In this episode, I open up about the all-too-familiar weight loss struggle—and how impatience can sabotage even our best intentions. As a private fitness coach and former athlete competitor, I've seen the emotional toll of yo-yo dieting firsthand—and lived it too, especially through the weight gain and hormonal changes brought on by menopause.
I'm tackling a topic that so many of us know all too well: weight struggles—the jeans that won’t button, living in leggings, starting over every Monday, feeling like a total failure by the weekend, and repeating that cycle again and again.
➡ Did you know 95% of men and women fail at dieting long term?
➡ Or that 56% of women list weight loss as their #1 New Year’s goal?
It’s no wonder so many of us get stuck, frustrated, and end up giving up.
We’re diving into:
✅ The real reasons we keep falling off track (hint: it’s more than just willpower).
✅ How menopause and hormone shifts can hijack your appetite & metabolism.
✅ My personal journey from fitness coach and bodybuilding competitor to struggling with 20+ pounds of menopause weight gain.
✅ How GLP-1 medications (like semaglutide) can actually be a powerful tool, not “cheating,” and why it finally helped me quiet the food noise.
We’ll also cover simple, practical steps to finally get out of the yo-yo diet trap:
✨ Why writing down your why is critical before you start.
✨ How to pick a plan that actually fits your lifestyle so you’ll stick with it.
✨ Why measuring your waist and taking photos is just as important as the scale.
✨ The role of accountability, whether that’s a coach, a friend, or even Weight Watchers.
✨ How to move your body in ways you enjoy—because it doesn’t have to be complicated.
Plus we’ll get real about the mental side: the guilt, the frustration, and how to actually celebrate small wins along the way (hint: not with a cheat meal that makes you feel like crap later).
Thank you for tuning in! I truly appreciate every one of you, whether you’re here for the first time or have been with me from the start.
-
Subscribe & Catch full episodes of In Shock Podcast on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@inshock.podcast 📺
-
For daily doses of Inspiration Follow me @inshock.podcast on Instagram | TikTok | Facebook
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:06):
Hi everyone and welcome to theshow.
I'm so glad we have this timetogether.
Today I'm diving into a topicthat will likely hit home For
many of you, this is somethingwe've all attempted once in our
life.
Maybe we've succeeded.
Maybe we didn't see results fastenough, so we gave up because
(00:31):
we're so damn impatient.
Most of us give up because we'renot seeing the changes fast
enough.
We get frustrated.
We throw in the towel only torepeat this over and over again
because 95% of men and women.
(00:51):
Fail at this.
Can you guess what this topicis?
We're talking about weightstruggles, the kind you feel
when your jeans won't button.
You know when you lay on a bedand you suck in your belly as
hard as you can to get yourjeans zipped up and buttoned,
(01:13):
and then when you sit up, itspills over the waistband like a
muffin top.
You're desperately trying tostuff it back into your jeans
like you're kneading dough.
And your leggings become youreveryday uniform.
'cause let's face it, they'restretchy, forgiving, they don't
(01:37):
judge and you can just keep oneating.
I am only laughing at thisbecause I have been there.
I know how hard it is to be in asituation when you're either
pissed about the way you look oryou might be in complete tears.
I've been both, I lived in myleggings for two years straight.
(02:02):
I didn't even look at a pair ofjeans.
Why would I?
It was just a reminder of howfar I had drifted from feeling
good in my body.
Did you know that 56% of womenlist weight loss is the top New
Year's Eve goal?
(02:24):
I'm sure it's not surprising tomost of us.
I don't even know how many timesI tried that.
I became much more aggressivethan starting a new diet in
January.
I started my diet every Monday.
I would eat clean during theweek and then the weekend would
come and it was like all ruleswent out the door and entire
(02:48):
week of dieting just blew up inflames.
And I'd say to myself.
No problem.
I'll just start again on Mondayand that cycle would start over
and over again.
That's not even a strategy.
It's insanity.
Have you done that where you'vestarted a diet every Monday?
(03:11):
It's exhausting and if youdidn't know this, it slows down
your metabolism when you yo-yodiet restarting your diet isn't
just physical, it's veryemotional.
There's this shame spiral thatstarts with, I've been good all
week and ends with God.
(03:32):
Why can't I just stick to this?
It's promising yourself I'll begood tomorrow while secretly
dreading stepping on the scale.
Do you wanna know a secret aboutscales?
They don't lie.
They are very transparent.
They tell us the truth and showus exactly what we've been up
(03:54):
to.
They know when we've beennaughty and so do we.
It's April, and while it marksthe start of spring.
It's also the unofficial kickoffof diet season.
After months of cozy comfort,food oversight sweaters and I
(04:15):
our go-to leggings, winterhibernation can leave us feeling
bloated, sluggish, eating morethan we planned, and we liked
being cozy and sitting on thecouch every night.
Now it's April and summer'sright around the corner.
This is the cue to scramble toundo all the damage that we did
(04:38):
during those winter months.
Or maybe you've just been yo-yodieting for such a long time.
This is normal every April andmay.
You crank up the dieting.
It can mess with your head,especially if you've been stuck
in the same cycle year afteryear.
(05:00):
Have you promised yourself, thisis the last time it's gonna be
so different.
