Total Health in Midlife Episode #186: Breaking Through Midlife Weight Loss Barriers

Are you tired of trying diet after diet only to feel like you’re spinning your wheels and getting absolutely nowhere? Or do you ever wonder why losing weight in midlife feels like it’s an uphill battle that you just can’t win?

In today’s episode, I’m uncovering the real reasons behind these challenges, reasons that go far beyond what’s on your plate.

If you’re ready to discover the missing piece of your health puzzle and finally get the results that you’ve been longing for, stay tuned because you will want to hear every minute of this eye opening episode.

Welcome to Total Health and Midlife, the podcast for women embracing the pivotal transformation from the daily grind to the dawn of a new chapter. I’m Elizabeth, your host and fellow traveler on this journey.

As a Life and Health Coach, I am intimately familiar with the changes and challenges we face during this stage. Shifting careers, changing relationships, our new bodies, and redefining goals and needs as we start to look to the future and ask, what do I want?

In this podcast, we’ll explore physical, mental, and emotional wellness, offering insights and strategies to achieve optimal health through these transformative years.

Yes, it’s totally possible.

Join me in this amazing journey of body, mind, and spirit, where we’re not just improving our health, but transforming our entire lives.

Hey, everyone! Welcome to the Total Health in Midlife podcast. I am your host, Elizabeth Sherman. And I am super thrilled to have you with me today because I am diving into a topic that hits close to home for many of us, which is breaking through those stubborn midlife weight loss barriers. Now, if you’ve ever felt like you’re doing everything right, but still not seeing the results that you want, rest assured, you are not alone.

Today, we are talking about why losing weight in midlife can feel so incredibly challenging. Anyone who has tried to lose weight knows that at our age, it’s not just about calories in and calories out. It’s about time, stress, and the emotional tug of war between taking care of yourself and connecting with the people that you love.

I’m exploring why typical diets and exercise programs often fail us, and what makes the midlife experience unique. But here’s the exciting part. I’m sharing real stories from women just like you who faced these barriers head on and gotten results.

I’ll introduce you to my holistic approach that looks at the whole you, your physical, mental, and emotional health. And by the end of today’s episode, you will understand that there’s a way forward and it’s not about doing more, but rather doing what works truly for you and your body.

So, when we talk about weight loss in midlife, it’s important to understand that the challenges we face go way beyond just food and exercise. The reality is that we are juggling so much more than that. We have demanding jobs, family obligations, social commitments, not to mention the physical changes that our bodies are going through.

One of the biggest barriers is time. There never seems to be enough of it, right? Between work, taking care of your family, your kids, maybe even your grandkids. And then, looking after your parents, finding a spare moment to focus on yourself might feel almost impossible. And even when we do carve out that precious time, it can come with a side of guilt.

Many women worry that by prioritizing ourselves, also known as taking care of our health behaviors that we are being selfish or neglecting our loved ones. Another significant barrier is the fear of losing connection. We’ve all got those rituals and routines with our family and friends. Dinners out, weekend brunches, holiday parties, and things like that.

And so, there’s a real concern that if we change our habits, that we will lose those connections or worse, be left out entirely. It’s not just about missing out on the food, although that can be a concern, but about missing out on the connection that we get with our over the food.

And then, there’s the emotional and mental piece. The stress of daily life can feel like it’s all just way too much. We’re often running on empty, feeling exhausted and overwhelmed. And this emotional strain can lead to stress eating or skipping workouts because we’re just too tired to do anything else. It’s a vicious cycle that is so incredibly hard to break.

Now, be aware that these barriers are not just excuses. I really have a hard time with the word excuses. These barriers, they’re real. They’re valid challenges that need to be acknowledged and addressed. They’re part of the reason why typical diets and workout programs often don’t work for us.

Those programs don’t take into account the other aspects of our lives. They focus on what we should eat and how we should exercise. But they typically ignore the bigger picture. The mental and emotional load that we carry in respect to our work life, our family life, relationships, financial concerns, and all the other stuff that makes up a life every single day.

Understanding these challenges and that they exist is the very first step towards overcoming them. It’s not about blaming ourselves or others or feeling like we’ve failed. It’s about recognizing the unique pressures that we face and finding strategies that fit our lives, not the other way around.

By looking at the whole picture, our time, our connections, and our overall emotional well-being, we can start to find real, sustainable solutions.

