September 11, 2025 • 46 mins
Ever feel like your body betrayed you somewhere in your 40s or 50s? Like you're doing everything "right" but the weight keeps creeping on? You're not alone—and contrary to what you might have heard, it's not your hormones causing the problem.
The reality of midlife weight management is both simpler and more complex than most wellness influencers would have you believe. While menopause itself doesn't cause weight gain, the perfect storm of muscle loss, decreased activity, disrupted sleep, and chronic stress creates conditions where gaining weight becomes easier and losing it feels nearly impossible.
Between social media's endless parade of miracle solutions—from weighted vests to microdosed medications—and the frustrating experience of watching strategies that worked in your younger years fail now, it's no wonder many women feel defeated before they even start. But what if regaining control was actually within reach?
In this deeply practical episode, I break down the science of midlife metabolism and the five key levers that actually move the needle: protein intake, muscle preservation, daily movement, stress management, and balanced eating.
I share my own September reset plan after a summer of relaxation and indulgence, offering specific strategies anyone can implement immediately.
The most powerful revelation might be what doesn't work: restrictive diets that backfire, weight loss medications with temporary results, and perhaps most importantly, the self-criticism that sabotages our efforts before they begin.
As I remind listeners, "Beating yourself up has never once burned a calorie."
Ready to transform your relationship with your midlife body? This episode offers the roadmap—no miracle pills, no punishment, just evidence-based strategies and the compassion needed to make them stick. Because midlife doesn't mean giving up on feeling strong, energetic, and comfortable in your own skin.
I would love to hear from you! What did you think of the episode? Share it with me :)
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Hi everybody and welcome back to the Real Food
Stories podcast.
So we are in September now andfor so many of us, myself
included, september meansgetting back on track.
There's always January with ourNew Year's resolutions, but
September is very meaningful, Ithink, to many of us midlife
(00:22):
women.
When we were a little younger,we had kids going and getting
back on the school buses and itjust meant like you know what
that time is over and we're onto something new and getting
back on track.
So I know for myself now I mean, my kids are flown and grown,
but I had a great summer.
I saw a lot of friends andfamily.
(00:43):
A great summer.
I saw a lot of friends andfamily, and with that comes a
lot of eating some reallyamazing food.
Right, we gather with food andI certainly did that.
And also with that comes thegood possibility of gaining a
few pounds.
Now in midlife, it seems somuch easier to gain weight and,
(01:08):
at the same time, so much harderto lose it.
But it's not impossible andit's definitely doable.
So I want to talk to you todayabout this and tell you what I
am going to be doing right nowto get myself back on track this
fall.
All right, let's get real for amoment.
If you are in your 40s or 50sand you are a woman, you have
(01:32):
probably felt the frustration.
You eat the same food, or soyou claim.
You exercise exactly the same,or so you claim, and yet the
weight creeps on.
The same, or so you claim, andyet the weight creeps on.
Or you feel like why can't Ijust have a vacation where I
don't feel like I have totallyblown it, because I went out to
(01:53):
dinner a few times?
It feels unfair.
It feels like our bodies are sosensitive to food and eating
and exercising and they're justfailing us.
And the world of wellnessdoesn't make it any easier.
All I see on social media thesedays is the promise of a pill,
(02:13):
the miracle of weighted vests,which I talked about last week
on the podcast.
Tune into that if you want toget the real deal on weighted
vests.
And the other thing I'm seeingis the life-changing,
quote-unquote magic ofmicrodosing, a GLP-1, which is
Ozempic or Regovi, which then inturn, promises easy weight loss
(02:38):
.
Now, when I start to see randomwomen with no credentials except
for the fact that they havelost weight with some supplement
, and when I start to see themoffering a discount code to buy
that said supplement, my alarmbells start ringing.
We midlife women are in troubleand we don't need any more
(03:05):
snake oil salesmen trying tosell us something that's never
going to work and then justaggravate us even more.
Here's the thing we areabsolutely drowning in
information.
I'll be honest with you, I evenget overwhelmed.
I go on Instagram or onFacebook just to check things
(03:26):
out, just to see what's going on, you know, and it is just
absolutely overwhelming to me.
Sometimes and this is my careerI have to stop, take a breath
and remind myself I've beensuccessful at losing weight in
the past.
My clients have been successfulat losing weight in the past.
My clients have been successfulat losing weight.
And here's the truth, and thismight be a hard truth for some
(03:50):
of you proponents of the quote Ijust look at food and gain
weight now that I'm in menopausemovement.
But say it with me, ok, saythis with me Menopause does not
cause weight gain.
Okay, I'm going to say thatagain Menopause does not cause
(04:11):
weight gain.
The evidence and research donot point this way.
So if menopause is not to blamebecause a lot of women I hear
blaming menopause I went intomenopause and I gained five
pounds without even doinganything.
I eat clean, I still exercise,nothing's changed and I still
gain 10 pounds.
The fact is, the evidence andresearch just don't point in
(04:36):
that direction.
So what causes weight gain?
A surplus of calories?
Do being inactive does?
Do you know why people loseweight on Ozempic?
Because they are eating lesscalories, period.
It's calories in, calories out.
