257 - The Truth About Step Goals, Belly Fat, and Burnout

If you’re hitting your step goal every day and still dealing with stubborn belly fat, low energy, or burnout, this episode is for you. The advice to “just walk more” sounds simple—but for many women in midlife, it’s not delivering the results they were promised.In this episode of Total Health in Midlife, Elizabeth Sherman breaks down the truth about step goals and why obsessing over numbers like 10,000 steps a day can quietly work against your health in midlife. Especially if you’re navigating perimenopause, fatigue, stress, or unexplained weight gain, this conversation will help you understand what’s really going on.We’ll look at where the 10,000-step rule came from, why it became so powerful in Western fitness culture, and how tying your worth to activity metrics can fuel burnout, injuries, and frustration. More importantly, Elizabeth shares what to focus on instead—so your movement actually supports your body, hormones, and energy.This episode isn’t about doing less. It’s about doing what actually works for your midlife body—without guilt, obsession, or chasing numbers that were never designed for you in the first place.The Biggest Problem Midlife Women Face Regarding Step Goals, Belly Fat, and BurnoutOne of the biggest problems midlife women face is believing that hitting a daily step goal—often 10,000 steps—is the key to weight loss, belly fat reduction, and better energy. This belief is deeply ingrained, but it’s rarely questioned. Many women feel like they’re “doing everything right” by walking more, yet they’re still gaining weight, feeling exhausted, or burning out.The issue isn’t walking itself. Walking is beneficial. The problem is when step goals become a moral measure of health or effort. When health is reduced to a number on a watch, women start using steps to prove they’re disciplined, committed, or “good enough.” This mindset can lead to overexercising, ignoring recovery, and pushing through injury or extreme fatigue—especially during perimenopause, when the body’s stress tolerance is already lower.For midlife women, belly fat and burnout are often tied to hormones, chronic stress, poor recovery, and inconsistent fueling—not a lack of steps. Chasing higher step counts without addressing these factors can actually increase cortisol, worsen fatigue, and stall fat loss. This episode reframes the problem so women can stop blaming themselves and start working with their bodies instead of against them.WHAT YOU’LL LEARNWhy the 10,000-step rule isn’t a science-based requirement for midlife healthHow step goals can fuel burnout, stress, and stubborn belly fat after 40What to focus on instead of step counts to support energy, hormones, and weightHey! I love hearing from you. Send me a text. Let me know what resonated with you. I submitted a talk for SXSW 2027: Biohacking Is Just Dieting in a Lab Coat. Community voting runs through August 23rd, and it's part of what determines who gets on stage in Austin next March. If this resonates, I'd love your vote: CLICK HERE. Free account required, takes about a minute. If you’re a woman in midlife who wants better health without obsessing over weight, you’re in the right place. I’m Elizabeth Sherman, a life and health coach and host of the Total Health in Midlife Podcast.After coaching hundreds of women, I know the real problem usually isn’t “not enough information” – it’s too much of it, and not knowing where to start. With close to 300 episodes, this show can feel that way too.To make it easy, I created a free Listener’s Roadmap that helps you figure out which episodes are right for you right now. Tell me what you’re struggling with – low energy, emotional eating, stress, sleep, exercise, or all of the above – and I’ll point you to a curated path of episodes and resources to get you moving.Download your free roadmap at https://elizabethsherman.com/roadmap.