5 Popular “Health Hacks” That Actually Make Weight Loss Harder After 40

If I see one more 20-something fitness influencer with washboard abs promote a “health hack” for dropping two pants sizes in 10 days, I am going to LOSE IT.

The fitness advice that works for women in their 20s doesn’t cut it for women over 40. In fact, the most popular trends in health and weight loss can actually make it harder for women over 40 to lose weight.

Your body isn’t broken–you just need to take a different approach to getting lean and maintaining a healthy weight. Here are the top five popular trends to avoid if you’re trying to lose weight after 40:

#1 Intense Cardio-Heavy Training Plans

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This is a popular weight loss strategy pushed by TV infomercials and now social media influencers: “if you do this special workout every day for two weeks you will lose eight to 15 pounds”.

Sweaty workouts trick your brain into thinking that the exercise is more effective than your usual routine. But multiple days of intense cardio is more likely to trigger a stress response that tells the body to cling on to extra body fat for dear life.

To lose weight after 40, balance is key. Your weekly exercise plan should include zone two cardio, sprints/intervals and strength training. And the key to hormonal health is providing the body a healthy balance of carbs, fats, fiber and protein–all four nutrients are required.

Stars + Honey collagen protein bars are one of the few prepared snacks on the market with macros that meet the needs of women over 40. Each bar has 15g of protein and only 2g of sugar without skimping on carbs, fats or fiber.

#2 Extreme Diets Or Cleanses

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Extreme diets have been with us since at least the 1950s. The grapefruit diet. The wine & egg diet. The master cleanse. You can probably name at least three more.

These diets might have worked for you in your 20s and 30s. And that is because a body with balanced hormones can tolerate some short term malnutrition (yup, that’s what’s happening here) in order to drop weight.

But after 40, your entire body becomes more sensitive to extremes. Eating <1,400 calories a day and cutting out key nutrients is more likely to trigger a state of stress. 

In this stressed state, your body will down-regulate your metabolism in order to hold on to fat. This is a relic of our hunter-gatherer past, when food was not reliable. If we didn’t hold on to body fat during hard times, we would not survive.

To lose weight after 40, you need to think long term. A moderate calorie deficit maintained over several months will get you further than a one week crash diet.

Stars + Honey bars help nourish your body while maintaining a calorie deficit. Each bar has 15g of protein from three different sources, but is only 180 calories. The high protein to sugar ratio will keep you feeling full for hours, leading to less snacking.

#3 “If It Fits Your Macros”

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“If it fits your macros”–or IIFYM for short–means that you can eat whatever you want, so long as you meet your calorie, protein, carb and fat goal for the day.

In practice, this often means under-eating at breakfast and lunch so you can save your calories for a “cheat food” at dinner.

This strategy can work for some women over 40, but not in the long term. And that is because loading your calories and macros into treats and snacks can result in under-nourishment.

Under-nourishment makes it even harder for your body to maintain a healthy, balanced state and a strong, dynamic metabolism.

You can still lose weight without swearing off treats entirely. Make room for your favorite foods in your diet, but be mindful of emotional eating vs true enjoyment.

Stars + Honey bars help you reduce your overall appetite for treats because they fight sugar cravings three ways:

1. Dessert inspired flavors take the edge off your cravings.
2. 15g of protein satisfies your craving at the root (that’s right: sugar cravings are a sign your body needs more protein).
3. A high protein to sugar ratio keeps you feeling fuller longer, quieting “food noise”.

#4 Intermittent Fasting

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This is another diet hack that can work for some women in small doses. But, if pursued long term by women over 40, it can make weight loss feel nearly impossible.

The most well-known intermittent fasting strategy is skipping breakfast and eating the first meal around noon. 

This works fine for many men, but it can cause hormonal havoc for women over 40. Eating within 60 minutes of waking helps women regulate their cortisol levels, which naturally peak at wake-up time and decline throughout the day. 

Eating an AM meal also helps women regulate Leptin levels–this is the hormone that signals feelings of hunger and fullness. 

Women who skip breakfast for weeks and months at a time might find their weight loss efforts stall, or even see their metabolism slow down.

Instead of skipping breakfast, make it high protein, low sugar and (if you’re not a morning person) low calorie. A Stars + Honey bar, paired with a skim milk latte, is a quick, easy and delicious way to get 25g of protein in under 300 calories.

#5 Artificial Sweeteners And Other Engineered Foods

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Artificial sweeteners like Stevia seem like the “cheat code” of weight loss: you can still get the taste of dessert without the calories. 

Unfortunately, artificial sweeteners are too good to be true. Because they taste so much like real sugar, these sweeteners trigger intense sugar cravings in many women, making it harder to stick to your diet plan.

Artificial sweeteners also cause gut irritation in many women. At best, this leads to bloating, cramps and gas. At worst, this disrupts the gut microbiome, disrupting hormone levels and slowing down the metabolism.

“Modified fats” like EPG (esterified propoxylated glycerol) have the same negative effects on the gut. These are chemicals engineered to taste like fats, without the calories.

You can still satisfy your sweet tooth without the artificial sweeteners. Stars + Honey bars have only 2g of natural sugar and no artificial sweeteners, gluten, dairy or soy.

They use the same techniques as gourmet chefs to create recipes that taste like dessert without the sugar.

Why Stars + Honey Bars Are Perfect For Women Over 40 Who Want To Get Lean

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Losing weight after 40 is harder, but it’s not impossible. Stars + Honey bars are the perfect snack to support you in your fitness journey:

• 15g of protein to keep you full.
• 3 unique sources of protein (collagen, nut and pea) to provide a broad spectrum of nutritional benefits.
• Only 2g of natural sugar to keep cravings in check.
• Added collagen peptides to support skin, hair, gut and joint health.
• Only 180 calories, but formulated to keep you full for hours so you’ll snack less.
• No gluten, dairy, soy, sugar alcohols, Stevia or seed oils, so it won’t disrupt your gut.
• Delicious dessert-inspired flavors, so Stars + Honey becomes a healthy habit you’ll look forward to each day.

Thousands of women over 40 have purchased Stars + Honey bars, and keep coming back:

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For a limited time, enjoy 10% off your first box of Stars + Honey bars!