That's the real story and it'sactually empowering because it
(05:01):
means we still have some controlover our bodies.
Our bodies are not controllingus, we are in control and it
means we can do something.
So before you start arguingwith me and say oh, no, no, no,
heather, you are wrong, somemidlife influencer on TikTok
(05:23):
told me it's my hormones.
Or my hormones aren't balanced,or my hormones are making me
gain weight.
Let's have a review of what'sreally going on in midlife.
Okay, first of all, there areover 30 hormones in our bodies
that literally keep us alive,but for some reason, most people
think that we only have threehormones estrogen, progesterone
(05:46):
and testosterone.
And for the sake of thispodcast today, let's just stick
with those three.
Okay, hormones change.
There's no denying that Inmidlife, our estrogen drops, our
progesterone shifts and ourtestosterone dips and, by the
(06:07):
way, in case you don't know,women make testosterone as well
and we need it for our health.
That's a whole other story,maybe for a different podcast,
but I include testosteronebecause that is part of our
female hormones.
Because that is part of ourfemale hormones Now.
I want to focus on estrogenright now, because for women,
(06:29):
estrogen is our master hormone.
It affects everything in ourbodies, from head to toe, and
when our estrogen starts to dip,which is what happens in
menopause, all sorts of thingsstart to happen in a woman's
body.
Today, we are just going tofocus on weight and weight loss.
(06:50):
So estrogen shifts the placeswhere our body tends to store
fat.
You might start to notice lessaround your hips and thighs and
a little more settling aroundyour belly.
This is because of your lack ofestrogen.
It's not because of you gainingweight, right, you might even
(07:10):
weigh the same amount.
You just notice suddenly that alot of your weight is in your
belly.
I mean, I weigh almost the sameas I did when I lost weight
many, many years ago.
Yet when I look in the mirror,my body doesn't look like my
40-year-old self.
So even with taking hormones,things just shift, because
(07:31):
hormones are a great thing and Iam a big proponent of hormone
therapy but they're noteverything.
They're not a miracle.
There is not a lot we can doabout this body shift, but there
are some things.
Now, taking hormones definitelyhelps.
Some women have just geneticson their side Good for you.
(07:52):
And then there is the rest ofus.
Some women struggle a littlebit more, some a little bit less
, but I'm going to talk aboutsome things that we can do today
to just help alleviate thatmenno belly that we claim that
we have, or just that weightshift.
(08:12):
So, again, this does not meanthat your estrogen loss is
making you gain weight.
It might be shifting your bodyweight around, it might give you
the appearance of gainingweight, but it does not cause
you to gain weight.
So let's clear that again, justbecause you have gone into
menopause or you are inperimenopause, yes, your
(08:34):
hormones are doing wacky things.
Yes, they are fluctuating,they're not settled, but that
doesn't mean that they arecausing you to gain weight.
But that doesn't mean that theyare causing you to gain weight.
Okay, so here is another thingthat we really need to take into
account when we start to thinkthat we're just looking at food
and we gain five pounds.
(08:54):
And we have no idea how ithappened.
And you know, where did thatweight just appear?
Out of nowhere.
We really need to consider ourmuscle mass.
We and I mean all of us, men,women, all of us naturally start
to lose muscle mass as we getolder.
And here's the kicker Muscle isour most metabolically active
(09:18):
tissue.
It helps us burn calories evenwhen we're just sitting still,
even when we're sleeping atnight.
So when we lose muscle which weall do as we get older, we
start to lose a certainpercentage of our muscle.
Our metabolism gets a littleslower.
So this is why it's soincredibly important to maintain
(09:40):
our muscle.
I cannot stress this enough ourmuscle.
I cannot stress this enough.
If you don't lift weights, ifall you are doing is taking your
dog for a walk, get liftingweights.
Walking your dog is great.
I love my dog, sawyer, butlifting weights is absolutely
where it's at.
So join a class, join a gym,buy some weights for home and
(10:04):
not those wimpy two-poundweights.
The heaviest you can lift, thebetter.
The more muscle you have, thebetter your metabolism will be,
and the better your metabolismis, the more calories you will
be burning.
This is an easy fix Start slow.
Also, do not go from no weightsto lifting 20 pounds.
(10:27):
Just start slow, ease in.
But this is something that'salmost not negotiable, I think,
if you want to really considerhow to lose weight when you are
in midlife.
Now, the fundamental truth theenergy equation of calories in
and calories out has not changed.
You can ask other diet gurusand wellness people and
(10:50):
balancing hormones and all theother nonsense that's out on the
internet.
This is set in stone.
It's calories in, calories out.
I have been saying this foryears, I have been saying it on
this podcast, and that's what wehave to consider.
But let's consider a few otherreasons why we might be gaining
weight in midlife.
As women, we know it's not ourhormones, right.
(11:14):
We know we lose muscle as weget older and that that muscle
is our.
In addition to maybe losingmuscle is the combination of
biology and lifestyle.
Okay.
So we have to also considerwhat's happening in our lives.
(11:38):
We are busy, right.
We women are super busy.
We are doing lots and lots ofthings and helping kids and
helping our elderly parents, andworking and careers and all the
things.
