April 7, 2025 • 52 mins
Think Your Best Years Are Behind You? Think Again.
If you're in midlife and wondering why your body suddenly feels like it's working against you—fatigue, stubborn weight, poor sleep—you are so not alone. But here’s the truth: it doesn’t have to be this way.
In this episode, I sit down with Karen Karlsen, Faster Way coach and pro-aging advocate, who transformed her health after a shocking prediabetes diagnosis in her 50s. Now thriving at 60, Karen shares how she ditched diet culture and embraced a smarter approach—focusing on strength training, macro tracking, and real food—to get her energy, sleep, and metabolism back on track.
We bust some major midlife myths—like why eating less is not the answer, how protein is your best friend after 50, and why personalization is the key to real, lasting results. Karen even shares how she uses a continuous glucose monitor to dial in her nutrition and how hormone therapy and better sleep changed everything.
If you’re tired of feeling stuck, invisible, or confused by your changing body, this episode is your wake-up call. Aging well isn’t just possible—it’s powerful. And it starts here.
🎧 Hit play and let’s rewrite the midlife narrative—together.
_________________________________________
Are you ready to reclaim your midlife body and health? I went through my own personal journey through menopause, the struggle with midsection weight gain, and feeling run-down. Faster Way, a transformative six-week group program, set me on the path to sustainable change. I'd love to work with you! Let me help you reach your health and fitness goals.
https://www.fasterwaycoach.com/?aid=MicheleFolan
Have questions about Faster Way? Please email me at:
mfolanfasterway@gmail.com
After trying countless products that overpromised and underdelivered, RIMAN skincare finally gave me real, visible results—restoring my glow, firmness, and confidence in my skin at 61. RIMAN Korea's #1 Skincare Line - https://michelefolan.riman.com
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**This podcast is for general informational purposes only and does not constitute the practice of medicine, nursing, or other professional healthcare services, including the giving of medical advice. The content of this podcast is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Users should not disregard or delay in obtaining medical advice for any medical condition they may have and should seek the assistance of their healthcare professionals for any such conditions.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Michele Folan (00:00):
Midlife can feel like a turning point, one where
your body seems to be workingagainst you.
The things that used to keepyou fit don't seem to work
anymore.
Weight gain creeps in out ofnowhere and the frustration is
real.
But here's the good news youhave more control than you think
.
If you've ever felt likemidlife is working against you,
(00:20):
this episode will inspire you toget back in the driver's seat
against you.
This episode will inspire youto get back in the driver's seat
.
Health, wellness, fitness andeverything in between.
We're removing the taboo fromwhat really matters in midlife.
I'm your host, Michele Folan,and this is Asking for a Friend,
(00:42):
and this is Asking for a Friend.
Welcome to the show everyone.
Today, I'm joined by KarenKarlsen, a fellow Faster Way
coach and pro-aging advocate,who is proving that it's never
too late to feel strong,confident and in control of your
health.
At almost 61, she's in the bestshape of her life, but she
(01:05):
didn't start here.
She had to overcome midlifehealth challenges, prediabetes
and a tough family history toget where she is today.
In this conversation, we'regoing to tackle the real reasons
midlife weight gain happens,what women need to focus on now
for long-term health, and howfitness goals evolve as we age,
(01:26):
we also dive into HRT, some skinstrategies, self-care
non-negotiables and what itreally takes to feel amazing
into your 60s, 70s and beyond.
Karen Karlsen, welcome toAsking for a Friend.
Karen Karlsen (01:40):
Oh, I'm excited to be here, Michele.
I am such a fan of you and Ilove your reels and how you've
picked up video so fast.
Right, You're an audio queen,but you picked up the video
really quickly.
Michele Folan (01:58):
It's such a learning curve right.
Karen Karlsen (02:01):
I know, I know, I mean, I took courses to learn
how to you know, do that and foryour listeners, you must follow
Michele on Instagram and youcan see sort of her journey into
video as well, and she's justgood at media.
She's just good at media.
Michele Folan (02:18):
Oh, you're very kind, I'm not, you know, I don't
feel that way, you know here.
But here's the thing, and wecan talk a little bit about this
is the imposter syndrome, and Iposted something on a real or
not real, it was my storiesearlier.
It was something that MelRobbins said and she she
basically said if you let fearof what other people think hold
(02:41):
you back, then you are aprisoner of other people's
opinions.
Yeah, and we're going to talkabout that.
It's so true.
I mean.
Karen Karlsen (02:48):
I get deer in the headlight syndrome all the time
.
And one thing that really helpsme and you could apply this in
any area of your life one thingthat really helps me if you're a
public speaker or you're everon stage or on camera, if you
just sort of think of yourselfas that person is an avatar of
(03:10):
yourself.
It's not really you, right?
It's not you, it's just aprojection of you.
So you feel like I have a lotless to lose and I really I hope
people like me, but I reallydon't care and I'm not invested
if they don't, you know, if theydon't like me.
Michele Folan (03:28):
But don't you think some of that comes with
age, that it's the I don't givean F factor, you know?
Karen Karlsen (03:35):
It's so funny we all want to think that we're
there Like I don't give an F,but when it comes down to it we
really do like the people,especially the people that
matter.
We hope they think the best ofus and it's not like we're
orchestrating our behavior tosort of fit a mold of what
(03:55):
anybody else's expectations.
But maybe we just go about lifea little more freely when we
release ourselves of justworrying all the time about how
we're seen, how we look.
I'm still working on that.
Michele Folan (04:11):
I'm still working on that, yeah, and I have a
whole section of just this kindof conversation coming up here
and, as always, I always getstarted and I really want you to
tell the audience a little bitmore about you, where you're
from, kids, all the fun stuff.
Karen Karlsen (04:30):
I'm just a normal girl I want to say girl instead
of woman because I do.
I feel young and youthful.
I'm just a normal girl like youthat you know, turned 60 and
happened to realize, wow, thisaging thing is really going to
happen.
I've raised three kids.
Like that's done.
I'm, you know I'm married 33years soon to the same wonderful
(04:54):
person man I love very much.
Congrats, and you know I splitmy time between Oregon and
California and the internetinternet and Instagram.
Instagram is my home and TikTok.
I have a presence on TikTok andFacebook, but I like to talk and
(05:18):
I like to encourage women andthat's how I got started, like
you, in the faster way, we foundsomething that was working for
our health and at this age andstage of life, it's like what a
great opportunity to actually beblessed, to be a coach and help
other women get to feel like wedo at this age, once they learn
(05:40):
these secrets and once you havethis platform to talk about it,
it is just so wonderful to beable to have the impact and, yes
, some influence other people'shealthy lives, yeah, so you know
, I am, I'm, I'm blessed to beable to do what I do.
I have some empty nestersyndrome right now.
You know I do miss my kids buthaving meaningful, purposeful
(06:04):
work like what you're doing andwhat I'm doing it really helps
smooth that transition that alot of women who didn't plan for
the future when they were kids,who were in high school, are
not having right now.
They're having shock over thefact that their kids are gone,
their purpose is done and theyget into a depression.
(06:27):
And it's real, it reallyhappens.
But I just think if you canfind something meaningful to do
to ease that transition, you'regoing to have a much easier time
of the empty nesting thing.
Michele Folan (06:41):
Yeah, actually, I recorded a podcast last week.
I haven't dropped that one yet,but it is all about managing
empty nester syndrome.
She's an empty nester coach andthat's what she does.
She helps women find purpose inmidlife to get over that hump
of okay, what's next?
Next?
Karen Karlsen (07:00):
Yeah, yeah, it really is real and I can see how
it could really sort of takeover and get into your psyche
that you're done.
And I think that's that pointwhere midlife women start
feeling maybe invisible becausethey don't really have all these
teams and shows and all thestuff they were involved in with
(07:21):
their kids to show up foranymore, to lead anymore.
So that's why I always saystart thinking quite young.
When your last kid's a freshmanin high school, start thinking
about what can I be doing now tolay the tracks so that I can
grow myself once they're gone?
Michele Folan (07:39):
Yeah, and it can be volunteering, it could be
learning a new hobby or sport orsomething.
It could be so many things, butI agree with you I think
playing it forward in your mindand trying to figure out what
that looks like is such greatadvice.
You know, I want to talk alittle bit about your journey
(08:00):
because, Karen, your healthjourney is, I think, very
inspiring.
Can you kind of take us back towhat sparked your own
transformation?
Karen Karlsen (08:12):
Well, I think, you know, there was a point in
my early fifties where I started.
You know I had some clues tothings, but I thought it was
just because I was getting older, just because I was middle-aged
.
No one really talked to me muchabout menopause.
But I started feeling reallytired.
I started sleeping poorly.
(08:34):
I started gaining belly fat, aflab.
I didn't like the way I felt,but I wasn't aware that I was
losing muscle.
I was not aware.
I just felt not 100%, and Iknew that that would be expected
in menopause, but I just wasn't.
I didn't educate myself wellenough in my late forties about
(08:57):
this, so I suffered a little bitfor it.
So I had a friend at the time,at around age 53, she said hey,
listen, I joined this newprogram called the Faster Way to
Fat Loss.
You've got to try this.
There's this new thing they'redoing called macro tracking and
(09:17):
you've got to learn it.
I've had such great results.
My friend is a coach, so Ithat's what I did, and I did it
mostly because, at the insistingof a friend of mine, right, and
although I wasn't obese,although I wasn't hyper-focused
on weight gain, I thought well,I'm going to do this and and I
can learn some things that Iwant to shave off this belly fat
(09:38):
.
It started a transformationthat changed my life up until
now, at age almost 61.
It was probably the mostimportant thing I did for my
health, for my awareness of mypoor nutrition and ineffective
exercise.
So once I started that, andalso around the same time got a
(10:01):
diagnosis of prediabetes.
So around the same time got adiagnosis of prediabetes, which
to me was shocking since I hadno indication on my body of that
, other than feeling tired, lowenergy.
Michele Folan (10:16):
I didn't really have the obesity that most
people think of yeah, and I'veseen your before pictures.
Yeah, yeah, and I've seen yourbefore pictures and you did not
embody what you would think atypical person with prediabetes
would look like.
You didn't have a large middle,you weren't overall overweight
(10:40):
and I think that's the lookout,right.
You don't know what's going onon the inside, you don't.
Karen Karlsen (10:47):
And I didn't know , since I didn't have the
education or coachingcertifications that I have now.
I didn't know at the time thatwith estrogen loss comes this
insulin resistance pattern thatmost women around that age are
completely unaware of.
