When is the best time to start a new diet? It’s a question so many women over 40 ask themselves. Maybe you’ve thought: “I’ll start after the holiday. I’ll begin when work calms down. I’ll wait until the kids are older, then I can finally focus on me.”
On paper, that sounds reasonable. But in reality? That “perfect time” rarely comes. And while you wait, the challenges of menopause like weight gain, low energy, aching joints, don’t wait with you. They keep building.
The truth is, the best time to start isn’t some magical point in the future. It’s now.
And in this article, I’ll explain why waiting keeps you stuck, how menopause changes the rules of weight loss, and why starting today can be the difference between struggling for years and finally feeling like yourself again.
Why Waiting for the Perfect Time Never Works
For women in their 40s, 50s, and 60s, life often feels like one big juggling act. You’ve built a career, raised a family and the person others turn to. But at some point, you look up and realise your own health has slipped down the list.
Deep down, you know something needs to change, but instead of starting now, you keep waiting because it feels logical to delay.
“I’ll start after the holiday, when I can be stricter.” Or “When work slows down, I’ll finally have the time.” Maybe even “Once the kids are out of the house, I’ll focus on myself.”
The problem is, life never really slows down. There’s always something, work deadlines or a family emergency, kids’ exams or big milestones. Menopause symptoms that leave you exhausted.
If you keep waiting for the “perfect” time, you’ll be waiting forever. And in the meantime the weight creeps up.
Life won’t suddenly get easy. If you want to feel better, you can’t wait for the “perfect” moment. You have to start where you are.
– Rebecca Vears (51), Trinity Client
“Before I started, if I am honest I was at rock bottom. I was a size 22 -24. I weighed 94.35 kgs and I was huge. I have struggled with my weight since my early 20s. I couldn’t have started Trinity at a worse time personally for me (although I believe it saved me!).However, since starting Trinity everything has changed. This program has literally changed my life. I could not afford to sign up last year but I managed to make it work this year and it is the best thing that has ever happened to me.I have lost 16kg and 21 inches all over. I look younger and I feel so much better. I can walk up stairs, I don’t avoid clothes or shops from sheer humiliation and I have a new zest for life.”
When Is The Best Time To Start A Diet?
So let’s go back to the big question: when is the best time to start a new diet if you’re a woman over 40?
The answer is simple, the best time is now.
Not because you need to rush or because you need to be perfect. But because every year you wait, it gets harder. Hormones shift a little more, your joints get a little stiffer and your energy dips a little further.
And the weight creeping on around your middle becomes a little harder to shift.
Starting now means you can get ahead of these changes instead of chasing them. It means you can feel better within weeks instead of continuing to struggle for years.
We’ve worked with women in their 60s who are doing brilliantly. They’ve dropped dress sizes, regained their confidence, and feel younger than they have in decades. But every single one of them says the same thing: “I wish I’d started earlier.”
Don’t make the same mistake.
“I was facing a number of challenges when I joined Trinity – increased weight, eating an unhealthy diet, I was doing very little exercise, my relationships were strained, and I had no real focus, purpose or routine. Through the Trinity program I have lost 2 stone within 4 months to get to my target weight (9 stone). Trinity has developed my confidence, given me a can-do attitude, given me a sense of self-worth, and a clearer focus about what I want for my life! I am mentally stronger and much more confident.”
– Sarah Needham (51), Trinity Client
How You Can Get Started With Your Weight Loss Journey
So, if fad diets and endless cardio sessions don’t work, what does?
At Trinity, we’ve spent years working with women in their 40s, 50s, and 60s, and we’ve learned exactly what delivers results. The answer isn’t complicated, but it is different to what most women have tried before.
It’s about choosing an approach designed for your body at this stage of life, not what worked in your 20s.
This is what you actually need to be doing:
Step 1: Prioritise Low-Impact Strength Training
Strength training is by far the most effective form of exercise for women over 40. Unlike endless cardio or high-impact workouts, it doesn’t spike stress hormones or batter your joints.
Instead, it builds lean muscle, tones your whole body, boosts metabolism, strengthens bones, and even improves mobility. This is crucial during menopause, when muscle naturally declines and bones become weaker.
How to do it:
Start with three sessions per week. Each session should last 40–45 minutes and focus on slow, controlled lifts using bodyweight or moderate weights.
Aim for 5–15 reps per exercise with short rest breaks.