We are under a lot of stress,most of us.
We have disrupted sleep, andthe fact that many of us just
(12:00):
don't move as much as we used toall counts.
We're working at desks, we'recommuting, we're caregiving for
kids and our aging parents.
Sleep and stress have verysubtle and profound effects on
our metabolism.
Add all of that up together andsuddenly it feels like the odds
are totally stacked against us.
(12:21):
The reality is then, when youget older, your body requires
less calories because we areburning less calories, because
we have less muscle, more stressand terrible sleep.
If you are eating exactly thesame as you claim you are, that
you've been eating the sameclean eating for 10 years, yet
you don't address your musclemass, your stress and your sleep
(12:44):
, I guarantee that if you arelike many, many women, you will
gain weight seemingly withouteven trying, and this equation
can start to feel really hardand really defeating and very,
very confusing, because you'renot taking all these other
things in consideration andyou're just doing exactly what
you've always been doing.
But here's the thing I want youto remember Harder is not
(13:08):
impossible.
Yes, your body has shifted.
Yes, you may have to approachthings differently than you did
in your 20s or 30s, but thatdoesn't mean you can't lose
weight or feel stronger.
It just means the strategy hasto evolve with you and, honestly
, that's good news because youstill are in control.
(13:29):
But the fact is so many womenfeel really, really out of
control.
I talk to women all the timewho just literally feel like
they are gaining weight for noreason, Like it's like just
happening overnight in theirsleep, and it's so easy to then
get lured in by the promise of adiet or a weight loss drug.
Right, and there's plenty ofthat going around on the
(13:53):
internet and in social media.
So first let's talk about thedetriments of diets, because
when you are desperate, Iunderstand it, you might reach
out and try anything that youcan get your hands on to lose
weight.
Now you've probably been onmore than one diet in your
lifetime, maybe dozens.
I used to be on dozens when Iwas younger.
(14:16):
Keto, paleo, intermittentfasting, juice cleanses they all
promise quick results and surethey can work for a little while
, because diets are just caloriereduction in disguise.
They usually are extremely lowin calories, which is always
impossible to maintain for thelong haul.
And here's the problemRestrictive diets almost always
(14:40):
backfire on you 90% of the time.
So when you slash your caloriesand it's way too low.
Your metabolism just goes intoshock.
Okay, it slows down too toprotect you.
It doesn't want you to starve,even though you're probably
technically not starving, butyour brain thinks you're
(15:01):
starving.
You end up burning fewercalories just going about your
day and on top of that, yourcravings then end up going in
overdrive because your body isliterally fighting to get you
back into balance.
So what happens?
You lose a little weight.
You can't keep up with therestriction and the weight comes
(15:22):
back, sometimes with a littleextra.
So if you feel like you areeating clean because you are
intermittent fasting or you'reon the Galveston diet or
whatever diet or thing of themoment, just pause and think
again about that.
Diets do not promote weight lossin the long run and they really
(15:43):
only mess with your metabolism.
All right, I want to circleback to the drugs of the moment,
because this is huge and I justsee more and more people going
on these drugs.
That's promoting microdosing ofGLP-1s.
I mean, this stuff pops up inmy feed all the time, probably
(16:20):
because I've clicked on one ortwo things just to investigate
and now I'm just inundated allthe time with this stuff.
So let me explain what thesedrugs do.
These medications mimic anatural hormone in your body
that reduces appetite, thatslows down digestion and that
(16:43):
lowers blood sugar, and so, yes,people do lose weight on them,
often pretty quickly, becausethey are just not eating as much
.
Okay, this helps to regulateyour appetite.
And when your appetite isregulated and you're just not
feeling that hungry, what areyou going to do?
(17:04):
You're reducing your calories,but here's what you don't hear
in the glossy Instagram posts.
A lot of that weight loss comesat the cost of muscle and not
just fat.
So when we're losing weight, wedon't want to lose our muscle.
Right?
We know now what our muscledoes that boosts our metabolism.
(17:24):
We want to focus on fat loss,not on muscle loss.
So muscle is exactly what wedon't want to lose in midlife.
Now, when you are going on somekind of a drastic diet and your
body thinks it's starving, oneof the things it grabs to lose
weight is muscle, is your leanmuscle.
We don't want to do that, soit's sort of a dance we need to
(17:47):
play we don't want to eat toofew calories and we don't want
to eat too few calories and wedon't want to eat too many
calories.
All right, I mentionedmicrodosing before.
I'm assuming that people haveseen this.
If you haven't, I mean you cango Google it if you want to.
(18:08):
Microdosing or taking oralversions of a GLP-1.
Now let me be clear here.
These simply do not work thesame way.
If you are going to go on aGLP-1, please, I am begging you,
go talk to your doctor about it.
Do not get something throughsome online pharmacy or with
(18:28):
some wellness influencer orsomeone of you know that ilk
like please, do not do that.
These medications were first ofall engineered to be injected at
very specific doses.
Okay, they only work throughinjection.
So if you see something that'san oral medication for GLP-1,
(18:49):
that's a red flag right there.
Microdosing I don't even knowwhat that is.