And you get tired of all thesefalse starts, it's not just
about how you look, it's abouthow you feel.
Imagine.
Falling off your diet everyweekend and Monday comes and you
(05:21):
jump on the scale.
only to go batshit crazy becausethe number is not revealing the
number you want to see.
It's revealing what you just didover the weekend, and we get so
mad.
My boyfriend will say, why areyou mad?
What is going on with you soearly in the morning?
(05:44):
'cause I always weigh myselffirst thing in the morning, no
clothes on.
Gotta make sure I'm at my ultralightest and I'm like, oh my
God, I gained weight.
He's like, really?
Are you surprised after what youdid over the weekend?
I guess I shouldn't be, but wedo it to ourselves, right?
(06:05):
When you're eating like crap andgaining weight, you feel it in
every part of you.
You're heavy, not justphysically, but mentally.
You feel sluggish, bloated.
Your skin is a complete mess.
And it's like you're draggingaround cinder blocks every day
(06:26):
feels a little bit harder.
But let's rewind for a minute.
I'm gonna share some fun facts.
Back in high school, I was anaerobics instructor at a private
fitness club.
And picture this, I had giantpermed hair, my Jane Fonda
leotard, tights, and leg warmerson, if you know Jane Fonda, when
(06:50):
she used to teach her classes onVHS tapes, picture it.
It's like an eighties party andI owned that look.
Owned it.
My love for fitness never leftme from those Jane Fonda days.
Even after having kids, it stuckwith me.
(07:11):
I eventually became a privatefitness coach.
I was helping others throughtheir weight loss journeys.
I created custom workout plansand actually worked out with all
of my clients.
Talk about skin in the game?
We did it together and I putpersonal meal plans together for
(07:31):
them based on the goals thatthey were trying to achieve, and
it was one of the mostrewarding.
Experiences I've had because youget to watch people grow
stronger their confidence go up,see their bodies change, and
it's so fulfilling to help themlose weight.
(07:55):
But here is the twist.
Even with over a decade of beinga fitness coach, I found myself
completely blindsided by a fullblown food obsession that took
over my life.
Do you wanna know what theculprit was?
Menopause.
(08:16):
And if you're in it, you knowexactly what I'm talking about.
And if you're not, just waitbecause it is like a wrecking
ball in many different ways.
When menopause walked into mylife, I turned into a food
obsessed maniac.
I'm talking full on.
(08:38):
Mindless eating, and it wasn'tlike I was living off junk food.
I was still having my proteinand vegetables probably more
carbs than I should have been,but it didn't matter what I was
eating, I was eating volumes offood.
I could take down a clean meallike it was a competitive sport.
(09:02):
I just wanted more food, it's nowonder that I gained 20 pounds.
I knew what to do.
I knew how to lose weight.
I'd done it for other people.
I always stayed fit because Ihad all the tools in my toolbox,
but this time I just couldn't doit.
(09:22):
The food noise was constant.
I'd never experienced anythinglike that.
It was waking up to what's forbreakfast?
What are you gonna have for asnack?
What's for lunch?
What are you gonna have for asnack?
What's for dinner?
What are you gonna snack on?
On the couch?
I watched the weight creep up onmy friends who were in
(09:44):
menopause.
All of us were eating more thanwe ever had, and my hormones had
completely shifted.
I wasn't in control.
I really felt like I waspossessed and it didn't help
that I was traveling week overweek for work and my desire to
(10:05):
work out.
Went down the drain, and thatwas even crazier because you're
talking about somebody who notonly was a fitness coach, but
who was a former bodybuildingcompetitor.
Long before menopause.
Back in 2011, while I was goingthrough my divorce, I wanted to
(10:27):
do something for myself, and Ialways had a desire to be a
competitor.
Getting that lean and sculptedtakes a next level commitment.
It really does.
It's a strict training scheduleand very specific diet with a
lot of restrictions.
(10:47):
There's no alcohol, sugar, badcarbs.
I went all in.
I signed up, I got a coach.
I trained seven days a week, andI worked out five days a week at
5:00 AM with my team.
These were all women who werecompeting I got up on stage
(11:09):
looking like a bronze disco balland my extra dark spray tan.
And I placed forth in my veryfirst competition.
It was an amazing feeling toachieve that in five months.
Have you ever felt like yourdiet forced you into isolation?
(11:31):
Like you needed to stay homejust to avoid the forbidden
foods or alcohol, and suddenlythe things that once brought you
joy start to feel off limits andyou feel lonely?
That was me for quite some time.
I avoided social gatheringsbecause I didn't trust myself
(11:54):
around the food everything feltlike a temptation and that
isolation.
Became brutal.
If you're in that place rightnow, trying to lose weight,
feeling anxious about going outbecause you're scared you'll eat
everything in sight.
I get it.
I really do.
(12:15):
Eventually I told myself, youneed to start adapting.
You can't keep staying at home.
I started bringing my own mealsto friends' houses, and to
dinner parties.
I packed up my little plasticcontainer, which I called my
Bento box, and I took it to myfriend's houses.
(12:39):
That allowed me to stayconnected.
My people matter just as much asmy goals.
What I'm trying to tell you isdon't lock yourself up at home.
If you're on a diet you can goout to dinner, yes, you have to
be disciplined.
