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65 episodes

Fat Loss After 40

Why eating less and doing more stops working after 40, and what actually moves body fat.

From Nikkiey Stott and the WarriorBabe coaching team · Updated Oct 25, 2026

If you are over 40 and doing everything you were taught, eating less, adding cardio, training harder, and your body still will not change, you are not alone. Many women on The WarriorBabe Show describe the same pattern: around 1,100 to 1,300 calories a day, training five or six days a week, and ending up tired, softer and stuck. Nikkiey Stott's message is that this is not a willpower problem, and your body is not broken. It is responding to the inputs it has been given.

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The full guide

The show's core point of view is that the old playbook works against you now. In Why Eating Less Isn't Helping You Lose Fat After 40, Nikkiey explains that a calorie deficit is still required for fat loss, but cutting food every time progress slows makes you move less, train worse and struggle to stick to the plan. In Can't Lose Fat Over 40? Why Muscle Is the Missing Piece, she argues that many women have a muscle problem rather than a fat problem, because chronic cardio and restriction strip away the muscle that keeps your metabolism running. Hormones matter too. In Not Losing Fat After 40? It May Not Be Your Hormones, Nikkiey, who is in perimenopause herself, says both things are true: get your hormones tested and talk to your doctor, and also rebuild your plan.

What moves body fat, as the episodes lay it out, is a different order of priorities. In Cardio, Weights or Diet: What Matters Most for Fat Loss?, Nikkiey calls nutrition the king, strength training the queen and cardio the cherry on top. That means enough protein, often around one gram per pound of body weight, progressive strength training three to four days a week, daily walking, and real attention to sleep and stress. The question she wants you to ask is not how little you can eat, but how much you can eat while still making progress.

For many women, the right first step is not another cut. Cut, Reverse, Maintenance or Build: Which Phase Are You In? explains why women who are skinny fat, have only a little to lose or have eaten low calories for years usually start in maintenance. Reverse Dieting for Women Over 40: Do You Need One? walks through the signs that your metabolism has adapted and how to add calories back gradually, protein first.

Expect the scale to be a poor scoreboard. How Women Over 40 Lose Fat When the Scale Won't Move tells the story of Robin, a 60-year-old WarriorBabe who ate more, trained less and lost only four to five pounds in 14 months while friends thought she had lost far more. Nikkiey points to clothes, measurements, photos and strength as better measures, and to a timeline of months, not weeks.

If you are new here, start with How to Get Lean After 40: What Actually Works for Women for the full picture, then Why Eating Less Isn't Helping You Lose Fat After 40. From there, use the phases and reverse dieting episodes to figure out where you actually are before changing anything else.

What women ask

Ask Nikkiey →

  • Fat Loss After 40

    Why can't I lose weight after 40 even though I eat less and exercise more?

    Nikkiey's answer: your body after 40 doesn't respond to restriction the way it did at 25. Eating less and doing more signals stress, so your body lowers your metabolic rate, raises cortisol, breaks down muscle and holds on to fat. The fix she teaches is more food, more protein, strength training and recovery, not further cuts.

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  • Fat Loss After 40

    How do I lose belly fat after 40?

    Build muscle and fix your nutrition instead of adding crunches, cardio or cutting food further. Nikkiey explains belly fat can't be spot-reduced; it comes off through a calorie deficit across your whole body. Her priorities: progressive strength training, enough protein, sleep, stress management and less alcohol, plus patience, because the midsection often leans out last.

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  • Fat Loss After 40

    Is cardio or weight training better for fat loss?

    Weight training wins. Nikkiey explains that cardio burns calories only while you're doing it and doesn't create long-term changes in your metabolism, while muscle keeps burning calories at rest. Her priority order for fat loss is nutrition first, then weights, then cardio, because you can't out-train a diet that isn't dialed in.

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  • Fat Loss After 40

    How many steps a day should I walk to lose fat?

    Nikkiey recommends 8,000 to 12,000 steps a day for fat loss, and says it doesn't have to be exactly 10,000. If you're well below that now, build up gradually, adding 1,000 to 2,000 steps a week, instead of jumping straight to the target. Walking works best alongside strength training and the right nutrition.

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  • Fat Loss After 40

    How much cardio should I do to lose fat?

    Less than you probably think. Nikkiey's guidance is two or three cardio sessions a week, or simply hitting your step count (around 10,000 a day), and that's plenty for most women. Cardio supports heart health and endurance, but strength training and nutrition should drive fat loss, not daily treadmill time.

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  • Fat Loss After 40

    Is too much cardio bad for women over 40?

    Cardio itself isn't bad after 40, Nikkiey says, but too much of it becomes a problem when it's your main fat loss tool, especially without enough food, recovery and strength training. Then it can stress your body, cost you muscle and slow your metabolism. Use it as a supplement, not the star of the show.

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Every Fat Loss After 40 episode

Common questions

Why doesn't eating less work for fat loss after 40?

Nikkiey Stott explains that when calories get too low, your everyday movement drops, your lifts stall and your body breaks down muscle, which slows your metabolism. A calorie deficit is still needed, but cutting harder every time progress slows keeps you stuck.

Is perimenopause the reason I can't lose fat?

Nikkiey says the hormonal shifts are real, but a significant portion of what women blame on perimenopause is a plan that was never going to work: too little protein, no progressive lifting and inconsistency. Her advice is to run both tracks: get your hormones tested and talk with your doctor, and rebuild your plan.

Should I do more cardio to lose belly fat?

No. The show's hierarchy is nutrition first, strength training second and cardio as the cherry on top. Nikkiey explains that overdoing cardio, especially in a deficit, can cost you muscle and add to cortisol, so she recommends progressive strength training three to four days a week plus 8,000 to 12,000 steps a day.

How much protein do women over 40 need for fat loss?

Across the episodes, Nikkiey gives a range of about 0.7 to 1 gram of protein per pound of body weight, often recommending about one gram per pound, and based on goal weight if you have a lot to lose. She suggests tracking a normal week first and building up gradually rather than jumping overnight.

Do I need a reverse diet before trying to lose fat?

Nikkiey says signs you may need one include eating under 1,500 calories without losing weight, poor sleep, low energy, feeling cold or bingeing when you restrict. Her approach is to add roughly 100 to 150 calories a week, protein first, holding for one to two weeks while watching your biofeedback, until you reach maintenance.

How long does it take to see fat loss results after 40?

Nikkiey explains that noticeable body composition changes typically show up around 8 to 12 weeks, while lasting change can take six months to a year or more. She recommends measuring with clothes, measurements, photos and strength rather than the scale alone.

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