Why ‘Just Move More’ Doesn’t Work for Fat Loss After 35

“Just move more and eat less.” That might’ve worked in your 20s. A few extra walks, cutting back on takeaways, and the weight came off. But after 35, it’s not that simple anymore.

At Strength Lab, we hear this frustration all the time: “I’m walking every day, I’ve cut down on snacks, and I’m still not losing fat.”

If that’s you, you’re not broken. You’re just in a new phase of life, one that requires more structure, not just more movement.

Here’s why the “move more” advice falls short after 35 and what actually works when your metabolism isn’t doing you any favours.

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The Problem With ‘Just Move More’

Don’t get us wrong, movement matters. Walking, standing, fidgeting, playing with the kids, getting your steps up… it all helps.

But for real body composition change? You need more than extra steps and salad swaps.

Why ‘move more’ stops working:

• You burn fewer calories than you think: That 45-minute walk might burn 150-200 calories. A muffin wipes that out in minutes.
  
• Hormones change with age: Testosterone, growth hormone and insulin sensitivity all decline. For women, oestrogen shifts dramatically after pregnancy or through perimenopause.
  
• Muscle mass drops: Sarcopenia (age-related muscle loss) kicks in from your 30s, reducing your resting metabolism.
  
• Your lifestyle changes: Less sleep, more stress, longer workdays and family responsibilities mean recovery and consistency are harder to come by.
  

Simply doing more of what you did at 25 doesn’t fix the problem, it often just creates more fatigue with no reward.

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What Changes After 35 (and What Doesn’t)

What Doesn’t Work Like It Used To:

• Long cardio sessions to “burn off” fat
  
• Restrictive diets with minimal protein
  
• Training without tracking or progression
  
• Skipping resistance training for HIIT circuits
  
• Going hard Monday-Thursday and winging the weekend
  

What Still Works (Even Better Now):

• Prioritising strength training
  
• Eating enough protein to preserve lean mass
  
• Managing stress and improving sleep
  
• Structured, progressive training plans
  
• Nutritional consistency over time, not perfection
  

This is the difference between spinning your wheels and seeing measurable change.

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How Strength Lab Coaches Fat Loss After 35

We don’t do cookie-cutter programs or “one-size-fits-all” macros. We coach real people with real lives—fathers juggling work and family, women returning postpartum, and busy professionals trying to get their edge back.

Here’s what works for them and will likely work for you too.

1. Prioritise Strength Over Steps

Steps support energy expenditure, but muscle is your metabolic engine. It burns more calories at rest, improves insulin sensitivity and reshapes your body.

After 35, you need to fight to preserve and build muscle.

Your weekly non-negotiable:

• 3-4 structured strength sessions
  
• Focus on full-body compound lifts (squats, presses, rows, deadlifts)
  
• Progressive overload—track weights and improve week to week
  
• Short, intense sessions if time is tight (30–45 minutes works)
  

It’s not about training more. It’s about training with purpose.

2. Fuel Your Training (Don’t Starve Yourself)

Cutting calories too hard, especially without enough protein, leads to:

• Muscle loss
  
• Hormonal disruption
  
• Poor recovery
  
• Binge-restrict cycles
  

After 35, your body doesn’t bounce back the way it used to. That’s why a moderate deficit, high protein intake and strategic refeed periods work far better.

Quick tips:

• Eat 1.6-2.2g of protein per kg of body weight daily
  
• Structure meals around protein first, not carbs or fat
  
• Don’t fear carbs around training, they fuel performance and recovery
  
• Avoid extreme restriction, especially if sleep and stress are poor
  

Fat loss is harder with age, but smarter nutrition makes it achievable and sustainable.

3. Rethink Stress and Recovery

You can’t out-train a stressed, sleep-deprived body. Cortisol, inflammation and poor recovery are common fat loss blockers for a lot of our clients.

What helps:

• Walks over extra cardio on high-stress days
  
• Minimum 7 hours of sleep, even if it’s broken
  
• No late-night screens, caffeine after 2pm or heavy meals right before bed
  
• Diaphragmatic breathing or stretching post-training
  
• Program deloads or rest weeks every 4-6 weeks
  

Train hard when you can recover well. Don’t just push through for the sake of it.

4. Track Something You Can Improve

If your plan is “move more, eat better” with no real structure, it’s no wonder results stall. You need data, not guesswork.

What to track:

• Weekly strength numbers (weights, reps)
  
• Daily protein intake
  
• Steps or movement totals
  
• Sleep quality and duration
  
• Body measurements or progress photos (if fat loss is your goal)
  

This doesn’t mean obsessing. It means giving yourself clear markers of progress, so you know what’s working and what needs adjusting.

5. Reframe What Progress Looks Like

After 35, progress isn’t always a dramatic weight drop. You might be:

• Rebuilding lean mass you lost over the last few years
  
• Shifting body fat while maintaining your weight
  
• Improving energy, strength and mobility
  
• Reconnecting with your training identity post-parenthood
  

If you’re chasing only scale weight, you’ll miss the real transformation.

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How A Strength Lab Tailored Program Can Help

Mahran’s 6-pack abs for his 40th birthday

After 15 years of training on his own, Mahran wanted to reach his ultimate fitness goal: a defined 6-pack by his 40th birthday. Despite training consistently since he was 25, he’d struggled to achieve the body composition and 6 pack he always wanted. 

With personalised guidance from Strength Lab, Mahran didn’t just meet his goal, he exceeded it. In just 10 weeks, he achieved a 6-pack, lost 11kg of body fat and celebrated his 40th feeling and looking his best. 

Read about Mahran’s Strength Lab coaching program here.

Callum’s 19kg Transformation at 46

At 46 years old, Callum was unhappy with his body, carrying extra weight around his belly and love handles. Weighing 98kg, he struggled with low energy and lacked confidence in his appearance.

Determined to make a change, Callum joined Strength Lab, Melbourne’s leading personal training studio. With a tailored program and expert coaching, Callum lost 19kg, shedding stubborn fat and building a muscular, athletic physique.

Read about how Callum achieved his transformation at Strength Lab here.

Jess’ Transformation to a Bodybuilding Champion at 43

At 43 years old, Jess, a devoted mum, set her sights on an extraordinary goal: competing in a bodybuilding show. Balancing her family commitments and fitness ambitions, she turned to Strength Lab for expert guidance to achieve what seemed like an impossible dream.

Not only did Jess compete, but she also won three first-place trophies, showcasing her dedication, discipline, and incredible transformation.

Read more about how Strength Lab helped Jess achieve her goals here.

Tim Achieving the Best Shape of His Life at 40

As Tim approached his 40th birthday, he set himself a challenge: to get into the best shape of his life and celebrate this milestone with confidence and pride. He wanted to be 6-pack shredded for a photoshoot and prove that age is no barrier to achieving extraordinary results.

“I’ve never been in this kind of shape before,” Tim says. “The team at Strength Lab helped me achieve something I once thought was out of reach.”

Discover how Tim achieved his best shape at 40 with Strength Lab’s support here.

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Final Word: You Need a Smarter Strategy, Not More Movement

After 35, your body has changed and your approach to fat loss needs to evolve with it.

Walking is great. Eating better matters. But if you want real, lasting results? You need progressive strength training, adequate protein, smarter nutrition and support that fits your life stage.

At Strength Lab, we coach men and women through fat loss in their 30s, 40s, 50s and beyond with programs that work for busy schedules, real responsibilities and changing bodies.