I mean, when people start instudies, when they start
microdosing GLP-1s or spacingout their doses, they start to
gain weight back.
So please do not waste yourtime and money.
So cutting them down into tinydoses or taking them pill form
(19:10):
is not a shortcut.
It's just not effective.
I'm not putting down thesemedications.
If you are a candidate, if youhave a lot of weight to lose and
you've just been in struggle, Iam all for using these
medications.
Just know what you are gettinginto, though, because here's the
truth bomb that I want to alsomention.
(19:32):
When you stop taking thesedrugs, your appetite usually
resets back to the start and allthe weight that you lost it
almost always comes back to.
I have heard of people goingoff of these medications and not
gaining weight back, but youhave to then really make sure
that you are doing things as youwere when you were on the
(19:54):
medication.
So unless you're ready tocommit to these medications long
term and deal with any sideeffects that might come up and
the cost, you haven't reallysolved the problem of weight
loss long term weight loss.
You've just pressed the pausebutton.
(20:14):
So I've again heard a lot ofvariety about these medications.
I have talked to people whohave had a lot of success with
them.
I have had clients who have hadwho have gotten on them and
lost weight.
I also know a lot of people whohave not had success on weight
loss medications, who haven'tlost any weight, or maybe
(20:34):
they've lost a couple pounds,but not like it really hasn't
affected appetite or made anybig changes, and I also know
people who have gone off of themedication and started gaining
weight back.
So when you're frustrated, Iknow that these medications can
feel like a lifesaver, but Ibelieve that there is a better,
(20:57):
long-term fix, and that would beto learn how to eat well and
lose weight without a drug.
Now, this takes commitment right.
There's no doubt about it.
You have to commit to yourselfin order to lose weight, even if
you take the drug or not, allright.
So if diets don't work longterm and drugs aren't the magic
(21:17):
solution, what actually doeswork for weight loss in midlife?
Let's get into the real leversthat we can actually pull at
this time to get things movingand to move the needle, not just
for weight, but for your energy, your strength and your
(21:39):
long-term health.
Right, because it's not justall about vanity.
I mean, there's nothing wrongwith losing weight because you
want to look good in a dress ora bathing suit Nothing wrong
with that at all but we alsowant to consider, I think, the
long-term health implications ofbeing at a good weight.
I think those are the things inthe long run that keep you
(22:04):
motivated and committed, allright.
So let's start with protein andmuscle.
I talked about this last weekalso on my podcast, and we've
certainly heard about eatingenough protein for women, right?
Those hundred elusive grams ofprotein that we need to eat.
So there's a good reason behindthis.
(22:25):
Protein is the number onenutrient women in midlife are
not getting enough of.
Most of us are used to having alittle yogurt in the morning
and maybe a salad at lunch, withsome chicken or fish fish at
dinner.
But here's the deal Our bodiesneed a lot more protein now than
(22:46):
they did in our 20s or 30s,because protein is what protects
and builds muscle, and musclenow, we know, is your
metabolism's best friend.
If you want to burn morecalories at rest, you need
muscle on your body.
So that means every meal shouldhave protein front and center.
(23:09):
So that means every meal shouldhave protein front and center.
Eggs, fish, greek yogurt,chicken, beans, lentils, tofu,
tempeh those are just the start.
I love mixing up my animalproteins with my vegetarian
proteins, because animalproteins are a great source of
just complete proteins, andvegan proteins are multifaceted.
(23:34):
They come with so many otherthings.
They can come with fiber, withcalcium, with vitamin D, so it's
always good to have a balanceof these two.
And if you're not strengthtraining yet, this is your
invitation to start.
Okay, strength training two orthree times a week is, hands
down, like I have said, the besttool we have in midlife to keep
(23:57):
your weight stable.
It's not about getting bulky.
Believe me, I go to the gymthree times a week and lift
weights.
If it like was going to make mebulky, it would have by now.
It's really hard for women tobulk up.
So it's not about getting bulky.
If this is one of your fears.
This is about protecting yourmetabolism and protecting your
(24:21):
bones and boosting yourconfidence.
Okay, next up, I want to talkabout daily movement, and I
don't just mean workouts.
I mean, yes, exercise isimportant, but what really adds
up is the movement you dooutside of the gym Walking your
dog, gardening, taking thestairs rather than the elevator,
(24:43):
cleaning your house, standingup to stretch during work all
those little things what we callNEAT that's the acronym for
non-exercise activity actuallyburn a surprising number of
calories over the day.
So if you've ever wondered whyyou used to stay slim without
(25:04):
even trying, it's often becauseyou were moving more, without
even realizing it.
We don't move a lot.
For the most part, on average,we sit a lot.
So don't underestimate thoseeveryday actions and steps that
you're doing.
Get outside and go take a walk.
Go take two walks.
Go do one in the morning, onein the afternoon.
(25:26):
Go walk your dog.
Your dog would love it.
Okay, I want to dive a littledeeper into sleep and stress and
why these two can affect weight, especially in midlife.
Now, sleep and stress, I meanwe used to be able to get away
with a lot when we were younger.
I mean you could go like burnall naders and everything and
like not have it even affect you.
