Shift that fat already!: The Hormone Factor Explained. Part 2
Support, not force, allows the body to let go.
Mid-life women’s bodies release weight as they feel safe and supported…
If that sentence makes you pause, you’re not alone.
Many women come to Pinch frustrated. They’re eating less, moving more, and doing all the things that once worked — yet the weight won’t budge, especially around the middle. It can feel personal, like a failure of discipline or motivation.
It isn’t.
In Part 1, we explored how hormones change in mid-life and why fat loss becomes less responsive to force. In Part 2, we’re going deeper into why the body resists weight loss under stress — and what actually helps it let go.
The body’s first priority is safety, not weight loss.
Your body’s job is not to fit into jeans or reach a goal weight.
Its job is survival.
In mid-life, that survival system becomes more sensitive. Fluctuating oestrogen, lower progesterone, and changing insulin responses mean the body constantly asks:
“Is this a safe environment, or do I need to conserve?”
When the answer is uncertain, fat loss is put on hold.
This is where many women get stuck — trying harder in a body that’s quietly applying the brakes.
Cortisol: the overlooked hormone in fat loss.
Yes, cortisol is a hormone — and it’s one of the most influential ones when it comes to mid-life weight.
Cortisol rises with:
Undereating or skipped meals
Poor sleep
Over-exercising
Emotional or mental stress
Constant unpredictability
When cortisol stays elevated:
Fat storage increases (especially abdominal fat)
Fat release decreases
Insulin sensitivity drops
Thyroid hormone becomes less effective
This is why doing more can sometimes lead to less progress.
Why consistency works better than extremes.
You may have heard that “keeping the body guessing” helps with fat loss.
In mid-life, the opposite is often true.
Predictable routines send a powerful signal to the nervous system:
Food is reliable. Movement is safe. Recovery is allowed.
This lowers cortisol and allows other hormones — insulin, thyroid, oestrogen — to do their jobs more efficiently.
Consistency doesn’t mean rigidity.
It means reliability.
What ‘safe and supported’ looks like in real life.
This isn’t about perfection. It’s about removing threat signals.
Supportive signals include:
Regular meals with enough protein
Strength-based movement (not punishment-style exercise)
Gentle cardio like walking, swimming, pilates, yoga, biking, gardening, doing household chores
Adequate sleep and recovery
Fewer drastic changes week to week
When these are in place, the body no longer needs to defend its energy stores.
That’s when fat loss becomes possible.
Why the scale isn’t the first sign of progress.
One of the most important mindset shifts in mid-life:
Inflammation reduces before weight does.
Early signs the body is responding:
Better sleep
Reduced bloating
Less joint or muscle pain
Improved energy
A softer waistline or better-fitting clothes
These changes mean stress hormones are settling — even if the scale hasn’t caught up yet.
This is not about ‘going easy’ — it’s about going smart.
Supporting your body does not mean giving up on fat loss.
It means:
Fewer extremes
More patience
Better long-term results
Weight that’s lost from a supported system is far more likely to stay off.
The Pinch approach.
At Pinch, fat freezing is the starting point.
It’s a targeted, physical way to address stubborn fat — especially the kind that’s resistant in mid-life. But during sessions, many women naturally ask a bigger question:
“What else can I do so my body stops fighting me?”
That’s where support beyond the machine comes in.
When a client is open to it, we talk — gently and practically — about lifestyle shifts that are more hormone‑friendly in mid‑life. Not doing more, but often doing less:
Less pressure
Fewer extremes
More consistency
Small changes in eating patterns, movement, and recovery can make fat freezing more effective and help women feel better in their bodies overall. See the “Get Sorted Package” here for more information
And just as importantly — there’s no expectation to change anything beyond the treatment itself. Some women come simply for fat freezing, and that’s absolutely enough. Any additional conversation or suggestions are always optional and guided by what you want support with.
It’s not about fixing or forcing.
It’s about understanding how a mid‑life body works — and giving it fewer reasons to hold on.
Because when the body feels supported, the work we do in clinic is far more likely to last.
— Pinch