Let’s talk about why typical diets and workout plans often fail us in midlife. So, you’ve probably tried a few, maybe even more than a few. The problem isn’t that you’re not trying hard enough, or that you don’t have enough willpower. The problem is that these programs are designed with a one size fits all mentality. And they don’t take into account the unique challenges that we face during this stage of midlife.

First, let’s consider stress. Our lives are filled with responsibilities, from managing careers to caring for family members. This constant stress has a profound impact on our bodies. High levels of stress can lead to hormonal imbalances, particularly with cortisol, the stress hormone. Elevated cortisol levels can cause your body to hold onto fat, especially around the midsection. So, even if you’re eating right and exercising, stress can sabotage your efforts.

And then, there’s time management. Conventional diet and workout plans often require a significant time investment. Preparing specific meals, counting calories, and spending hours at the gym might work for someone with a flexible schedule. But for many of us, It’s just not realistic. We need solutions that fit into our busy lives, not ones that demand, that we rearrange everything in order to make them work, because that’s not sustainable.

Emotional health is another critical factor. Many of us use food as a way to cope with our emotion. Whether it’s stress, sadness, boredom, or even happiness, our relationship with food is deeply emotional. Typical diets don’t address this aspect at all. In fact, they focus on what you should eat, but they don’t help you understand why you’re eating. Without addressing the emotional triggers, it’s nearly impossible to make lasting changes.

Moreover, these programs often set us up for failure by promoting restrictive eating and intense exercise routines. When we inevitably can’t keep up with these demands, we feel like we’re the ones that have failed, leading to a cycle of guilt and discouragement. This isn’t just demoralizing, it’s counterproductive. The more we feel like we’re failing, the harder it becomes to stay motivated.

The key to overcoming these barriers is to recognize that midlife weight loss isn’t just about food and exercise. It’s about managing stress, finding realistic ways to fit healthy habits into your busy life. And understanding the emotional factors that influence you’re eating habits. By addressing these deeper issues, we can create a more holistic, sustainable approach to health that works for us, not against us.

Now, that we’ve talked about why typical diets and workout programs often miss the mark, let’s explore a different approach. A holistic health approaches. Unlike traditional methods that focus solely on diet and exercise, holistic health looks at the entire picture, your mental, emotional, and physical health.

So, what does this mean? Holistic health recognizes that everything in our lives is interconnected. Our stress levels, our emotional health, our physical activities, and our eating habits all influence one another. By addressing all of these areas together, we can create a more balanced, sustainable path to health.

One of the key aspects of approaching your health through a holistic approach is managing stress. We live in a world where stress is almost unavoidable, but how we handle it makes all the difference. High stress can wreak havoc on our bodies, causing hormonal imbalances that make weight loss incredibly difficult.

With Holistic Health, we focus on stress reduction techniques like mindfulness, deep breathing, and finding activities that bring you joy and relaxation. Emotional health is another crucial component. Many of us have developed emotional eating habits over the years. Reaching for comfort food when we’re stressed out, when we’re sad, or even when we’re bored, right?

With holistic health, we work on understanding these emotional triggers and finding healthier ways to cope with them. This might involve exploring the underlying causes of emotional eating and developing strategies to address them, like journaling, or talking to a supportive friend, or engaging in a hobby.

Physical Health of course is still a vital part of the equation. But instead of prescribing a rigid diet or workout plan, holistic health encourages intuitive eating and finding the physical activities that you actually enjoy. Intuitive eating is about listening to your body and making food choices that make you feel good rather than a set of strict rules.

This approach helps you to build a healthier relationship with food and empowers you to make choices that are right for you. Combining these elements, mental, emotional, and physical health, creates a more comprehensive and effective approach to wellness. It’s not about making drastic changes all at once, it’s about making small, sustainable adjustments that fit into your life.

By looking at the whole picture, we can develop strategies that address the root causes of your challenges and support you in a way that feels manageable and empowering. Holistic health isn’t about losing weight, it’s about gaining a deeper understanding of yourself and creating a healthier, more balanced life.

And when you address all of these aspects in your health, you’re not just setting yourself up for success. You’re creating a foundation for long term wellness and happiness. I can’t help but share a couple of inspiring stories from clients who have successfully overcome their barriers and transformed their health.

