Hormones and Fat Loss: What Women Over 35 Need to Know

🧠 A Quick Hormone Refresher

Hormones are chemical messengers that influence everything from hunger and metabolism to muscle growth and where your body stores fat. The major players for women over 35 include:

1. Estrogen

As you approach perimenopause (which can start in your mid-30s to 40s), estrogen starts to fluctuate. This hormone helps regulate where fat is stored—so declining estrogen often leads to more fat accumulating around the abdomen.

2. Progesterone

This calming hormone also starts to dip, which can mess with sleep, increase stress sensitivity, and lead to water retention or bloating.

3. Cortisol

Your stress hormone. When chronically elevated (thanks, life!), it can trigger muscle breakdown and encourage fat storage—especially around the belly.

4. Insulin

This hormone helps regulate blood sugar. As we age, we can become more insulin resistant, meaning the body stores more of the food we eat as fat—especially carbs.

5. Thyroid Hormones

These control your metabolic rate. Sluggish thyroid function = slower metabolism = tougher fat loss.

🔄 How Hormones Impact Fat Loss

• Slower metabolism: You might burn fewer calories at rest than you used to.

• More fat storage (especially in the midsection): Estrogen and insulin changes play a role here.

• Increased cravings and hunger: Hormonal dips can impact ghrelin and leptin, the hormones that regulate hunger/fullness.

• Muscle loss: Without strength training and enough protein, age-related muscle loss (sarcopenia) ramps up, making fat loss even harder.

💡 Strategies to Support Fat Loss (and Hormone Health)

You don’t need to go extreme. You need to go smart. Here’s how:

1. Prioritize Strength Training

Building (or maintaining) muscle is key. Muscle increases your metabolic rate, improves insulin sensitivity, and gives your body that toned look.
Aim for 3–4x/week with a progressive program.

2. Fuel Your Body

Undereating (especially skipping carbs or fats) can make hormone imbalances worse.

• Eat enough protein: 0.8–1g per pound of goal body weight.

• Don’t fear carbs: Choose fiber-rich ones like oats, quinoa, sweet potatoes, or fruit.

• Include healthy fats: Think avocados, nuts, seeds, and omega-3s.

3. Balance Blood Sugar

Keep insulin in check with balanced meals (protein + fiber + fat), regular movement, and limiting processed carbs/sugar.

4. Manage Stress

Cortisol is no joke. Deep breathing, walking, journaling, and prioritizing sleep (7–9 hours) can help bring cortisol down and support fat loss.

5. Cycle Your Training and Recovery

You’re not a machine. Recovery is just as important as pushing hard. Honor your cycle (if still menstruating) or energy fluctuations (in perimenopause/menopause) and allow for lighter training weeks.

6. Test, Don’t Guess

If fat loss has stalled and you’re doing the work, consider getting your hormones tested. Functional practitioners or your healthcare provider can help identify imbalances and options for support.

✨ Just Remember

Your body isn’t broken. It’s evolving. The fat loss strategies that worked in your 20s might need an upgrade—but that doesn’t mean it’s impossible. By understanding how hormones shift after 35, you can make informed choices that support your health, energy, and physique.

Remember: this stage is about working with your body, not punishing it. Strong, energized, and empowered? That’s the goal.