Go to a quality restaurant thatserves quality food so you can
(13:02):
get a nice piece of fish.
Grilled chicken.
You could even have a lean steakwith some vegetables.
Ask them to hold the butter onthose vegetables always ask for
salad dressing on the side.
Salad dressing is loaded withcalories.
(13:23):
Weight loss is a struggle foreveryone.
Trainers, athletes,bodybuilders, everyone.
Maybe something happened to usand we start eating more than
usual.
If you see someone who's fit,just know that's not by
accident, they're disciplined,they move their body regularly,
(13:45):
and they eat what I call qualityfood.
So let's fast forward to today.
I.
Menopause and that great mysteryof what the hell happened to my
waistline.
Let me tell you, menopausedoesn't just gently tap the
brakes on a woman's metabolism.
It slams them on like you'reabout to hit something.
(14:09):
Your midsection starts to getsofter and thicker.
That's the reality.
And here I was with mybackground.
I knew what to do and I triedeverything and then all of a
sudden I started to notice thatmy girlfriends who were packing
on the lbs, like I was, werelooking like hotty ties.
(14:33):
And I'm like, how the fuck arethey doing that?
They must be starvingthemselves.
They must be eating salads only.
Nope.
They were all using a secretweapon called GLP one.
Don't judge ladies because ifyou're struggling with your
weight, it works and it's notcheating.
(14:56):
Cheating is what I was doingevery Friday through Sunday
before I jumped back on the dieton Monday.
This is a helper that curbs yourappetite so you can gain control
of the volume of food thatyou're eating.
I had so much food noise in myhead.
(15:18):
I just couldn't stop it.
When I got on the GLP one allthat noise stopped.
I saw a nurse practitioner at amed spa.
I.
She did a complete physical onme.
They took blood work went inpretty scared because I've got
quite a health history.
If you've been tuning in, youknow this and I have bad
(15:40):
reactions to many drugs, afterconsulting with her for our
first appointment I thought,worst thing that could happen, I
have my first injection.
Things don't go great, and Idon't do it anymore.
She gave me a measured amount ofinjections.
Every month and monitored me.
(16:01):
You can't just wing it on a GLPone.
See a doctor or a registerednurse to monitor you.
I am not a very big person tobegin with, but 20 pounds on me
was pretty hefty.
I lost 22 pounds in about fivemonths.
It came off relatively slow.
(16:22):
The more you have to lose, thefaster it comes off.
I didn't lose muscle mass.
I ate all the right nutrients tokeep my muscle on and continued
to work out.
They give you a card that tellsyou exactly what to eat.
In order to lose weight and keepyour muscle on.
You don't have to be goingthrough menopause to struggle
(16:44):
with your weight or decide ifyou're gonna go on a GLP one.
These weight struggles hit atany age, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60,
stress.
Emotional eating, lack of timeto cook your meals or work out,
(17:04):
no consistency in your routines.
All of that shit adds up and youwill gain weight.
I no longer have that foodobsession.
I eat three meals a day,breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
Quality food.
What does that mean?
We make.
Everything that we eat.
(17:25):
I am not Susie Homemaker by anymeans, we're all really busy.
A lot of us have jobs.
We don't have the luxury to bein the kitchen for hours we eat
chicken, tofu, and bison, and wemake all kinds of stuff out of
it.
A lot of the prepping happens inthe morning, I don't cook all my
meat in one swoop.
(17:46):
I can't stand cooking like fivedays of meat and having it in
the fridge.
I did it for so long as acompetitor, I want it to be as
fresh as possible, we cook it inthe air fryer.
At night, we cook what we wantto eat, or if we're not
traveling, we'll cook a coupleextra pieces and have dinner,
(18:08):
lunch, and maybe dinner the nextnight, but that's it.
We eat a lot of salmon.
We have an excellent dry rubthat we put on it, we eat rice
we eat couscous.
We don't eat cheese andcrackers, chips, all that snacky
bullshit stuff.
If I need to have a snack, I'llhave half a vegan bar.
(18:29):
Those macro bars are my favoriteand I love them because they're
made with a lot of goodingredients.
Or maybe I'll slice up half anapple with a teaspoon of peanut
butter.
Here's something to know ifyou're gonna have snacks, make
sure it has a protein with it.
So many people grab carbs.
(18:51):
Or cheese.
Make sure you're eating thecombination together and don't
eat carbohydrates like breadsand crackers and shit like that
by itself.
There are hundreds if notthousands of diets out there,
and I'm sure we've all tried atleast one or two, of these keto,
(19:14):
low carb, low fat, high protein,whole 30 calorie counting,
intermittent fasting,plant-based diets.
It goes on and on, makes medizzy just saying it, I think
the best diet is the one thatfits in your lifestyle.
I have had clients come to me,I've done a full assessment on.
(19:37):
Their current eating style andinstead of saying, you can't
have any of these I replacedthem with healthier choices.
I've watched women lose weightwith just those small tweaks.
If you pick something that is soincredibly restrictive and your
lifestyle is busy and on the go,it's gonna be very challenging
(20:02):
to stick to that diet.
I.
Unless you have something that'sfitting into your lifestyle
Let's get into some real talkabout the things that you can do
to feel better in your body andachieve your weight loss goals.
