Should You Be Dieting Right Now? Here Is the Honest Answer
Every year around this time, I start getting the same question from clients, listeners, and busy parents trying to juggle everything life throws at them.
Should I be dieting right now?
If you have ever found yourself staring at a plate of holiday food, feeling guilty, confused, or stuck between wanting results and wanting to enjoy your life, you are not alone. So many people get pulled into this cycle of dieting, stopping, restarting, feeling like nothing works, then searching for the next new thing.
But here is the truth. Dieting is not just calories. It's not just willpower or discipline.
Dieting is stress. And depending on the season of life you are in, that stress can either help you or hurt you.
Today I want to walk you through exactly how to know whether you should diet right now or whether you would get better results by hitting pause and shifting into what I call a restore phase. When you understand this, everything about your health journey becomes easier. You stop fighting your body and start working with it.
Let’s dig in.
The Holiday Problem No One Talks About
This time of year brings joy, connection, family time, and of course food. Special treats, recipes passed down through generations, foods you only get once a year. And that is a good thing. Food is meant to be enjoyed, not feared.
But here is where people get stuck.
Your diet rules tell you to avoid the special holiday foods. Meanwhile, the voice inside you says, I want that. Then guilt creeps in. Then frustration. Then you get stuck in that back-and-forth mental loop.
I want it.
I can't have it.
Maybe just one.
No, I blew it.
I will start next week.
Or maybe next year.
That mental tug of war is what steals the joy from the moment. It keeps you from being present with your family. It takes over your thoughts, and suddenly your entire holiday revolves around what you should or should not eat instead of who you are with.
So here is the first question to ask yourself.
Can I realistically enjoy the holidays while dieting?
If the answer is no, then it is not the right season for a calorie deficit. And that is not failure. That is wisdom.
Your Past Patterns Matter More Than You Think
Something I always ask clients before they enter a fat loss phase is simple.
What do your past patterns look like?
Do you typically enjoy extra treats this time of year? Do you travel more? Do you have events, celebrations, or family traditions that involve food?
If the answer is yes, dieting might not be the most productive plan. But this is not permission to go into that familiar spiral of I will start again January 1st. That approach has burned so many people over the years.
Instead, it is about being intentional.
There is a big difference between mindlessly overeating for 6 to 8 weeks and saying, I am going to enjoy myself on specific days while staying consistent the rest of the time.
You can enjoy holiday food without letting your entire routine fall apart. That is the sweet spot.
The Hidden Stress No One Considers
Dieting is an added stressor. Mentally. Physically. Emotionally. For some people, that stress pushes them forward. For others, it holds them back.
If you are already dealing with pain, low energy, poor sleep, perimenopause symptoms, sickness, or high stress, cutting calories makes everything worse.
Here is why.
When your calories get too low for too long, your sleep gets worse.
When your sleep gets worse, your hormones get thrown off.
When your hormones are thrown off, hunger goes up, fullness goes down, cravings go through the roof, and your stress stays elevated.
That is a recipe for burnout.
Low calories increase ghrelin, the hunger hormone. They decrease leptin, the fullness hormone. And cortisol tends to run higher because your body feels under threat. Add that on top of perimenopause symptoms, kids waking you up at night, pets jumping on the bed, and you have a storm brewing.
This is why so many people say they are dieting but not losing weight. Their body is not in a place to support fat loss. Not because they failed. But because the approach is wrong for the season they are in.
Sometimes the body is not ready for fat loss. Sometimes you need to restore before you restrict.
Muscle, Bone Health, and Your Long Term Goals
If your long term goal is to lose weight and keep it off, here is something most people do not realize.
Fat loss is easier when you have more muscle.
Maintenance is easier when you have more muscle.
Aging well is easier when you have more muscle.
This is why endless dieting backfires. Long periods of low calories almost always lead to muscle loss. And when you lose muscle, your metabolism slows, your strength drops, and you become more vulnerable to bone loss, injuries, fatigue, and frustration.
If you are constantly dieting without ever cycling out of it, you are hurting the very thing that creates long term success.
Dieting should never destroy your muscle. It should never destroy your energy. It should never make you weaker. And if it is doing those things, it is time to push pause.
The Power of Periodization
One of the biggest mistakes women over 40 make is staying in the on or off mindset.
I am on my diet.
Now I am off my diet.
Now I am back on.
Now I blew it.
Now I start over.
That cycle keeps you stuck for years.
Instead, I teach all my FIT40 clients to periodize their nutrition the same way athletes periodize their training. This means:
Seasons of fat loss.
Seasons of maintenance.
Seasons of building strength.
Seasons of restoring habits.
This is how you create consistency without burnout. This is how you stop yo yo dieting. This is how you get strong, energized, and confident without starting over every January.
What the Restore Phase Looks Like
If your sleep, stress, hunger, energy, and lifestyle habits are out of control, fat loss is not the right move. The restore phase is what allows your body to feel good again.
Here is what I have my clients focus on during restore:
5 to 10K steps a day
Protein, fiber, and color at every meal
Strength training 2 to 4 times a week
Sleep quality at least a 3 out of 5
A stress management tool that is not food or exercise
Simple, consistent routines
Planned indulgences instead of reactive eating
When you hit these basics consistently, your hormones balance out, your metabolism improves, your cravings decrease, and your energy skyrockets. And suddenly, fat loss becomes easy.
Most people struggle not because they are lazy, but because they are trying to diet when their foundation is shaky.
Fix the foundation first. Then results come faster and easier.
How to Know If You Should Diet Right Now
Here is the simplest test.
If you can check off most of the restore basics, feel good, and are not battling major stress or symptoms, dieting might make sense right now.
If you cannot check those boxes, it is a sign your body is telling you to pause.
This does not mean doing nothing. It means doing the right things for the phase you are in.
You are not broken. You just need the right strategy.
Why Season Based Planning Works
Inside the FIT40 coaching program, I meet with clients every month to decide what their monthly focus will be.
It might be fat loss.
It might be muscle building.
It might be performance based.
It might be a restore phase.
We choose the goal based on what is going on in their life, not based on the calendar or a number on the scale.
That is why clients get results that last. Not lucky streaks. Not flukes. Actual transformation that feels sustainable and realistic.
When you stop chasing random diets and start following a structured plan that fits your life, everything changes.
What To Do If You Want Help
If you feel stuck, overwhelmed, or unsure where to begin, you do not have to figure this out alone.
You can click HERE and set up a quick 15 to 30 minute call to see if coaching is right for you. If it is not, I will help to point you in a better direction. If it is, you will get the most supportive, simple, and personalized system you have ever followed.
And if you are brand new and just want some help getting started, grab the free Core Four Metabolism and Mobility Reset. It includes follow along mobility routines, strength workouts, and the PFC cheat sheet so you can build momentum right away.
This is the perfect time to restore, get consistent, and feel better before the new year hits. The more you focus on routines that make you feel good, the easier fat loss becomes when you decide to pursue it.
Final Thoughts
The question is not should you diet. The real question is what season are you in right now.
If you are stressed, tired, overwhelmed, or dealing with symptoms that make everything harder, restoring your habits is the smartest thing you can do.
If you are sleeping well, feeling strong, staying active, and consistent with the basics, a short dieting phase might fit your life right now.
You get to choose what is best for you.
And either way, you are not behind. You are not broken. You are not failing.
You are learning how to work with your body instead of fighting against it.
That is what makes long term success possible.
Until next time, go kick some ass.