(25:46):
But we have to address thesebecause they really do count.
Now, I know they're not as likeflashy as a new diet or a
trendy supplement, but they'rejust as important as anything
else.
Now, poor sleep doesn't justmake you tired.
It messes with your hungerhormones.
To name the first, mostimportant thing when you don't
(26:10):
sleep well, ghrelin, which isyour hunger hormone, goes up and
leptin, which is the hormonethat makes you feel full, goes
down.
That means you feel hungrier.
You start craving carbs andsugar.
You feel less satisfied whenyou eat.
Now let's talk about stress.
(26:31):
This adds another layer.
Chronic stress keeps yourcortisol levels high, and
cortisol encourages your body tostore fat right in the belly.
That's why stress managementand consistent sleep are
routines that are not just niceto haves.
They are essential to have andthey are one of your most
(26:51):
important weight loss tools.
All right, and finally, I wantto talk about balanced eating.
I've talked about the wordbalance incessantly on this
podcast, but I think sometimeswe all need to hear it again.
This doesn't mean followingstrict rules or cutting out
entire food groups.
You know that.
I'm not about that in any way,shape or form.
It means building a plate thatsupports your hormones and your
(27:15):
energy and your health.
Take a minute and justvisualize this plate.
Okay, just visualize a plate.
On it.
You want protein, fiber-richcarbs, like veggies, like any
kind of vegetables, dark leafygreens, whole grains, healthy
fats like olive oil or avocado,and a lot of color from your
(27:39):
fruits and vegetables.
That's your hormone-friendlyplate.
That's it.
It's not so flashy and not fullof bells and whistles.
And while we're here, let's callout two sneaky saboteurs okay,
that I think sometimes get ahall pass, and those are sugar
and alcohol.
Now, they don't just add emptycalories, they mess with your
(28:02):
blood sugar, they totally wreckyour sleep and they absolutely
monkey with your metabolism.
So, cutting back on sugar weall know a lot about sugar.
We all know that sugar is notgreat for us, but what about
alcohol?
Reducing alcohol intake orcutting it out entirely can be
the game changer to losingweight, okay, and can make huge
(28:25):
differences.
Now here's the good news.
With all these levers I'mtelling you to pull with sugar
and alcohol and stress and sleepand balance and everything.
None of these levers are aboutpunishing yourself, none.
They're about supporting yourbody and your brain.
Okay, protein and musclemovement, sleep and stress,
(28:50):
balanced, nourishing meals.
These are the things thatactually work, and they're all
things that you can start today,right now.
Okay, so here's, I think, one ofthe most important and most
overlooked part of losing weightin midlife, and that is our
(29:10):
mindset, and this is where realchange happens.
Now, we've probably all heardabout the word mindset, and we
have to have a good mindset orpositive mindset, or, or you
know all versions of that, butthe fact is, is that it's true?
Okay, now let me justacknowledge let's backtrack for
a second and acknowledge theoverwhelm here with being a
(29:33):
woman in midlife and trying tofigure out our bodies and just
making peace with our bodies,because there's so much noise
out there.
I keep saying this, but it'strue, there is so much noise out
on the internet and socialmedia.
There's one person telling youto fast until noon, another is
swearing by keto, someone elseis telling you to take shots of
(29:56):
apple cider vinegar, and thenyou've got Instagram reels in
your feed convincing you that apill or injection is the
solution.
And it's no wonder we freezeright.
We literally go numb.
I mean, I'll be honest, I getoverwhelmed sometimes too, and
this is my career.
I've said this before, but Ijust it's sometimes just shocks
(30:19):
me and I can feel myself gettinglike caught up.
I'm staring at women who arelike so in shape and so good and
they're injecting, they'remicrodosing GLP-1s and that was
the game changer for them, andthey, you know how could they
have lived without them?
And it's kind of a form ofbrainwashing.
So I have to remind myself,along with you, to take a step
(30:43):
back and remember the basics.
That's why awareness is soimportant.
Now, one of the simplest ways tobuild awareness is through
tracking, and I don't meanobsessing over every calorie or
weighing your food down to thegram, but tracking can be as
easy as jotting down what youeat in a notebook, snapping a
(31:05):
quick photo of your meals orusing an app for a week just to
get a reality check.
Because here's the truth.
Most of us eat more than wethink we do.
Okay, most of us eat more thanwe think we do.
This is based in studies andscience.
I can't tell you how many timesclients come back to me after a
(31:27):
week of tracking and say, wow,I had no idea how many bites
licks tastes I was actuallyhaving in a day.
All that stuff adds up A biteof peanut butter oh, just a
scoop of peanut butter, you know.
A tablespoon here, a handful ofsnacks there.
This stuff adds up.
(31:47):
Okay, these are the caloriesthat awareness alone can create
change.
The second piece is thinkingabout goals and not just any
goals, goals you can actuallycontrol.
Now here's what I mean.
You can't control whether thescale moves three pounds this
(32:09):
week, right.
You can't control whether it'sgoing to rain or the sun's going
to come out, but you cancontrol whether you strength
train twice this week.
You can't guarantee that yourbelly fat will shrink in a month
, but you can set the goal ofgetting 100 grams of protein in
a day.