If you have a pen, a pencil ornotebook you can take some
(20:22):
notes.
The first thing you wanna writein that notebook is your why.
Why do you want to lose weight?
Is it just to fit into somejeans hanging in your closet
that you haven't worn in a longtime?
That's fine, I want you to godeeper.
It has to have a deeper meaningin order for you to stick to it.
(20:46):
How do you wanna feel once youachieve your goal?
Are you looking to feelstronger?
What's your goal?
Be very realistic.
What weight are you trying toget to?
Don't go for a goal that's sofar out of bounds that you get
frustrated because it'sunachievable, what has prevented
(21:08):
you from losing weight everytime you've tried?
If you don't know the answerright now, think about it.
Take some time.
If it takes a couple of days,that's fine.
Don't get started until you'reclear on all of these things.
I'll tell you the reason why Ikept falling off.
(21:30):
Diets in the past if I wasn'tlosing enough weight I would
say, fuck it.
It was me.
I got in my own way.
If that's the case for you two,that's okay.
Be honest.
This is your weight lossjourney.
This is for you and this is tohelp you do it once and for all.
(21:52):
If you don't ask yourself thesethings and you go pick a diet, I
guarantee you're not gonna beable to stick to it.
You have no purpose, and that'swhat we're doing.
We're creating a purpose.
There's more than just tracking.
The weight when you're dieting.
(22:13):
We hit peaks and valleys youcould go an entire week, maybe
even two, without losing weight.
You hit a plateau, and this iswhere most of us say, and maybe
this is your, this is whatprevents me.
I don't see the weight come off,so I jump off the scale and say,
fuck it, I'm not losing weightyou'll need a measuring tape.
I also recommend getting a smartscale.
(22:35):
The one I have is Wise, WYZE.
You download the app, and whenyou jump on the scale, you click
on the app and it tracks yourmuscle mass, your weight, body
mass, and a whole bunch of otherstuff.
So those days when you're notlosing weight, get out your
measuring tape.
Because I guarantee you will seesomething changing.
(23:00):
Measure your chest, your waist,and your hips, and you'll see
something starts to give whenthe scale is not.
I also recommend takingpictures.
Wear a sports bra and a pair ofshorts so you can see where that
change is happening.
Take a picture of the front, ofthe side week over week you'll
(23:22):
start to see the success.
You can see those changeshappening.
The other tip is get support.
Get a coach, a trainer, anutritionist, a friend, somebody
that can hold you accountable.
Accountability is huge.
When I was on GLP one, I wasbeing held accountable.
(23:44):
I had to weigh in every month.
That keeps you on track.
People go to Weight Watchers.
It's a great community becauseyou've got groups of people
sharing their stories and youcan jump on the scale, so you're
held accountable.
They write your weight downweek, over week, and for some
reason, when someone else istracking your weight, you don't
(24:06):
wanna disappoint them, so youstick to the diet.
If you hire a trainer, know thatall trainers in the gym are just
going to train you.
They're not gonna write you ameal plan, so don't expect that
they work for a gym and they arethere to train you.
Not all trainers are equal.
(24:29):
If you tell your front desk atthe gym that you want a trainer,
they're automatically gonnaassign somebody to you.
You're paying for it.
You should interview all theirtrainers to find the trainer
that is most in line with whatyou're trying to achieve.
(24:49):
Have you ever seen thosetrainers when you're at the gym
where they're just staring attheir client while they're doing
their reps and then they moseyover to the next machine and
there's no interaction?
You don't want that person.
You want the one who's pushingyou so hard, you wanna fire'em.
Those are the good ones.
If there's a couple trainers inthe gym, talk to all of'em.
(25:13):
The next tip, move your body.
We were just talking about thegym.
You don't have to train for amarathon.
You don't have to lift weights.
You don't have to go into abodybuilding sport unless you
want to.
You could just walk your 10,000steps every day.
Don't underestimate some of thethings that are available to you
for free.
(25:34):
There are hundreds of YouTubefitness classes out there.
I follow about 20 differentfitness instructors, and
honestly, it's the best way tokeep things interesting for me
if I don't feel like going tothe gym.
Maybe you have a mini gym inyour house or some large area
(25:54):
where you can jump in on one ofthose classes and you can hit
pause if you need to take abreak.
There's some good things aboutthose classes.
They're free.
If you don't know where to startthey have all levels of classes
they have beginner,intermediate, and advance.
Pick the one that fits yourfitness level.
(26:16):
If GLP one is an option and youwanna explore it, there's no
shame, no judgment, it's notcheating.
It's a support tool, and it'sworth the conversation with your
doctor or a registered nurse.
And finally, celebrate the smallwins.
Seriously, don't wait until youhit your goal weight to feel
(26:38):
proud of yourself.
Celebrate the genes that zip upa little easier.
Buy yourself flowers, light thatcandle.
Treat yourself to a massage.
Whatever it is, be proud ofyourself.
Because every bit of progresscounts.
This is not just about food.
(26:59):
It's about your mindset, yourhormones, your habits, your
life.
You are not just changing yourbody, you're rebuilding your
relationship with yourself andwith food.
That's powerful and it deservesto be celebrated.
I'm not talking about acelebration that sets you back
with a cheeseburger and friesthat leave you feeling worse
(27:24):
later because let's be real,that fuck it mentality, it's not
worth it.
