BEHIND THE BODY

Diet • Fitness • Lifestyle for Women 40+

Over the past six months, I put on 5 to 8 pounds and just couldn’t lose it.

I had no idea why I was gaining weight. Suddenly, my shorts felt tighter, and I felt puffier, even though nothing else seemed different. It’s so easy to think at this age, “It’s just my hormones, it’s perimenopause, I’m getting older, this is it.”

But that didn’t seem right. My diet was good, I was hitting the gym five days a week, and I was exercising like usual. So why was I gaining weight?! I just couldn’t accept that it was only nature running its course.

I started looking at all my habits. Maybe I was drinking too much, so I cut back. Maybe I was eating out too often, so I slowed that too. I even blamed vacations, but once I got home, my diet and workouts were back on track.

It took me a while to figure it out, but I finally did. Over several months, I had slowly become less active. I was moving a lot less and turning into a bit of a hermit without realizing it (thanks to perimenopause 😤). That’s where the extra weight came from.

And on top of it, when you feel heavy, down, or kind of numb, and you don’t like how you look in clothes, it all adds up. It makes you want to stay hidden in comfy clothes and avoid going out.

Since I work from home, I started living in sweats all day and night. I’d go to the gym in the morning, then change from workout clothes right into sweats. That became my daily outfit. (My poor husband! 😂)

That’s how I gained the extra weight. My food and workouts hadn’t changed, but I stopped living my usual routine. And moving less meant I burned fewer calories. The main point: if you’re less active, the scale can go up even if your eating and workouts don’t change.

So I made a new plan: every day, I get dressed, do my makeup, and leave the house to work at a coffee shop or library—anywhere I’ll be around people. It forces me to wear real clothes and move my body.

I can’t control my hormones, but I can at least choose to put on real clothes and get my butt out of the house.

My Suggestion For You

If you feel the same way and aren’t ready to leave your sweats behind, that’s okay! For now, try to match your food to your activity level to avoid gaining extra weight. It’s a simple way to keep the scale steady until you’re ready to get back to your usual routine.

One pound of fat is about 3,500 calories. My 5 to 8 pounds over six months meant I was eating about 100 to 150 extra calories a day. A gap that small is hard to notice, but it’s also easy to fix. It could be as simple as skipping one banana or one snack a day.

When you’re ready to return to your normal routine, that calorie gap usually closes on its own because you become more active again.

If you want to figure out your own gap, multiply the pounds you gained by 3,500 and divide by the number of days it took. It’s probably smaller than you think, which makes it easier to fix.

What I’m Loving This Week

I am obsessed with keeping my jewelry clean. But I recently saw a smudge on my wedding ring that I couldn’t get rid of, and it made my stomach sink. I thought I had cracked the diamond. I was about to take it to the jeweler to have it checked under a microscope.

As a last resort, I bought a sonic jewelry cleaner that a friend suggested. I had already tried every cleaner and hot water, so I didn’t expect much. After just one three-minute cycle, I couldn’t believe it. No crack, and it’s as sparkly as the day I got it. 💍

If you wear jewelry every day, get one. It’s inexpensive, and nothing else comes close.

Because You Didn’t Ask…

Did you watch the 60 Minutes interview with Patrick Clancy on Sunday? I haven’t followed the case super closely, only on TikTok. I was prepared for the worst based on the clips leading up to the show. I don’t think he’s winning any Husband of the Year awards, but I don’t think he made things worse for himself as I expected. I’m so curious: what did you think? Have you been following the case? Let me know!​

Great chat! Let's do it again next Tuesday.

Xx,

Andrea