Set the goal of getting 100grams of protein in a day.
(32:33):
These kind of goals areempowering, because they're in
your hands and they buildmomentum.
And if the thought of 100 gramsof protein in a day just seems
daunting, then let's start at 75.
You can do that, okay, thisgives you control.
And then there's the compassionpiece.
Okay, I have talked about thisfor years, because this is the
thing that moved the needle forme in my weight loss journey and
(32:57):
my journey to quit alcohol.
Now let me be very clear.
Beating yourself up has never,ever once, burned a calorie.
Guilt doesn't shrink yourwaistline.
Shame doesn't make you stronger.
In fact, the opposite happens.
The more we criticize ourselves, the more likely we are to say
(33:21):
forget it, I blew it, I might aswell keep eating.
This isn't working for me, Ican't do it.
What works instead is curiosity.
I want you to ask yourself whatmight have triggered that
craving?
Why did I reach for the chipsafter dinner?
What worked really well for metoday?
Curiosity is neutral, andcuriosity leads to learning.
(33:47):
Okay, it leads to something ofawareness, without judging
yourself.
Okay, no one's perfect here.
We all make mistakes.
I just told you before that Ihad a pretty decadent summer.
I was eating, you know, wayabove my calories.
(34:09):
It's all right, I knew what Iwas doing.
I was aware I had awarenessaround it.
Curiosity leads to learning.
Shame shuts the door on it.
There's no place for shame whenwe are trying to lose weight
and take care of our bodies.
Okay, and here's what I've seenagain and again, both in my own
(34:31):
life and in my clients.
Every lasting success storypairs smart strategies with a
mindset shift.
It's never just one or theother.
You don't have to be perfect,you just have to be consistent
and you have to be kind toyourself along the way.
We are going to trip and fall.
(34:52):
Okay, we're going to get backup.
If this was your daughter or agood friend or someone who was
just really trying, would youshame them?
No, would we shame ourselves Alot.
Yes, women are good at that,but this is not about shaming
ourselves here.
Okay, this is not how it works.
Okay, let's bring this alltogether.
(35:15):
What does it actually look likewhen we put these pieces into
practice?
I'll tell you what it lookslike for me right now, because
I've made the decision that thisfall, I'm getting back on track
right alongside you, decisionthat this fall, I'm getting back
on track right alongside you.
Like I said, my summer wasincredibly busy.
I was traveling, I wasentertaining a ton.
(35:37):
I was up in Maine, we weretraveling back and forth.
We just had lots of friends and, honestly, I ate a lot of food
I wouldn't normally eat in myreal life.
My workouts slipped too.
I was hiking a lot up there.
Hiking in Maine is the best.
They have the most beautiful,challenging hikes and so I was
doing a lot of movement andwalking and that was incredible.
(35:58):
But strength training, thatdefinitely took a hit because I
don't have a gym up there and Ihave my own weights.
I brought them up with me.
But honestly, I need a class orI need like a gym for that.
I need something to like bescheduled in my calendar to go
to.
It just motivates me more.
That's just me.
(36:19):
That doesn't have to be you.
You could do weightlifting athome.
That's totally fine.
But you know what, overall outof this for my whole summer I
was, I'm just thinking that'slife.
I had a great summer, I had areally good summer, and it
happens and I'm going to getmyself back on track.
So this fall I'm all in.
(36:40):
I've started tracking mycalories again, not obsessively,
but just enough to buildawareness.
It's even so, easy for me toget off track with portions.
So if you're not tracking, evenevery once in a while, you can
absolutely overeat and not evenrealize it.
It's so easy to just startovereating bigger portions.
(37:02):
It's so easy just to have adessert or a friend who brings
like something, and you're justgoing to take a bite, you're
just going to have a littlepiece, you're just going to all
that adds up.
So tracking your food gives youinformation and it's very black
and white.
Don't tell me you eat clean oryou barely eat, without also
(37:23):
telling me you tracked yourcalories.
I don't want to hear it.
Okay, if you're telling me Ihave no idea why I'm gaining
weight, I eat clean, I eat sohealthy and somehow I've gained
weight that it's just not true.
Okay, this is not how weightgain works.
Okay, you have to be overeatingcalories.
(37:44):
Weight loss is a numbers game.
First and foremost, do yourselfa favor and get an app like
Lose it or MyFitnessPal andtrack your food.
It's almost ridiculously easy.
Don't be lazy about this.
It will take the confusion outof wondering if you are eating
too much or too little.
I'm also really making sure thatI hit my protein goals at each
(38:06):
meal, because I know how muchbetter I feel when I do.
I'm not a big snacker, so I'drather use my calories for
actual meals that keep mesatisfied and energized.
Now, why this focus on protein?
Again, let me remind you,because protein is the fuel for
your muscles.
Your muscles are made up ofprotein.
(38:27):
You need to replenish them allday long.
Protein also takes longer todigest than simple carbs like
sugar or processed snacks.
Okay, back to what I'm going tobe doing this fall.
I've also committed to dailymovement.
Now, I do a lot of dailymovement anyway, but I'm just
(38:48):
making this like on my list ofcommitments for myself this fall
to do at least one walk or onehike a day with my dog, which I
do.