Don't do that to yourself.
I hope you're walking away fromthis feeling a little less
frustrated, maybe even a littlemore hopeful or inspired Now
you've got a fresh page in yournotebook and a fresh start in
(27:46):
your mindset.
Whether you're just starting orhitting, restart, do it in a way
that actually works for you.
Give yourself that gift and I'llbe right here cheering you on
every step of the way.
If you could use some helpcreating a realistic workout
(28:08):
plan, or if you want a secondset of eyes on your current
approach to eating.
I.
I've got you.
Just scroll down to the showdescription, tap, send us a
text, and tell me what you'reworking on.
I'd be honored to support youand help you find a plan that
fits your life and your goals.
(28:30):
Thanks so much for hanging outwith me today.
And hey, if you've got a friendwho's navigating weight loss.
Or just needs a littlemotivation, share this episode
with them.
Until next time.
Hi everyone and welcome to theshow.
I'm so glad we have this timetogether.
Today I'm diving into a topicthat will likely hit home For
many of you, this is somethingwe've all attempted once in our
life.
Maybe we've succeeded.
Maybe we didn't see results fastenough, so we gave up because
(00:31):
we're so damn impatient.
Most of us give up because we'renot seeing the changes fast
enough.
We get frustrated.
We throw in the towel only torepeat this over and over again
because 95% of men and women.
(00:51):
Fail at this.
Can you guess what this topicis?
We're talking about weightstruggles, the kind you feel
when your jeans won't button.
You know when you lay on a bedand you suck in your belly as
hard as you can to get yourjeans zipped up and buttoned,
(01:13):
and then when you sit up, itspills over the waistband like a
muffin top.
You're desperately trying tostuff it back into your jeans
like you're kneading dough.
And your leggings become youreveryday uniform.
'cause let's face it, they'restretchy, forgiving, they don't
(01:37):
judge and you can just keep oneating.
I am only laughing at thisbecause I have been there.
I know how hard it is to be in asituation when you're either
pissed about the way you look oryou might be in complete tears.
I've been both, I lived in myleggings for two years straight.
(02:02):
I didn't even look at a pair ofjeans.
Why would I?
It was just a reminder of howfar I had drifted from feeling
good in my body.
Did you know that 56% of womenlist weight loss is the top New
Year's Eve goal?
(02:24):
I'm sure it's not surprising tomost of us.
I don't even know how many timesI tried that.
I became much more aggressivethan starting a new diet in
January.
I started my diet every Monday.
I would eat clean during theweek and then the weekend would
come and it was like all ruleswent out the door and entire
(02:48):
week of dieting just blew up inflames.
And I'd say to myself.
No problem.
I'll just start again on Mondayand that cycle would start over
and over again.
That's not even a strategy.
It's insanity.
Have you done that where you'vestarted a diet every Monday?
(03:11):
It's exhausting and if youdidn't know this, it slows down
your metabolism when you yo-yodiet restarting your diet isn't
just physical, it's veryemotional.
There's this shame spiral thatstarts with, I've been good all
week and ends with God.
(03:32):
Why can't I just stick to this?
It's promising yourself I'll begood tomorrow while secretly
dreading stepping on the scale.
Do you wanna know a secret aboutscales?
They don't lie.
They are very transparent.
They tell us the truth and showus exactly what we've been up
(03:54):
to.
They know when we've beennaughty and so do we.
It's April, and while it marksthe start of spring.
It's also the unofficial kickoffof diet season.
After months of cozy comfort,food oversight sweaters and I
(04:15):
our go-to leggings, winterhibernation can leave us feeling
bloated, sluggish, eating morethan we planned, and we liked
being cozy and sitting on thecouch every night.
Now it's April and summer'sright around the corner.
This is the cue to scramble toundo all the damage that we did
(04:38):
during those winter months.
Or maybe you've just been yo-yodieting for such a long time.
This is normal every April andmay.
You crank up the dieting.
It can mess with your head,especially if you've been stuck
in the same cycle year afteryear.
(05:00):
Have you promised yourself, thisis the last time it's gonna be
so different.
And you get tired of all thesefalse starts, it's not just
about how you look, it's abouthow you feel.
Imagine.
Falling off your diet everyweekend and Monday comes and you
(05:21):
jump on the scale.
only to go batshit crazy becausethe number is not revealing the
number you want to see.
It's revealing what you just didover the weekend, and we get so
mad.
My boyfriend will say, why areyou mad?
What is going on with you soearly in the morning?
(05:44):
'cause I always weigh myselffirst thing in the morning, no
clothes on.
Gotta make sure I'm at my ultralightest and I'm like, oh my
God, I gained weight.
He's like, really?
Are you surprised after what youdid over the weekend?
I guess I shouldn't be, but wedo it to ourselves, right?
(06:05):
When you're eating like crap andgaining weight, you feel it in
every part of you.
You're heavy, not justphysically, but mentally.
You feel sluggish, bloated.
Your skin is a complete mess.
And it's like you're draggingaround cinder blocks every day
(06:26):
feels a little bit harder.
But let's rewind for a minute.
I'm gonna share some fun facts.
Back in high school, I was anaerobics instructor at a private
fitness club.
