6 Mistakes Women Make When Trying to Reach Their Health & Fitness Goals

I’ve been involved in training, nutrition and bodybuilding for more than four decades, and I continue to see women make many of the same mistakes when trying to change their bodies.

They’re working hard. They’re doing cardio. They’re eating “healthy.” They’re buying supplements. Yet months later, they’re frustrated because their body hasn’t changed the way they expected.

The problem isn’t always effort.

Sometimes the entire approach is wrong.

Especially for women in their 40s, 50s and beyond, the goal shouldn’t simply be to lose weight. The goal should be to build and maintain muscle, reduce unnecessary body fat, improve strength and create a healthier body that performs better as you age.

Here are six mistakes I see repeatedly.

1. Focusing on Losing Body Fat Instead of Building Muscle

This is probably the biggest one.

Too many women begin with one goal: “I need to lose weight.”

So everything becomes about making the number on the scale smaller.

Less food. More cardio. More calorie restriction.

But what happens to the muscle?

Muscle is what gives your body shape. It contributes to strength and physical function, and maintaining lean mass becomes increasingly important as we age.

I would rather see a woman improve her body composition—more muscle and less body fat—than become obsessed with reaching an arbitrary number on the scale.

Sometimes you don't need to become smaller.

You need to become stronger and leaner.

2. Not Including Enough Resistance Training

Walking is great. Cardio has its place. Being active is important.

But if you want to build muscle, you have to give the muscle a reason to grow.

That means resistance training.

You need exercises that challenge your muscles, and over time that training needs to progress.

You don't need to train like a competitive bodybuilder. But you do need enough resistance, effort and consistency to stimulate adaptation.

I see too many women spend five or six days doing cardio while treating weight training like an afterthought.

For most physique goals, I want that mentality reversed.

Build the muscle first. Use cardio as a tool—not as the entire program.

3. Not Eating Enough

This is one of the hardest things for some women to understand.

They want to lose body fat, so their immediate reaction is:

Eat less. Then eat even less.

Eventually they're trying to train hard while giving their body very little fuel.

Food isn't the enemy.

Protein provides amino acids needed to support muscle repair and maintenance. Carbohydrates can fuel hard training. Dietary fats have important physiological roles.

The answer isn't simply eating more or eating less.

It's eating the appropriate amount for your body, training demands and goal.

A structured nutrition plan should support the work you're asking your body to perform.

4. Expecting Supplements to Change Everything in Three Days

I see this constantly.

Someone starts creatine, omega-3s, magnesium or another supplement on Monday, and by Thursday they're wondering:

“Is this working?”

Supplements aren't magic.

And they're certainly not a replacement for proper nutrition, resistance training, sleep, recovery and consistency.

The word itself tells you what they're designed to do:

SUPPLEMENT the foundation.

Depending on the supplement and the reason you're taking it, benefits may not be something you immediately see or feel.

Give your program time. More importantly, make sure the basics are in place first.

5. Not Checking Your Health and Hormones

This becomes increasingly important as women get older.

You can have the best training program and nutrition plan in the world, but you shouldn't ignore what's happening internally.

That doesn't mean blaming every plateau on hormones or assuming you need hormone therapy.

It means stop guessing.

Appropriate bloodwork, reviewed with a qualified healthcare professional, can provide useful information about your overall health and identify issues that may deserve further evaluation.

If you're constantly exhausted, your recovery has dramatically changed, or you're experiencing other persistent symptoms, don't automatically assume you need another diet or harder workout.

Sometimes you need more information.

6. Snacking Between Meals All Day

This one sounds minor.

It isn't.

A handful of nuts here. A protein bar there. A few bites while cooking dinner. Something from the office. A “healthy” snack before bed.

None of it seems like much individually.

Add it all together over an entire day and it can become significant.

That's why I'm a big believer in structured meals.

Know what you're eating. Know approximately how much you're eating. Make sure you're getting adequate protein and that your carbohydrates and fats match your nutritional needs.

For many people, structure removes the guessing.

Stop Trying to Simply Weigh Less

One of the biggest changes I want women—especially women over 40—to make is changing how they define progress.

Don't judge everything by one number on the scale.

Look at your strength. Look at your measurements. Look at your body composition. Look at how your clothes fit. Look at your training performance. Look at your health markers.

And most importantly, look at what you're building.

Build muscle. Train with resistance. Fuel your body appropriately. Be consistent. Know your health markers. Follow a structured nutrition plan.

Your goal shouldn't just be to occupy less space.

Build a stronger, healthier and more capable body.

— Jimmy Mentis
JM Coaching