Okay, my dog actually getsprobably like two walks a day.
If it's not just me, it's thenmy husband and I'm doing this
every single day.
Am I obsessing, though, about10,000 steps?
(39:11):
No, I'm not.
Am I wearing a weighted vestwhen I walk?
No, or maybe sometimes, if Ifeel like it, just to add some
extra weight.
But my walk usually gets meabout 10,000 steps and I know
from the research and I talkedabout this in the podcast last
week that a weighted vest isfine to use, but it's not going
(39:34):
to make or break my weight loss.
Strength training that's what'sgoing to make or break my
weight loss, and I'm back at thegym three times a week and,
like I said before, I learnedsomething this summer from going
up to Maine being up there sooften is that I have no class up
there, right, and I like havinga class to go to.
(39:55):
It helps keep me accountableand it just makes exercising
more fun for me.
So next summer, when I'm upthere, I'm going to have to
figure out how to integrate thisand make it work, but that's
for another time.
My next thing I want to reallyfocus on this fall is my sleep.
This is a huge one for mebecause, honestly, my sleep
(40:15):
hasn't been great lately.
I was all over the map thissummer, but I'm working on
consistency and now that it'sgetting darker earlier, that,
for some reason for me, justgets me into sleep mode a little
earlier.
So I'm going to definitely beconsistent with my sleep and get
(40:38):
into bed every night no laterthan 10 pm.
I'm also doing a deep dive intostress what it means for me
right now, how it shows up in mylife and how I can manage it
better.
Because here's the truth, forme at least, life is feeling
short lately.
You know it's I'm not old, butI'm not super young anymore and
(41:02):
I want my years to count and Idon't want to wear stress like a
badge of honor anymore.
So I'm looking at a lot of waysthat stress impacts my life,
which in turn impacts mymetabolism and my weight and not
to mention my joy.
So that's a big one for me thisfall.
And maybe the most importantpiece of all, I'm being kind and
(41:27):
forgiving to myself through theprocess.
I've set a weight loss goal.
I don't have a lot of weight tolose, but a long time ago I
made a promise to myself thatwhen I start to see a certain
number and I'm not going to tellthe number right now, but I
have a number on the scale thatkind of says to me if I'm
(41:47):
getting up to that number, it'stime to start getting back on
track.
And I've started to see thatnumber and I am getting back on
track because it means that I'mout of my comfort zone of my
weight.
Okay.
So I'm honoring that and I'mjust simply getting back on
track with all the kindness andcompassion in the world, because
(42:10):
I know that my body feelsbetter at a certain weight.
I feel stronger, lighter, Ifeel more energized when I'm
there and I'm committed to it,not with guilt, not with
punishment, but with consistency, compassion and a plan.
So here's my action plan, sortof summed up, that I'm following
(42:32):
and you can follow it rightalong with me if you want.
Step one I am incorporating 20to 30 grams of protein at every
meal.
Step two I'm going to bestrength training two to three
times per week.
Training two to three times perweek, hopefully.
Three I am moving daily,however I can right, but it
(43:01):
definitely is a minimum one longwalk a day with my dog.
I am absolutely prioritizingsleep and stress and, one of the
most important, I'm keeping itsimple.
I'm tracking, I'm setting goalsI can control and I'm being
kind to myself, and that's it.
It's not glamorous, right?
This is not glamorous.
This is not some like crazydiet out on the internet.
(43:21):
It's not flashy and it's kindof boring, actually, and it
doesn't cost me anything insupplements and crazy diets.
But I'll tell you somethingit's effective.
This is the formula that worksin midlife and this is the
formula I am definitelycommitting to right now.
(43:41):
Now, of course, I'm also goingto be eating a ton of greens and
other vegetables and fruits andwhole grains and healthy fats.
Those all count in the pursuitof losing weight and health.
My energy benefits, not tomention my health.
So that's a definite priorityand that's something I haven't
really included in today, butthat's I almost feel like that's
(44:04):
like a given, especially for mewho's a culinary nutritionist.
All right, so I'll keep you ontop of my progress and I would
love to hear from you about yourprogress.
How are you feeling aboutweight loss in midlife?
Are you ready to get back ontrack?
Leave me a comment in the shownotes.
I would love to hear from you.
(44:25):
So if you're listening andnodding along or this is
resonating for you and maybeeven feeling that same overwhelm
that might be coming up for younow it's September and you're
feeling that I got to get backon track, feeling just know that
you are not alone.
(44:46):
This journey is not aboutperfection.
It's about progress.
It's about showing up foryourself with small, consistent
actions that add up over time.
Now, midlife doesn't take awayyour ability to lose weight or
feel strong.
It just asks you to approach itdifferently, with more
(45:06):
intention, more compassion and alittle more strategy.
So I'm in this with you, stepby step, and I know that we can
do this together.
I can't wait to hear about yourjourney and I will keep you
posted on mine.
Have a great day, everybody.
Hi everybody and welcome back to the Real Food
Stories podcast.
So we are in September now andfor so many of us, myself
included, september meansgetting back on track.
