Movement Mindset Releases Stubborn Weight 

Movement Without Obsession Series

What if stubborn weight isn’t about doing more… but about changing how you move and who is doing the moving?

In this Weight Loss for Women Over 40 podcast, we are continuing with the Movement Without Obsession series. In this episode,  Nicole Ternay shares why chasing calorie burns, extreme workouts, and all-or-nothing exercise patterns can keep women stuck. After more than 24 years in the weight loss industry, Nicole reveals what she has seen in thousands of women: the women who exercise the hardest are not always the ones who maintain their results.

Nicole explores the powerful connection between movement and mindset, why your nervous system responds differently when exercise comes from punishment versus self-respect, and how strength training, walking, and consistent movement can support healthy aging, confidence, and lasting transformation.

If you are tired of using exercise as a way to fix yourself, this episode will help you create a new relationship with movement…one built on compassion, strength, and becoming the woman you were meant to be.

If you’re realizing this isn’t just about food tips or fitness advice...and you’re ready to transform your relationship with your body, your identity, and your next chapter...we’d love to welcome you. Join the MavenHeart Membership today and step into a community where you truly belong. If you are ready for more personalized help apply for private coaching HERE.

 

 

 

 

         

 

 

 

 

 

Movement + Mindset Releases Stubborn Weight: Why Changing How You Move Can Transform Your Body

Movement Without Obsession Series

For years, women have been taught that stubborn weight comes down to one simple formula: eat fewer calories, follow the right diet, and exercise harder.

How many calories are you eating?
What diet are you following?
How intense are your workouts?
How many calories did you burn?

But what if stubborn weight is not always about doing more?

What if the missing piece is not another workout plan, another restrictive diet, or pushing yourself harder?

What if the real transformation begins when you change your relationship with movement?

Because movement and mindset work together. One without the other can keep you stuck in the same patterns you have been trying to escape for years.

And this is something I know deeply because I have spent more than two decades in the weight loss industry. I have trained thousands of women. I have been a personal trainer, taught fitness classes, led boot camps, and coached women through countless weight loss journeys.

I have taught Zumba, Pilates, yoga, cardio kickboxing, and strength training. I have spent years watching women push themselves harder and harder in pursuit of a smaller body.

And what I discovered changed the way I view weight loss forever.

The women who exercised the most were not always the women who maintained their weight loss.

Why More Exercise Does Not Always Equal Better Weight Loss Results

We have been conditioned to believe that if we simply do more, we will finally get the results we want.

More workouts.
More intensity.
More discipline.
More restriction.

But eventually, that approach catches up with you.

I watched women exercise for hours every week while secretly hating every workout. I watched women push through injuries because they believed pain meant progress. I watched women use exercise as punishment for what they ate.

And yes, some women lost weight.

But many gained it back because they could not sustain the lifestyle they created.

They were exhausted.

They were burned out.

They were constantly fighting against themselves.

Then I noticed something interesting.

There were women who were not spending hours in the gym. They were not trying to “earn” their food. They were not obsessively tracking every calorie burned.

They simply moved consistently.

They enjoyed movement.

They trusted themselves.

And over time, their bodies changed.

That was when I realized movement is not just about calories burned.

Movement is communication with your body.

Stubborn Weight Is Not Just About Hormones and Metabolism

Now, before anyone misunderstands me, hormones, metabolism, aging, and other physical factors absolutely matter.

Especially for women over 40.

Our bodies change. Our hormones change. Our muscle mass naturally declines if we do not actively maintain it.

But there is another piece that is often overlooked.

The stress you bring into your workouts.

Think about how many times you have started a workout thinking:

“I need to burn off what I ate.”

“I was bad yesterday, so I have to make up for it.”

“I skipped three days, so now I need to do extra.”

Your body is not just experiencing movement.

Your nervous system is experiencing pressure.

It hears punishment.

And when your workouts become another place where you criticize yourself, shame yourself, and prove your worth, movement becomes another form of self-abandonment.

Exercise matters. I absolutely believe movement is important.

But you do not have to exercise to lose weight.

I teach this inside my Master Your Mind, Change Your Body program because weight loss begins with your mindset.

However, I still want you to move.

Because your body was designed to move.

You were not created to sit in a chair all day and disconnect from your body.

I always reference the movie WALL-E because it paints a picture of what can happen when humans stop moving and become completely dependent on technology and convenience.

Movement matters because your future self matters.

Especially as you get older.

Movement Is About Longevity, Strength, and Independence

I am turning 53 soon, and one of the things that matters deeply to me is maintaining my independence as I age.

I do not want to live to 110 just to spend my final decades unable to do anything for myself.

I want to live fully.

I want strength.

I want balance.

I want energy.

That means movement has to be part of my life.

For women over 40, 50, and 60, strength training is one of the best investments you can make.

Building muscle matters.

Bone health matters.

Balance matters.

Your cardiovascular health matters.

These things are not just about looking different.

They are about living differently.

Can you get up from the floor?

Can you carry your groceries?

Can you play with your grandchildren?

