The Reason ‘Exercise More and Eat Less’ Isn't Working for You
By: Mary Gallagher
Tags: Exercise, Womens Health, Dieting, Fitness, Menopause

Have you noticed that as you get older, it’s harder to lose weight and easier to put it on? That’s kind of an obvious question, right? But what can women do about it? That’s not so obvious!

What if I told you I’ve found a fitness program that requires only three, 15-minute workouts a week and no stringent diet plan? Oh, and I only paid $37.00. Would you believe me? Would you try it?

Stop following bad advice

Falling on the only fitness advice we’ve ever been given, most of us do what we’ve been told: try to eat less and exercise more. I don’t know about you, but for me, that has been a recipe for disaster in the second half of my life.

First of all, the less I eat, the more cravings I have and my metabolism slows down.

It’s a no-brainer once you learn about how the metabolism works. It’s really trying to work for you, telling your body to stop burning calories because this poor woman is starving to death.

In reality, your metabolism is flexible, it’s not fixed as in “I have a slow metabolism, that’s why I can't lose weight” or “She has a fast metabolism, that’s why she’s so skinny.” You can trick your metabolism into doing what you want!

Second of all, the older I get the less I can handle intense workouts.

Let’s face it, our bodies do feel pain more intensely and get fatigued a bit faster than they used to. So what used to work for me in my 20’s and 30’s stopped working in my 40’s and 50’s. I gained all my extra weight and belly fat after 40 and the stress I allowed into my life during those years help cement the fate of a middle-aged woman with a belly.

I still managed to stay within an acceptable weight range for my height but not comfortable for me. I knew I shouldn’t have the extra fat around the middle and that my thighs could definitely be slimmer, so I kept at it. Trying to find the magic formula to lose weight without killing myself. I was hopeless at this process.

One thing I did pick up on was that more exercise wasn't helping me.

The times I tried to ramp up my exercise routine, I found my cravings out of control and my stress up rather than down. What the heck was going on? Wasn’t the answer to eat less, exercise more?

Desperate to find something that worked, I clicked on an ad for Metabolic Renewal on Instagram. I’m including the link not because it is an affiliate link but just so you can do the research yourself.

I was drawn in and captivated because what this dude was saying was exactly what I was thinking: Why is it when I exercise more and try to eat less, I gain weight, feel awful, and my appetite increases?

Then he explained what should have been obvious: women’s hormones change throughout their lives and what worked when I was younger was actually working against me in middle age.

He said the magic words: “You need to exercise less, reduce stress, and rest in order to lose weight.” I was in!

I draw your attention to the part about stress because it’s possibly the biggest factor in whether you gain weight or lose it. We all know stress is bad for us, but most of us miss the connection to weight gain: cortisol. It’s why you can lose five pounds in a week’s vacation at the beach but gain it all back as soon as your return to your normal workweek (even if you go back to your exercise routine).

Intuitively, I knew the dude in the advertisement was right, but my mind was still stuck in “no pain, no gain” mode. I kept listening as he described my journey with fitness, weight gain, belly fat, and cravings.

This guy is on to something, I thought. I couldn’t wait to get through the entire sales pitch to purchase this program.

It’s been the best $37.00 I’ve ever spent. Yes, that’s right. Just $37 for the videos, the book, the Facebook group, and the understanding of how to eat and exercise for my hormone type!

The results:

A total loss of 16 inches so far. I really didn’t have that much to lose but I want you to know that some women have lost 50, 60 inches, and more.

A paradigm shift to fitness. I don't have a scale so I’m not sure how many pounds I’ve lost but one of the lessons in this program is to not base fitness on the scale, but to pay attention to the inches, the muscle gain, the better sleep, the loss of cravings, and how your clothes fit. It really is a mindset shift.

I no longer have cravings. My appetite is normal — I eat when I’m hungry but don’t react to stress eating anymore. Stress reduction is built into this program and a part you cannot overlook if you want to get fit.

Strength and toning. I used to be winded just walking up the three flights of stairs to our apartment but now I don’t even notice that I’m going up. I now hike and walk every day.

Belly fat is reduced. I won’t say it’s gone but that’s because I need to refine my diet more; reduce carbs and add more protein. But, I’ll get there. I’m now confident of that. This is a marathon, not a sprint.

No longer yo-yo-ing. I now have a program I can do all year round and one that has made my metabolism flexible and responsive so it can adapt to colder weather when I walk less, or an occasional foray into Christmas cookies.

It’s a lifestyle approach that is flexible, that I can do going forward, that doesn't require a gym membership or a lot of time, and isn’t so difficult that I’m tempted to quit or procrastinate. On workout days I tell myself that I can do anything for 15 minutes!

The basics of the Metabolic Renewal program are:

15-minute workouts, 3 times per week. Don’t be tempted to do more — it will backfire on you. You can do relaxing things in between like yoga.

Aim for 10K steps each day. These can be inside and out and on those cold, snowy days I use these videos to help me get to my step goal.

Rest on the alternate days. You still walk but do not do the videos or other intense workout every day. Can you say “hallelujah” to that?!

It’s not a keto or carb-less diet. It’s adjustable based on your hormone type. But, yes, it is about eating healthy. Dr. Jade says, “You can’t out-train a bad diet.”

Supplements are not necessary. Although the company does try to sell you supplements to “jumpstart your weight loss” I did not buy any of those supplements.

And the part I love the most: It’s rest-based training. During the workouts, Dr. Jade says, “Push it till you can’t; rest until you can.” So even during a 15-minute workout, we are allowed to rest when we need to!

No more shaming during workouts! How refreshing to hear that I can rest when I need to or modify the workouts. As long as I am getting breathless and feeling the burn in my muscles I know I am activating the hormones I need to burn fat and build muscle.

Simple and too good to be true?

I know what you’re thinking: it sounds too simple. Yes, it is. That doesn’t mean it’s easy. It’s not a miracle pill that promises to melt fat.

You have to do the work, but there are so many women in this group experiencing phenomenal results and transforming their lives and overall health that it’s clear it is not a gimmick, but a healthy lifestyle that gives you the power to understand your own body.

Like Dr. Jade says, all fitness advice and research is geared toward young males. What works for a 25-year-old guy is not going to work for a 50-year-old woman dealing with stress, hormone inconsistencies, and a lifetime of being told to “eat less and exercise more.”

Most of us have messed up our metabolism with this advice and stress, so the first thing you learn to do is reset your metabolism. You’ll probably see some immediate results — like in the first week I lost an inch in my waist and it was noticeable — but it took several weeks for the changes to really kick in because I had to help my metabolism learn to work for me again, not against me.

I tell every woman I know about this program because just about every woman I know is trying to lose weight, get in shape, or stay in shape. If you’re wondering why working out harder and eating less isn’t resulting in weight loss, it’s time to learn about your unique hormones as a woman.

Get the program today and get started. You’ll thank me later!