Either they haven't beeneducated by anyone else or their
(11:08):
doctors have not alerted themto their labs slowly showing an
increase in insulin resistance.
Or maybe their doctor justsweeps that under the rug and
says you know what?
We're going to watch this for awhile.
So that's what happened with me, and that was about the time I
started in the Faster Way,realizing sort of I need to find
(11:28):
out what my personal carbthreshold is and at the same
time, that's when you and I werealso learning at the beginning
how much protein we need to keepon this muscle on our frame so
that we can have bettermetabolic health as we age.
I did not know how crucial thatmuscle component was in
(11:51):
controlling this pre-diabeticcondition.
That's very stubborn, and thenI still am going in and out of
it.
Like you know, I'll have greatblood work, you know, at one
period and then go back sixmonths later and it's ticked up
to tenths of a point again.
So I'm always feeling like I'mteetering in and out, so it's
(12:11):
something I'm going to have towatch the rest of my life, but
now they're closely associatingblood sugar issues with
Alzheimer's.
So it's something that everyoneneeds to be aware of, and I
like to use my platforms tostress the importance and bring
that to the fore, because mostwomen are just so hyper-focused
(12:34):
on calories and fat and gettingthis fat off and wearing a dress
you know to be in a wedding,things like that.
They're focused on that ratherthan what is going on inside me.
That is causing all this extrafluff and discomfort that I feel
(12:55):
.
Michele Folan (12:55):
Yeah, you know I try to stress with my clients
that this program Faster Wayreally works from the inside out
.
We're not a quick fix.
You know, be in that weddingdress, for you know four weeks,
in four weeks, right it's.
It's really about let's addressall the stuff going on on the
(13:16):
inside because then eventuallyit's going to start showing on
the outside and I swear topeople I'm like you just have to
trust the system here.
But I am curious, Karen,comparing your diet and
lifestyle now, how different isit than when you were before,
before you started?
Karen Karlsen (13:35):
It is radically different.
Okay, you know because of justwhat I have learned through the
certification processes macrocertifications, Faster Way
certification and then I justread health science books for
fun all the time.
We're such nerds aren't we yeah?
I love it because I love to beable to impart that to people
(13:57):
who are struggling as well.
But in my early 50s my thingwas as long as I don't go over
1,200 calories a day, I'm fine.
So it doesn't matter if it'schips and margaritas which there
was a lot of that, a lot morealcohol than a lot more
processed foods, because Iwasn't aware of what those
(14:18):
things do to our bodies overtime and how they are illness
inducers.
So in my late 40s, early 50s,I'm just pretty much thinking
about I'll be fine as long as Ijust don't go over this certain
amount of calories per day.
And this is very commonmentality still to this day.
(14:39):
And then people women willthink well, if I ate X amount of
calories and I walked threemiles with my friend, then I can
subtract that from my total.
So we have this constant bankaccount thing going.
But once I learned what realwhole food nutrition can do for
your health, for your energylevels, for your insulin
(15:01):
resistance, for your healthyglucose uptake, along with
training, the right way formuscle growth and retention at
this age, once I learned thosestrategies, all that food
started becoming so tempting tome.
So Faster Way meal guides.
They're beautiful, they'rewonderfully designed, simple
(15:23):
four-item things pretty muchthat are just so satisfying
because you get so much food.
So once I realized this food,this kind of eating and macro
tracking and carb cycling isgiving me far more energy and
far more health to fulfill mypurpose in life than how I was
(15:45):
eating before.
And so once you start noticingthese differences on your body,
in your mind, your mood is moreupbeat, because those are high
vibe foods.
You know fruits and vegetablesand really you know wonderful
grass fed beef and you know nicechicken and nice eggs.
Those things all areinformation to our bodies.
(16:07):
And so you start falling inlove with the foods that are
making you feel good and lookgood, exactly, yeah.
And so it's much easier to nowleave behind the things are big
detractors, like alcohol.
It's much easier to leave itbehind when you realize that
(16:28):
without it you're such adifferent person.
You are far more effective thaneverybody around you that is
still drinking, still eatingchips, still staying up late,
you know, still driving throughChick-fil-A.
Yeah, you know you.
You fall in love and you changeyour ways because of of how you
feel and you get feedback thatthat this lifestyle is working.
Michele Folan (16:54):
Karen, we're going to take a quick break.
We'll be right back.
Skipping breakfast or grabbinga protein bar, a salad for lunch
and, okay, dinner and youwonder why you're not losing
weight.
Listen, I get it.
You're trying to be good, butmidlife metabolism doesn't work
that way.
Eating less isn't the answer.
(17:14):
Eating right is.
In my six-week midlife resetI'll show you how to fuel your
body for fat loss withoutstarving yourself.
Train in a way that actuallyreshapes your body and finally
break free from the cycle offrustration.
But you have to take that firststep.
Door's closed soon.
Don't wait.
(17:34):
Click the link in the shownotes and let's get to work.
We are back.
You know you said somethingbefore about 1200 calories a day
, and countless times I've hadclients.
I have them put in what theywould normally eat on a normal
day, like before we even starttracking your macros with the
(17:57):
Faster Way menu.
I want you to take a day or twoand just track your food as you
would normally eat, and it'salways pretty astounding to them
to find out they undereatingwoefully or they just weren't
getting enough protein.
I think the first complaint Iget and I'm doing air quotes
(18:19):
complaint is that this is toomuch food.
I can't possibly eat all thisfood.
I'm like, oh yeah, you can, youwill.
It might take you a week or soto get adjusted to it, but you
learn that your body reallyneeds it.
You're resetting yourmetabolism to function at a much
(18:40):
higher level than what it wasbefore, and then it starts to
click.
Karen Karlsen (18:46):
Yeah, and you're resetting your ghrelin and
leptin hormones, your hunger andsatiety hormones too, and I get
the same.
It's crazy because this week isprep week in the Faster Way and
I know what comments are coming.
It's going to be this is toomuch food for me.
Even if they know they're in a15% deficit, it's going to feel
(19:08):
like a lot because there'svolume involved and women, our
age, are so used to restriction.
There's a myth that you shouldstart reducing your portion
sizes as you age, and it can'tbe farther from the truth.
Once you start reducingportions without tracking macros
(19:28):
, you're on this slippery slopeto malnourishment, to impending
disease, to muscle loss, tosarcopenia, to osteoporosis,
because if you don't have muscle, you can't keep your bone.
Right.
So, yeah, I wish I just likeyou, I just wish women would get
(19:51):
on board with you know, justfinding out what their protein
macro minimums are to start with.
Yeah, you know, even if they'renot in a program, they should
be aiming for 30 grams ofprotein at every meal.
Michele Folan (20:06):
Yeah, minimum, right, yeah.
So I think you know 90 to ahundred grams of protein a day
is is really kind of the minimumthreshold for most women at
this point.
So you wear a continuousglucose monitor.
How has this helped you kind ofnavigate your own macros and
(20:28):
how you're eating now?
Karen Karlsen (20:29):
Well, a continuous glucose monitor is
great because it's giving youpersonalized, real-time data on
where your blood sugar is, howlong it stays high, how well it
adapts to certain stimuli andyou get, over time, a real good
window on.
(20:49):
You get, over time, a real goodwindow on how your insulin is
able to handle sugar, and so tome, it's been the most valuable
tool because there's no otherway to look inside your blood.
We can't do that.
You could finger prick and allthat, but it's going to be hard
for you to string the datatogether the way a CGM can do.
(21:11):
And I felt that the system thatI used was so thorough on the
education that I had educationmodules in there that taught me
far more than any Instagram postcould, far more than my doctor
ever had time to describe to me,and so once I started
monitoring that, I realized, oh,this thing is another tool
(21:33):
that's going to help me figureout my carb threshold.
So, for instance, I can't eat ahalf of a grapefruit like
somebody else can, because itwill spike me like crazy If I
had a big piece of protein and Iate this grapefruit last and
maybe cut that in half and justhad a quarter of it, then my
(21:57):
insulin could handle that.
So that's good information.
And so how that affects mymacros is I dropped my carb
macros and the carbs that I'mhaving are lower glycemic carbs.
When I want the higher glycemiccarbs, I have to reduce the
portion.
So last night on Instagram Ishowed my plate versus my
(22:17):
husband's and I had, you know, aquarter cup, maybe a third of a
cup of roasted sweet potato onmy plate, where he had like
three quarters of a cup, becausethat's what I know.
That's the starch amount I knowI could probably get away with,
but I got to eat the groundbeef on the plate first, the
(22:38):
cottage cheese on the platefirst, the vegetables on the
plate first, and then I savethat little small amount of
starch, which I really enjoy,but I know now my limit.
So I eat that last and then theglucose monitor tells me could
I handle that or not?
And over time.
You don't have to be on theglucose monitor all the time,
but with consistent data andwith you taking notes and
(23:00):
tracking the data over time, youknow very well what you can get
away with.
So you can go for periodswithout the CGM on and use what
you've learned.
So, for instance, I'll haveberries with breakfast, but
rarely will I have a banana.
If I have a banana, it's goingto be half of a banana smothered
(23:22):
in peanut butter.
Like there are things you learnabout your own carb intake,
what you can handle and whatyour boundaries are right.
So now I know my boundary is Icannot have a banana, a whole
banana, on an empty stomach.
That is a sugar bomb for me,which means a crash afterwards.
Michele Folan (23:40):
Yeah, and that feels terrible right.
Karen Karlsen (23:43):
Yeah, it feels awful.
I don't have time to sleep thesugar off during my day, so
that's too much of a liabilityfor me.
So a CGM really helps if youknow you have a little insulin
resistance.
It gives you personalinformation.
So a lot of women can drinkcoffee on an empty stomach and
(24:07):
not have a glucose spike.
I can't.
So it's very, very individual.
And so when people want me totest things like can you test a
piece of cheesecake for me andjust let me know what happens to
you, I just say no because I'mnot.
I wouldn't do that normally andI don't want to test anything
that would be harmful to me inany way.
Michele Folan (24:26):
Yeah, and it's very individual, too Very.
I mean you know there's thingsthat would spike my blood sugar
and not spike your, so it's justyou can't.
Yeah, it's a really good tool.
It's a really great tool.
You confidently show what'spossible with fitness in midlife
(24:47):
and I love that about you.
You put it out there.
But I think sometimes when wedo that, it comes with some
criticism and I want to know howyou handle that.
Karen Karlsen (24:58):
Well, it kills me to post bathing suit pictures
and I love to address thecriticism because it gives me an
opportunity to say actually whyI'm doing that.