First, there’s Kay. When Kay reached out to me, she had just undergone ankle surgery and wasn’t very mobile. Despite this, she was determined to make a change. We didn’t focus on her weight at all. And instead, we concentrated on the 8 Basic Habits that Healthy People Do.

These habits are part of my framework that help my clients move away from dieting and adopt a health first approach. After just a short time of working together, Kay told me that she was down seven pounds. Now, this was astounding for a few reasons. She wasn’t focusing on her weight. She couldn’t be very active due to her surgery. And truthfully, she didn’t have a significant amount of weight to lose.

So, the seven pounds was surprising. When I asked her how she did it, she credited the framework that we were using. Kay learned to reduce stress, set goals and boundaries, and adjust her mindset about health and exercise. Her co workers even noticed a change in her demeanor, commenting on how much calmer she seemed.

Kay’s success wasn’t just about losing weight. It was about feeling better and gaining control over her health. She discovered new ways to manage her stress and found that prioritizing her health didn’t mean sacrificing her connections with others. In fact, it made her relationship stronger because she felt more present and engaged.

And then, there’s Diana. When Diana and I started working together, she felt completely hopeless about her weight and believed that she would never be happy because of it. Diana had struggled with her self-image and weight for years since childhood.

Through our sessions, Diana gained confidence and realized that actually, she was in control of her health and happiness. She learned that eating healthy didn’t have to feel like a diet and that it could actually be enjoyable. Diana’s transformation was huge. She stopped punishing herself for eating certain foods and began to see exercise as a way to actually feel good rather than being a punishment.

Her friends and family noticed her weight loss and were amazed that she didn’t follow a strict plan. But was rather simply making healthier choices. Diana’s journey wasn’t just about the physical changes. It was about finding clarity and a direction in her life.

Now, both Kay and Diana learned that by addressing their mental and emotional health alongside their physical health, they could achieve lasting change. They didn’t have to sacrifice their connections or feel selfish for taking care of themselves. And instead, they found that prioritizing their health allowed them to show up more fully for their loved ones and live a more just vibrant, fulfilling life.

Let’s talk about the power of habits and intuitive eating. Two crucial elements in achieving and maintaining your health goals. Habits are the foundation of our daily lives. They shape our actions, our choices, and ultimately, our health. When we establish healthy habits, they become second nature, making it easier to stick with them, even when life gets hectic.

Think about your morning routine. You probably don’t need to think twice about brushing your teeth or having your morning coffee. It’s automatic. That’s the power of habits. By building small, sustainable habits, you can create a routine that supports your health goals without feeling overwhelming.

For example, instead of overhauling your entire diet overnight, start with one simple change. Maybe it’s drinking a glass of water first thing in the morning or adding an extra serving of vegetables to your lunch. These small steps might seem insignificant and slow, but over time they add up to big changes. The key is consistency. By focusing on one habit at a time and gradually building on it, you create a sustainable lifestyle that doesn’t feel restrictive or punishing.

Now, let’s talk about intuitive eating. Intuitive eating is about listening to your body and making food choices that make you feel good.

It’s not about following a set of rules or depriving yourself of the foods that you love. Instead, it’s about tuning into your hunger and fullness cues. Recognizing how different foods make you feel and finding balance that works for you. Intuitive eating empowers you to take control of your diet in a way that’s personalized and sustainable. It helps you break free from the cycle of dieting and develop a healthier relationship with food.

When you eat intuitively, you’re more likely to make choices that support your overall well-being because you’re paying attention to how your body responds to different foods. For many women, dieting has become a source of stress and frustration. We’ve been conditioned to think that we need to follow strict rules and deprive ourselves in order to be healthy.

But intuitive eating turns that mindset on its head. It encourages you to trust your body and make decisions based on what feels right for you. Combining the power of habits with intuitive eating creates a powerful approach to your health.

You build a foundation of healthy habits that supports your goal, while allowing yourself the flexibility and freedom to eat in a way that feels good. It’s about finding a balance that works for you without the guilt and stress that often comes with dieting.

By focusing on habits and intuitive eating, you can create a sustainable lifestyle that supports your health and well-being for the long term. It’s not about perfection though. It’s about progress and finding out what works best for you.

