Louise Digby explains why exercise alone often doesn’t drive fat loss, especially for women in their late 30s, 40s and beyond, and why doing more workouts can backfire. She shares client examples where high-intensity training combined with under-fuelling led to stress, increased hunger, fatigue, inflammation, cravings, sleep disruption and sluggish thyroid function, and how reducing intensity, prioritising recovery, increasing calories and improving nourishment helped symptoms resolve and weight begin to shift. Louise outlines how the body compensates after workouts through reduced daily movement, increased appetite, improved efficiency and stress responses, and emphasises that fat loss happens when internal conditions are right: energy availability, hormone signalling (insulin, thyroid, cortisol), nutrient sufficiency, nervous system state, sleep and muscle mass. She invites listeners to a free masterclass on releasing stubborn weight over 40.

00:00 Exercise Truth Bomb
01:26 Why More Workouts Fail
03:02 CrossFit Overtraining Case
06:32 Hidden Compensation Effects
09:04 Midlife Stress and Recovery
11:21 Holiday Weight Loss Paradox
12:45 What Exercise Signals
15:22 Real Drivers of Fat Loss
18:18 Key Takeaways and Masterclass

Register for my free masterclass: https://www.louisedigbynutrition.com/meno-belly