After 40, many women believe they need to eat less.
Less to manage weight.
Less to feel in control.
Less to compensate for a slower metabolism.
But what if the opposite is true?
What if undereating is one of the reasons your metabolism feels slower?
As we age, several physiological shifts occur. Muscle mass naturally declines. Stress tolerance changes. Hormonal patterns shift. Recovery takes longer.
All of this means the body becomes more sensitive to restriction.
When you consistently under eat, skip meals, or dramatically cut calories, the body does not interpret that as discipline.
It interprets it as stress.
In response, stress hormones rise. Cortisol increases. Thyroid output may down regulate. The body becomes more conservative with energy expenditure.
At the same time, inadequate protein and insufficient total calories accelerate muscle loss.
And muscle, as we discussed, is one of your most important metabolic tissues.
Less muscle means reduced insulin sensitivity, lower resting metabolic rate, and greater difficulty managing body composition.
This is why chronic dieting after 40 often leads to:
Persistent fatigue
Stronger cravings
Rebound overeating
Sleep disruption
Stubborn weight gain
Not because you lack willpower.
Because your body is protecting itself.
Undereating also destabilises blood sugar. Long gaps without nourishment increase stress hormones and make later meals more likely to cause exaggerated spikes.
It becomes a cycle.
Restrict.
Crash.
Crave.
Repeat.
The solution is not excess. It is adequacy.
Adequate protein to protect muscle.
Adequate total energy to support thyroid and metabolic function.
Regular meals to stabilise blood sugar.
Strength training to signal that muscle is needed.
After 40, the goal is not to eat as little as possible.
It is to nourish strategically.
If your energy is inconsistent, your cravings intense, or your weight harder to manage despite eating less, it may be time to assess whether your body is under fuelled.
If you would like support reviewing your current intake and building a personalised strategy that protects your muscle, stabilises blood sugar, and supports long term metabolic resilience, I invite you to book a consultation.
After 40, nourishment is not indulgence. It is protection.
Warmly,
Milvia Pili
Functional Nutritional Therapy Practitioner