So, how do you get results like Kay and Diana? The key is to move beyond just knowing what to do and actually doing it. And so, that’s where the “I know what to do, I’m just not doing it” strategy call comes in. This call is designed to help you break through the barriers that have been holding you back and create a clear, actionable plan to improve your health.

This Strategy call is not a sales call or a consult. It’s a pivotal step towards transforming your health and reclaiming your energy. It combines expert advice with personalized support to help you turn your knowledge into action and create lasting change in your life.

I believe so strongly that this call can help you because it’s designed with your unique needs in mind. It’s about finding what works for you and giving you the tools and support that you need to succeed. If you’re ready to break through your barriers and start seeing results, this strategy call is the perfect place to start.

I have worked with thousands of women over the past 18 years. And many of the problems that I help my clients with, I’m good at because I went through them first. I struggled fighting my body for years. I was caught in the endless cycle of dieting. Constantly, searching for that magic pill that would solve everything. It wasn’t until I stopped dieting, I stopped looking for shortcuts, and I started gaining awareness of my behaviors and barriers that I truly began to see real results.

I realized, I needed to understand what I was doing and why. What were my barriers, and why did they exist? It was a journey of self-discovery, yes. And prioritizing my health in a holistic way. I learned it wasn’t just about the food that I was eating or the exercises that I was doing. It was about how I handled stress, how I managed my time, and how I took care of my emotional and mental well-being.

Today, I don’t own a scale. Instead, I use a combination of listening to my body, taking selfies, and paying attention to how my clothes fit to determine if I’m on the right track. If I notice that I’m bloated, gaining weight, or feeling low on energy. I reflect back on the past few weeks. I ask myself if I’ve been practicing self-care at the level that I could be. If not, I explore “why,” without judgment, but with curiosity.

What’s been going on in my life that led me to make these different choices? Have I been eating or drinking more because of stress or emotions? Have I been getting enough sleep, or have I been active as I’d like to be? What has my emotional state been, and why?

This mindset fosters deep compassion for myself and my body. I recognize that my body is always doing the best that it can with the resources that I provide it. By approaching these reflections with curiosity rather than punishment, I can make adjustments that support my well-being without guilt or shame.

And this mindset shift has been a complete 180 from where I started. Like many of us, I was culturally conditioned to believe that I should be able to eat like a 13 year old boy and not be high maintenance by ordering a salad or vegetables. Yet, have the physique of a Victoria’s Secret model, right? This unrealistic expectation only led to a sense of betrayal and disdain for my body.

Now, I understand that being in tune with my body and making conscious, compassionate choices is the key to lasting health. This shift is not only possible, but it’s within reach for you. It’s about breaking free from the diet mentality, understanding the deeper reason behind our behaviors, and creating a supportive, accepting relationship with our bodies. By doing so, we can achieve true health and happiness, not just in midlife, but at any stage of our lives.

So, if you’re ready to break through your own weight loss barriers and start seeing real results. I want to invite you to book an “I know what to do, I’m just not doing it” strategy call. This session will help you identify the obstacles holding you back and create a personalized actionable plan to move you forward. Together, we will tackle the unique challenges that you face and find sustainable solutions that work for you.

To schedule your call, just visit elizabethsherman.com/call. You’ll also find the link in the show notes. And don’t wait! Take this step towards transforming your health and reclaiming your life. You deserve to feel your best and live your life to the fullest.

Alright, so today we explored the common barriers to weight loss in midlife and why typical diets and workout plans often fall short. We discussed the importance of addressing stress, time management, and emotional health, and how a holistic approach can lead to lasting change.

It’s not just about what you eat or how much you exercise. It’s about understanding the deeper factors at play and creating sustainable habits. If you’re ready to take control of your health, book a strategy call with me at elizabethsherman.com/call. The link is also in the show notes.

Thank you so much for tuning in today. If you enjoyed today’s episode, please share it with a friend or leave a review. It helps me reach so many more women who can benefit from this information. Until next time, have an amazing day. And I will see you next time. Bye-bye.

Thank you for tuning in today. Now, if you enjoy the podcast and are ready to take the next step in addressing your health concerns, I would love to invite you to schedule an I Know What To Do, I’m Just Not Doing It strategy call.

In this 60 minute session, we will explore what’s holding you back and create a personalized action plan. You will gain clarity, support, and practical steps to move you forward. Visit elizabethsherman.com/call to book your call now. You can transform your health and I would love to be there to help.