And picture this, I had giantpermed hair, my Jane Fonda
leotard, tights, and leg warmerson, if you know Jane Fonda, when
(06:50):
she used to teach her classes onVHS tapes, picture it.
It's like an eighties party andI owned that look.
Owned it.
My love for fitness never leftme from those Jane Fonda days.
Even after having kids, it stuckwith me.
(07:11):
I eventually became a privatefitness coach.
I was helping others throughtheir weight loss journeys.
I created custom workout plansand actually worked out with all
of my clients.
Talk about skin in the game?
We did it together and I putpersonal meal plans together for
(07:31):
them based on the goals thatthey were trying to achieve, and
it was one of the mostrewarding.
Experiences I've had because youget to watch people grow
stronger their confidence go up,see their bodies change, and
it's so fulfilling to help themlose weight.
(07:55):
But here is the twist.
Even with over a decade of beinga fitness coach, I found myself
completely blindsided by a fullblown food obsession that took
over my life.
Do you wanna know what theculprit was?
Menopause.
(08:16):
And if you're in it, you knowexactly what I'm talking about.
And if you're not, just waitbecause it is like a wrecking
ball in many different ways.
When menopause walked into mylife, I turned into a food
obsessed maniac.
I'm talking full on.
(08:38):
Mindless eating, and it wasn'tlike I was living off junk food.
I was still having my proteinand vegetables probably more
carbs than I should have been,but it didn't matter what I was
eating, I was eating volumes offood.
I could take down a clean meallike it was a competitive sport.
(09:02):
I just wanted more food, it's nowonder that I gained 20 pounds.
I knew what to do.
I knew how to lose weight.
I'd done it for other people.
I always stayed fit because Ihad all the tools in my toolbox,
but this time I just couldn't doit.
(09:22):
The food noise was constant.
I'd never experienced anythinglike that.
It was waking up to what's forbreakfast?
What are you gonna have for asnack?
What's for lunch?
What are you gonna have for asnack?
What's for dinner?
What are you gonna snack on?
On the couch?
I watched the weight creep up onmy friends who were in
(09:44):
menopause.
All of us were eating more thanwe ever had, and my hormones had
completely shifted.
I wasn't in control.
I really felt like I waspossessed and it didn't help
that I was traveling week overweek for work and my desire to
(10:05):
work out.
Went down the drain, and thatwas even crazier because you're
talking about somebody who notonly was a fitness coach, but
who was a former bodybuildingcompetitor.
Long before menopause.
Back in 2011, while I was goingthrough my divorce, I wanted to
(10:27):
do something for myself, and Ialways had a desire to be a
competitor.
Getting that lean and sculptedtakes a next level commitment.
It really does.
It's a strict training scheduleand very specific diet with a
lot of restrictions.
(10:47):
There's no alcohol, sugar, badcarbs.
I went all in.
I signed up, I got a coach.
I trained seven days a week, andI worked out five days a week at
5:00 AM with my team.
These were all women who werecompeting I got up on stage
(11:09):
looking like a bronze disco balland my extra dark spray tan.
And I placed forth in my veryfirst competition.
It was an amazing feeling toachieve that in five months.
Have you ever felt like yourdiet forced you into isolation?
(11:31):
Like you needed to stay homejust to avoid the forbidden
foods or alcohol, and suddenlythe things that once brought you
joy start to feel off limits andyou feel lonely?
That was me for quite some time.
I avoided social gatheringsbecause I didn't trust myself
(11:54):
around the food everything feltlike a temptation and that
isolation.
Became brutal.
If you're in that place rightnow, trying to lose weight,
feeling anxious about going outbecause you're scared you'll eat
everything in sight.
I get it.
I really do.
(12:15):
Eventually I told myself, youneed to start adapting.
You can't keep staying at home.
I started bringing my own mealsto friends' houses, and to
dinner parties.
I packed up my little plasticcontainer, which I called my
Bento box, and I took it to myfriend's houses.
(12:39):
That allowed me to stayconnected.
My people matter just as much asmy goals.
What I'm trying to tell you isdon't lock yourself up at home.
If you're on a diet you can goout to dinner, yes, you have to
be disciplined.
Go to a quality restaurant thatserves quality food so you can
(13:02):
get a nice piece of fish.
Grilled chicken.
You could even have a lean steakwith some vegetables.
Ask them to hold the butter onthose vegetables always ask for
salad dressing on the side.
Salad dressing is loaded withcalories.
(13:23):
Weight loss is a struggle foreveryone.
Trainers, athletes,bodybuilders, everyone.
Maybe something happened to usand we start eating more than
usual.
If you see someone who's fit,just know that's not by
accident, they're disciplined,they move their body regularly,
(13:45):
and they eat what I call qualityfood.
So let's fast forward to today.
I.
Menopause and that great mysteryof what the hell happened to my
waistline.
Let me tell you, menopausedoesn't just gently tap the
brakes on a woman's metabolism.
It slams them on like you'reabout to hit something.
(14:09):
Your midsection starts to getsofter and thicker.
That's the reality.
And here I was with mybackground.
I knew what to do and I triedeverything and then all of a
sudden I started to notice thatmy girlfriends who were packing
on the lbs, like I was, werelooking like hotty ties.
(14:33):
And I'm like, how the fuck arethey doing that?