It's not because I'm trying tobe a thirst trap to men at 60.
I only talk to women on theinternet and I inspire women
(25:20):
with not only just my before andafter pictures, but that I keep
going.
That it is a lifestyle.
I didn't do a diet and thenquit.
I didn't go work out for threemonths and then quit.
It's a work in progress everyday and my health shows on my
body and so that's what'sinspiring and so that's why I do
(25:40):
it.
And so here comes thatseparation where I'm like oh,
they're criticizing thecharacter, they're criticizing
my avatar, so it can't hurt me.
It can't hurt me.
You know I'm not out there doingsolicitous posts.
You know, for attention oranything like that.
Yeah, look, go ahead, look atmy body.
(26:00):
Like, go ahead, look at that,but know what I do and know my
motivation for doing that.
And you know people who followme in earnest know that.
But you know others there'sgoing to be those outliers where
you're going to get a lot ofcriticism like you're too thin.
I don't see any difference inyour before and after pictures.
(26:23):
Why do you need to parade in abathing suit?
Well, I did because I realizedI got so much feedback from
women saying you inspire me somuch.
I want to get myself back.
I want to be able to have yourconfidence.
That's what women want.
They want confidence and I loveto teach that.
(26:45):
Confidence isn't coming fromjust how you stand there and
look on the beach in a bathingsuit.
The confidence comes fromactually doing, doing, repeating
, repeating, and to the best ofyour ability.
Then that makes you realize I'mdoing the best I can, so I'm
going to show up as I am and ifthat happens to look really good
(27:07):
to you and it inspires you,then I'm doing the right thing.
Michele Folan (27:12):
You know, a couple of weeks ago I did a post
and I showed my stomach for thefirst time and I had a client.
She said do you know why Isigned up to work with you?
And I said, no, I don't.
I listened to your podcast.
But she said, when you showedyour abs on Instagram, I said to
(27:35):
myself I want that, I wantthat's what I'm, I'm going for
that.
I want to feel like that in mybody.
And I said, okay, you justvalidated that.
That was okay, cause you, you,you, you sit there and you go.
Should I share?
Should I share?
Should I hit that button to putit out there?
(27:57):
And I just did.
I just said screw it, I'm, I'mdoing it and and you know my
before pictures may not lookthat drastic right, but it's how
I felt.
So when I look at my beforepictures and I look at my
current pictures, I see someonevery different, because it's not
(28:23):
just how I look, as I wasgetting very uncomfortable in my
body at that point, but it'salso how I feel about myself.
So, yeah, big, big differencethere, absolutely.
Karen Karlsen (28:35):
And the thing about the belly thing that's so
freeing is and I always love topoint out, like, yeah, I'll show
you my belly, but I'm alsogoing to show you my loose skin,
my stretch marks.
My estrogen patch will be there, right, like I'll do it right
now.
Look, I mean, it's solid underhere, but, like, this is skin
(28:59):
and this is subcutaneous fat,right, and it is okay.
It is like, okay, we're alwaysgoing to have marks of living on
our body, and that's different,though, than visceral,
dangerous fat around your organsthat makes your belly protrude,
right, yeah, that's a differentthing altogether.
(29:24):
And women do have this reallycomplicated relationship with
our bellies, mostly because weare growing humans in there and
we go through these drasticchanges and they leave us marred
.
They really do.
I mean, you could go get atummy tuck.
(29:47):
That's great.
I wouldn't judge whatever.
I'm not going to do that.
I'm not going to go throughthat.
Wouldn't judge whatever I'm not.
I'm not going to do that, I'mnot going to go through that.
But because to me the mostimportant thing is, yes, it's
nice and flat under there, themuscles are hard, they're
supporting my spine, myposture's better because of the
way I care for my core, but theolder I get, the less of a
(30:10):
vanity my belly is Like my waistmeasurement is not going to go
down any further and when mywaist measurement goes really
low, it means I'm underweight,it means everything else is too
thin and I don't like it.
I don't like it.
Yeah, so we have a fraughtrelationship with our bellies
(30:30):
and it does feel so good whenit's under control, when you
feel your metabolism hummingalong and your belly is flatter
and not bloated and you can seesome ab definition from your
core work, from your heavylifting, even squats, even
overhead presses.
Those all inform our coremuscles.
(30:51):
When you see that it isempowering, you feel like you're
doing your best and even thoughit's not perfect, you still
feel like showing up and you'reconfident because you know
you're doing the best you can.
Michele Folan (31:04):
And I would say too you talked about our bodies
are marred, right, but it's partof the journey and we have to
celebrate our bodies at any agebecause they're pretty
remarkable what they're able todo Yep, and we're fed this line
that you know, as you age, youcan expect they tell us what we
(31:26):
can expect and I think that cansort of be a self-fulfilling
prophecy.
Karen Karlsen (31:29):
Like you can expect joint pain, you can
expect bloating.
You can expect to start wearingspecial swimwear that hides
this and that skirted swimwear.
You can expect to have a slowermetabolism.
I just am here to say BS.
Like, no, no, Like I feel likeI'm proof and you're proof, that
(31:57):
we can go on like this feelingand looking like this for a long
, good stretch.
But it's not like you get onthe Peloton and go really,
really fast and then take yourfeet off and the machine keeps
going.
You have to keep pedaling inplace, right, and we may have
(32:17):
periods, Michele, where we'relike we're just in a holding
pattern and then, after a good,refreshing holding pattern
period of a few months, maybewe're ready to pick it up again,
pick up steam, and so we arestill able at this age.
And there's people older thanus online showing their fitness
journeys and I love watchingthose older women, 10 years
(32:39):
older than me, because they'reshowing us and we're showing the
younger ones that you don'thave to listen to and fulfill
that prophecy of what's expectedfor aging.
Michele Folan (32:52):
Yeah, and you know what else?
I have clients that are intheir 70s, and they're getting
results.
I mean, my clients aren'ttypically 40, right, they're
definitely older and they'regetting results because they've.
They're putting in the time,they want to do this, and so
(33:14):
it's never too late to to focuson on this health and wellness
journey.
Never.
Karen Karlsen (33:20):
Not at all, not at all.
They, they, they can modify andmoderate the program with good
coaching.
I have clients in theirseventies too.
I had one for a long time.
She's over 80 now and it'sphenomenal because they come
back and their doctors are sopleased with their blood work,
with their physicalness right,and they want at that point in
(33:43):
their 70s they're really aimingfor a long health span and
longevity, right.
So you can't go wrong withfaster weight programming at any
age, really yeah.
Michele Folan (33:55):
And honestly I mean I know the workouts.
To look at them may feel alittle intimidating at first
because you have to understand.
You can modify the workouts,but so much of this is what
you're putting in your body.
It's your nutrition that reallymakes the biggest impact.
Karen Karlsen (34:16):
Yep, first and foremost, I mean we're eating
for energy, because aging is astate of your energy.
That's all it really is.
Michele Folan (34:25):
Yeah, yeah, I like that.
That's a good one.
Yeah, you brought up HRTearlier.
When did you start hormonereplacement therapy?
Karen Karlsen (34:34):
I started that around 48 when I got my first
symptom, which was night sweats.
So I still don't know what it'slike to have a hot flash, but I
was afflicted with night sweatsand so I started on a low dose
then and then over the years'syou know, 13 years ago almost
and over the years I have beenon probably every form except
(34:58):
for pellets.
I have changed my doses oftengosh, it's been such a journey.
But I I, during the times whereI knew the estrogen wasn't
getting through to me and um,what?
Before I found out abouttestosterone, I realized like I
don't want to be without this.
(35:18):
I don't want to because I feelway better when I'm on it.
And you know now my biggest fearand a lot of women fear that
our doctors are going to yank itaway from us after 60.
When they know now, withcurrent information, that you
can be on it forever, you can beon it forever.
(35:40):
So I don't want to pull theplug on myself just because I'm
a certain age, because I knowhow I feel on it and I also know
the benefits that I'm gettingfrom it as far as you know
keeping my tissues soft andsupple, preventing heart disease
(36:01):
, preventing Alzheimer's, thosethings, bone loss, bone loss
these things are, you know, veryimportant to me for fulfilling
that picture I see of myself at80.
So I just am, you know, I'mjust so grateful that I've had
it.
Yeah, and you know, it's alwaysa work in progress.
(36:23):
It sometimes it needsadjustments.
Michele Folan (36:26):
Yeah, They'll have to pry it out of my cold
dead hands.
I mean, I'm not, I, I will.
I will make sure that I alwayshave a doctor or healthcare
provider that will allow me tocontinue on Um.
I have no problem leaving um ahealthcare provider if they're
not telling me what I want tohear.
Karen Karlsen (36:46):
Well, you know what.
I'll tell you this story,michelle.
Um, I was at my medical systemdoctor this winter, for you know
, I had had some bleedingproblems and a biopsy and
everything, and I'm fine, I'mfine.
But the difference between thatdoctor and my functional
women's health doctor were nightand day.
(37:07):
So the doctor, the medicalsystem doctor, said, oh, I can
go ahead and prescribe yourestrogen.
And I said, well, I'm currentlyusing two patches.
And she said, oh, no, that'snot the standard.
And I said, well, I'm not thestandard, I'm not the standard.
(37:27):
It's hard for me to getestrogen transdermally, so I use
two of those big patches.
And she was like, well, we'rejust not comfortable with that
here.
I was just really, reallysurprised.
And she was like, well, we'rejust not comfortable with that
here.
Like I was just really, reallysurprised.
And that doctor had to be 50 orover 50, a great doctor, great
care for um, getting the biopsydone and examining the cells,
and all that having anultrasound, right.
(37:47):
But I went right back to myfunctional medicine doctor and
I'm like, hit me up, let's comeon, we're going to, we're going
to, we're going to increase that, we're going to bump this,
we're going to bump theprogesterone.
So I, I want a doctor like you,that is, a thought leading
doctor Like those are the ones Ifollow on Instagram.
I believe them, I trust themand I'm under the care of one.
(38:08):
So I, you know, I just I wantwomen to be aware of what their
choices are and that they can goahead and shop different
doctors.
You'll know very quickly whichones are on board with HRT.
Michele Folan (38:22):
Yep, you know, and part of that, too, is our
skin, and I'm very curious,Karen Karlsen what are your
favorite skincare strategies?
Are there any products that youlove to maintain your healthy
glow?
Karen Karlsen (38:39):
Yeah, thank you.
