{"id":15620,"date":"2026-02-17T17:09:15","date_gmt":"2026-02-17T10:09:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/?p=15620"},"modified":"2026-02-17T17:09:15","modified_gmt":"2026-02-17T10:09:15","slug":"how-lifting-weights-after-40-changed-my-relationship-with-food-and-my-body","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/?p=15620","title":{"rendered":"How Lifting Weights After 40 Changed My Relationship With Food and My Body"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-3711241968723425\"\r\n     crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script><br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div>\n<p data-start=\"458\" data-end=\"1030\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-317249 aligncenter lazyload\" src=\"https:\/\/fitbottomedgirls.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/shutterstock_2224641345-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"515\" height=\"290\"\/><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-317249 aligncenter lazyload\" src=\"https:\/\/fitbottomedgirls.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/shutterstock_2224641345-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"515\" height=\"290\" srcset=\"https:\/\/fitbottomedgirls.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/shutterstock_2224641345-scaled.jpg 2560w, https:\/\/fitbottomedgirls.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/shutterstock_2224641345-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/fitbottomedgirls.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/shutterstock_2224641345-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/fitbottomedgirls.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/shutterstock_2224641345-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/fitbottomedgirls.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/shutterstock_2224641345-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/fitbottomedgirls.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/shutterstock_2224641345-2048x1152.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/fitbottomedgirls.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/shutterstock_2224641345-480x270.jpg 480w, https:\/\/fitbottomedgirls.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/shutterstock_2224641345-150x84.jpg 150w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 515px) 100vw, 515px\"\/><\/p>\n<p data-start=\"458\" data-end=\"1030\"><em>Note: The point below includes discussion of disordered eating and an unhealthy relationship with exercise. Please take care while reading if these topics are sensitive for you.<\/em><\/p>\n<p data-start=\"458\" data-end=\"1030\">When I was in my twenties, I worked out a lot. I ran several days a week, pushing myself to be a little faster every time. I not only took several high-intensity yoga classes each week, but my own home practices were much the same. Although I did belong to a gym when I was in my early twenties living in NYC, I mostly used the cardio equipment \u2014 the treadmill, the elliptical machine, and the stairmaster once when it was the only thing available. I generally avoided the weight machines at the gym because I felt silly trying to use them and didn\u2019t want to ask for help.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"1032\" data-end=\"1176\">It occurs to me, as I look back, that none of the exercise I was doing was in service of getting stronger. Instead, I was aiming to get <a href=\"https:\/\/fitbottomedgirls.com\/2025\/01\/episode-153-longevity-training-to-lift-weight-not-to-lose-weight-with-niki-sims\/\">smaller<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"1178\" data-end=\"1439\">This was the mid-to-late 2000s \u2014 a time when Jessica Simpson was called \u201cJumbo Jessica\u201d when she wore high-waisted jeans (she was a size 4), and Tyra Banks told a size 6 model competing on the reality TV show <em data-start=\"1387\" data-end=\"1413\">America\u2019s Next Top Model <\/em>that she was \u201cplus size.\u201d<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"1441\" data-end=\"1649\">Clearly my desire to focus on cardio and yoga was partially in response to a cultural ideal of thinness, but I\u2019d already been battling that demon for a long time before Tyra and Jessica came into the picture.<\/p>\n<p>I have always loved moving my body. I started dancing when I was a kid and sometimes did Jane Fonda workouts with my mom. I kept dancing through high school while also joining the volleyball team. I started running in high school, too, partly as a way to relieve stress and partly for the exercise benefits. When I was in college, I discovered yoga and started attending classes regularly.<\/p>\n<h2 data-start=\"2042\" data-end=\"2072\">Underfueling an Active Body<\/h2>\n<p data-start=\"2074\" data-end=\"2322\">You\u2019d think that because I was incredibly physically active, I ate like an athlete \u2014 but I actually did the opposite. While I genuinely enjoyed all of the physical activities I participated in, a big part of my reason for doing them was to be thin.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"2324\" data-end=\"2400\">So I <a href=\"https:\/\/fitbottomedgirls.com\/2024\/10\/are-you-chronically-underfueled\/\">undernourished<\/a> myself, limiting my calories while pushing my body hard.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"2402\" data-end=\"2659\">And it worked. I did make myself smaller. I also had terrible skin, brittle nails, occasional heart palpitations, and I often felt like I was going to faint. I was ravenous all the time but forced myself to limit my calories, all in the pursuit of thinness.<\/p>\n<h2 data-start=\"2661\" data-end=\"2703\">Postpartum Strength and a Turning Point<\/h2>\n<p data-start=\"2705\" data-end=\"3182\">The idea of being strong didn\u2019t even occur to me until after I\u2019d given birth the first time. Pre-pregnancy, I thought I was plenty strong. I could run six miles and do a handstand. I could hold yoga poses for what felt like an eternity. But after giving birth, none of that made me feel strong. After growing a human in my body and pushing her into the world, I felt overstretched, wobbly, and sore. Plus, I was constantly hungry because nursing is like a high-endurance sport.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"3184\" data-end=\"3292\">Since yoga and running \u2014 my exercise standards \u2014 weren\u2019t working for me, I decided to try strength training.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"3294\" data-end=\"3496\">My intro to strength training was through HIIT, so there was still a little cardio involved, but I was using hand weights, too. For the first time ever (or at least since giving birth), I felt powerful.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"3498\" data-end=\"3581\">I also noticed that my low-calorie, high-intensity workout habit wasn\u2019t helping me.