They must be starvingthemselves.
They must be eating salads only.
Nope.
They were all using a secretweapon called GLP one.
Don't judge ladies because ifyou're struggling with your
weight, it works and it's notcheating.
(14:56):
Cheating is what I was doingevery Friday through Sunday
before I jumped back on the dieton Monday.
This is a helper that curbs yourappetite so you can gain control
of the volume of food thatyou're eating.
I had so much food noise in myhead.
(15:18):
I just couldn't stop it.
When I got on the GLP one allthat noise stopped.
I saw a nurse practitioner at amed spa.
I.
She did a complete physical onme.
They took blood work went inpretty scared because I've got
quite a health history.
If you've been tuning in, youknow this and I have bad
(15:40):
reactions to many drugs, afterconsulting with her for our
first appointment I thought,worst thing that could happen, I
have my first injection.
Things don't go great, and Idon't do it anymore.
She gave me a measured amount ofinjections.
Every month and monitored me.
(16:01):
You can't just wing it on a GLPone.
See a doctor or a registerednurse to monitor you.
I am not a very big person tobegin with, but 20 pounds on me
was pretty hefty.
I lost 22 pounds in about fivemonths.
It came off relatively slow.
(16:22):
The more you have to lose, thefaster it comes off.
I didn't lose muscle mass.
I ate all the right nutrients tokeep my muscle on and continued
to work out.
They give you a card that tellsyou exactly what to eat.
In order to lose weight and keepyour muscle on.
You don't have to be goingthrough menopause to struggle
(16:44):
with your weight or decide ifyou're gonna go on a GLP one.
These weight struggles hit atany age, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60,
stress.
Emotional eating, lack of timeto cook your meals or work out,
(17:04):
no consistency in your routines.
All of that shit adds up and youwill gain weight.
I no longer have that foodobsession.
I eat three meals a day,breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
Quality food.
What does that mean?
We make.
Everything that we eat.
(17:25):
I am not Susie Homemaker by anymeans, we're all really busy.
A lot of us have jobs.
We don't have the luxury to bein the kitchen for hours we eat
chicken, tofu, and bison, and wemake all kinds of stuff out of
it.
A lot of the prepping happens inthe morning, I don't cook all my
meat in one swoop.
(17:46):
I can't stand cooking like fivedays of meat and having it in
the fridge.
I did it for so long as acompetitor, I want it to be as
fresh as possible, we cook it inthe air fryer.
At night, we cook what we wantto eat, or if we're not
traveling, we'll cook a coupleextra pieces and have dinner,
(18:08):
lunch, and maybe dinner the nextnight, but that's it.
We eat a lot of salmon.
We have an excellent dry rubthat we put on it, we eat rice
we eat couscous.
We don't eat cheese andcrackers, chips, all that snacky
bullshit stuff.
If I need to have a snack, I'llhave half a vegan bar.
(18:29):
Those macro bars are my favoriteand I love them because they're
made with a lot of goodingredients.
Or maybe I'll slice up half anapple with a teaspoon of peanut
butter.
Here's something to know ifyou're gonna have snacks, make
sure it has a protein with it.
So many people grab carbs.
(18:51):
Or cheese.
Make sure you're eating thecombination together and don't
eat carbohydrates like breadsand crackers and shit like that
by itself.
There are hundreds if notthousands of diets out there,
and I'm sure we've all tried atleast one or two, of these keto,
(19:14):
low carb, low fat, high protein,whole 30 calorie counting,
intermittent fasting,plant-based diets.
It goes on and on, makes medizzy just saying it, I think
the best diet is the one thatfits in your lifestyle.
I have had clients come to me,I've done a full assessment on.
(19:37):
Their current eating style andinstead of saying, you can't
have any of these I replacedthem with healthier choices.
I've watched women lose weightwith just those small tweaks.
If you pick something that is soincredibly restrictive and your
lifestyle is busy and on the go,it's gonna be very challenging
(20:02):
to stick to that diet.
I.
Unless you have something that'sfitting into your lifestyle
Let's get into some real talkabout the things that you can do
to feel better in your body andachieve your weight loss goals.
If you have a pen, a pencil ornotebook you can take some
(20:22):
notes.
The first thing you wanna writein that notebook is your why.
Why do you want to lose weight?
Is it just to fit into somejeans hanging in your closet
that you haven't worn in a longtime?
That's fine, I want you to godeeper.
It has to have a deeper meaningin order for you to stick to it.
(20:46):
How do you wanna feel once youachieve your goal?
Are you looking to feelstronger?
What's your goal?
Be very realistic.
What weight are you trying toget to?
Don't go for a goal that's sofar out of bounds that you get
frustrated because it'sunachievable, what has prevented
(21:08):
you from losing weight everytime you've tried?
If you don't know the answerright now, think about it.
Take some time.
If it takes a couple of days,that's fine.
Don't get started until you'reclear on all of these things.
I'll tell you the reason why Ikept falling off.
(21:30):
Diets in the past if I wasn'tlosing enough weight I would
say, fuck it.
It was me.
I got in my own way.
If that's the case for you two,that's okay.
Be honest.
This is your weight lossjourney.
This is for you and this is tohelp you do it once and for all.
