We’ve been taught to believe that diet plans are the answer — the key to better health, weight loss, more energy, a stronger metabolism. But if you’re a woman in your 40s, 50s or beyond, and diets feel like they’re no longer working (or never really did), you’re not imagining it.

The truth is, most diet plans are built on outdated assumptions. They often ignore the unique physiology and emotional landscape of midlife — and in doing so, they fail us.

So if you’re tired of trying to “get back on track” or feeling like your body is betraying you, I want to offer a different perspective — one that’s rooted in science, lived experience, and compassion.

Let’s explore why diet plans often fall apart at this life stage — and what your body might be asking for instead.

1. This is not the time to cut back — it’s the time to nourish wisely

Diet culture tells us to eat less. But from midlife onwards, your body needs more support, not less. This is especially true when it comes to protein — an essential nutrient for maintaining muscle mass, supporting metabolic health, and protecting bone density.

Bone health isn’t something we talk about enough in the context of food and weight. Yet from our 40s onwards, women start to lose bone mass more rapidly — especially as oestrogen levels decline. This can lead to osteopenia or osteoporosis later in life.

And the thing is: bones are built through food. Through regular, satisfying meals that include enough high-quality protein, calcium, and key micronutrients.

Emerging research suggests that women over 50 benefit from at least 1.0–1.2g of protein per kilogram of body weight per day — and ideally, this should be spread evenly across meals. That means many midlife women need to increase their protein intake, not reduce it.

If your diet plan is asking you to skip meals or slash calories, it’s not helping. It may actually be putting your long-term health at risk.

2. Your body isn’t broken — it may be adapting to protect you

One of the most common things I hear from clients is:
"I’ve always been able to manage my weight, but since hitting my 40s, everything's changed. I’m gaining weight and nothing seems to work."

Here’s the part no one tells you:
That weight gain might not be a problem. It might be part of a protective process.

From an evolutionary perspective, a small increase in body fat around menopause could be a strategic adaptation. Once the ovaries stop producing oestrogen, fat tissue becomes one of the body’s fallback systems for making this vital hormone.

This doesn’t mean every woman will or should gain weight — but it does mean that a little extra body fat isn’t necessarily dangerous or something to fear. It may actually be helping your body navigate this transition more smoothly.

The real issue isn’t that our bodies change — it’s that we’ve been taught to fight those changes, rather than understand them.

3. Restriction doesn’t build resilience — it often creates chaos

So many diet plans rely on restriction: fewer carbs, fewer calories, fewer indulgences. But what gets lost in that process is a sense of satisfaction, stability, and self-trust.

Restrictive eating often leads to rebound behaviours — bingeing, emotional eating, grazing, or obsessively thinking about food. Over time, this can create a dysfunctional relationship with eating that’s far more damaging than a few extra kilos.

Midlife is already a time of enormous emotional and physiological change. Layering deprivation and self-criticism on top of that is not a recipe for health — it’s a setup for burnout.

The alternative isn’t just to “eat intuitively” and hope for the best. It’s to build a framework of nourishment that’s structured but flexible, responsive but grounded — and actually meets your real needs.

4. Gut health matters more than you’ve been told

One of the most overlooked pieces of the puzzle is the gut. The trillions of microbes in your digestive tract influence far more than just digestion. They impact your immune function, hormone metabolism, mood, sleep, and even appetite regulation.

And yet, most diet plans focus solely on macronutrients or calories, completely ignoring the complex, delicate ecology of the gut microbiome.

Restrictive diets, fasting protocols, or low-fibre plans can disrupt microbial diversity and leave you more prone to bloating, cravings, constipation, low mood and inflammation.

Your gut doesn’t want punishment. It wants consistency. It wants variety. It wants real food, eaten regularly, with enough fibre, colour, and calm to keep your system regulated and your body in conversation with itself.

5. This is an emotional shift too — not just a physical one

Let’s not forget the emotional load midlife carries. You may be navigating caregiving, career shifts, relationship changes, menopause symptoms, grief, or identity transitions — sometimes all at once.

Food becomes more than fuel — it becomes comfort, control, rebellion, relief. Diets that ignore this emotional context fail women over and over again.

We need a way of eating that respects not just our biology, but our inner world. That allows space for pleasure, self-compassion, and flexibility — while helping us develop emotional resilience and healthier coping tools.

This is a central pillar of my approach: not just nutritional re-education, but cognitive reframing. Learning to respond to your needs with curiosity, not criticism. Rewiring your thoughts around food, body image, and what it means to be “healthy.”

6. This is your invitation to step off the treadmill — and back into your life

If you’ve been stuck in cycles of dieting for years — or decades — let me say this clearly:
You don’t have to do this anymore.

You don’t need another plan. You don’t need another list of rules. You need support, insight, and the chance to learn about food and your body on your terms.

This is a powerful time of life. And it can be the beginning of something far more meaningful than a short-term transformation.

It can be the start of liberation — from diet rules, shame, confusion, and chronic mistrust of your body.

Ready to make that shift?

Liberate is my signature course for women who are ready to say goodbye to diets and hello to food freedom.

It’s not a plan. It’s a process.
One that helps you understand your body, work with your physiology, restore your relationship with food, and create sustainable strategies that nourish you now — and into the future.

Because freedom isn’t found in another meal plan.
It’s found in finally learning to trust yourself again.

Explore Liberate here