The diet that worked at 28 isn't working now. Same effort, different body. After 35, body composition stops responding to calorie maths and starts responding to insulin, cortisol, thyroid and oestrogen — none of which respond to "eat less, move more."
Are my hormones blocking weight loss?
If you're over 35 and stubborn weight has resisted real effort, almost certainly yes. The most common combination is insulin resistance (often invisible on fasting glucose alone), elevated cortisol from chronic stress, subclinical hypothyroidism, and oestrogen excess from poor clearance. Each of these alone stalls weight loss. Combined, they make conventional dieting essentially ineffective.
What we test before changing the diet
Fasting insulin and HbA1c, full thyroid (free T3, reverse T3, antibodies), DUTCH for cortisol + hormone clearance, comprehensive bloods, and often a two-week continuous glucose monitor. Behaviour usually changes the moment the data lands. Most clients see meaningful body-composition shifts inside 8–12 weeks.