Why You're Gaining Weight Despite Doing Everything Right: The Hidden Truth Women Aren't Told

You're eating well. You're training. You're walking 10,000 steps a day.

You're sleeping by 10pm. You drink your herbal teas, take your supplements, avoid gluten & dairy, and limit sugar.

You might even be strength training and managing your caffeine.

So why does the scale keep creeping up? Why do your clothes feel tight? Why are you bloated, foggy, and frustrated, despite doing everything "right"?

Why do you feel so exhausted all the time despite getting adequate sleep?

As a holistic coach and personal trainer for women in their 30s, 40s, 50s plus I see this every day.

And the truth is: your body is not broken. But it is trying to tell you something. And if you feel tired, puffy, inflamed, or stuck in a body that no longer feels like yours, keep reading. This blog is for you.

1. Why You Feel Tired, Inflamed and Gaining Weight Despite Sleeping and Eating Well

   
   

You're sleeping, but you wake up unrefreshed. You're eating well, but you're still bloated. You're training, but you're gaining fat. These are classic signs of nervous system overload and metabolic dysregulation, usually driven by chronic cortisol elevation.

You may not feel stressed. But stress isn't just mental. It's:

• Always being busy

• Being responsible for everyone else

• Multitasking all day

• Eating on the go

• Never pausing to truly rest

Your body perceives this constant "on" state as a threat. So even if you're meditating for 10 minutes, your body is still bathing in stress hormones. And high cortisol = fat storage, especially around the belly.

2. Stress & Hormones: The Fat-Gaining Loop No One Talks About

   
   

Cortisol is a survival hormone. When it's high for too long, it:

• Increases blood sugar

• Encourages fat storage (especially visceral fat)

• Suppresses thyroid and slows metabolism

• Disrupts ovulation and reduces progesterone

Low progesterone = more PMS, heavier periods, poor sleep, bloating, water retention, anxiety, and weight gain.

If you're perimenopausal or postmenopausal, this stress-fat loop becomes even harder to break. And if you're undereating or overexercising, it only adds fuel to the fire.

3. Why Grazing, Low-Calorie Diets, and Too Much Cardio Make Weight Gain Worse

   
   

You're eating light meals, grazing throughout the day, cutting calories, and yet you're gaining.

Here's why:

• Grazing keeps insulin high and never lets your digestion reset

• Too little protein = blood sugar crashes and hormone imbalance

• Too much cardio = more cortisol

• Not enough rest = no recovery = more inflammation

Even good habits (like exercise) can backfire if your body is inflamed, underfed, and overstimulated.

4. What To Eat To Support Hormones & Lower Stress

   
   

It's not about cutting more out. It's about putting the right things in.

Here's what your hormones need:

Protein (every meal):

• Organic eggs, wild fish, lentils, tempeh, chicken, protein powder

• Aim for 25–30g per meal

  
  

Healthy fats:

• Olive oil, avocado, tahini, flaxseed, ghee (if tolerated)

• Needed for hormone production

  
  

Complex carbs (yes, carbs!):

• Sweet potato, squash, quinoa, buckwheat, oats

• Balance cortisol and support thyroid

Mineral-rich foods:

• Sea salt, nettle tea, cooked greens, bone broth

• Nourish your adrenals and nervous system

Blood sugar balance is everything. It reduces cortisol, supports your cycle, and stops the 3PM crash. Start your day with protein + fat, eat grounding lunches, and have a light dinner, no grazing.

5. You Can't Heal in Survival Mode

   
   

If your body is in survival mode, it won't release fat. Not because it's stubborn. Because it's smart.

Your job isn't to do more. It's to do what creates safety.

• Strength train 2–3x per week

• Walk outside daily (sunlight = cortisol rhythm reset)

• Eat full meals with protein

• Cut the caffeine after noon

• Pause between tasks

• Prioritise deep rest (nervous system healing)

The Bottom Line

You're not lazy. You're not doing it wrong. You're not broken.

But the old rules, calories in, calories out, eat less, move more, don't work for a body under stress or moving through hormonal shifts.

If you're tired of doing everything right and still gaining weight, it's time to shift from control to connection.

Your body wants to feel safe. Start there.

If you're ready to beat the blues, to finally feel in control of your body and stop suffering for good, send me a message and I would love to help you feel yourself again.

I've been there and felt the pain and I know how hard it is! But not for long! There IS a way out and it's not as hard as you think!

Lots of love,

Farzana ♥️