Case 2. Loss of Body Tone and Weight Gain in Women 40+

Client: 44 years old, married, three children, office-based work 4 days per week.

Complaints:

• loss of body tone,

• gradual weight gain,

• feeling that she could no longer get her body back under control,

• no visible result after 6 months of working with a nutritionist,

• desire to receive a fitness programme for weight loss and improved body tone,

• knee pain after attempts to return to running.

Lifestyle patterns:

• most of her working days were spent sitting at a computer,

• she had never trained seriously or consistently,

• in the past, she mostly maintained her shape through food restriction,

• she used to run occasionally, but stopped because of knee pain,

• she wanted to lose weight and improve body tone, but without excessive physical load,

• she loved good food and did not want her whole life to revolve around food control,

• she was already working with a dietitian, but did not see the changes she expected,

• the need to constantly control food created tension and frustration,

• giving up favourite meals became another source of inner resistance,

• despite making an effort, she did not understand why her body no longer responded the way it used to.

PHASE I. Assessment and Analysis

At Phase I of our work we clarified that her deeper values were connected with health, confidence, femininity, freedom, family life, pleasure and long-term independence.

- In the present she wanted to feel good in her body again, regain tone, reduce the feeling of weight gain and stop living in constant control around food.

- In the long term, after menopause, she wanted to remain active, strong, attractive, mobile and independent. It was important for her not only to look better, but also to have a body that allowed her to play with her children, move freely, walk, run and participate in family life without pain or a sense of limitation.

Phase I helped us see that the problem was not caused by one isolated factor.

• Her nutrition was already controlled, but the process of control itself had become an additional source of stress.

• The lack of result after several months of effort increased her frustration and the feeling of losing control.

• During the assessment, it became clear that her recovery was insufficient: her body was not getting enough resources for normal adaptation to exercise, appetite regulation and stable energy.

• Stress and insufficient recovery increased food cravings, especially in moments of tiredness, tension and the need for quick relief.

• Sleep turned out to be an important factor: even if the duration seemed acceptable, the quality of recovery was not sufficient.

• Her daily movement level was low because of office work and family responsibilities.

• She had no strength training base, so her body lacked muscular support, stability and a clear stimulus for improving tone.

• Running technique analysis showed an inefficient movement pattern: load was distributed unevenly between the foot, lower leg, knee, hip, pelvis and trunk. Part of the shock absorption and stabilisation was compensated for through the knee joints, instead of a more coordinated contribution from the feet, gluteal muscles, hips and trunk. This increased mechanical stress on the knees and explained why running quickly became painful.

• Her previous weight-control strategy was based mainly on food restriction, rather than on building strength, muscle mass, movement capacity, recovery and a sustainable routine.

She came for a fitness programme, but first it was important to understand why her body was not responding to the effort she was already making.

For this reason, we did not start immediately with a weight-loss programme. The main focus was to rebuild the foundation:

• reduce some of the stress factors that affected sleep, recovery and appetite,

• improve recovery and sleep quality,

• reduce the feeling of constant control around food,

• learn to recognise signals of hunger, fullness, fatigue and tension more accurately,

• gradually bring movement back without increasing knee pain,

• prepare the body for strength work and running,

• create a more flexible food strategy without completely removing favourite meals.

The aim was not to “force the body to lose weight”, but to create a system that could support body composition, strength, recovery and consistency in her actual life.

PHASE II. Core Lifestyle Work

Over the first two months of Phase II, we worked not only with training, but also with the factors that were limiting recovery and adaptation.

- First, we identified stress factors that were maintaining tiredness, worsening sleep and increasing food cravings. Part of the tension was connected not only with general load and family responsibilities, but also with the feeling that food had to be constantly controlled while the expected result still did not come.

- When some of these factors were adjusted, sleep and recovery started to improve. As a result, food cravings decreased, especially the need to use food to relieve tension or compensate for tiredness.

- At the same time, we used mindful awareness methods. The client learned to notice body signals earlier: hunger, fullness, fatigue, tension, the desire to eat because of stress or the need for a pause. This helped her distinguish physical hunger from emotionally driven food cravings more clearly. Gradually, her appetite became more manageable. It became easier for her to make food choices without constant inner pressure and without the feeling that favourite foods were completely forbidden.

- After that, we moved on to adapting cardiovascular exercise and introducing simple strength exercises. The first goal was not to burn as many calories as possible, but to help her body feel trainable again.

—  The programme included exercises for the legs, hips, glutes, trunk, back and upper body. A separate focus was placed on strength and movement control needed for better-quality running: pelvic stability, gluteal function, knee control, foot strength, coordination and gradual tissue adaptation to load.

— Because the client wanted to continue running and also be able to run and play with her children, we also worked on running technique. The focus was on more even load distribution, reducing excessive stress on the knees and improving coordination between the foot, hip, pelvis and trunk.

- In parallel, we reviewed her daily activity. Instead of relying only on separate workouts, we added realistic movement throughout the week: walking, short movement breaks and small activity targets that could fit around office work and family life.

During the third month of Phase II, the focus shifted towards autonomy. The client learned to recognise which types of movement supported her body, which exercises overloaded her knees, how to regulate intensity and how to make food choices without falling into an all-or-nothing pattern.

 By the end of the main phase, she had a clearer understanding of why her previous approach had stopped working. Her body did not need stricter restrictions. It needed better recovery, lower accumulated load, a strength base, well-adapted cardiovascular exercise and a calmer relationship with food.

PHASE III. Ongoing Support and Progression

After completing the main work, the client chose to continue with an individual fitness programme focused on progressive strength training, knee support, improved running technique, mobility and body composition.

The next stage is focused on gradually increasing strength, improving muscle tone, adapting cardiovascular load, supporting metabolism and rebuilding confidence in her body.

The long-term goal is not only weight loss. The goal is to build a body that feels stronger, more resilient and better supported through the menopause transition and after menopause, while keeping normal food, pleasure and everyday life included.