I started this when I was about23.
That's when I got my first eyecream and I think genetically I
had good skin.
But once I realized I have thisgreat skin, I'm going to take
care of it.
So, around 30, I just startedseriously with well.
(38:59):
At 23, I started with Retin-Afor adult acne and that is one
of my mainstays.
I've been using that all theseyears and some people want you
to think that that's toxic anddangerous and whatever.
Well, I'm a living testament toit working because I have a
long enough anecdotal period ofusage.
So that is in the regimen.
(39:20):
Absolutely I um, if, if someoneis following me on Instagram
and comments the word skin onany post, I'll give you a
history of my, my skin storiesfor starting in my twenties.
But you but gradually, decadeby decade, and as these new
technologies and informationcame out, I jumped on vitamin C
every day under my sunscreen,under my makeup, non-negotiable.
(39:44):
After pregnancy I had horriblemelasma, so that's when I
started using laser treatmentsand light treatments like Fraxel
and Intense Pulse Light andBroadband Light.
Not all the time because it'sexpensive using laser treatments
and light treatments likeFraxel and intense pulse light
and broadband light.
Not all the time because it'sexpensive.
Just a few times a year, maybeone big laser per year.
I think keeping my face out ofthe sun was a great thing, but
(40:05):
my neck didn't really get thememo, so it's showing its age,
and so do my hands because ofcarpooling in the sun in
California all those years.
Sure, so gosh.
And what else do I do now?
I mean, I try to just keep itreally, really simple.
I'm I'm into tallow productsright now because they're
they're so moisturizing.
I feel so great when I wake upin the morning.
(40:26):
My skin feels really good inthe morning.
I love red light therapy.
I've been using a red lightmask for five years now and I
swear that has kept my poressmall and fine lines at bay.
I don't mind lines.
What I don't love about agingis sagging and volume loss.
(40:47):
So I talked to Natalie Jill ina podcast earlier in the month
about a recent procedure I haddone on my eyelids because I
felt like God, I was lookingtired to myself and when other
people comment are you tired?
That really is upsetting to me.
When I'm not, you're right,when I'm not.
So you know, he transferred alittle fat at the time right
(41:09):
into my orbital area, which kindof it's like?
It's your own filler, like tohave your fat put there.
But what makes skin healthy isalso from the inside out.
I mean, I eat an apple, a lemonand avocado every day.
Oh, that's funny.
And I eat.
Yeah, I just love that.
I look forward to those threethings.
(41:30):
They can be in any form, theycan be in a blender, they can be
on a salad, but I don't miss.
And that also gives you a lotof fiber too, by the way.
But I love nuts and I'm notafraid of fat.
I think those girls who eat thehealthy fats are the ones with
beautiful skin.
Look at those Mediterraneangirls who eat olives and a lot
of olive oil.
Yeah, and they have beautifulskin.
(41:52):
They slather on their faces.
So there's that.
Michele Folan (41:56):
Yeah, I think that's actually back to that
inside out mentality is what yousee on the outside,
particularly with your skin, isprobably a product of what you
see on the outside, particularlywith your skin is is probably a
product of what you areingesting every day the healthy
foods.
Karen Karlsen (42:11):
It totally is, and the new clients also noticed
this really fast becausethey're increasing their protein
, which is, you know, containsall the aminos you need to build
good skin.
It has, you know, you get acollagen sort of profile in that
.
It has, you know, you get acollagen sort of profile in that
, in your protein, your animalprotein, I'm talking.
They also increase theirhydration and once they're on
(42:34):
the ball about drinking water,they're like I can't believe my
under eyes look so much betteror my lines are plumping out
again.
So so much of it is justself-care.
You know, from the inside out,sleep is super important.
You'll notice after you can'tget away with crap.
Sleep anymore and wake up withglowing skin.
(42:55):
No cream, no Botox, no, nothingis going to help with that
aspect.
So sleep is super important,important.
And I would say, you know Ilove the sun.
I get an hour of unprotectedsun every day, but not on my
(43:17):
face, not on my face.
So you know that sunscreen hasbeen a big part of it since the
age of 30.
Yeah, but now we have all thesecool things coming up and I
want to be on board.
So I'm learning about exosomes.
Have you heard about exosomes?
Yes, I have Okay.
So I've been using exosomesunder my eyes, so that's a new
thing I'm watching for.
There's also products thatthere's not that much solid
(43:41):
research on but that contain NADin the thing.
But I'm of the camp like I'mgoing to try everything.
I do, I try, I'm tryingeverything and, um, to the
extent that I can reason throughit, that's what I mean.
Yeah, that's what I mean.
Does it sound?
Does it sound sensible to me?
(44:01):
Would it be beneficial?
I think supplements likecollagen absolutely.
I take it every single day,either in a mocktail or with
coffee, because I know it works,because not just because my
skin looks great at 61, butbecause I have less pain.
And if I get sloppy and don'ttake collagen, I know right away
(44:26):
I have this shoulder flare-upand a foot flare-up.
When I get back on the ball,the pain goes away.
So I know collagen works andit's a super well-studied
supplement that everyone cantake for better skin, hair
tissue joints.
Everyone can take collagensafely, just make sure it's a
(44:49):
clean and trusted brand.
That's what I would say.
Michele Folan (44:51):
I agree, yeah, and I think what Karen's trying
to say is if things make sensein terms of the science, try it,
see how it makes you feel.
Now, my one call out aboutsupplements and we've talked
about this on the podcast beforeis you want to make sure it
doesn't interact with somethingelse you're taking.
So always run those things byyour doctor.
(45:13):
But for the most part there'sstrong research behind it, then
why not?
Karen Karlsen (45:20):
Yeah, and not everything has strong research
behind it, but I consider myselfsort of an outlier, like a
biohacker, and I'm willing toexperiment on myself, so I don't
recommend things that didn'twork for me right, but I'm
willing to be a guinea pig.
I'm on HRT and I understandthere are some small risks, but
(45:42):
I've had my risk profileassessed and they don't really
apply to me.
So so you know what I mean.
Like I'm an outlier for takingHRT and continuing on it because
I'm willing to experiment onmyself, to feel good and you
will.
You will get.
If you know how to listen toyour body and see the signs on
yourself, you will get.
(46:02):
The feedback you're looking foron this product was bogus, or I
think this is working.
Michele Folan (46:09):
Right, yep, I totally agree.
One other question for you whatis one of your self-care
practices?
That is a non-negotiable.
Karen Karlsen (46:20):
Okay, this isn't going to seem like self-care,
because we think of that as likeI'm going to go steam my face
now, right, but for me it's it'ssleep and I'm really uptight
about it and I'm verydisciplined because I know how
bad it feels to have insomniaand lose your mind and lose your
effectiveness, and it's reallydevastating.
(46:42):
It's super isolating and lonelyto have insomnia.
So I really, really strive andI think you've talked to Morgan
Adams, our friend.
She's so great, so she was mysleep coach a couple years ago
when I had a very bad insomniacepisode that just sent me over
the edge, and so ever since Iworked with her, I've been in
(47:03):
and out of some episodes, but soI'm very careful and protective
about my sleep because that isthe best self-care I can give
myself.
I would, I would take sleep overa workout any day.
Oh yeah, me too, I would.
I would get the.
I would stay in bed to get theextra sleep if my body was
telling me I needed that.
So I'm super protective aboutit.
I start you know, we don't useoverhead lights after sundown.
(47:27):
I have yeah.
I changed the light bulbs in myhouse to these um, strainless
lighting bulbs.
They're like low wattage Amberbulbs.
When we have company over Itell my husband we got to switch
, we got to put the regularlights back in.
People are going to think we'recrazy.
So like I have those bulbs,like if if I'm watching tv in
(47:49):
bed it I wear blue lightblockers.
I have a red clip-on book lightthat I clip onto my book that I
read with to get drowsy by noblue light in my eyes.
I'm trying not to give myselfany stimulating information
around bedtime.
You know, I take an erbitonin,it's like an herbal melatonin.
(48:11):
I take some very low dose, veryjust, let's call them gummies,
and sometimes I take atryptophan.
That makes me really drowsy andjust excited for sleep because
I really want to induce thatsleep urge, and so that's why it
starts at about sundown.
(48:31):
Yeah, and I sleep better nowfor it.
And that's my self-care man.
I just like.
Sometimes I say no to trips.
Sometimes I say no to, you know, like a girl's weekend that I
know is going to be a rowdything where I'm, I'm out of
control of my sleep.
I'd rather get the sleep thango on that trip and risk messing
(48:55):
myself up big time.
Michele Folan (48:57):
You're protecting your boundaries, Karen, and
that is you know what'simportant to you, and I think
that's awesome.
Yeah, I would like you to tellthe audience, Karen Karlsen.
Karen Karlsen (49:09):
Awesome, I would like you to tell the audience,
Karen Karlsen, where they canfind you.
Thank you, okay.
You can find me on Instagramunder my name, Karen K-A-R-E-N-M
Karlsen K-A-R-L-S-E-N.
And there is where I talk aboutmy health, wellness, offering
the best products and thingsthat I find, including the
Faster Way program, and I'm alsoon TikTok at this boomer mom,
(49:34):
and there I'm a little moreunhinged.
Tiktok's a completely differentplatform.
It's not as polished.
I talk more about generationalthings and it's a great place to
connect with other people ourage that remember the same
things we do, because we'regetting to that yummy nostalgia
age where nostalgia just feelsso fun and like, oh remember,
(49:55):
remember we had the Donny Osmondlunchboxes.
Oh yeah, oh yeah.
Michele Folan (50:00):
So that's where I am on TikTok, I had a crush on
Jimmy Osmond actually.
Karen Karlsen (50:05):
Oh God.
Michele Folan (50:05):
Jimmy on Jimmy Osmond.
Actually, oh God, Jimmy, I methim in person.
I think that's what that is socute.
Karen Karlsen (50:14):
That's hilarious.
On Facebook, just under my name, Karen Karlsen, K-A-R-L-S-E-N.
I'd love to have you andwelcome in.
Welcome into my communities,and I hope you learned something
.
Michele Folan (50:25):
I was going to say give Karen a follow.
She's.
She's a lot of fun and she'llmake you think aging is for cool
people.
Karen Karlsen (50:40):
It is.
I mean there, there, there's afew sacrifices, honestly, yeah,
there's a few sacrifices.
You're, you're, you're going tobe.
Um, you might have differentfriends.
You might lose some friends if,especially if, you stop
drinking or start refusingdrinks at social situations, you
might realize like, okay, I'man outlier, but you have to be
ready to take it and handle it.
