· Max Lowery · Podcast Episode · 2 min read
#100 The Hidden Stress Response Blocking Your Fat Loss After 40 with Brooke Kane
Doing everything right but the weight won’t budge? After 40, stress, gut issues, and blood sugar swings can keep your body in protection mode. In this episode, Max and functional medicine nurse Brooke Kane explain why safety — not restriction — is the real key to fat loss.
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Why Your Body Won’t Lose Weight After 40 (It’s Not Just Hormones or Calories)
You’re eating less. Exercising more. Doing everything “right.” So why won’t the weight budge?
If you’re a woman over 40 blaming perimenopause, hormones, or your age for stubborn belly fat and low energy, this episode will shift everything.
In this powerful conversation, Max sits down with Brooke Kane, registered nurse and functional medicine practitioner, to unpack something most diets completely ignore:
Your body needs to feel safe before it will let go of weight.
Your nervous system is constantly asking one question: Am I safe?
If the answer is no, because of stress, gut dysfunction, blood sugar crashes, nutrient deficiencies, or emotional overwhelm, your body shifts into protection mode.
And protection mode does not prioritize fat loss.
Instead, it conserves. It holds on. It stores.
In this episode, you’ll learn:
Why stress and nervous system dysregulation can block weight loss (even in a calorie deficit)
How gut health and inflammation quietly impact menopause weight gain
The real reason high-achieving women struggle most with stubborn fat
Why trying harder often makes things worse
The truth about perimenopause weight gain (and why you are NOT broken)
How emotional pressure, guilt, and negative self-talk affect fat storage
Why protein, blood sugar stability, and metabolic flexibility matter more after 40
You’ll also hear a refreshing take on hormones:
Perimenopause doesn’t cause the problem — it often reveals deeper issues that were already there.
This episode is especially important if:
You feel stuck despite “doing everything right”
You’re battling sugar cravings and energy crashes
You’ve considered GLP-1 injections like Ozempic
You’re frustrated with belly fat that won’t move
You’re tired of fighting your body
The truth?
Weight loss after 40 isn’t about more restriction. It’s about creating the right internal conditions so your body can respond.
When you calm your nervous system, stabilize blood sugar, improve gut health, and shift your mindset, fat loss becomes a byproduct — not a battle.
If you’re ready to stop blaming yourself and start working with your body instead of against it…
If you’re ready for evidence, not hype, press play.
My calendar for february is now open, and I am taking applications for Food Freedom Breakthrough Calls. We work with a small number of women at a time, so spaces are limited. If you want to break emotional eating for good with clarity and confidence, book your call now.