These are the 7 surprising reasons why, including ‘healthy’ hacks actually making you put on pounds. Our expert reveals all – and why midlife women are particularly affected
Nearly all women know how soul-destroying it can feel trying to lose weight. Even when you’re diligently ordering salads, swapping crisps for protein bars and constantly hitting the gym, your body can sometimes refuse to respond. The scales don’t budge, your energy and morale plummet and you are stuck in an endless cycle of thinking: ‘What can I cut out next?’
According to Dr Nadia Ahmad, Doctor and Founder of The Weight Care Clinic, this is something she sees constantly, particularly in women over 40. And contrary to popular belief, it’s not because they’re ‘lazy’ or secretly gorging themselves on takeaways every night – but because a few simple mistakes are causing their weight loss to stall.
Dr Ahmad says many women are unknowingly working against their hormones, metabolism, stress levels and appetite regulation in discrete ways they don’t even realise. From supposedly ‘healthy’ snacks to over-exercising and chronic sleep deprivation, here are seven of the most common and surprising reasons women can’t shift the pounds.
You’re constantly grazing on ‘healthy’ snacks
How often have you heard ‘little and often’ touted as some kind of secret mantra for losing weight? Well, according to Dr Ahmad, it’s not just annoying – it can also be completely counterintuitive.
She explains that many women spend the day picking at foods marketed as ‘healthy’, from granola and protein bars to smoothies, oat bites and snack packs, without realising how calorie-dense and processed many of them still are. For example, a Grenade protein bar contains 208 calories – around 10 per cent more than a Crunchie, and double a pack of Wotsits.
Sure, they might be convenient and high in protein. But as Dr Ahmad points out, these foods can still keep insulin levels constantly stimulated throughout the day, particularly when there’s never a proper break between meals. Constant grazing can make it harder for the body to properly regulate hunger and energy levels, leaving many women trapped in a cycle of snacking without ever feeling properly full.
And because these foods are often marketed as ‘wellness’ products, people massively underestimate how much they’re actually consuming. A smoothie packed with yoghurt, peanut butter and fruit can easily exceed 500 calories – far more than eggs on toast, and usually far less satisfying.
You’re not eating enough protein
Many women assume they’re eating enough protein simply because they buy ‘high-protein’ products or regularly eat meat. But according to Dr Ahmad, many women – particularly over 40 – still significantly under-eat it.
This becomes especially important during perimenopause, when muscle mass naturally starts to decline. Protein plays a huge role in satiety, metabolism and muscle maintenance, yet many women still think of it as something only relevant to gym-goers.
The NHS recommends around 0.75g of protein per kilogram of body weight per day, meaning a 70kg woman would need roughly 52g daily at minimum. However, many experts believe women in midlife may benefit from more, particularly if they’re active or trying to maintain muscle.
The issue is that many typical ‘healthy’ meals are surprisingly low in protein. A ‘diet’ breakfast is often cereal or toast, lunch might be soup or salad, while snacks revolve around carbs rather than foods that genuinely keep people full. A bowl of porridge made with water contains around 5g of protein, while two eggs contain roughly 12g.
Without enough protein, many women feel constantly hungry and tired while also struggling to maintain muscle – something that can quietly slow metabolism over time.
You’re not sleeping properly
If you find yourself demolishing beige carbs after a terrible night’s sleep, there’s a reason for it. According to Dr Ahmad, poor sleep has a huge effect on appetite regulation, cravings and fat storage – particularly during midlife, when many women are already juggling stress, hormonal changes and exhaustion.
Research has shown that sleep deprivation disrupts hormones like ghrelin and leptin, increasing appetite while reducing feelings of fullness. In simple terms, you feel hungrier, less satisfied after meals and far more likely to snack throughout the day when you’re tired.
At the same time, elevated cortisol – the body’s primary stress hormone – can encourage fat storage around the stomach. Which is partly why so many women end up relying on caffeine, sugar and ultra-processed comfort foods simply to get through the day.
As Dr Ahmad explains, many women she sees are already mentally overloaded, hormonally overwhelmed and chronically sleep deprived before weight even enters the equation – yet still blame themselves when losing weight starts to feel impossible.
You’re exercising too much
Yes, really. According to Dr Ahmad, more exercise is not always the answer to weight loss – particularly for middle-aged women. She explains that many women are doing daily HIIT classes or fasted cardio while already stressed, under-fuelled and exhausted. While exercise is obviously important for overall health, too much high-intensity training can increase cortisol levels further, worsening inflammation, fatigue and even weight retention.
This becomes particularly important during perimenopause, when the body often becomes more sensitive to stress. Instead of helping fat loss, excessive exercise can leave women constantly hungry, drained and frustrated that the scales still aren’t moving despite how hard they’re working.
Rather than simply exercising harder, Dr Ahmad says women should focus more on recovery, sleep, strength training and properly fuelling the body alongside movement.
You’re using the same routines you did in your 30s
One of the biggest mistakes women make during perimenopause is assuming the habits that worked a decade ago should still work now. According to Dr Ahmad, many women become frustrated when they suddenly start gaining weight – particularly around the stomach – despite eating and exercising in exactly the same way they always have.
But during perimenopause, hormonal and metabolic changes can affect everything from appetite and sleep to insulin sensitivity and fat distribution. Falling oestrogen levels are thought to play a major role in why fat begins shifting towards the abdomen, which is why so many women notice they’re suddenly carrying weight around the middle for the first time.
The instinct is often to eat less and exercise harder, but Dr Ahmad says this can backfire. Instead, she recommends focusing on preserving muscle mass, stabilising blood sugar and managing stress hormones through things like strength training, proper sleep and prioritising protein.
And while tummy fat is often blamed on laziness or lack of discipline, the reality is usually far more hormonal than many women realise.
You’re forgetting about liquid calories
What Dr Ahmad describes as ‘weekend calorie amnesia’ is something she sees constantly. Many women are guilty of focusing heavily on food, and completely overlook what they’re drinking. Coffees, smoothies, juices, alcohol and supposedly ‘healthy’ drinks can quietly contribute thousands of extra calories across the week without people fully registering it.
And because drinks don’t feel as filling as meals, it’s easy to consume far more than you realise. A large flavoured latte can contain upwards of 300 calories, while a couple of cocktails on a Friday night can actually tip into a four-figure calorie count. Even smoothies and juices that sound healthy can contain huge amounts of sugar and calories once blended with yoghurt, syrups or nut butters.
According to Dr Ahmad, many women estimate their intake based purely on meals while unintentionally forgetting everything in between – particularly at weekends, when drinks tend to creep in unnoticed.
You’re stuck in an all-or-nothing mindset
Perhaps the most damaging issue of all for menopausal women, Dr Ahmad says, is psychological. We approach weight loss with an extreme ‘all-or-nothing’ mentality, swinging between restriction and binging rather than building habits that are actually sustainable long-term. One takeaway or ‘bad’ meal quickly turns into a ruined week, followed by punishment workouts, and promises to ‘start again Monday’.
Dr Ahmad says many women blame themselves relentlessly for struggling with weight, when the reality is often far more medically, hormonally and emotionally complex than simply lacking willpower.
There is also, she explains, a huge cultural and emotional connection to food that mainstream conversations often ignore entirely. For some women, food is comfort, celebration, stress relief or even identity. And in many families, women are expected to prioritise everyone else’s needs before their own – leaving them exhausted, overwhelmed and running on empty before weight loss even enters the equation.
Which is exactly why, according to Dr Ahmad, lasting weight loss is rarely about simply ‘trying harder’, but about better understanding your body – both physically and mentally.
