‘Most women have 30% body fat’: Fitness trainer says stop focusing only on weight and do this instead

30% body fat is common in women. A fitness trainer reveals the mistakes that make it harder to lose.

Most women struggle with 30% body fat, and it is the most stubborn part when it comes to weight loss. Fitness trainer Chadoy Leon took to Instagram on September 10, 2026, to share how women with 30% body fat can get rid of it. Here’s the routine you can follow.

1. Stop running

Chadoy Leon highlights that five days of cardio is wrecking your hormones. It burns the small amount of muscle you have left and spikes cortisol (which stores belly fat in women), which drops estrogen and progesterone.

He advises walking 8,000 to 10,000 steps daily, lifting heavy three days a week, and skipping running entirely.

2. Eat more

According to Leon, most thin women have been undereating for 15+ years, and body adapted years ago. This leads to a drop in metabolism, irregular periods, hair thinning, and feeling cold all the time.

For a 145lb woman:

Maintenance: 1,950 calories

Cut: 1,750 calories

If you’ve been undereating for years, eat at maintenance for 3 to 6 months before cutting. You can’t lose fat from a body that’s already starving.

3. Lift heavy

There is nothing better than strength training. Here’s a routine you can follow:

Day 1 (Lower):

Hip Thrust 4x8–10

Romanian Deadlift 4x8–10

Goblet Squat 4x8–10

Walking Lunge 3x10 each leg

Day 2 (Upper):

DB Bench Press 4x8–10

Lat Pulldown 4x8–10

DB Shoulder Press 3x8–10

Cable Row 3x10–12

Day 3 (Full body):

Trap Bar Deadlift 3x6–8

Incline DB Press 3x8–10

Goblet Squat 3x10–12

Plank 3x45–60 sec

There is nothing better than strength training. (Pexel)

4. Eat 140g of protein daily

For a 145 lb woman:

Breakfast (35g): 3 eggs + 3 whites + Greek yoghurt + raspberries

Lunch (40g): 6oz chicken + 1 cup rice + broccoli

Dinner (40g): 6oz salmon or beef + sweet potato + spinach

Before bed (25g): Cottage cheese + raspberries

Leon highlighted that protein holds muscle, and muscle controls metabolism.

5. Cut alcohol

After 30, alcohol hits women twice as hard as it did at 25. The liver processes it more slowly, estrogen swings get more extreme, sleep crashes faster, and belly fat locks in immediately. By cutting alcohol, most thin women see their face change within 30 days, hormones rebalance by day 60, and sleep deeper than the previous 5 years.

According to Leon, you should be in bed by 10 pm. (Pexel)

6. Get bloodwork

Here are the numbers most thin women have never checked:

Fasting insulin (target under 8); A1C (target under 5.4)

Vitamin D (target 50 to 70 ng/mL); Free T3 and T4 (upper third of range); Estradiol and progesterone (cycle dependent); Ferritin (target 50 to 150 ng/mL)

You can be 128lbs and 8 weeks from a type 2 diagnosis. You can be 130lbs with the bloodwork of a 50-year-old.

“The scale is the worst metric you can use,” said Leon.

7. Sleep eight hours

There is no substitute for a good eight hours of sleep. According to Leon, you should be in bed by 10 pm. Irregular sleep raises cortisol by 25%, drops estrogen and progesterone, spikes cravings 30 to 50%, and locks belly fat in place.

Note to readers: This article is for informational purposes only and not a substitute for professional medical advice. It is based on user-generated content from social media. HT.com has not independently verified the claims and does not endorse them.