(51:00):
And other people are watchingyou.
Other people are watching yourjourney and how you respect
yourself.
Other people are watching yourjourney and how you respect
(51:25):
yourself and that's going theother.
But you're still.
You're keeping the bar high foryourself and then that raises
the bar for other people andthat's how you impact lives.
Michele Folan (51:34):
I believe Karen Karlsen ages with balls.
That's what I like to say.
Karen Karlsen (51:40):
We've got to have balls, guys.
We've got to have balls to dothis, to get through it and to
support each other.
Michele Folan (51:47):
Yeah, I absolutely agree and that's why
I wanted you here today.
Thank you, you're wonderful.
Thank you, thanks for beinghere so fun.
Hey, thanks for tuning in.
Please rate and review the showwhere you listen to the podcast
.
And did you know that Askingfor a Friend is available now to
listen on YouTube?
(52:08):
You can subscribe to thepodcast there as well.
Your support is appreciated andit helps others find the show.
Thank you.
Midlife can feel like a turning point, one where
your body seems to be workingagainst you.
The things that used to keepyou fit don't seem to work
anymore.
Weight gain creeps in out ofnowhere and the frustration is
real.
But here's the good news youhave more control than you think
.
If you've ever felt likemidlife is working against you,
(00:20):
this episode will inspire you toget back in the driver's seat
against you.
This episode will inspire youto get back in the driver's seat
.
Health, wellness, fitness andeverything in between.
We're removing the taboo fromwhat really matters in midlife.
I'm your host, Michele Folan,and this is Asking for a Friend,
(00:42):
and this is Asking for a Friend.
Welcome to the show everyone.
Today, I'm joined by KarenKarlsen, a fellow Faster Way
coach and pro-aging advocate,who is proving that it's never
too late to feel strong,confident and in control of your
health.
At almost 61, she's in the bestshape of her life, but she
(01:05):
didn't start here.
She had to overcome midlifehealth challenges, prediabetes
and a tough family history toget where she is today.
In this conversation, we'regoing to tackle the real reasons
midlife weight gain happens,what women need to focus on now
for long-term health, and howfitness goals evolve as we age,
(01:26):
we also dive into HRT, some skinstrategies, self-care
non-negotiables and what itreally takes to feel amazing
into your 60s, 70s and beyond.
Karen Karlsen, welcome toAsking for a Friend.
Karen Karlsen (01:40):
Oh, I'm excited to be here, Michele.
I am such a fan of you and Ilove your reels and how you've
picked up video so fast.
Right, You're an audio queen,but you picked up the video
really quickly.
Michele Folan (01:58):
It's such a learning curve right.
Karen Karlsen (02:01):
I know, I know, I mean, I took courses to learn
how to you know, do that and foryour listeners, you must follow
Michele on Instagram and youcan see sort of her journey into
video as well, and she's justgood at media.
She's just good at media.
Michele Folan (02:18):
Oh, you're very kind, I'm not, you know, I don't
feel that way, you know here.
But here's the thing, and wecan talk a little bit about this
is the imposter syndrome, and Iposted something on a real or
not real, it was my storiesearlier.
It was something that MelRobbins said and she she
basically said if you let fearof what other people think hold
(02:41):
you back, then you are aprisoner of other people's
opinions.
Yeah, and we're going to talkabout that.
It's so true.
I mean.
Karen Karlsen (02:48):
I get deer in the headlight syndrome all the time
.
And one thing that really helpsme and you could apply this in
any area of your life one thingthat really helps me if you're a
public speaker or you're everon stage or on camera, if you
just sort of think of yourselfas that person is an avatar of
(03:10):
yourself.
It's not really you, right?
It's not you, it's just aprojection of you.
So you feel like I have a lotless to lose and I really I hope
people like me, but I reallydon't care and I'm not invested
if they don't, you know, if theydon't like me.
Michele Folan (03:28):
But don't you think some of that comes with
age, that it's the I don't givean F factor, you know?
Karen Karlsen (03:35):
It's so funny we all want to think that we're
there Like I don't give an F,but when it comes down to it we
really do like the people,especially the people that
matter.
We hope they think the best ofus and it's not like we're
orchestrating our behavior tosort of fit a mold of what
(03:55):
anybody else's expectations.
But maybe we just go about lifea little more freely when we
release ourselves of justworrying all the time about how
we're seen, how we look.
I'm still working on that.
Michele Folan (04:11):
I'm still working on that, yeah, and I have a
whole section of just this kindof conversation coming up here
and, as always, I always getstarted and I really want you to
tell the audience a little bitmore about you, where you're
from, kids, all the fun stuff.
Karen Karlsen (04:30):
I'm just a normal girl I want to say girl instead
of woman because I do.
I feel young and youthful.
I'm just a normal girl like youthat you know, turned 60 and
happened to realize, wow, thisaging thing is really going to
happen.
I've raised three kids.
Like that's done.
I'm, you know I'm married 33years soon to the same wonderful
(04:54):
person man I love very much.
Congrats, and you know I splitmy time between Oregon and
California and the internetinternet and Instagram.
Instagram is my home and TikTok.
I have a presence on TikTok andFacebook, but I like to talk and
(05:18):
I like to encourage women andthat's how I got started, like
you, in the faster way, we foundsomething that was working for
our health and at this age andstage of life, it's like what a
great opportunity to actually beblessed, to be a coach and help
other women get to feel like wedo at this age, once they learn
(05:40):
these secrets and once you havethis platform to talk about it,
it is just so wonderful to beable to have the impact and, yes
, some influence other people'shealthy lives, yeah, so you know
, I am, I'm, I'm blessed to beable to do what I do.
I have some empty nestersyndrome right now.
You know I do miss my kids buthaving meaningful, purposeful
(06:04):
work like what you're doing andwhat I'm doing it really helps
smooth that transition that alot of women who didn't plan for
the future when they were kids,who were in high school, are
not having right now.
They're having shock over thefact that their kids are gone,
their purpose is done and theyget into a depression.
(06:27):
And it's real, it reallyhappens.
But I just think if you canfind something meaningful to do
to ease that transition, you'regoing to have a much easier time
of the empty nesting thing.
Michele Folan (06:41):
Yeah, actually, I recorded a podcast last week.
I haven't dropped that one yet,but it is all about managing
empty nester syndrome.
She's an empty nester coach andthat's what she does.
She helps women find purpose inmidlife to get over that hump
of okay, what's next?
Next?
Karen Karlsen (07:00):
Yeah, yeah, it really is real and I can see how
it could really sort of takeover and get into your psyche
that you're done.
And I think that's that pointwhere midlife women start
feeling maybe invisible becausethey don't really have all these
teams and shows and all thestuff they were involved in with
(07:21):
their kids to show up foranymore, to lead anymore.
So that's why I always saystart thinking quite young.
When your last kid's a freshmanin high school, start thinking
about what can I be doing now tolay the tracks so that I can
grow myself once they're gone?
Michele Folan (07:39):
Yeah, and it can be volunteering, it could be
learning a new hobby or sport orsomething.
It could be so many things, butI agree with you I think
playing it forward in your mindand trying to figure out what
that looks like is such greatadvice.
You know, I want to talk alittle bit about your journey
(08:00):
because, Karen, your healthjourney is, I think, very
inspiring.
Can you kind of take us back towhat sparked your own
transformation?
Karen Karlsen (08:12):
Well, I think, you know, there was a point in
my early fifties where I started.
You know I had some clues tothings, but I thought it was
just because I was getting older, just because I was middle-aged
.
No one really talked to me muchabout menopause.
But I started feeling reallytired.
I started sleeping poorly.
(08:34):
I started gaining belly fat, aflab.
I didn't like the way I felt,but I wasn't aware that I was
losing muscle.
I was not aware.
I just felt not 100%, and Iknew that that would be expected
in menopause, but I just wasn't.
I didn't educate myself wellenough in my late forties about
(08:57):
this, so I suffered a little bitfor it.
So I had a friend at the time,at around age 53, she said hey,
listen, I joined this newprogram called the Faster Way to
Fat Loss.
You've got to try this.
There's this new thing they'redoing called macro tracking and
(09:17):
you've got to learn it.
I've had such great results.
My friend is a coach, so Ithat's what I did, and I did it
mostly because, at the insistingof a friend of mine, right, and
although I wasn't obese,although I wasn't hyper-focused
on weight gain, I thought well,I'm going to do this and and I
can learn some things that Iwant to shave off this belly fat
(09:38):
.
It started a transformationthat changed my life up until
now, at age almost 61.
It was probably the mostimportant thing I did for my
health, for my awareness of mypoor nutrition and ineffective
exercise.
So once I started that, andalso around the same time got a
(10:01):
diagnosis of prediabetes.
So around the same time got adiagnosis of prediabetes, which
to me was shocking since I hadno indication on my body of that
, other than feeling tired, lowenergy.
Michele Folan (10:16):
I didn't really have the obesity that most
people think of yeah, and I'veseen your before pictures.
Yeah, yeah, and I've seen yourbefore pictures and you did not
embody what you would think atypical person with prediabetes
would look like.
You didn't have a large middle,you weren't overall overweight
(10:40):
and I think that's the lookout,right.
You don't know what's going onon the inside, you don't.
Karen Karlsen (10:47):
And I didn't know , since I didn't have the
education or coachingcertifications that I have now.
I didn't know at the time thatwith estrogen loss comes this
insulin resistance pattern thatmost women around that age are
completely unaware of.
Either they haven't beeneducated by anyone else or their
(11:08):
doctors have not alerted themto their labs slowly showing an
increase in insulin resistance.
Or maybe their doctor justsweeps that under the rug and
says you know what?
We're going to watch this for awhile.
So that's what happened with me, and that was about the time I
started in the Faster Way,realizing sort of I need to find
(11:28):
out what my personal carbthreshold is and at the same
time, that's when you and I werealso learning at the beginning
how much protein we need to keepon this muscle on our frame so
that we can have bettermetabolic health as we age.
I did not know how crucial thatmuscle component was in
(11:51):
controlling this pre-diabeticcondition.
That's very stubborn, and thenI still am going in and out of
it.
Like you know, I'll have greatblood work, you know, at one
period and then go back sixmonths later and it's ticked up
to tenths of a point again.
So I'm always feeling like I'mteetering in and out, so it's
(12:11):
something I'm going to have towatch the rest of my life, but
now they're closely associatingblood sugar issues with
Alzheimer's.
