When Your Workouts Are Making You Gain Weight (yes, really!)

What Every Midlife Woman Needs to Know Before Sweating It Out

Hot flashes? Sure. Mood swings? Been there. But gaining weight even when you're working out like a boss and eating like a rabbit? That one’s a betrayal.

If you’ve been hitting the gym, pounding the pavement, or jumping around in a HIIT frenzy trying to drop those stubborn midlife kilos — only to watch the scale go up — sister, you’re not imagining it. Your workouts might just be working against you.

Let’s break this down with a heavy dose of truth.

Exercise is a Breakdown Activity (and that's not a bad thing)

You’ve been told to move more, eat less, and sweat it out, right?
But here’s the real talk: exercise is stress. It’s a controlled stress that breaks down your body. The magic? That happens in the recovery.

Micro-tears in your muscle, inflammation, and soreness? Totally normal. But that tiny weight gain from the first few weeks? That’s just your body doing its repair work. We’re not worried about that.

We’re talking about something deeper: that mysterious, maddening 5, 10, or more kilos creeping on even though you're checking all the 'fitness' boxes. And that, my friend, is a symptom of something’s off.

Your Stress-Filled Life + Intense Workouts = Hormone Havoc

In midlife, your body starts reacting differently to stress. Whether it’s the toxic job, the teen drama, or the endless to-do list — chronic stress jacks up your cortisol (the 'preserve fat at all costs' hormone). Add high-stress workouts on top and boom: fat storage mode activated.

What does that look like? You stop sleeping well. You eat less, but gain more. You push harder, but feel flatter.

Honey, this isn’t laziness. This is biology.

The Hormonal Sweet Spot: Anabolic vs Catabolic

Your body thrives when anabolic hormones (like testosterone, growth hormone, and DHEA) dominate. These are your muscle-building, fat-burning BFFs.

But go too hard, too long, too often? You spike catabolic hormones like cortisol. And that sweet little balance tips straight into fat-storing, muscle-wasting chaos.

So if you’re stuck in long, moderate cardio sessions and 'go hard or go home' HIIT classes — you’re living in the cortisol zone, not the fat-burning zone.

What’s NOT Helping

• Long, moderate-intensity cardio (think 60-minute runs or spin classes)

• Frenzied, frantic strength training with no rest

• Daily HIIT sessions with minimal recovery

• Eating like a bird but training like a beast

• Ignoring sleep, stress, and soul-care

Sound familiar? You’re not alone. This is what I call the 'midlife burnout blueprint'.

What DOES Help: Highs, Lows, and Heavy Sh!t

Here’s the new gospel for the strong, fierce, midlife woman:

1. Lift Heavy.
   Total body, twice a week. To actual muscular fatigue. This builds lean muscle, fires up metabolism, and helps balance hormones.

2. Sprint, Then Chill.
   HIIT is fab — in moderation. Once or twice a week max. And I mean real HIIT: short bursts, long rests. Not a glorified bootcamp.

3. Rest Like It’s Your Job.
   Recovery isn’t optional; it’s where the magic happens. Long walks, deep sleep, and Netflix with zero guilt? Yes, please.

4. Fuel Your Fire.
   Starving yourself in midlife? That’s a fast track to metabolic meltdown. You need nutrient-dense meals, enough protein, and plenty of real food.

The Silent Saboteur: LEA (Low Energy Availability)

If you’re working out hard, eating too little, and still not seeing results — you could be in Low Energy Availability. That’s a fancy way of saying: your body’s running on empty, so it holds on to every gram of fat it can for survival.

Even if you’re not menstruating anymore, your hormones are still paying attention. Under-eating and over-exercising in midlife messes with your metabolism, suppresses thyroid function, and steals from your bones and muscles.

How to Know If You’re Overdoing It

Don’t just 'go by feel' — you’re a warrior, not a good judge of rest.
Track your resting heart rate and heart rate variability (HRV). A higher-than-usual morning heart rate or low HRV is your body's SOS: "Please, for the love of quads, rest me."

(Your Oura ring, Garmin, or Fitbit are great wingwomen here.)

Final Word From the Weight Room

You’re not broken. You’re not failing. You’re just playing by old rules in a new body.

Let go of the belief that more is better. In midlife, better is better.

So take up space. Lift heavy. Rest hard. Eat like you love yourself.
And never, ever underestimate the power of a strong, well-fed, well-rested woman over 40.

XO Jane 

If you’re reading this thinking, “Well damn, that explains a lot…” — you’re in good company. Midlife isn’t broken, it’s just running on an outdated operating system. That’s exactly why I put together the Midlife Reset Guide — a no-nonsense, totally doable way to start syncing your workouts, fuel, and recovery with the real body you’re living in now. No pressure, no perfection — just straight-up support to help you feel strong, steady, and a whole lot more like yourself again. This guide is free and available to download today.