Nutrition Tips & Advice From a Qualified Nutritionist
If you’ve been trying to lose weight and feel like your metabolism has slowed down, you’re not alone. For many midlife women, it can feel like those extra pounds just won’t shift.
However, it’s not all about restrictive diets and endless cardio. Understanding how your body works—and how to support it—can help you burn fat more effectively, naturally, and without feeling deprived.
Here are my Top five fat-burning secrets to help you lose weight and reclaim your body confidence:
1. Prioritise Protein for Every Meal
One of the most effective ways to support fat burning is by prioritising protein in every meal.
Protein helps build and maintain muscle mass, which is essential for a healthy metabolism.
Muscle burns more calories than fat, even at rest, meaning the more muscle you have, the more calories you’ll burn throughout the day.
Not only does protein keep you fuller for longer, reducing the likelihood of overeating, but it also has a high thermic effect—your body uses more energy to digest and process it compared to fats and carbohydrates.
Good sources of protein include lean meats, fish, eggs, tofu, beans, and lentils.
Actionable tip: Aim for at least 20-30g of protein at every meal. This could be a grilled salmon fillet, a couple of eggs with vegetables, or a serving of Greek yoghurt with seeds and nuts.
2. Keep Your Blood Sugar Balanced
One of the biggest barriers to fat loss is insulin resistance. When your blood sugar levels are unstable, your body stores fat more easily, especially around the belly.
Frequent spikes and crashes in blood sugar can also leave you feeling tired and hungry, leading to cravings for sugary snacks.
To keep your blood sugar balanced, focus on a diet rich in whole foods, with plenty of fibre, healthy fats, and protein.
Reducing refined carbs like white bread, pasta, and sugary snacks will help stabilise insulin levels, allowing your body to tap into fat stores for energy.
Actionable tip: Pair complex carbohydrates with protein and healthy fats. For example, if you’re having oats for breakfast, add a tablespoon of almond butter and a sprinkle of seeds to slow down the release of glucose into your bloodstream.
3. Get Enough Sleep
You might not think of sleep as a fat-burning secret, but it’s essential for weight loss. When you don’t get enough rest, your body produces more cortisol, a stress hormone that promotes fat storage, particularly around the midsection.
Lack of sleep also disrupts hunger hormones like ghrelin and leptin, making you more likely to overeat and crave high-calorie foods.
To optimise your metabolism, aim for 7-8 hours of quality sleep each night. Creating a calming bedtime routine, limiting caffeine in the afternoon, and keeping a consistent sleep schedule can all make a big difference.
Actionable tip: If you struggle with sleep, try creating a wind-down routine—dim the lights, read a book, or practise mindfulness to help your body relax before bed.
4. Incorporate Strength Training
While cardio can be great for your heart and overall fitness, it’s strength training that truly revs up your fat-burning potential.
Lifting weights or doing bodyweight exercises like squats, lunges, and push-ups builds muscle, which, as mentioned earlier, increases your resting metabolic rate.
Strength training also creates a phenomenon known as the “afterburn effect” (or excess post-exercise oxygen consumption), meaning your body continues to burn calories long after you’ve finished your workout.
This is especially helpful for women in midlife, as muscle mass tends to decrease with age, slowing the metabolism.
Actionable tip: Try incorporating strength training exercises 2-3 times per week, focusing on compound movements that work multiple muscle groups.
5. Stay Hydrated
It sounds simple, but staying hydrated is a key fat-burning secret that’s often overlooked. Water is crucial for every metabolic process in your body, including fat oxidation (the breakdown of fat).
When you’re dehydrated, your metabolism slows down, and your body can’t function optimally.
Drinking water before meals can also help with appetite control, making you feel fuller and potentially reducing calorie intake.
If you struggle to drink enough water, try infusing it with slices of lemon, cucumber, or berries for added flavour.
Actionable tip: Aim for at least 1.5 to 2 litres of water per day, and more if you’re exercising. Keep a reusable water bottle with you as a reminder to sip throughout the day.
You Can Support Your Metabolism for Weight Loss
Fat burning doesn’t have to be a mystery or involve drastic measures.
By focusing on simple yet effective strategies like prioritising protein, balancing blood sugar, getting enough sleep, incorporating strength training, and staying hydrated, you can support your metabolism and make sustainable progress.
The Key is consistency and creating habits that work for your body—not perfection or quick fixes.
Small, actionable changes will add up over time, helping you feel confident, energised, and in control of your health.
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Online Nutrition Advice for Hormonal Health & Weight Loss
Hi, I’m Lisa, BANT registered nutritionist and health coach. I specialise in hormone balance and weight loss for women struggling with PCOS, Endometriosis, thyroid dysfunction or perimenopause symptoms. I work with women locally in Manchester or online across the UK and Europe,
If you’re looking for a personalised approach to health and weight loss, including meal plans and health coaching, check out my 60-Day Be Balanced nutrition Programmes for more support or book a free 30-minute discovery call to find out more.
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