress.
Go-go-go energy.
Over-functioning.
Always being “on.”
This matters.
Because your body does not separate emotional stress from physical stress.
And guess what…You don’t build muscle in the workout. You build it in recovery.
Recovery is productive.
Sleep and rest days matter.
Walking and nervous system support matter.
And no—recovery does not mean lying on the couch eating chips while binge-watching Netflix for 9 hours. We do need balance.
Although occasionally? It is necessary. Mike and I just finished Your Friends & Neighbors on Apple TV. I love John Ham – do check it out.
Ok, back to my point…
It’s important to have routines that actually support your body.
Getting enough sleep.
Not being available to everyone 24/7.
Having boundaries with social media.
Having a schedule for the days you workout.
Planning meals so you’re fueled properly.
Because burnout and over-functioning is not a badge of honor.
Mistake #4: Treating Midlife Like Your 30s
What worked at 30 may not work at 42.
It doesn’t mean you’re old and withering away.
It just means your body has different needs now.
For example: Maybe fasting used to feel amazing.
And some women genuinely do well with fasting.
But for a lot of women in midlife? It turns into:
Coffee for breakfast.
Under-eating all day.
Then overeating at night because you’re starving.
Or living in a chronic calorie deficit without realizing it.
Same thing with exercise. More isn’t always better.
Harder isn’t always smarter.
Aggressively cutting calories?
Punishing workouts?
Trying to “undo” weekend eating?
That all backfires.
Midlife really does require a more strategic approach.
More nourishment, muscle, recovery and better consistency.
And honestly?
Less “bootcamp energy”.
We need realistic and sustainable, while supporting our hormones and nervous system.
Mistake #5: Trying to Fix Everything at Once
If your supplement cabinet looks like a small pharmacy…
I see you.
And listen—we utilize supplements with clients when needed.
But some women are trying to fix everything all at once.
Gut health. Hormones.
Adrenals. Sleep.
Weight.Inflammation.
Detox.Mitochondria.
Liver support. Candida.
Heavy metals.Parasites.
At this point you’re taking 27 capsules before breakfast and wondering why you’re overwhelmed.
Midlife health has become so complicated especially in the online space.
Everyone has an opinion, a protocol.
Everyone is yelling and selling you something you likely don’t need.
And women are exhausted.
But what most women need is not more information.
They need clarity. What matters most for their body.
What to focus, what actually moves the needle.
Because if you try to change everything at once?
You end up changing nothing.
I often say to clients please don’t go from 0 to 60 because it’s not sustainable and you’ll give up.
Pick a few foundational things.
Do them consistently, be patient, give yourself grace.
And build from there.
The Bottom Line: Focus on What Actually Moves the Needle
So if today felt like a little loving reality check…
Good.
Because the truth is:
Midlife health is less about doing more and more about doing the right things consistently.
Supporting metabolism.
Eating realistically.
Building strength.
Prioritizing recovery.
Understanding hormones without obsessing over them.
Creating habits that work in real life.
Not perfection. Not punishment. Not overwhelm.
And this is exactly why…I’m creating something new this summer.
A simple, practical program for women 40+ who feel like their body has changed and want a more realistic roadmap for metabolism, energy, hormones, strength, recovery and feeling good – now and the long haul.
No extremes or confusion.
No wellness fear-mongering.
Just smart, sustainable support.
If that sounds like something you’d want, I’ll put the waitlist link in the show notes.
And if this episode made you think of a friend who’s over her doing cardio six days a week and eating lettuce for lunch…Please lovingly send it to her.
Alright, I’ll see you next week.
Claudia Petrilli is a Functional Health Coach, Integrative Nutrition Coach, Women’s Health Educator, and creator of The Perimenopause Method. Having experienced debilitating periods, digestive issues, a sluggish thyroid, a pituitary tumor, and perimenopause symptoms in her late 30s, she knows exactly what it’s like to get dismissed by doctors and spend years searching for answers.
