Forget ‘Eat Less, Move More’ – Your Body is Asking for Something Different!

Have you wondered why your energy isn’t quite what it used to be? Suddenly things that worked in your 20s and 30s don’t work anymore. Are you eating the same, exercising, trying to be sensible, and doing everything that you think you should be doing, and yet the weight isn’t shifting quite as easily, your energy has taken a nosedive and suddenly that 3pm craving seems to have a mind of its own.

And then there’s the evening – you’ve been ‘good’ all day, only to find yourself standing in front of the kitchen cupboards at 9pm wondering how you ended up eating half a packet of biscuits.

Sound familiar?

Before you blame yourself, let’s talk about what is actually going on.

For years, women have been given a very simple formula when it comes to weight and fitness – Eat less, move more! Well, if only the human body was that straightforward.

As we get older, our bodies change. Hormones change. Sleep can change. Muscle mass can change. Stress, recovery, appetite and even how active we are without consciously thinking about it can all change too. That doesn’t mean you’ve suddenly lost all your willpower. And it certainly doesn’t mean your body is broken.

So, what’s going on?

One of the biggest changes for women around this stage of life is hormonal. As oestrogen levels decline, this can affect far more than hot flushes. Sleep, mood, energy, body composition, and appetite can all be affected. And, if your sleep isn’t great, everything feels harder. A bad night’s sleep doesn’t just leave you yawning through your morning meeting, poor sleep can affect appetite, cravings, concentration, mood and your desire to exercise.

Which brings us neatly to the 3pm slump – there’s a very particular point in the day when everything starts to go downhill. It’s around 3pm. You’ve answered enough emails, made enough decisions, done the shopping, cleaning and ironing and probably had enough coffee to power a small village when suddenly your brain has gone on strike. You’re tired. You’re hungry. You’re craving something sweet. And the thought of doing a workout later is about as appealing as cleaning the oven.

It’s tempting to reach for biscuits, chocolate or another coffee when your energy disappears, and there’s nothing wrong with enjoying a biscuit or some chocolate -we’re not here to take the fun out of life!

But if your afternoon regularly consists of surviving on caffeine until lunchtime, eating a small lunch and then desperately needing sugar at 3pm, your body may simply be asking for more fuel. Protein and fibre are particularly important. A lunch containing very little protein may leave you hungry again surprisingly quickly. Adding foods such as chicken, fish, eggs, Greek yoghurt, cottage cheese, beans or lentils can help make meals more satisfying. Pair that with vegetables, fruit, wholegrains or other fibre-rich foods and you’re giving yourself a much better chance of making it through the afternoon without mentally planning your next snack at 2.47pm.

And then there’s muscle…

This is something women often don’t think about until they notice a change. As we get older, we’re naturally more susceptible to losing muscle mass and strength unless we actively work to maintain it. And muscle isn’t just about looking toned. It helps us stay strong, mobile and independent. It supports everyday activities, from carrying shopping bags to getting up from the floor, climbing stairs and lifting grandchildren (and boy do they get heavy quickly lol 😊)

This is where strength training becomes particularly important. You don’t need to spend hours lifting enormous weights or training like an Olympic athlete. Regular resistance exercise, gradually progressed to suit you, can make a real difference. It’s one of the reasons we love strength training so much at W Fitness.

But should I be eating less?

This is where things get interesting. If your weight isn’t moving, the automatic response is often to eat even less. But constantly cutting back isn’t necessarily the answer. Eating too little can leave you tired, hungry, preoccupied with food and reaching for the biscuit tin later in the day. If you’re barely eating all day and then find yourself ravenous at 9pm, that isn’t necessarily a failure of willpower.

Your body may simply be asking for fuel. The goal isn’t to eat as little as possible. It’s to give your body what it needs while building and maintaining the muscle, strength and fitness that become increasingly important as we get older. And exercise shouldn’t be viewed simply as a way of burning off what you’ve eaten. Strength training, walking, classes, mobility work and cardiovascular exercise are about much more than calories. They’re about keeping your heart healthy, maintaining muscle and bone strength, supporting mobility and helping you feel capable in your everyday life. This isn’t about making your world smaller and your portions tinier. It’s about investing in the body you’re going to want for the next 20, 30 or 40 years.

Then comes the 9pm snack attack…

This is where the afternoon slump can come back to bite you. If you’ve eaten very little during the day, been busy, exercised and then arrived at the evening absolutely ravenous, it shouldn’t come as a huge surprise when your body starts demanding food. Trying to be good all day and then relying on willpower at 9pm isn’t necessarily the most effective strategy. Sometimes the answer isn’t more restriction. It’s eating properly earlier in the day. A satisfying breakfast. A decent lunch. Enough protein. Plenty of fibre. Regular meals. And room for foods you genuinely enjoy. Because let’s be honest, a life without chocolate sounds pretty sad.

So, what can you actually do?

You don’t need a complete lifestyle overhaul.

Try starting with these five things:

1. Eat a proper lunch.
Don’t accidentally turn lunch into a handful of crisps eaten over the keyboard or on the way home from the supermarket.

2. Prioritise protein..
It can help with fullness and supports the maintenance of muscle. Aim for 30g at each meal. (If you work to this it means that you are eating a proper lunch 😊)

3. Don’t let fibre disappear.

As we get older, it’s more important than ever to keep fibre on the menu – it helps keep you fuller for longer, supports healthy digestion and can make a big difference to those all-important cravings between meals.

4.Prioritise strength training – don’t just chase more cardio
Maintaining muscle and strength is one of the best investments you can make in your future self.

5. Stop expecting motivation to do all the work.
Motivation comes and goes. Habits, routines and having people around you are much more reliable.

Should I be moving more?

More exercise isn’t always the answer. If you’re already exercising regularly, adding endless extra workouts can leave you exhausted rather than help you progress. Instead think about your overall movement. Strength training, walking, your normal daily activity and the exercise you enjoy all count. The goal isn’t to punish yourself with more workouts, it’s to keep your body active strong and capable. And remember, recovery matters too. Your body doesn’t need to be pushed harder every single day to make progress.

The NHS recommends to ‘do strengthening activities that work all the major muscle groups (legs, hips, back, abdomen, chest, shoulders and arms) on at least 2 days a week’ for example, this could be our W Fitness circuit, then simply increase your movement on the other days with a purposeful walk – you certainly don’t need to be training like an athlete 7 days a week!

Conclusion

If you’re feeling more tired, more snacky, less motivated, sluggish or like your body has suddenly changed the rules, you’re not imagining it. But different doesn’t mean doomed. Your body may need a little more attention to strength, nutrition, recovery, sleep and movement than it once did. And perhaps that’s not such a bad thing, because looking after yourself isn’t about trying to become the 30-year-old version of you again. It’s about making sure the woman you are today, and the woman you’ll be at 70, 80 and beyond, has the strength, energy and confidence to enjoy her life.

So, if it’s 3pm and you’re reaching for the biscuits, don’t panic, look at the bigger picture instead.

Have you eaten enough? Have you moved today? Have you had any protein? Did you sleep last night?

And if the answer to all of those is ‘not really’, maybe it’s time to stop blaming yourself and start looking after yourself 😊

Much Love

Caroline & Hannah xx