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"3583\" data-end=\"3869\">I was ravenous on days that I did HIIT, so I adjusted accordingly, feeding myself more on those days to account for the greater calorie expenditure. I was still limiting calories on my non-HIIT days, so my food consumption was inconsistent and still in the realm of \u201cnot super healthy.\u201d<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"3871\" data-end=\"4185\">This is a fairly common behavior, by the way, but it\u2019s rooted in diet culture and the idea that you need to earn your calories. The truth was, my body needed a lot more than I was giving it \u2014 even on the days I was lifting weights. I wasn\u2019t really thinking about what it would take to fuel my body or build muscle.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"4187\" data-end=\"4289\">But it was an important step on the path to a healthier relationship with food, my body, and exercise.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"4291\" data-end=\"4356\">It took me years to break this cycle. Diet culture is relentless.<\/p>\n<h2 data-start=\"4358\" data-end=\"4389\">Choosing Strength in Midlife<\/h2>\n<p data-start=\"4391\" data-end=\"4739\">One of the things I realized as I entered my 40s is that I want to be strong as I get older. I don\u2019t want to feel like that clich\u00e9 of aging where everything starts hurting for no reason and taking Advil every day feels necessary just to function. I also don\u2019t want to spend the rest of my life chasing thinness and wishing my body looked different.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"4741\" data-end=\"4939\">Although I can\u2019t pinpoint the exact moment my relationship with food and exercise shifted, I can say that when I started getting serious about lifting heavy, I realized I needed to change how I eat.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"4941\" data-end=\"5201\">While there are many benefits to lifting heavy, the most important ones to me are building muscle and increasing bone density. Yes, you can do this with moderate weights and higher reps \u2014 but it takes longer, and I don\u2019t have hours a day to devote to exercise.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"5203\" data-end=\"5327\">The other piece is that building muscle and bone requires enough food. You can\u2019t skimp on calories if you want to be strong.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"5329\" data-end=\"5408\">It\u2019s also really hard to lift weight heavier than your body if you\u2019re depleted.<\/p>\n<h2 data-start=\"5410\" data-end=\"5442\">Learning to Fuel for Strength<\/h2>\n<p data-start=\"5444\" data-end=\"5571\">When I started lifting heavy more consistently, I noticed I wasn\u2019t just hungrier on lifting days \u2014 I was hungrier all the time.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"5573\" data-end=\"5879\">This felt both natural and scary. Although I\u2019ve done a lot of work around health and body image, I\u2019m still human. I instinctively knew my body needed more food \u2014 especially more protein, since I eat a plant-based diet and hadn\u2019t prioritized it. But I was nervous about how eating more might change my body.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"5881\" data-end=\"6092\">We live in a world where people make judgments about your humanity based on what your body looks like \u2014 particularly as women. Saying your size doesn\u2019t determine your health or strength is easier than living it.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"6094\" data-end=\"6178\">In the end, the desire to be strong won over the fear. And it continues to guide me.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"6180\" data-end=\"6374\">As someone with a history of disordered eating, I didn\u2019t want to track macros, weigh food, or calculate protein grams. Instead, I chose to listen to my body and make smart, supportive decisions.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"6376\" data-end=\"6601\">I did start focusing a bit more on protein \u2014 but not obsessively. The protein hype is exaggerated. You don\u2019t need protein-spiked popcorn just because a Kardashian says so. But aiming for protein in every meal felt manageable.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"6603\" data-end=\"6703\">Some days I fuel before workouts; other days I don\u2019t. I eat a solid lunch and snack when I\u2019m hungry.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"6705\" data-end=\"6934\">And while there\u2019s still a tiny voice encouraging me to eat less or skip dessert, I almost always ignore it. I say \u201calmost\u201d because I\u2019m human. But I no longer believe I need to earn calories or use exercise to make myself smaller.<\/p>\n<h2 data-start=\"6936\" data-end=\"6975\">Strength, Confidence, and Aging Well<\/h2>\n<p data-start=\"6977\" data-end=\"7310\">In the year I\u2019ve been working with barbells and lifting heavy, I feel better in my body than ever. I don\u2019t have the same aches and pains as many people my age (I\u2019m 44). I take three dance classes a week and feel confident dancing with women much younger than me. I am stronger now than I was in my 20s \u2014 even after three pregnancies.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"7312\" data-end=\"7390\">I care a lot less about how my body looks because I\u2019m proud of what it can do.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"7392\" data-end=\"7502\"><strong>And all of this is because I stopped being afraid of food so I could properly fuel my body to lift heavy shit.<\/strong> <em>\u2014Naomi<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-3711241968723425\"\r\n     crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script><br \/>\n<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/fitbottomedgirls.com\/2026\/02\/how-lifting-weights-after-40-changed-my-relationship-with-food-and-my-body\/\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Note: The point below includes discussion of disordered eating and an unhealthy relationship with exercise. Please take care while reading if these topics are sensitive for you. When I was in my twenties, I worked out a lot. I ran several days a week, pushing myself to be a little faster every time. I not &hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-15620","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-fitness"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15620","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=15620"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15620\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=15620"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=15620"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=15620"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}