You don’t even need a gym. Many of our clients train effectively from home with a set of dumbbells.
Step 2: Reset Your Nutrition with a Diet Makeover
Hormones and cravings can be a nightmare during menopause. Foods like wheat, alcohol, dairy, and sugar (we call them the “WADS” foods) often make this worse by spiking cravings, causing bloating, and disrupting hormones further.
By removing these for just 1–2 weeks, you break the cycle and give your body a reset.
How to do it:
Cut out WADS foods for a short period. Replace them with lean proteins, vegetables, healthy fats, and smart carbs. Many women drop 4–6 lbs in two weeks from this step alone.
More importantly, they feel clearer, lighter, and more in control of their eating. After the reset, you can reintroduce foods in moderation without slipping back into bad habits.
Step 3: Fuel Your Body Properly
Most women over 40 think eating less is the answer. But under-eating slows metabolism and makes cravings worse. Your body needs the right nutrients to feel energised, lose weight, and balance hormones.
Adequate protein keeps you toned, whilst healthy fats support hormones and smart carbs fuel your energy without crashes.
How to do it:
Build each meal around protein (chicken, fish, eggs, beans, or lean meat). Add a portion of colourful vegetables, some healthy fat (avocado, olive oil, nuts), and a moderate serving of carbs if you’re active.
You don’t need to restrict yourself, instead try to create meals that leave you satisfied and help your body work with you, not against you.
Step 4: Move More Every Day
Sitting too much is one of the silent killers of progress. Many high-achieving women in their 40s barely hit 2,000 steps a day due to work and family commitments.
The less you move, the fewer calories you burn, and the harder it becomes to lose weight without extreme dieting. Walking is a simple, low-stress way to increase activity, burn fat, and improve mood.
How to do it:
You don’t need to hit 10,000 steps. Start by adding an extra 2–3,000 steps to your normal day. That might mean a 20-minute walk at lunch or parking further away from the office.
Over time, aim for 7–8,000 steps a day. An extra 5,000 steps burns around 200 calories, which adds up to a half-pound fat loss every week without changing your diet.
Step 5: Improve Your Sleep
Poor sleep is one of the biggest reasons women struggle with weight loss in menopause. When you don’t get enough rest, hunger hormones go haywire.
Ghrelin (the “I’m hungry” hormone) goes up, while leptin (the “I’m full” hormone) goes down.
Because of this, you feel hungrier, crave more sugar, and struggle to say no. Research shows that even one week of sleeping only 5 hours a night can lead to eating 300 calories more per day.
How to do it:
Aim for 7–8 hours of sleep most nights. To improve your sleep: limit caffeine after midday, create a relaxing bedtime routine, and keep your bedroom cool and dark.
If stress or hormones are disrupting your sleep, simple nutrition changes, lifestyle tweaks, and in some cases, medical support (like HRT) can help.
Even an extra 30–60 minutes of sleep per night can make a huge difference to your energy, mood, and cravings.
Step 6: Invest in Yourself
Here’s the piece most women miss. You’ve spent years putting everyone else first; your kids, your family, your job. But the truth is, you can’t give your best to others if you feel drained, uncomfortable, and stuck.
Investing in yourself is the key to turning everything around.
How to do it:
Shift your perspective. Taking time, money, and energy for your health isn’t selfish, it’s the only way to show up as the best version of you for your family, your work, and yourself.
Many women we work with tell us they hesitated for years, but once they finally invested in themselves, everything improved: their confidence, their energy, their family life, and even their careers come faster than you expect.
Watch How Rachel Lost 5 Stone at 54
How Trinity Can Help You Too
We’ve now helped over 7,000 women transform their bodies and lives. Our success rate? 97%.
And it’s not because we hand out cookie-cutter meal plans or push quick fixes. It’s because we take a different approach.
- Our program is designed specifically for women over 40 going through menopause.
- We don’t rely on drugs or injections that only work while you’re taking them.
- We focus on long-term, sustainable change — not a few weeks of misery.
Many of the women we speak to tell us the same story. They feel fed up. Their clothes no longer fit. Their energy has disappeared. Their bodies ache. And they feel older than they really are.
But they’re stuck waiting. Here’s the truth: there’s never a perfect time. There’s only today and starting today could be the difference between another year of frustration and a future where you feel confident, strong, and full of energy.