(21:52):
If you don't ask yourself thesethings and you go pick a diet, I
guarantee you're not gonna beable to stick to it.
You have no purpose, and that'swhat we're doing.
We're creating a purpose.
There's more than just tracking.
The weight when you're dieting.
(22:13):
We hit peaks and valleys youcould go an entire week, maybe
even two, without losing weight.
You hit a plateau, and this iswhere most of us say, and maybe
this is your, this is whatprevents me.
I don't see the weight come off,so I jump off the scale and say,
fuck it, I'm not losing weightyou'll need a measuring tape.
I also recommend getting a smartscale.
(22:35):
The one I have is Wise, WYZE.
You download the app, and whenyou jump on the scale, you click
on the app and it tracks yourmuscle mass, your weight, body
mass, and a whole bunch of otherstuff.
So those days when you're notlosing weight, get out your
measuring tape.
Because I guarantee you will seesomething changing.
(23:00):
Measure your chest, your waist,and your hips, and you'll see
something starts to give whenthe scale is not.
I also recommend takingpictures.
Wear a sports bra and a pair ofshorts so you can see where that
change is happening.
Take a picture of the front, ofthe side week over week you'll
(23:22):
start to see the success.
You can see those changeshappening.
The other tip is get support.
Get a coach, a trainer, anutritionist, a friend, somebody
that can hold you accountable.
Accountability is huge.
When I was on GLP one, I wasbeing held accountable.
(23:44):
I had to weigh in every month.
That keeps you on track.
People go to Weight Watchers.
It's a great community becauseyou've got groups of people
sharing their stories and youcan jump on the scale, so you're
held accountable.
They write your weight downweek, over week, and for some
reason, when someone else istracking your weight, you don't
(24:06):
wanna disappoint them, so youstick to the diet.
If you hire a trainer, know thatall trainers in the gym are just
going to train you.
They're not gonna write you ameal plan, so don't expect that
they work for a gym and they arethere to train you.
Not all trainers are equal.
(24:29):
If you tell your front desk atthe gym that you want a trainer,
they're automatically gonnaassign somebody to you.
You're paying for it.
You should interview all theirtrainers to find the trainer
that is most in line with whatyou're trying to achieve.
(24:49):
Have you ever seen thosetrainers when you're at the gym
where they're just staring attheir client while they're doing
their reps and then they moseyover to the next machine and
there's no interaction?
You don't want that person.
You want the one who's pushingyou so hard, you wanna fire'em.
Those are the good ones.
If there's a couple trainers inthe gym, talk to all of'em.
(25:13):
The next tip, move your body.
We were just talking about thegym.
You don't have to train for amarathon.
You don't have to lift weights.
You don't have to go into abodybuilding sport unless you
want to.
You could just walk your 10,000steps every day.
Don't underestimate some of thethings that are available to you
for free.
(25:34):
There are hundreds of YouTubefitness classes out there.
I follow about 20 differentfitness instructors, and
honestly, it's the best way tokeep things interesting for me
if I don't feel like going tothe gym.
Maybe you have a mini gym inyour house or some large area
(25:54):
where you can jump in on one ofthose classes and you can hit
pause if you need to take abreak.
There's some good things aboutthose classes.
They're free.
If you don't know where to startthey have all levels of classes
they have beginner,intermediate, and advance.
Pick the one that fits yourfitness level.
(26:16):
If GLP one is an option and youwanna explore it, there's no
shame, no judgment, it's notcheating.
It's a support tool, and it'sworth the conversation with your
doctor or a registered nurse.
And finally, celebrate the smallwins.
Seriously, don't wait until youhit your goal weight to feel
(26:38):
proud of yourself.
Celebrate the genes that zip upa little easier.
Buy yourself flowers, light thatcandle.
Treat yourself to a massage.
Whatever it is, be proud ofyourself.
Because every bit of progresscounts.
This is not just about food.
(26:59):
It's about your mindset, yourhormones, your habits, your
life.
You are not just changing yourbody, you're rebuilding your
relationship with yourself andwith food.
That's powerful and it deservesto be celebrated.
I'm not talking about acelebration that sets you back
with a cheeseburger and friesthat leave you feeling worse
(27:24):
later because let's be real,that fuck it mentality, it's not
worth it.
Don't do that to yourself.
I hope you're walking away fromthis feeling a little less
frustrated, maybe even a littlemore hopeful or inspired Now
you've got a fresh page in yournotebook and a fresh start in
(27:46):
your mindset.
Whether you're just starting orhitting, restart, do it in a way
that actually works for you.
Give yourself that gift and I'llbe right here cheering you on
every step of the way.
If you could use some helpcreating a realistic workout
(28:08):
plan, or if you want a secondset of eyes on your current
approach to eating.
I.
I've got you.
Just scroll down to the showdescription, tap, send us a
text, and tell me what you'reworking on.
I'd be honored to support youand help you find a plan that
fits your life and your goals.
(28:30):
Thanks so much for hanging outwith me today.
And hey, if you've got a friendwho's navigating weight loss.
Or just needs a littlemotivation, share this episode
with them.
Until next time.
Popular Podcasts
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com
The Breakfast Club
The World's Most Dangerous Morning Show, The Breakfast Club, With DJ Envy, Jess Hilarious, And Charlamagne Tha God!