It has already been over 2 years since I moved to San Jose.

My husband works as a team leader at an American IT company, and I am a full-time housewife raising one child.

Life in Silicon Valley may seem good on the surface, but living here is a continuous whirlwind of busy days.

Especially as I entered my 40s, I feel acutely that my body is not what it used to be.

In the past, I could lose weight quickly with just a little less food, but now, no amount of dieting or exercise seems to budge it.

After dropping my daughter off at middle school and standing in front of the mirror at home, I see the fat around my waist and sides that just won't go away.

At first, I thought it was simply due to a lack of exercise, but I realized that the body after 40 operates on a completely different system.

With hormonal changes, muscle mass decreases, and basal metabolic rate drops, making it easier to gain weight even with the same amount of food.

On top of that, when stress and lack of sleep combine, the body mistakenly thinks, 'Now is the time to store energy,' and starts accumulating fat.

I didn't know that and drastically reduced my meals in an attempt to diet, resulting in a more tired and puffy face.

Then one day, my personal trainer at the gym said, "After 40, dieting is not about losing weight, but about maintaining it."

That really resonated with me. The answer is not to go 'fast' like when I was younger, but to go 'steady.'

So, I completely changed my diet first.

I made sure to eat three meals a day without skipping, reducing refined carbohydrates and focusing on protein and dietary fiber.

Switching to meals of chicken breast, salmon, tofu, boiled eggs, and oatmeal with avocado was bland at first, but my body felt lighter.

And I started to adhere to 'fasting after 8 PM.' I learned how deadly a late-night snack or a glass of wine can be.

My exercise routine shifted from high-intensity cardio to strength training.

I consistently attended a Pilates studio near my home twice a week, and my body began to gradually reshape.

I also made sure to walk over 5,000 steps a day. As I incorporated exercise into my daily life, my body changed noticeably.

As my body transformed, my confidence returned, and my husband even said, "You look better these days."

Weight loss is slow. But now, I am not anxious. I have come to understand that true dieting is about healthy, lasting changes.

Dieting after 40 is not just about reducing numbers; it is a process of regaining balance in the body.

Food, sleep, stress, and even my attitude towards myself are all interconnected.

More than a perfect body, the consistent care for myself is the beginning and the most important point of dieting in my 40s.