Can I still drink wine, eat with my family and keep my favourite foods and still lose fat?
Yes. Wine nights, family dinners and your favourite foods can all stay. In our experience, the women who keep real life in their plan are the ones who keep their results. We build your nutrition around the food you already enjoy, add a few simple guardrails, and skip the calorie counting completely.
Restriction works for a few weeks.
Real life lasts a lot longer.
Your plan should be built for the long one.
Why do strict diets backfire?
A lot of the women we talk to have done the strict version.
No sugar. No wine. No bread. Pre-checking the restaurant menu before every lunch with a friend.
And it worked, for a while.
Then came a birthday. A vacation. A work dinner. A long week that ended with a bottle of wine and a bag of chips.
And it all came back.
Here's the thing.
A plan you can't live with is a plan you'll eventually quit. It says nothing about your willpower. The plan just wasn't built for your actual life.
Can I really drink wine and still lose fat?
Yes.
Here's how it works with the women we coach.
For the first 14 days, we take a short break from alcohol, along with a few other foods, to reset the bloat and see what your body reacts to.
Then wine comes back.
And when it does, a few simple guardrails make a big difference:
- Finish your last drink at least 3 hours before bed. In our experience, this one change protects your sleep, and sleep matters more for fat loss than most women think.
- One glass, slowly. One glass you actually savour is a very different night from three you barely noticed.
- Have it with intention. Pick the moments that matter, enjoy them, and move on. No guilt, no "starting over Monday."
And if you want to skip a round at a party without the questions?
Soda water with lime, in a wine glass.
Nobody asks. Our coaches swear by that one.
Can I eat the same meals as my family?
Please do.
Cooking one dinner for you and a different one for everyone else is exhausting. We don't ask you to do it.
Your plan is built around family-friendly meals and the groceries you already buy. Real food. Nothing you have to choke down.
Vegetarian, keep kosher, a kid who only eats pasta? Your coach builds around your actual kitchen.
Need some ideas tonight? Browse some of my favourite recipes. They're the kind of meals the whole family eats.
What about my favourite foods?
They stay.
Chocolate, pizza night, the pastry from your favourite café. Your coach works them into your plan instead of banning them.
Here's why that matters.
When you know you can have something, it loses a lot of its pull. The foods you've been told to avoid are usually the ones you end up eating standing at the pantry at 9 p.m.
In our experience, when you're eating enough during the day, especially protein, those late-night cravings get a lot quieter.
What happens on vacation or when I eat out?
This is where most plans fall apart.
We tell women this all the time: your body learns to trust you. When you consistently feed it, move it and let it sleep, it starts to trust you. And when it does, a vacation doesn't change your body. A weekend doesn't change your body.
So on a trip, keep it simple:
- Protein at most meals.
- Move every day. A walk counts. A 15-minute hotel-room workout counts.
- Sleep and water. The boring stuff does the heavy lifting.
Then enjoy the meal you came for.
If the scale is up a little when you get home, that's usually water and salt from travel, not fat. It settles within a few days of being back in your routine.
Do I have to count calories?
No.
No calorie counting. No food scales. No tracking macros.
Most women come to us wanting to lose weight. What they actually want to lose is fat, and that takes enough food, enough protein and strength training, not a calculator.
We've helped 1,000+ women lose 10 to 20 lbs of fat in 8 weeks. With wine nights, family dinners and birthday cake included.
If you're worried this time will go like the last few, read why this time can be different.
Franny kept her favourite foods
I sat down with Franny, a busy mom and executive, about how she lost fat without giving up the foods she enjoys or extreme dieting, all while working full-time, travelling and enjoying her life.
Eating out a lot? Here's how to order at restaurants and still lose fat.
Ready for a plan that fits your actual life?
You don't have to give up your Friday nights to change your body.
Start with the short video on our homepage at fortyfwd.com. It walks through why your body stopped responding after 40 and the method we use to change that.
If it sounds like you, apply for a call with Chris.
He reads every application himself. On the call, he'll look at how you actually live and eat, and tell you straight whether the program is the right fit. If it is, he walks you through the investment then, once you both know it's a fit.
Keep the wine.
Keep the family dinners.
Let's change the plan.
Frequently asked questions
Can I drink wine and still lose weight?
Yes. After a short 14-day break at the start, wine comes back in. We suggest finishing your last drink at least 3 hours before bed and savouring one glass instead of having three.
Do I have to give up my favourite foods to lose fat after 40?
No. Your coach builds them into your plan. In our experience, plans that ban everything you enjoy don't last, and the women who keep real life in are the ones who keep their results.
Can I eat the same meals as my family?
Yes. Your plan is built around family-friendly meals and the groceries you already buy, so you're not cooking twice.
What happens when I go on vacation or eat out?
Focus on protein, daily movement, sleep and water, then enjoy the meal. One weekend or one trip doesn't undo your progress.
Do I need to count calories to lose fat after 40?
No. There's no calorie counting, no food scales and no tracking macros. Your coach builds a plan around the food you enjoy and the life you actually live.