Why ‘Skinny’ and ‘Toned’ Are Failing Women
Women’s Body Composition Changes Over Time (Why “Quick Fix” Fitness Trends Miss the Point)
You’re working out.
You’re trying to eat well.
And yet… your body doesn’t look or feel the way it used to.
Maybe your clothes fit differently.
Maybe fat seems to settle in new places.
Maybe the workouts that used to “work” just… don’t anymore.
So you start wondering:
Am I doing something wrong?
The truth?
Your body is changing.
But not in the way the fitness industry makes you believe.
And more importantly—this isn’t something to spend your life fighting against.
It’s something to understand and proactively work with to create change.
What Actually Changes in a Woman’s Body Over Time
Whether you’ve had kids, are in your 30s navigating postpartum, or in your 40s and 50s moving through perimenopause and menopause—your body is operating under changing conditions.
Let’s break it down.
Hormonal Shifts
From postpartum recovery to perimenopause and menopause, fluctuations in hormones—especially estrogen—impact fat storage, muscle maintenance, and metabolism.
You may notice:
Increased abdominal fat
Changes in how your body responds to food and exercise
A harder time maintaining muscle
This isn’t random. It’s physiological.
Muscle Loss + Strength Changes
As women age, we naturally lose muscle mass if we’re not actively working to maintain it.
Layer on:
postpartum recovery
years of inconsistent training
or shifts during menopause
…and it becomes even more noticeable.
Less muscle = lower metabolism, less support for your joints, and decreased overall strength.
Core + Pelvic Floor Function
For postpartum women, this is obvious—but it doesn’t disappear later in life.
Core and pelvic floor dysfunction can persist for years (or decades) if not addressed, and can become even more relevant during menopause.
This impacts:
strength
stability
how your body moves and performs
Nervous System + Stress Load
From raising kids to managing careers to navigating life transitions—your nervous system is under constant demand.
And when your nervous system is dysregulated:
recovery suffers
energy dips
strength gains slow
your body holds onto stress (and often fat)
Lifestyle Reality
At every stage—new motherhood, busy midlife, or beyond—you’re balancing a lot.
Less time.
More responsibility.
More stress.
This isn’t a motivation issue.
It’s your environment and physiology working together.
Why Trends Like Figurella fitness method Fall Short
When your body feels like it’s changing, it’s completely normal to look for something that promises to “fix” it.
That’s where programs like Figurella fitness method come in.
They often use language like:
“fat burning”
“detoxifying the body”
“oxygenating tissues”
And while those phrases sound appealing, they’re often not grounded in how the body actually works.
Many of these programs also rely on:
highly restrictive or “extreme” dieting approaches
high-repetition, low-load exercise
targeting specific areas of the body for fat loss
Here’s the problem:
Your body doesn’t need to be “detoxed”—it already has highly efficient systems in place (like your liver and kidneys) doing that for you every day.
And fat loss isn’t something you can force in one area through specific movements or by chasing a “fat burn” zone.
More importantly, these approaches completely miss what women actually need—especially through postpartum, perimenopause, and menopause.
They don’t address:
the importance of building and maintaining muscle
the role of progressive strength training
nervous system regulation and recovery
core and pelvic floor function
So while they may create short-term changes, they don’t support long-term health—and often leave women feeling frustrated when results don’t last.
Because the goal shouldn’t be to “burn” or “detox” your way into a different body.
It should be to build a body that is strong, supported, and capable—at every stage of life.
The Bigger Problem: “Skinny” vs. “Toned” Culture
For decades, women have been told to chase one of two goals:
Be smaller
Or be lean and toned
But neither of these were designed with your long-term health in mind.
“Skinny” culture often leads to:
muscle loss
decreased metabolism
poor bone density
And as women age, that becomes a serious issue.
On the flip side, the push to be constantly “toned” or “shredded”:
is often unrealistic and unsustainable
can increase stress on the body
ignores recovery, hormones, and real life
Both approaches keep women focused on how they look—instead of how their body actually functions.
Your body is not a before-and-after photo.
It’s something you need to live in for decades.
What We Should Be Focusing on Instead
Instead of asking, “How do I look?”
Start asking, “How does my body function—and will it support me long-term?”
Because that’s what actually matters.
The goal isn’t to shrink and manipulate your body.
It’s to build one that can carry you through every stage of life.
That means focusing on:
Strength (real, progressive strength that protects muscle and bone)
Nervous system regulation (so your body can recover and perform)
Core and pelvic floor coordination (at every age—not just postpartum)
Muscle mass and bone density (especially critical in perimenopause and menopause)
Energy and resilience (feeling capable in your daily life)
This is what supports:
longevity
independence
confidence
Not just now—but 10, 20, 30 years from now.
Your Body Isn’t Failing—It’s Evolving
Whether you’re newly postpartum or navigating your 50s, your body isn’t working against you.
It’s adapting.
To hormonal changes.
To life demands.
To time.
And when you start training with those changes instead of fighting them, everything shifts.
You get stronger.
You feel more stable.
Your energy improves.
Your confidence comes back.
Not because you’re chasing a trend—
But because you’re finally supporting your body the right way.
If You’ve Been Feeling Stuck…
If you feel like what used to work isn’t working anymore…
If you’re frustrated with your body…
If you’re tired of trying program after program with no lasting results…
You’re not alone.
And you’re not doing it wrong.
You just need an approach that actually matches the stage of life you’re in.
If you’re local to the North Shore (Middleton, Lynnfield, North Reading and surrounding areas), I work with women 1:1 to build strength, improve core and pelvic floor function, and create a body that supports you long-term—through every phase of life.
You can reach out to schedule a consult and learn more.