So it's something that everyoneneeds to be aware of, and I
like to use my platforms tostress the importance and bring
that to the fore, because mostwomen are just so hyper-focused
(12:34):
on calories and fat and gettingthis fat off and wearing a dress
you know to be in a wedding,things like that.
They're focused on that ratherthan what is going on inside me.
That is causing all this extrafluff and discomfort that I feel
(12:55):
.
Michele Folan (12:55):
Yeah, you know I try to stress with my clients
that this program Faster Wayreally works from the inside out
.
We're not a quick fix.
You know, be in that weddingdress, for you know four weeks,
in four weeks, right it's.
It's really about let's addressall the stuff going on on the
(13:16):
inside because then eventuallyit's going to start showing on
the outside and I swear topeople I'm like you just have to
trust the system here.
But I am curious, Karen,comparing your diet and
lifestyle now, how different isit than when you were before,
before you started?
Karen Karlsen (13:35):
It is radically different.
Okay, you know because of justwhat I have learned through the
certification processes macrocertifications, Faster Way
certification and then I justread health science books for
fun all the time.
We're such nerds aren't we yeah?
I love it because I love to beable to impart that to people
(13:57):
who are struggling as well.
But in my early 50s my thingwas as long as I don't go over
1,200 calories a day, I'm fine.
So it doesn't matter if it'schips and margaritas which there
was a lot of that, a lot morealcohol than a lot more
processed foods, because Iwasn't aware of what those
(14:18):
things do to our bodies overtime and how they are illness
inducers.
So in my late 40s, early 50s,I'm just pretty much thinking
about I'll be fine as long as Ijust don't go over this certain
amount of calories per day.
And this is very commonmentality still to this day.
(14:39):
And then people women willthink well, if I ate X amount of
calories and I walked threemiles with my friend, then I can
subtract that from my total.
So we have this constant bankaccount thing going.
But once I learned what realwhole food nutrition can do for
your health, for your energylevels, for your insulin
(15:01):
resistance, for your healthyglucose uptake, along with
training, the right way formuscle growth and retention at
this age, once I learned thosestrategies, all that food
started becoming so tempting tome.
So Faster Way meal guides.
They're beautiful, they'rewonderfully designed, simple
(15:23):
four-item things pretty muchthat are just so satisfying
because you get so much food.
So once I realized this food,this kind of eating and macro
tracking and carb cycling isgiving me far more energy and
far more health to fulfill mypurpose in life than how I was
(15:45):
eating before.
And so once you start noticingthese differences on your body,
in your mind, your mood is moreupbeat, because those are high
vibe foods.
You know fruits and vegetablesand really you know wonderful
grass fed beef and you know nicechicken and nice eggs.
Those things all areinformation to our bodies.
(16:07):
And so you start falling inlove with the foods that are
making you feel good and lookgood, exactly, yeah.
And so it's much easier to nowleave behind the things are big
detractors, like alcohol.
It's much easier to leave itbehind when you realize that
(16:28):
without it you're such adifferent person.
You are far more effective thaneverybody around you that is
still drinking, still eatingchips, still staying up late,
you know, still driving throughChick-fil-A.
Yeah, you know you.
You fall in love and you changeyour ways because of of how you
feel and you get feedback thatthat this lifestyle is working.
Michele Folan (16:54):
Karen, we're going to take a quick break.
We'll be right back.
Skipping breakfast or grabbinga protein bar, a salad for lunch
and, okay, dinner and youwonder why you're not losing
weight.
Listen, I get it.
You're trying to be good, butmidlife metabolism doesn't work
that way.
Eating less isn't the answer.
(17:14):
Eating right is.
In my six-week midlife resetI'll show you how to fuel your
body for fat loss withoutstarving yourself.
Train in a way that actuallyreshapes your body and finally
break free from the cycle offrustration.
But you have to take that firststep.
Door's closed soon.
Don't wait.
(17:34):
Click the link in the shownotes and let's get to work.
We are back.
You know you said somethingbefore about 1200 calories a day
, and countless times I've hadclients.
I have them put in what theywould normally eat on a normal
day, like before we even starttracking your macros with the
(17:57):
Faster Way menu.
I want you to take a day or twoand just track your food as you
would normally eat, and it'salways pretty astounding to them
to find out they undereatingwoefully or they just weren't
getting enough protein.
I think the first complaint Iget and I'm doing air quotes
(18:19):
complaint is that this is toomuch food.
I can't possibly eat all thisfood.
I'm like, oh yeah, you can, youwill.
It might take you a week or soto get adjusted to it, but you
learn that your body reallyneeds it.
You're resetting yourmetabolism to function at a much
(18:40):
higher level than what it wasbefore, and then it starts to
click.
Karen Karlsen (18:46):
Yeah, and you're resetting your ghrelin and
leptin hormones, your hunger andsatiety hormones too, and I get
the same.
It's crazy because this week isprep week in the Faster Way and
I know what comments are coming.
It's going to be this is toomuch food for me.
Even if they know they're in a15% deficit, it's going to feel
(19:08):
like a lot because there'svolume involved and women, our
age, are so used to restriction.
There's a myth that you shouldstart reducing your portion
sizes as you age, and it can'tbe farther from the truth.
Once you start reducingportions without tracking macros
(19:28):
, you're on this slippery slopeto malnourishment, to impending
disease, to muscle loss, tosarcopenia, to osteoporosis,
because if you don't have muscle, you can't keep your bone.
Right.
So, yeah, I wish I just likeyou, I just wish women would get
(19:51):
on board with you know, justfinding out what their protein
macro minimums are to start with.
Yeah, you know, even if they'renot in a program, they should
be aiming for 30 grams ofprotein at every meal.
Michele Folan (20:06):
Yeah, minimum, right, yeah.
So I think you know 90 to ahundred grams of protein a day
is is really kind of the minimumthreshold for most women at
this point.
So you wear a continuousglucose monitor.
How has this helped you kind ofnavigate your own macros and
(20:28):
how you're eating now?
Karen Karlsen (20:29):
Well, a continuous glucose monitor is
great because it's giving youpersonalized, real-time data on
where your blood sugar is, howlong it stays high, how well it
adapts to certain stimuli andyou get, over time, a real good
window on.
(20:49):
You get, over time, a real goodwindow on how your insulin is
able to handle sugar, and so tome, it's been the most valuable
tool because there's no otherway to look inside your blood.
We can't do that.
You could finger prick and allthat, but it's going to be hard
for you to string the datatogether the way a CGM can do.
(21:11):
And I felt that the system thatI used was so thorough on the
education that I had educationmodules in there that taught me
far more than any Instagram postcould, far more than my doctor
ever had time to describe to me,and so once I started
monitoring that, I realized, oh,this thing is another tool
(21:33):
that's going to help me figureout my carb threshold.
So, for instance, I can't eat ahalf of a grapefruit like
somebody else can, because itwill spike me like crazy If I
had a big piece of protein and Iate this grapefruit last and
maybe cut that in half and justhad a quarter of it, then my
(21:57):
insulin could handle that.
So that's good information.
And so how that affects mymacros is I dropped my carb
macros and the carbs that I'mhaving are lower glycemic carbs.
When I want the higher glycemiccarbs, I have to reduce the
portion.
So last night on Instagram Ishowed my plate versus my
(22:17):
husband's and I had, you know, aquarter cup, maybe a third of a
cup of roasted sweet potato onmy plate, where he had like
three quarters of a cup, becausethat's what I know.
That's the starch amount I knowI could probably get away with,
but I got to eat the groundbeef on the plate first, the
(22:38):
cottage cheese on the platefirst, the vegetables on the
plate first, and then I savethat little small amount of
starch, which I really enjoy,but I know now my limit.
So I eat that last and then theglucose monitor tells me could
I handle that or not?
And over time.
You don't have to be on theglucose monitor all the time,
but with consistent data andwith you taking notes and
(23:00):
tracking the data over time, youknow very well what you can get
away with.
So you can go for periodswithout the CGM on and use what
you've learned.
So, for instance, I'll haveberries with breakfast, but
rarely will I have a banana.
If I have a banana, it's goingto be half of a banana smothered
(23:22):
in peanut butter.
Like there are things you learnabout your own carb intake,
what you can handle and whatyour boundaries are right.
So now I know my boundary is Icannot have a banana, a whole
banana, on an empty stomach.
That is a sugar bomb for me,which means a crash afterwards.
Michele Folan (23:40):
Yeah, and that feels terrible right.
Karen Karlsen (23:43):
Yeah, it feels awful.
I don't have time to sleep thesugar off during my day, so
that's too much of a liabilityfor me.
So a CGM really helps if youknow you have a little insulin
resistance.
It gives you personalinformation.
So a lot of women can drinkcoffee on an empty stomach and
(24:07):
not have a glucose spike.
I can't.
So it's very, very individual.
And so when people want me totest things like can you test a
piece of cheesecake for me andjust let me know what happens to
you, I just say no because I'mnot.
I wouldn't do that normally andI don't want to test anything
that would be harmful to me inany way.
Michele Folan (24:26):
Yeah, and it's very individual, too Very.
I mean you know there's thingsthat would spike my blood sugar
and not spike your, so it's justyou can't.
Yeah, it's a really good tool.
It's a really great tool.
You confidently show what'spossible with fitness in midlife
(24:47):
and I love that about you.
You put it out there.
But I think sometimes when wedo that, it comes with some
criticism and I want to know howyou handle that.
Karen Karlsen (24:58):
Well, it kills me to post bathing suit pictures
and I love to address thecriticism because it gives me an
opportunity to say actually whyI'm doing that.
It's not because I'm trying tobe a thirst trap to men at 60.
I only talk to women on theinternet and I inspire women
(25:20):
with not only just my before andafter pictures, but that I keep
going.
That it is a lifestyle.
I didn't do a diet and thenquit.
I didn't go work out for threemonths and then quit.
It's a work in progress everyday and my health shows on my
body and so that's what'sinspiring and so that's why I do
(25:40):
it.
And so here comes thatseparation where I'm like oh,
they're criticizing thecharacter, they're criticizing
my avatar, so it can't hurt me.
It can't hurt me.
You know I'm not out there doingsolicitous posts.
You know, for attention oranything like that.
Yeah, look, go ahead, look atmy body.
(26:00):
Like, go ahead, look at that,but know what I do and know my
motivation for doing that.
And you know people who followme in earnest know that.
But you know others there'sgoing to be those outliers where
you're going to get a lot ofcriticism like you're too thin.
I don't see any difference inyour before and after pictures.
