This Is Why You’re Gaining Belly Fat After 40 (And How to Reverse It) | Dr. Stacy Sims

Rangan Chatterjee

17 sept 2025

Episode description

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As we get older, have you ever wondered why the exercise advice we’ve been given doesn’t seem to work as well as it once did? As we move into our 40s and beyond, our physiology changes in ways that can often feel confusing and frustrating. But what if we could harness those changes to feel stronger, healthier and more resilient than ever before?

My guest this week is exercise physiologist and nutritional scientist, Dr Stacy Sims. Stacy is dedicated to helping active women – and the people who support them – take back control of their bodies, health and lives through science-based knowledge and practical tools.

She is the author of two book, including ‘ROAR: How to Match Your Food and Fitness to Your Unique Female Physiology for Optimum Performance, Great Health, and a Strong, Lean Body for Life’ and the creator of her signature course, Women Are Not Small Men, after recognising the lack of research specifically done on women in exercise, nutrition and medicine.

In this conversation, we discuss:
• Why conventional fitness advice often fails women in midlife, and how we can move beyond outdated recommendations
• How hormonal changes during perimenopause affect everything from metabolism and muscle strength to mood and sleep
• The crucial role of resistance training in maintaining bone density, muscle mass and cognitive function as we get older
• Why high-intensity interval training can boost our metabolism, balance blood sugar and reduce harmful belly fat
• How the language around “muscle toning” can be unhelpful, and why lifting heavier weights is so important for building real strength and protecting our long-term health
• Practical ways to start strength training safely, even if you don’t enjoy the gym, and simple strategies for fitting effective movement into a busy week with minimal time
• How building strength now supports our independence, resilience and vitality, helping us stay active, prevent injuries and feel confident as we age

This conversation is an invitation for all of us to rethink what’s possible as we grow older. Stacy’s insights remind us that with the right information and support, we can build strength, confidence and better health at any stage of life.

And if you find this episode helpful, why not share it with the women in your life – friends, family or colleagues – so they can feel empowered and informed about their bodies, too.

#feelbetterlivemore
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Connect with Stacy Sims:
https://www.drstacysims.com/
https://www.facebook.com/drstacysims
https://www.instagram.com/drstacysims
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCPD55VPa1ZWx1a_nzWC2VJA

Courses https://www.drstacysims.com/courses
Newsletter https://www.drstacysims.com/generic_optin

Books:
ROAR: How to Match Your Food and Fitness to Your Unique Female Physiology for Optimum Performance, Great Health, and a Strong, Lean Body for Life US https://amzn.to/46BOSSp UK https://amzn.to/46EeFJC
Next Level: Your Guide to Kicking Ass, Feeling Great, and Crushing Goals Through Menopause and Beyond US https://amzn.to/4gvfx72 UK https://amzn.to/3K7oB5D

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DISCLAIMER: The content in the podcast and on this webpage is not intended to constitute or be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have heard on the podcast or on my website.

Episode description

Mindsip insights from this episode:

Eat more and embrace high-intensity exercise for women over 40

For women over 40, the traditional 'eat less, move more' diet culture is a mistake; they should instead eat more and incorporate high-intensity exercise.

#exercise

#nutrition

Utilize recommended fitness apps for women's strength training at home

Specific fitness apps recommended for women starting strength training at home include Betty Rocker, Hailey Happens Fitness, and Loretta Loves Lifting.

#exercise

#women

Reframe HRT as menopause hormone therapy for symptom management

It should be called Menopause Hormone Therapy (MHT), not Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT), because it's a tool to manage symptoms, not a way to replace hormones your body is naturally phasing out.

#HRT

#menopause

Prioritize other training methods over Zone 2 for women

Zone 2 training is less beneficial for women because they are naturally born with more endurance fibers and better mitochondrial health, making it 'soul food' rather than a primary training tool.

#women

#zone-2

Debunk muscle toning myth for real strength gains

The term 'muscle toning' is a gendered fitness marketing phrase for metabolic stress workouts that don't provide the stimulus needed to build real strength.

#muscle

#strength

Incorporate sprint intervals to enhance glucose absorption without insulin

Short, all-out sprint intervals of 30 seconds or less can trigger muscles to absorb glucose without insulin by activating special GLUT4 protein 'secret passageways.'.

#exercise

#glucose

Differentiate heavy lifting from metabolic stress for optimal training

Lifting heavy loads for low reps stimulates the central nervous system, leaving you feeling elated rather than 'smashed' like a high-volume metabolic workout.

#exercise

#metabolism

Address estrogen decline to combat strength loss in perimenopause

The initial loss of strength in perimenopause is not from muscle loss, but from estrogen's decline weakening the bond between muscle proteins myosin and actin.

#estrogen

#muscle

Incorporate strength training to age well after 40

Walking alone is insufficient for women over 40 to age well as it doesn't address the loss of strength, power, and vascular compliance from declining estrogen.

#menopause

#strength

Rangan Chatterjee

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