The Best Foods to Lose Weight as a Woman Over 40

As women age, their bodies and hormones change dramatically. These shifts make it easier to gain weight, particularly around the middle, and much harder to lose it again using the methods that worked in your 20s or 30s. It leaves many women on the search for the best foods to lose weight…

During menopause, your levels of estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone fluctuate. These changes can lead to a slower metabolism, increased fat storage, and more cravings, making it feel like your body is fighting against you.

Many women step on the scales after a week of “dieting” and feel disheartened when nothing changes—or worse, they gain weight. When progress stalls, motivation plummets. This often leads to feelings of defeat, and many give up, thinking their body is simply “too old” to lose weight.

But here’s the good news: with the right nutrition approach, it is possible to lose weight, especially during menopause or perimenopause. By focusing on the best foods to lose weight specifically for women over 40, you can get the scales moving, drop 1-2 dress sizes, and feel confident again!

But with the right foods, you can work with your body, not against it. In this post, we’ll break down the best foods for weight loss, as well as foods that help with menopause and foods to avoid during menopause for the best results.

There Are No ‘Good’ or ‘Bad’ Foods

A common misconception, especially with many diet plans, is labeling foods as “good” or “bad.” This black-and-white thinking often leads to guilt, and once you’ve eaten a so-called “bad” food, it can feel tempting to throw in the towel entirely.

In reality, it’s all about balance. Learning to understand and read nutrition labels is key. Rather than relying on the misleading traffic light system (which often manipulates portion sizes), focus on comparing foods by their actual nutritional content—calories, protein, and sugars.

At Trinity, we teach our clients to master label-reading so they can make informed choices no matter where they are. This empowers them to lose weight without relying on restrictive meal plans or labeling foods as off-limits.

Avoid Foods That Are High in Calories and Low in Nutrition

When it comes to weight loss, it’s crucial to avoid foods that are high in calories but offer little nutrition. These are typically foods that are high in fats and simple carbs (like sugar or flour). For example:

  • Beige foods: Pastries, biscuits, white bread, pizza.
  • Sugary foods: Chocolate, candy, fizzy drinks.

These types of foods are designed to light up your taste buds, making them difficult to resist. They’re also digested quickly, so they don’t keep you full for long. If you’re sitting at a desk most of the day, it only takes a few extra snacks or indulgences to undo all your hard work.

We recommend going “cold turkey” on these foods for 1-2 weeks to reset your cravings. After this short reset, you can reintroduce them in moderation—around 1-2 times a week or 80% of the time. This is exactly what we do in our Diet Makeover process inside the Fit Over 40 program.

Focus on Protein-Rich Foods

Protein is one of the best foods for weight loss because it’s highly filling and helps you stay fuller for longer. This means you naturally eat fewer calories throughout the day without feeling deprived.

Another benefit of protein? About 30% of the calories from protein are burned just through digestion, meaning you actually absorb fewer calories from protein than from carbs or fats.

For women over 40, getting enough protein is especially important for maintaining muscle mass. As we age, we naturally lose muscle, which slows down our metabolism. But by eating enough protein and combining it with the right strength-based exercise (like our Low Impact Strength Training (LIST) in Fit Over 40), you can maintain muscle, boost your metabolism, and burn more fat.

Aim to include protein with every meal, whether it’s from lean meats, fish, eggs, tofu, or plant-based options like beans and lentils.

Stick to Foods You Don’t Tend to Overeat

We all have certain foods we tend to overeat—whether it’s crisps, biscuits, cheese, or wine. For some women, it’s difficult to have “just one” and stop. If this sounds familiar, it’s important to recognize your trigger foods and minimize them if you want to see progress on the scales.

Instead of banning these foods entirely, find healthier substitutes that won’t trigger overeating. For example:

  • Instead of wine, try a Single Slimline G&T (a quarter of the calories of a typical glass of wine).
  • Instead of chocolate, opt for a low-calorie hot chocolate with sugar-free marshmallows (about 50 calories versus 200-500 calories for a bar of chocolate).

Be Mindful of Alcohol

Alcohol is often overlooked when it comes to weight loss, but it’s one of the biggest culprits of hidden calories. Alcohol is calorie-dense, non-nutritious, and lowers inhibitions, making it more likely that you’ll overeat or make poor food choices.

Even just one glass of wine a night adds up. Over the course of a year, this can lead to gaining a significant amount of weight. We don’t recommend cutting alcohol out entirely—instead, factor it into your calorie allowance. If you know you have an event coming up, balance it by eating smaller meals earlier in the day.

In our Fit Over 40 program, we show women how to enjoy alcohol in moderation without it impacting their weight loss results.

Cut Down on Sugary Foods

Sugar is a major contributor to weight gain, especially around menopause. Foods high in sugar lead to spikes in blood sugar, followed by crashes that trigger cravings. The more sugar you eat, the more you’ll crave it.

The most effective way to break this cycle is to cut out sugar entirely for a short time. In our Diet Makeover, we ask our clients to eliminate sugar and other processed foods for just two weeks. This drastically reduces their cravings and helps them stay on track with healthier eating.

Include Foods That Help with Menopause

During menopause, certain foods can help balance hormones and alleviate symptoms. Incorporating foods rich in phytoestrogens (natural compounds that mimic estrogen) can help reduce hot flashes and other symptoms. Some great options include:

  • Flaxseeds
  • Soy products (tofu, edamame)
  • Whole grains (oats, quinoa)

Also, foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids (like salmon, walnuts, and flaxseed) support heart health and reduce inflammation, which can be particularly beneficial during menopause.

Foods to Avoid During Menopause

Just as there are foods that help with menopause, there are also foods to avoid during menopause to manage weight and symptoms effectively. These include:

  • Processed foods: Full of sugar, refined carbs, and unhealthy fats.
  • High-caffeine drinks: Can trigger hot flashes and disrupt sleep.
  • Excess alcohol: Disrupts hormone balance and adds unnecessary calories.

Ready to Make a Change?

If you’ve been struggling to lose weight in your 40s or 50s and feel like nothing works, now is the time to make a change. The right foods, combined with an approach designed for women over 40, can help you see the results you deserve—whether that’s dropping a couple of dress sizes or losing 15-25 pounds.

Take the next step today by choosing one of the following:

By following these tips and focusing on foods that nourish your body, you’ll be well on your way to reaching your weight loss goals—even through menopause!

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