(26:23):
Why do you need to parade in abathing suit?
Well, I did because I realizedI got so much feedback from
women saying you inspire me somuch.
I want to get myself back.
I want to be able to have yourconfidence.
That's what women want.
They want confidence and I loveto teach that.
(26:45):
Confidence isn't coming fromjust how you stand there and
look on the beach in a bathingsuit.
The confidence comes fromactually doing, doing, repeating
, repeating, and to the best ofyour ability.
Then that makes you realize I'mdoing the best I can, so I'm
going to show up as I am and ifthat happens to look really good
(27:07):
to you and it inspires you,then I'm doing the right thing.
Michele Folan (27:12):
You know, a couple of weeks ago I did a post
and I showed my stomach for thefirst time and I had a client.
She said do you know why Isigned up to work with you?
And I said, no, I don't.
I listened to your podcast.
But she said, when you showedyour abs on Instagram, I said to
(27:35):
myself I want that, I wantthat's what I'm, I'm going for
that.
I want to feel like that in mybody.
And I said, okay, you justvalidated that.
That was okay, cause you, you,you, you sit there and you go.
Should I share?
Should I share?
Should I hit that button to putit out there?
(27:57):
And I just did.
I just said screw it, I'm, I'mdoing it and and you know my
before pictures may not lookthat drastic right, but it's how
I felt.
So when I look at my beforepictures and I look at my
current pictures, I see someonevery different, because it's not
(28:23):
just how I look, as I wasgetting very uncomfortable in my
body at that point, but it'salso how I feel about myself.
So, yeah, big, big differencethere, absolutely.
Karen Karlsen (28:35):
And the thing about the belly thing that's so
freeing is and I always love topoint out, like, yeah, I'll show
you my belly, but I'm alsogoing to show you my loose skin,
my stretch marks.
My estrogen patch will be there, right, like I'll do it right
now.
Look, I mean, it's solid underhere, but, like, this is skin
(28:59):
and this is subcutaneous fat,right, and it is okay.
It is like, okay, we're alwaysgoing to have marks of living on
our body, and that's different,though, than visceral,
dangerous fat around your organsthat makes your belly protrude,
right, yeah, that's a differentthing altogether.
(29:24):
And women do have this reallycomplicated relationship with
our bellies, mostly because weare growing humans in there and
we go through these drasticchanges and they leave us marred
.
They really do.
I mean, you could go get atummy tuck.
(29:47):
That's great.
I wouldn't judge whatever.
I'm not going to do that.
I'm not going to go throughthat.
Wouldn't judge whatever I'm not.
I'm not going to do that, I'mnot going to go through that.
But because to me the mostimportant thing is, yes, it's
nice and flat under there, themuscles are hard, they're
supporting my spine, myposture's better because of the
way I care for my core, but theolder I get, the less of a
(30:10):
vanity my belly is Like my waistmeasurement is not going to go
down any further and when mywaist measurement goes really
low, it means I'm underweight,it means everything else is too
thin and I don't like it.
I don't like it.
Yeah, so we have a fraughtrelationship with our bellies
(30:30):
and it does feel so good whenit's under control, when you
feel your metabolism hummingalong and your belly is flatter
and not bloated and you can seesome ab definition from your
core work, from your heavylifting, even squats, even
overhead presses.
Those all inform our coremuscles.
(30:51):
When you see that it isempowering, you feel like you're
doing your best and even thoughit's not perfect, you still
feel like showing up and you'reconfident because you know
you're doing the best you can.
Michele Folan (31:04):
And I would say too you talked about our bodies
are marred, right, but it's partof the journey and we have to
celebrate our bodies at any agebecause they're pretty
remarkable what they're able todo Yep, and we're fed this line
that you know, as you age, youcan expect they tell us what we
(31:26):
can expect and I think that cansort of be a self-fulfilling
prophecy.
Karen Karlsen (31:29):
Like you can expect joint pain, you can
expect bloating.
You can expect to start wearingspecial swimwear that hides
this and that skirted swimwear.
You can expect to have a slowermetabolism.
I just am here to say BS.
Like, no, no, Like I feel likeI'm proof and you're proof, that
(31:57):
we can go on like this feelingand looking like this for a long
, good stretch.
But it's not like you get onthe Peloton and go really,
really fast and then take yourfeet off and the machine keeps
going.
You have to keep pedaling inplace, right, and we may have
(32:17):
periods, Michele, where we'relike we're just in a holding
pattern and then, after a good,refreshing holding pattern
period of a few months, maybewe're ready to pick it up again,
pick up steam, and so we arestill able at this age.
And there's people older thanus online showing their fitness
journeys and I love watchingthose older women, 10 years
(32:39):
older than me, because they'reshowing us and we're showing the
younger ones that you don'thave to listen to and fulfill
that prophecy of what's expectedfor aging.
Michele Folan (32:52):
Yeah, and you know what else?
I have clients that are intheir 70s, and they're getting
results.
I mean, my clients aren'ttypically 40, right, they're
definitely older and they'regetting results because they've.
They're putting in the time,they want to do this, and so
(33:14):
it's never too late to to focuson on this health and wellness
journey.
Never.
Karen Karlsen (33:20):
Not at all, not at all.
They, they, they can modify andmoderate the program with good
coaching.
I have clients in theirseventies too.
I had one for a long time.
She's over 80 now and it'sphenomenal because they come
back and their doctors are sopleased with their blood work,
with their physicalness right,and they want at that point in
(33:43):
their 70s they're really aimingfor a long health span and
longevity, right.
So you can't go wrong withfaster weight programming at any
age, really yeah.
Michele Folan (33:55):
And honestly I mean I know the workouts.
To look at them may feel alittle intimidating at first
because you have to understand.
You can modify the workouts,but so much of this is what
you're putting in your body.
It's your nutrition that reallymakes the biggest impact.
Karen Karlsen (34:16):
Yep, first and foremost, I mean we're eating
for energy, because aging is astate of your energy.
That's all it really is.
Michele Folan (34:25):
Yeah, yeah, I like that.
That's a good one.
Yeah, you brought up HRTearlier.
When did you start hormonereplacement therapy?
Karen Karlsen (34:34):
I started that around 48 when I got my first
symptom, which was night sweats.
So I still don't know what it'slike to have a hot flash, but I
was afflicted with night sweatsand so I started on a low dose
then and then over the years'syou know, 13 years ago almost
and over the years I have beenon probably every form except
(34:58):
for pellets.
I have changed my doses oftengosh, it's been such a journey.
But I I, during the times whereI knew the estrogen wasn't
getting through to me and um,what?
Before I found out abouttestosterone, I realized like I
don't want to be without this.
(35:18):
I don't want to because I feelway better when I'm on it.
And you know now my biggest fearand a lot of women fear that
our doctors are going to yank itaway from us after 60.
When they know now, withcurrent information, that you
can be on it forever, you can beon it forever.
(35:40):
So I don't want to pull theplug on myself just because I'm
a certain age, because I knowhow I feel on it and I also know
the benefits that I'm gettingfrom it as far as you know
keeping my tissues soft andsupple, preventing heart disease
(36:01):
, preventing Alzheimer's, thosethings, bone loss, bone loss
these things are, you know, veryimportant to me for fulfilling
that picture I see of myself at80.
So I just am, you know, I'mjust so grateful that I've had
it.
Yeah, and you know, it's alwaysa work in progress.
(36:23):
It sometimes it needsadjustments.
Michele Folan (36:26):
Yeah, They'll have to pry it out of my cold
dead hands.
I mean, I'm not, I, I will.
I will make sure that I alwayshave a doctor or healthcare
provider that will allow me tocontinue on Um.
I have no problem leaving um ahealthcare provider if they're
not telling me what I want tohear.
Karen Karlsen (36:46):
Well, you know what.
I'll tell you this story,michelle.
Um, I was at my medical systemdoctor this winter, for you know
, I had had some bleedingproblems and a biopsy and
everything, and I'm fine, I'mfine.
But the difference between thatdoctor and my functional
women's health doctor were nightand day.
(37:07):
So the doctor, the medicalsystem doctor, said, oh, I can
go ahead and prescribe yourestrogen.
And I said, well, I'm currentlyusing two patches.
And she said, oh, no, that'snot the standard.
And I said, well, I'm not thestandard, I'm not the standard.
(37:27):
It's hard for me to getestrogen transdermally, so I use
two of those big patches.
And she was like, well, we'rejust not comfortable with that
here.
I was just really, reallysurprised.
And she was like, well, we'rejust not comfortable with that
here.
Like I was just really, reallysurprised.
And that doctor had to be 50 orover 50, a great doctor, great
care for um, getting the biopsydone and examining the cells,
and all that having anultrasound, right.
(37:47):
But I went right back to myfunctional medicine doctor and
I'm like, hit me up, let's comeon, we're going to, we're going
to, we're going to increase that, we're going to bump this,
we're going to bump theprogesterone.
So I, I want a doctor like you,that is, a thought leading
doctor Like those are the ones Ifollow on Instagram.
I believe them, I trust themand I'm under the care of one.
(38:08):
So I, you know, I just I wantwomen to be aware of what their
choices are and that they can goahead and shop different
doctors.
You'll know very quickly whichones are on board with HRT.
Michele Folan (38:22):
Yep, you know, and part of that, too, is our
skin, and I'm very curious,Karen Karlsen what are your
favorite skincare strategies?
Are there any products that youlove to maintain your healthy
glow?
Karen Karlsen (38:39):
Yeah, thank you.
I started this when I was about23.
That's when I got my first eyecream and I think genetically I
had good skin.
But once I realized I have thisgreat skin, I'm going to take
care of it.
So, around 30, I just startedseriously with well.
(38:59):
At 23, I started with Retin-Afor adult acne and that is one
of my mainstays.
I've been using that all theseyears and some people want you
to think that that's toxic anddangerous and whatever.
Well, I'm a living testament toit working because I have a
long enough anecdotal period ofusage.
So that is in the regimen.
(39:20):
Absolutely I um, if, if someoneis following me on Instagram
and comments the word skin onany post, I'll give you a
history of my, my skin storiesfor starting in my twenties.
But you but gradually, decadeby decade, and as these new
technologies and informationcame out, I jumped on vitamin C
every day under my sunscreen,under my makeup, non-negotiable.
(39:44):
After pregnancy I had horriblemelasma, so that's when I
started using laser treatmentsand light treatments like Fraxel
and Intense Pulse Light andBroadband Light.
