5 New Year’s Resolutions That Actually Backfire After 35
It’s about that time of year, to start thinking about your New Year’s resolutions.
Maybe they’re the same ones you’ve made every January for years.
Lose weight. Eat cleaner. Work out more. Finally get back in shape.
If that sounds familiar, I want you to know something right away:
you’re not lazy, undisciplined, or doing anything wrong.
I know this because I’ve been there too.
For years, I made the same promises to myself every January. I tried harder, restricted more, pushed my body further… and by February, I felt exhausted, frustrated, and like I had somehow failed—again.
What I didn’t realize at the time was this simple truth:
my body had changed, but my strategies hadn’t.
And if you’re a woman over 35, the same is likely true for you.
Your hormones are shifting. Your metabolism works differently. Your nervous system needs more support. The approaches that may have “worked” in your 20s don’t just stop working after 35—they often work against you.
The good news? Once you understand what your body actually needs at this stage of life, everything gets easier. You can stop fighting your body and start working with it.
Let’s talk about the five most common New Year’s resolutions that tend to backfire after 35—and what I recommend instead.
Resolution #1: “I’ll Only Eat 1,200 Calories a Day”
This one is incredibly common—and incredibly damaging.
Every January, so many women decide this is the year they’ll finally get strict enough. They download a calorie-tracking app, set their intake to 1,200 calories, and try to power through hunger and fatigue.
Here’s the problem:
when you severely restrict calories, your body doesn’t feel motivated. It feels threatened.
Instead of burning fat, your body shifts into protection mode. Your metabolism slows. Your thyroid becomes less efficient. Muscle tissue breaks down for energy. Cortisol rises. Hormones become more imbalanced. Energy drops. Cravings intensify.
And eventually, your body pushes back—hard.
This is especially true after 35 because:
- Metabolism naturally slows with age
- Muscle mass declines without proper support
- Hormones require adequate nutrition to stay balanced
- The thyroid becomes more sensitive to restriction
Chronic under-eating doesn’t create sustainable weight loss—it creates stress and metabolic dysfunction.
What I recommend instead:
Eat enough. Truly.
Your body needs fuel to feel safe, balanced, and energized. Focus on eating adequate protein at each meal, choosing nutrient-dense foods, and paying attention to how your body responds—not just numbers in an app.
When your body feels nourished, not deprived, it’s far more willing to let go of what it doesn’t need.
Resolution #2: “I’ll Do Cardio Every Day”
We’ve been told for decades that cardio is the key to weight loss, so it makes sense that many women commit to daily cardio every January.
But excessive cardio—especially without enough rest and fuel—often does more harm than good.
Long, frequent cardio sessions raise cortisol, your stress hormone. Chronically elevated cortisol encourages belly fat storage, disrupts sleep, interferes with thyroid function, and makes weight changes feel frustratingly out of reach.
On top of that, too much cardio can accelerate muscle loss—something that already becomes a concern after 35. Less muscle means a slower metabolism and less overall resilience.
What I recommend instead:
Prioritize strength training two to three times per week. Strength training supports muscle, bone density, blood sugar balance, and metabolic health.
Add gentle movement like walking for stress regulation and daily circulation. If you enjoy higher-intensity workouts, keep them short and intentional.
And please remember: rest is not laziness. Rest is where your body actually adapts and heals.
Resolution #3: “I’ll Cut Out All Carbs”
Carbs have been unfairly villainized for years, and every January they’re usually the first thing to go.
But cutting carbs too low can disrupt hormones and thyroid function in a big way.
Carbohydrates support:
- Thyroid hormone conversion
- Progesterone levels
- Nervous system regulation
- Sleep quality and mood
When carbs are chronically too low, cortisol rises, sleep suffers, energy drops, and workouts feel harder than they should.
What I recommend instead:
Choose strategic carbs. Focus on whole, nourishing sources like fruit, root vegetables, oats, rice, and squash. Pair carbs with protein and healthy fats to keep blood sugar stable, and include them in a way that supports your lifestyle and energy needs.
Carbs aren’t the enemy—imbalance is.
Resolution #4: “I’ll Be Perfect With My Diet”
This one breaks my heart a little, because I know how heavy it feels.
“I’ll be perfect.”
“I won’t mess up.”
“I’ll do it right this time.”
Perfection sounds motivating—but it’s actually a fast track to burnout.
Rigid rules often lead straight into the restrict–binge cycle: trying to be flawless, feeling like you failed, and then starting over again and again. That cycle is exhausting and deeply discouraging.
What I recommend instead:
Consistency over perfection.
Aim to eat nourishing foods most of the time, and allow flexibility without guilt. Health is built over months and years—not in 30-day challenges or all-or-nothing thinking.
Flexibility isn’t weakness. It’s what makes habits sustainable.
Resolution #5: “I’ll Sleep Less to Work Out More”
This might be the most harmful resolution of all.
Sleep is not optional. It’s the foundation of your hormones, metabolism, energy, mood, immune system—everything.
When sleep is sacrificed, cortisol stays elevated, blood sugar regulation worsens, hunger hormones become dysregulated, and recovery suffers.
What I recommend instead:
Make sleep your non-negotiable.
If you have to choose between sleep and a workout, choose sleep. A well-rested body is far healthier than an exhausted one pushing through.
When sleep improves, everything else often follows—energy, cravings, mood, and motivation.
So What Should Your Resolution Be?
If you’re a woman over 35, here’s the resolution I truly believe in:
Resolve to support your body—not fight it.
That means:
- Eating enough to nourish your metabolism
- Strengthening your body instead of exhausting it
- Supporting hormones with balanced nutrition
- Allowing flexibility instead of striving for perfection
- Prioritizing rest and recovery
When you focus on health, energy, and balance, body composition often shifts naturally. When you focus only on control, the body pushes back.
Your body isn’t broken. It’s asking for a different kind of care.
The Bottom Line
Your body at 35+ needs a different approach than it did at 25. That doesn’t mean something is wrong—it means you’re evolving.
This year, instead of setting resolutions that leave you exhausted and discouraged, choose an approach rooted in nourishment, support, and sustainability.
That’s how real, lasting change happens.
Here’s to a year of supporting your body—with kindness, patience, and trust.
— Jordan 🌿
