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5 Mistakes of Calorie deficit for Weight Loss & Hormone Balancing foods (women over 40)
If you’re a woman in your late 30s to 50s who’s tried every diet and workout but still can’t lose that stubborn belly fat, this article is for you.
I’m Dr. Cody Golman, DC, and for over 20 years, I’ve helped thousands of women achieve permanent weight loss by resetting their hormones naturally, without extreme diets, injections, or gimmicks.
Let’s break down the truth about calorie deficit for weight loss, especially for women over 40, and how to finally balance your hormones to burn fat the right way.
Why Traditional Low-Calorie Diets Backfire for Women Over 40
Most of us have been told that weight loss is just about “eating less and moving more.”
But here’s the hard truth: that advice is not only outdated, it’s harmful, especially for women navigating the hormonal changes of perimenopause and menopause.
The real problems with a low-calorie diet for weight loss:
- It disrupts your hormone balance
- It slows down your thyroid and metabolism
- It triggers your body’s survival mechanisms and stores fat
- It increases hunger hormones like ghrelin and stress hormones like cortisol
The Hormonal Shift After 40: What’s Really Going On
As women age, key hormones like estrogen and progesterone begin to decline. This impacts everything from fat storage to mood regulation.
These shifts affect the:
- HPA axis (stress response system)
- Hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis (reproductive hormone system)
Combined, they influence your ability to lose weight and keep it off.
Here’s what happens during hormonal weight gain:
- Estrogen drops, which increases fat storage
- Cortisol spikes, which raises belly fat and blood sugar
- Your thyroid (T3/T4) slows down, dragging metabolism with it
This creates what I call a “sugar-burning state”, where your body constantly craves quick energy, leading to:
- Fatigue
- Cravings
- Overeating
- Guilt
- More restriction
Sound familiar?
5 Mistakes Women Make When Trying to Lose Weight After 40
Let’s break down the most common (and dangerous) mistakes I see every day when it comes to creating a calorie deficit for weight loss women over 40:
Mistake #1: Eating Too Little
Women think cutting calories to 1,200 or less will help. It won’t.
Your body interprets this as starvation and holds on to fat.
Fix:
- Eat balanced meals with 4+ oz of protein, fruit, and veggies
- Eat on time, don’t go more than 40 minutes past your mealtime
Mistake #2: Overtraining While Undereating
Working out 5-6 days per week on a low calorie diet leads to burnout and fat storage.
Fix:
- Exercise with intention: prioritize rest, recovery, and gentle movement when needed
- Fuel your workouts with nutrient-dense foods
Mistake #3: Ignoring Hunger Signals
Years of sugar dependence confuse your hunger cues. You feel hungry when you’re full, and full when you’re undernourished.
Fix:
- Learn the difference between sugar-burning and fat-burning
- Restore hormonal hunger signaling through food quality and timing
Mistake #4: Skipping Hormone-Nourishing Foods
Many women cut meat, fruit, or healthy fats—starving their hormones of raw materials.
Fix:
- Eat hormone-supportive foods like:
- Cruciferous vegetables (broccoli, kale)
- Avocados and seeds
- Wild fish and pasture-raised eggs
Mistake #5: Not Managing Chronic Stress
This is one of the biggest metabolism myths, that stress doesn’t matter.
In truth, cortisol is a major fat-storage signal.
Fix:
- Address emotional stress through breathwork, journaling, or movement
- Learn to feel and release emotions, not suppress them
How to Create a Hormone-Safe Calorie Deficit for Weight Loss
If you want to lose weight as a woman over 40, you need to work with your body, not against it.
Here’s how to do it:
Step 1: Eat Enough
- Undereating slows metabolism
- Eating enough signals safety and activates fat burning
Step 2: Focus on Nutrient Timing
- Eat high-protein meals post-exercise
- Avoid skipping meals or long gaps between eating
Step 3: Consider Intermittent Fasting (Done Right)
- 12–14 hour fasts can help balance hormones
- Long fasts may suppress ovulation or spike stress in women
Step 4: Boost Metabolism Naturally
- Try cold showers or spicy foods (capsaicin boosts fat burning)
- Stay hydrated and prioritize deep sleep
5 Natural Tools to Support Hormone Weight Loss
To go deeper, here are five lesser-known tools I use with my FAST40 clients:
- Seed Cycling
Use specific seeds throughout your cycle to naturally balance estrogen and progesterone - Adaptogenic Herbs
Herbs like ashwagandha and maca regulate cortisol and boost energy - Fermented Foods
Kimchi, kefir, and sauerkraut support gut health and estrogen detox - Sprouted Grains & Legumes
Easier to digest and rich in B vitamins, magnesium, and zinc for hormone function - Breath-Based Emotional Reset
Learn how to release emotional weight to unlock physical weight loss
Final Thoughts: You Were Never Broken
If you’ve tried everything and nothing has worked, it’s not because you’ve failed. You’ve just been working with outdated information.
The truth is, your body is brilliant. It’s always adapting to the signals you give it.
You don’t need to starve, struggle, or inject synthetic hormones. You just need to understand how to nourish and reset your body the right way.
Watch the Full Video: “5 Mistakes of Calorie Deficit for Weight Loss & Hormone Balancing Foods”
This blog is just the beginning. In the video, I go even deeper into:
- How to create a hormone-safe calorie deficit
- The truth about metabolism myths
- What to eat, when to eat it, and how to reset your hormones naturally
And if it helped you, please share it with someone who needs it.
Until next time,
Dr. Cody Golman
#CalorieDeficitForWeightLoss #WomenOver40WeightLoss #HormoneBalancingForFemales #MetabolismMyths #HormoneWeightLoss
Your body isn’t broken. It’s brilliant. It’s just waiting for the right signal.
