Why making it about more than weight changes everything
Getting ready for a training ride
This is me last weekend (18th May) just before a 3.5 hour bike ride followed by a 6.5 mile run. It was a tough session but I felt incredible afterwards for just being able to do it.
Lately, I’ve noticed something surprising in my conversations with midlife women: focusing purely on weight loss is actually demotivating for many of us. It’s time to rethink our goals, and our mindset, if we want long-term success and peace of mind.
When our thoughts revolve around numbers, calories, macros, scales etc…we fall into a negative loop of micromanagement:
Am I eating too much?
Should I cut carbs?
Do I need more cardio?
Is it my hormones?
This mindset breeds anxiety. We convince ourselves that one misstep will undo all our hard work. Living like this, while managing a career, family, and menopause, isn’t sustainable because it puts unrealistic pressure on ourselves to hit the perfect formula every day.
Worse still, we treat the scales like a daily report card. A tiny fluctuation can send us spiralling, questioning everything. This obsessive focus actually pulls us away from our long-term goals and pushes us into the arms of self-doubt which eventually leads to giving up.
But what if we let go?
Imagine ending the constant argument you’re having with your body. Calling a truce. Making peace, not with defeat, but with acceptance. When you stop fighting, you create space. And from that space, a new mindset can grow.
Here’s the shift: instead of chasing weight loss, we anchor our goals to something bigger.
Excelling in your career without being drained
Building strength for adventures post-retirement
Feeling confident and capable in your body at 53 and beyond
This shift changes everything. It turns a short-term “diet” into a long-term lifestyle. It reduces pressure, allows flexibility, and helps you measure success in truly meaningful ways:
Stable energy
Clearer thinking
Greater consistency
Feeling proud of your choices
That’s what happened to me. I stopped obsessing over my weight and focused on getting myself out of my midlife comfort zone. It changed how I felt about diet, exercise and my body. Instead of only thinking about my body, I had something more exciting to think about - what I needed to do to get better at running and cyclings, so I could experiences new adventures.
The result? I had the biggest weight loss success of my entire life, but more importantly, I created a new lifestyle, gained mental strength, confidence and a sense of being able to do anything I want, if I put my mind to it.
I’ve seen the same shift in my clients. And it’s always powerful.
Conclusion:
So this is your invitation: stop fighting your body. Let go of perfectionism. Choose a bigger, more inspiring reason to take care of yourself—and let that reason carry you forward.