Not all the time because it'sexpensive using laser treatments
and light treatments likeFraxel and intense pulse light
and broadband light.
Not all the time because it'sexpensive.
Just a few times a year, maybeone big laser per year.
I think keeping my face out ofthe sun was a great thing, but
(40:05):
my neck didn't really get thememo, so it's showing its age,
and so do my hands because ofcarpooling in the sun in
California all those years.
Sure, so gosh.
And what else do I do now?
I mean, I try to just keep itreally, really simple.
I'm I'm into tallow productsright now because they're
they're so moisturizing.
I feel so great when I wake upin the morning.
(40:26):
My skin feels really good inthe morning.
I love red light therapy.
I've been using a red lightmask for five years now and I
swear that has kept my poressmall and fine lines at bay.
I don't mind lines.
What I don't love about agingis sagging and volume loss.
(40:47):
So I talked to Natalie Jill ina podcast earlier in the month
about a recent procedure I haddone on my eyelids because I
felt like God, I was lookingtired to myself and when other
people comment are you tired?
That really is upsetting to me.
When I'm not, you're right,when I'm not.
So you know, he transferred alittle fat at the time right
(41:09):
into my orbital area, which kindof it's like?
It's your own filler, like tohave your fat put there.
But what makes skin healthy isalso from the inside out.
I mean, I eat an apple, a lemonand avocado every day.
Oh, that's funny.
And I eat.
Yeah, I just love that.
I look forward to those threethings.
(41:30):
They can be in any form, theycan be in a blender, they can be
on a salad, but I don't miss.
And that also gives you a lotof fiber too, by the way.
But I love nuts and I'm notafraid of fat.
I think those girls who eat thehealthy fats are the ones with
beautiful skin.
Look at those Mediterraneangirls who eat olives and a lot
of olive oil.
Yeah, and they have beautifulskin.
(41:52):
They slather on their faces.
So there's that.
Michele Folan (41:56):
Yeah, I think that's actually back to that
inside out mentality is what yousee on the outside,
particularly with your skin, isprobably a product of what you
see on the outside, particularlywith your skin is is probably a
product of what you areingesting every day the healthy
foods.
Karen Karlsen (42:11):
It totally is, and the new clients also noticed
this really fast becausethey're increasing their protein
, which is, you know, containsall the aminos you need to build
good skin.
It has, you know, you get acollagen sort of profile in that
.
It has, you know, you get acollagen sort of profile in that
, in your protein, your animalprotein, I'm talking.
They also increase theirhydration and once they're on
(42:34):
the ball about drinking water,they're like I can't believe my
under eyes look so much betteror my lines are plumping out
again.
So so much of it is justself-care.
You know, from the inside out,sleep is super important.
You'll notice after you can'tget away with crap.
Sleep anymore and wake up withglowing skin.
(42:55):
No cream, no Botox, no, nothingis going to help with that
aspect.
So sleep is super important,important.
And I would say, you know Ilove the sun.
I get an hour of unprotectedsun every day, but not on my
(43:17):
face, not on my face.
So you know that sunscreen hasbeen a big part of it since the
age of 30.
Yeah, but now we have all thesecool things coming up and I
want to be on board.
So I'm learning about exosomes.
Have you heard about exosomes?
Yes, I have Okay.
So I've been using exosomesunder my eyes, so that's a new
thing I'm watching for.
There's also products thatthere's not that much solid
(43:41):
research on but that contain NADin the thing.
But I'm of the camp like I'mgoing to try everything.
I do, I try, I'm tryingeverything and, um, to the
extent that I can reason throughit, that's what I mean.
Yeah, that's what I mean.
Does it sound?
Does it sound sensible to me?
(44:01):
Would it be beneficial?
I think supplements likecollagen absolutely.
I take it every single day,either in a mocktail or with
coffee, because I know it works,because not just because my
skin looks great at 61, butbecause I have less pain.
And if I get sloppy and don'ttake collagen, I know right away
(44:26):
I have this shoulder flare-upand a foot flare-up.
When I get back on the ball,the pain goes away.
So I know collagen works andit's a super well-studied
supplement that everyone cantake for better skin, hair
tissue joints.
Everyone can take collagensafely, just make sure it's a
(44:49):
clean and trusted brand.
That's what I would say.
Michele Folan (44:51):
I agree, yeah, and I think what Karen's trying
to say is if things make sensein terms of the science, try it,
see how it makes you feel.
Now, my one call out aboutsupplements and we've talked
about this on the podcast beforeis you want to make sure it
doesn't interact with somethingelse you're taking.
So always run those things byyour doctor.
(45:13):
But for the most part there'sstrong research behind it, then
why not?
Karen Karlsen (45:20):
Yeah, and not everything has strong research
behind it, but I consider myselfsort of an outlier, like a
biohacker, and I'm willing toexperiment on myself, so I don't
recommend things that didn'twork for me right, but I'm
willing to be a guinea pig.
I'm on HRT and I understandthere are some small risks, but
(45:42):
I've had my risk profileassessed and they don't really
apply to me.
So so you know what I mean.
Like I'm an outlier for takingHRT and continuing on it because
I'm willing to experiment onmyself, to feel good and you
will.
You will get.
If you know how to listen toyour body and see the signs on
yourself, you will get.
(46:02):
The feedback you're looking foron this product was bogus, or I
think this is working.
Michele Folan (46:09):
Right, yep, I totally agree.
One other question for you whatis one of your self-care
practices?
That is a non-negotiable.
Karen Karlsen (46:20):
Okay, this isn't going to seem like self-care,
because we think of that as likeI'm going to go steam my face
now, right, but for me it's it'ssleep and I'm really uptight
about it and I'm verydisciplined because I know how
bad it feels to have insomniaand lose your mind and lose your
effectiveness, and it's reallydevastating.
(46:42):
It's super isolating and lonelyto have insomnia.
So I really, really strive andI think you've talked to Morgan
Adams, our friend.
She's so great, so she was mysleep coach a couple years ago
when I had a very bad insomniacepisode that just sent me over
the edge, and so ever since Iworked with her, I've been in
(47:03):
and out of some episodes, but soI'm very careful and protective
about my sleep because that isthe best self-care I can give
myself.
I would, I would take sleep overa workout any day.
Oh yeah, me too, I would.
I would get the.
I would stay in bed to get theextra sleep if my body was
telling me I needed that.
So I'm super protective aboutit.
I start you know, we don't useoverhead lights after sundown.
(47:27):
I have yeah.
I changed the light bulbs in myhouse to these um, strainless
lighting bulbs.
They're like low wattage Amberbulbs.
When we have company over Itell my husband we got to switch
, we got to put the regularlights back in.
People are going to think we'recrazy.
So like I have those bulbs,like if if I'm watching tv in
(47:49):
bed it I wear blue lightblockers.
I have a red clip-on book lightthat I clip onto my book that I
read with to get drowsy by noblue light in my eyes.
I'm trying not to give myselfany stimulating information
around bedtime.
You know, I take an erbitonin,it's like an herbal melatonin.
(48:11):
I take some very low dose, veryjust, let's call them gummies,
and sometimes I take atryptophan.
That makes me really drowsy andjust excited for sleep because
I really want to induce thatsleep urge, and so that's why it
starts at about sundown.
(48:31):
Yeah, and I sleep better nowfor it.
And that's my self-care man.
I just like.
Sometimes I say no to trips.
Sometimes I say no to, you know, like a girl's weekend that I
know is going to be a rowdything where I'm, I'm out of
control of my sleep.
I'd rather get the sleep thango on that trip and risk messing
(48:55):
myself up big time.
Michele Folan (48:57):
You're protecting your boundaries, Karen, and
that is you know what'simportant to you, and I think
that's awesome.
Yeah, I would like you to tellthe audience, Karen Karlsen.
Karen Karlsen (49:09):
Awesome, I would like you to tell the audience,
Karen Karlsen, where they canfind you.
Thank you, okay.
You can find me on Instagramunder my name, Karen K-A-R-E-N-M
Karlsen K-A-R-L-S-E-N.
And there is where I talk aboutmy health, wellness, offering
the best products and thingsthat I find, including the
Faster Way program, and I'm alsoon TikTok at this boomer mom,
(49:34):
and there I'm a little moreunhinged.
Tiktok's a completely differentplatform.
It's not as polished.
I talk more about generationalthings and it's a great place to
connect with other people ourage that remember the same
things we do, because we'regetting to that yummy nostalgia
age where nostalgia just feelsso fun and like, oh remember,
(49:55):
remember we had the Donny Osmondlunchboxes.
Oh yeah, oh yeah.
Michele Folan (50:00):
So that's where I am on TikTok, I had a crush on
Jimmy Osmond actually.
Karen Karlsen (50:05):
Oh God.
Michele Folan (50:05):
Jimmy on Jimmy Osmond.
Actually, oh God, Jimmy, I methim in person.
I think that's what that is socute.
Karen Karlsen (50:14):
That's hilarious.
On Facebook, just under my name, Karen Karlsen, K-A-R-L-S-E-N.
I'd love to have you andwelcome in.
Welcome into my communities,and I hope you learned something
.
Michele Folan (50:25):
I was going to say give Karen a follow.
She's.
She's a lot of fun and she'llmake you think aging is for cool
people.
Karen Karlsen (50:40):
It is.
I mean there, there, there's afew sacrifices, honestly, yeah,
there's a few sacrifices.
You're, you're, you're going tobe.
Um, you might have differentfriends.
You might lose some friends if,especially if, you stop
drinking or start refusingdrinks at social situations, you
might realize like, okay, I'man outlier, but you have to be
ready to take it and handle it.
(51:00):
And other people are watchingyou.
Other people are watching yourjourney and how you respect
yourself.
Other people are watching yourjourney and how you respect
(51:25):
yourself and that's going theother.
But you're still.
You're keeping the bar high foryourself and then that raises
the bar for other people andthat's how you impact lives.
Michele Folan (51:34):
I believe Karen Karlsen ages with balls.
That's what I like to say.
Karen Karlsen (51:40):
We've got to have balls, guys.
We've got to have balls to dothis, to get through it and to
support each other.
Michele Folan (51:47):
Yeah, I absolutely agree and that's why
I wanted you here today.
Thank you, you're wonderful.
Thank you, thanks for beinghere so fun.
Hey, thanks for tuning in.
Please rate and review the showwhere you listen to the podcast
.
And did you know that Askingfor a Friend is available now to
listen on YouTube?
(52:08):
You can subscribe to thepodcast there as well.
Your support is appreciated andit helps others find the show.
Thank you.
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