Can you travel and explore the world?

These are the reasons we move.

Not because we hate our bodies.

Because we respect them.

You Do Not Have to Destroy Your Body to Change It

I remember years ago when I was running fitness programs and doing contests. One woman won a challenge, and she looked incredible.

She felt great about her progress.

But she was always in pain.

At that point in my career, I still had more of a dieter mentality, and I thought, “Well, maybe that is just the sacrifice you make.”

But after 24 years in this industry, I see things differently.

You do not have to destroy your body to change it.

Most women get better results by becoming more consistent instead of more intense.

Think about what is more sustainable:

Three or four quality strength training sessions each week.

Walking regularly.

Moving after meals.

Stretching.

Living an active lifestyle.

Or pushing yourself into exhaustion for 90 days, quitting, and starting over again six months later.

Consistency wins.

But consistency is not about forcing yourself into another rigid schedule.

Consistency comes from identity.

It comes from becoming the woman who takes care of herself.

Stop Chasing the Calorie Burn

One of the biggest mindset shifts I want women to make is to stop chasing the calorie burn.

I know because I used to do this too.

I was obsessed with the numbers.

The calories.

The steps.

The data.

And honestly?

The data became another way for me to beat myself up.

Instead of asking:

“How many calories did I burn?”

Start asking better questions.

Did I build strength today?

Do I feel better after moving my body?

Did I create energy?

Did I show myself that I can keep promises to myself?

Did I leave my workout feeling better than when I started?

These questions create a completely different relationship with exercise.

They move you out of punishment and into empowerment.

Your Identity Determines Your Consistency

This is where mindset changes everything.

The woman who believes she always quits will eventually quit.

The woman who believes she hates exercise will always look for reasons not to move.

The woman who believes she is too old or too far gone will unconsciously lower her expectations of herself.

Your identity shapes your consistency.

Instead of saying:

“I have to work out.”

Try:

“I get to move my body.”

That small shift changes everything.

Because one statement comes from obligation.

The other comes from appreciation.

Your legs carry you through your entire life.

Your body allows you to experience your family, your adventures, your dreams, and your everyday moments.

When was the last time you truly appreciated what your body does for you?

Strength Training and Walking: The Foundation of Sustainable Movement

Strength training does not have to be complicated.

You do not need a fancy gym.

You do not need hours of complicated workouts.

You need the basics.

Free weights.

Resistance bands.

Bodyweight exercises.

Simple movements that challenge your muscles and help you become stronger.

Your body is your own personal gym, and you take it with you wherever you go.

I have done push-ups and squats in hotel rooms while traveling because movement does not require perfect circumstances.

It requires a decision.

And I also want to talk about walking because walking is one of the most underrated forms of movement.

Many women dismiss walking because it does not feel hard enough.

But walking supports your health in so many ways.

It helps reduce stress.

It supports cardiovascular health.

It improves recovery.

It supports digestion.

It allows you to stay active without constantly beating up your joints.

Walking is not less than.

Walking is powerful.

Movement Does Not Always Have to Be About Weight Loss

Here is something I want you to really think about:

Not every workout has to be about losing weight.

Sometimes movement is about becoming the woman who keeps promises to herself.

Sometimes movement reduces anxiety.

Sometimes it improves your mood.

Sometimes it is stress relief.

For me, kickboxing has always been that outlet. There is something incredibly powerful about releasing frustration and stress through movement.

Yoga can reconnect you to your body.

Pilates can build awareness.

Walking can clear your mind.

Dancing in your kitchen can remind you that you are alive.

Playing with your grandchildren can be movement.

Living your life is movement.

And ironically, when weight loss is no longer the only reason you move, you often become more consistent.

And consistency is what creates lasting change.

Permanent Weight Loss Begins With Compassion

I want to leave you with this question:

Are you exercising because you are trying to become someone worthy?

Or because you already believe that woman exists inside of you?

Because she does.

The version of you who feels confident, strong, and comfortable in her body is already there.

She is waiting for you to stop fighting yourself.

She is waiting for you to heal.

Because in my experience, when women hold onto weight, it is often about much more than food and exercise.

The question is not just:

“How many calories should I eat?”

Or:

“What workout should I do?”

The deeper question is:

“What relationship do I have with myself?”

One path is about earning your worth.

The other path is about recognizing your worth.

And that is where permanent weight loss begins.

Not with another diet.

Not with another extreme workout plan.

But with compassion.

With self-trust.

With a new relationship with your body.

This is why I created MavenHeart.

I did not stop teaching women how to lose weight.

I elevated the conversation.

Because lasting weight loss is about more than the scale.

Yes, we work on the weight.

Yes, we work on food.

Yes, we work on movement.

But along the way, you become the woman who stops abandoning herself.

You start setting boundaries.

You start trusting your decisions.

You start showing up differently.

You become more confident.

And that transformation reaches far beyond your body.

If you are ready to understand what is truly keeping you stuck and create lasting change from the inside out, you can work with me through private coaching or the MavenHeart membership.

Learn more about private coaching HERE or join MavenHeart