*NEW* Habit of The Week #6
Why Women Over 30 Should Lift Weights for Fat Loss (INSTEAD of Doing More Cardio)
If you’ve been working out, eating healthy, and still wondering why the scale barely moves — this might be the most freeing thing you’ll ever read.
You’ve probably been told to just “eat less and move more.”
So you try to clean things up, do a few extra cardio classes, and push harder in the gym… but your energy drops and your body doesn’t respond the way it used to.
That’s not your fault — and it doesn’t mean your metabolism is broken.
It just means your body is missing something important: muscle.
Muscle isn’t just about looking “toned.”
It’s what keeps your metabolism alive, your hormones balanced, and your energy steady.
When you lift weights, you’re not just burning calories.
You’re rebuilding your body’s internal engine — so you burn fat all day long, not just during your workout.
And the best part?
You don’t need to live in the gym.
Two or three full-body sessions per week is enough to completely change how your body looks, feels, and functions.
Today’s lesson walks you through exactly why lifting matters for fat loss and how muscle changes everything — from your metabolism to your energy to your confidence.
You’ve probably been told that the key to losing fat is to “eat less and move more.”
So you eat cleaner, go for long walks, maybe add in some cardio classes.
You work hard, sweat more, and step on the scale hoping to finally see progress…
But it barely moves (or worse, it goes up.)
That’s the moment most women feel defeated.
You start wondering if your metabolism is broken or if something about midlife just makes it impossible to lose weight anymore.
I get it.
A lof of my clients used to believe the same thing.
When they first started wanting to lose weight, they thought fat loss was about working harder (longer workouts, stricter diets, and fewer “cheat” meals.)
But what they eventually learned was that my body didn’t need more exhaustion.
It needed more muscle.
Most women think the goal of exercise is to burn calories.
That’s what the fitness industry sells (sweat more, lose more.)
But your body doesn’t actually change because of how many calories you burn during a workout.
It changes because of what your body builds afterward.
Muscle is what keeps your metabolism active. It’s what gives your body shape, tone, and energy.
It’s what allows you to eat more food and still lose fat.
Think of muscle as your body’s engine.
The bigger and stronger it is, the more fuel it burns (even while you sleep, work, or sit at your desk.)
When you focus only on cardio, you’re keeping your engine small (burning gas in the moment but not building power for the future.)
When you start lifting weights, you turn that around.
You’re teaching your body to burn fat around the clock, not just during a 45-minute class.
WHY CARDIO ALONE CAN’T GIVE YOU THE RESULTS YOU WANT
Cardio is great for your heart and stress levels but it’s not what gives your body that lean, toned look.
If you’ve ever lost weight only to feel “softer” or “flatter,” it’s because you lost muscle along the way.
Without strength training, your body loses both fat and muscle, which slows your metabolism and makes it easier to regain weight.
That’s why so many women end up stuck in the same cycle:
Lose 10 pounds → gain 15 back → start over again.
It’s not a lack of willpower.
It’s a lack of muscle.
WHY LIFTING IS THE MISSING LINK FOR WOMEN IN THEIR 30s, 40s, AND 50s
During these years, your hormones start shifting and one of the biggest changes is a gradual loss of muscle.
Every decade, the average woman loses 3–8% of her muscle mass.
That means your metabolism naturally slows down unless you give your body a reason to keep that muscle.
Lifting weights is that reason.
When you lift, you:
Protect your bone health and reduce the risk of osteoporosis
Support healthy hormones and metabolism
Improve insulin sensitivity (so your body uses food for energy, not storage)
Build lean muscle that gives your body shape, strength, and energy
And maybe most importantly — you feel capable again.
You stop training just to get smaller and start training to get stronger.
That’s the shift that changes everything.
You’ve probably heard that your metabolism “slows down after 40.”
It’s a common belief and it’s easy to see why so many women feel that way.
You’re eating healthy.
You’re staying active.
Yet your energy feels low, the scale barely moves, and your clothes fit differently.
But here’s the truth:
Your metabolism isn’t broken. It’s just missing muscle.
MUSCLE IS YOUR BODY’S BUILT-IN FAT-BURNING SYSTEM
Your metabolism is a reflection of how much energy your body uses every day.
And the more muscle you have, the more energy you burn — even at rest.
For every pound of muscle you build, your body burns more calories 24/7.
That means lifting weights actually raises your resting metabolism.
When you lose muscle (which naturally happens as we age) your engine slows down.
But when you lift, you rebuild that engine piece by piece.
That’s why women who lift don’t just get stronger… they often start losing fat without drastically changing their diet.
Because muscle is metabolically active tissue.
It works for you around the clock.
MUSCLE ALSO BALANCES YOUR HORMONES
As estrogen and progesterone fluctuate during perimenopause and menopause, many women experience slower fat loss, stubborn belly fat, and low energy.
But muscle helps balance those hormones.
When you strength train, your body becomes more insulin sensitive (using carbs for fuel instead of storing them as fat.)
It also helps regulate cortisol (your stress hormone) and supports healthy thyroid function.
More muscle = better hormone balance = a body that finally responds again.
MUSCLE IS YOUR NATURAL ENERGY BOOST
If you’ve ever felt like no amount of caffeine can fix your fatigue, this is why.
When your muscle mass is low, everyday life feels harder 😴.
You get tired faster, recover slower, and feel drained.
As you build muscle, you move easier, your posture improves, and your stamina increases.
That’s why women who start lifting often say, “I finally feel like myself again.”
Because energy isn’t just about calories — it’s about capacity.
And lifting builds that capacity for more energy, confidence, and joy in daily life.
And here’s the best part:
You don’t have to lift for hours to feel the benefits.
A few pounds of lean muscle can transform your shape, metabolism, and energy.
When you lift weights (even just twice a week,) you’re:
Rebuilding your metabolism
Balancing hormones
Boosting energy and confidence
Improving sleep and recovery
Future-proofing your body for the next decade
Your stacking small wins that add up to big change.
And you don’t need hours in the gym or complicated programs to do so.
You just need to give your body a reason to keep its muscle.
Two or three strength sessions per week can completely change how you look, feel, and function.
Every time you pick up a weight, you’re building resilience — physical, mental, and emotional.
That’s what real empowerment feels like.
Tomorrow, I’ll be tackling one of the biggest reasons most women avoid lifting weights…
The fear of “too bulky.”
You’ll learn why that’s one of the biggest myths in fitness (and how lifting actually creates that lean, confident shape you’ve been chasing for years).
Much love,
Coach Anthony
Wanna work with me 1-on-1? Dm me the word “READY” below👇🏻