There's always January with ourNew Year's resolutions, but
September is very meaningful, Ithink, to many of us midlife
(00:22):
women.
When we were a little younger,we had kids going and getting
back on the school buses and itjust meant like you know what
that time is over and we're onto something new and getting
back on track.
So I know for myself now I mean, my kids are flown and grown,
but I had a great summer.
I saw a lot of friends andfamily.
(00:43):
A great summer.
I saw a lot of friends andfamily, and with that comes a
lot of eating some reallyamazing food.
Right, we gather with food andI certainly did that.
And also with that comes thegood possibility of gaining a
few pounds.
Now in midlife, it seems somuch easier to gain weight and,
(01:08):
at the same time, so much harderto lose it.
But it's not impossible andit's definitely doable.
So I want to talk to you todayabout this and tell you what I
am going to be doing right nowto get myself back on track this
fall.
All right, let's get real for amoment.
If you are in your 40s or 50sand you are a woman, you have
(01:32):
probably felt the frustration.
You eat the same food, or soyou claim.
You exercise exactly the same,or so you claim, and yet the
weight creeps on.
The same, or so you claim, andyet the weight creeps on.
Or you feel like why can't Ijust have a vacation where I
don't feel like I have totallyblown it, because I went out to
(01:53):
dinner a few times?
It feels unfair.
It feels like our bodies are sosensitive to food and eating
and exercising and they're justfailing us.
And the world of wellnessdoesn't make it any easier.
All I see on social media thesedays is the promise of a pill,
(02:13):
the miracle of weighted vests,which I talked about last week
on the podcast.
Tune into that if you want toget the real deal on weighted
vests.
And the other thing I'm seeingis the life-changing,
quote-unquote magic ofmicrodosing, a GLP-1, which is
Ozempic or Regovi, which then inturn, promises easy weight loss
(02:38):
.
Now, when I start to see randomwomen with no credentials except
for the fact that they havelost weight with some supplement
, and when I start to see themoffering a discount code to buy
that said supplement, my alarmbells start ringing.
We midlife women are in troubleand we don't need any more
(03:05):
snake oil salesmen trying tosell us something that's never
going to work and then justaggravate us even more.
Here's the thing we areabsolutely drowning in
information.
I'll be honest with you, I evenget overwhelmed.
I go on Instagram or onFacebook just to check things
(03:26):
out, just to see what's going on, you know, and it is just
absolutely overwhelming to me.
Sometimes and this is my careerI have to stop, take a breath
and remind myself I've beensuccessful at losing weight in
the past.
My clients have been successfulat losing weight in the past.
My clients have been successfulat losing weight.
And here's the truth, and thismight be a hard truth for some
(03:50):
of you proponents of the quote Ijust look at food and gain
weight now that I'm in menopausemovement.
But say it with me, ok, saythis with me Menopause does not
cause weight gain.
Okay, I'm going to say thatagain Menopause does not cause
(04:11):
weight gain.
The evidence and research donot point this way.
So if menopause is not to blamebecause a lot of women I hear
blaming menopause I went intomenopause and I gained five
pounds without even doinganything.
I eat clean, I still exercise,nothing's changed and I still
gain 10 pounds.
The fact is, the evidence andresearch just don't point in
(04:36):
that direction.
So what causes weight gain?
A surplus of calories?
Do being inactive does?
Do you know why people loseweight on Ozempic?
Because they are eating lesscalories, period.
It's calories in, calories out.
That's the real story and it'sactually empowering because it
(05:01):
means we still have some controlover our bodies.
Our bodies are not controllingus, we are in control and it
means we can do something.
So before you start arguingwith me and say oh, no, no, no,
heather, you are wrong, somemidlife influencer on TikTok
(05:23):
told me it's my hormones.
Or my hormones aren't balanced,or my hormones are making me
gain weight.
Let's have a review of what'sreally going on in midlife.
Okay, first of all, there areover 30 hormones in our bodies
that literally keep us alive,but for some reason, most people
think that we only have threehormones estrogen, progesterone
(05:46):
and testosterone.
And for the sake of thispodcast today, let's just stick
with those three.
Okay, hormones change.
There's no denying that Inmidlife, our estrogen drops, our
progesterone shifts and ourtestosterone dips and, by the
(06:07):
way, in case you don't know,women make testosterone as well
and we need it for our health.
That's a whole other story,maybe for a different podcast,
but I include testosteronebecause that is part of our
female hormones.
Because that is part of ourfemale hormones Now.
I want to focus on estrogenright now, because for women,
(06:29):
estrogen is our master hormone.
It affects everything in ourbodies, from head to toe, and
when our estrogen starts to dip,which is what happens in
menopause, all sorts of thingsstart to happen in a woman's
body.
Today, we are just going tofocus on weight and weight loss.
(06:50):
So estrogen shifts the placeswhere our body tends to store
fat.
You might start to notice lessaround your hips and thighs and
a little more settling aroundyour belly.
This is because of your lack ofestrogen.
It's not because of you gainingweight, right, you might even
(07:10):
weigh the same amount.
You just notice suddenly that alot of your weight is in your
belly.
I mean, I weigh almost the sameas I did when I lost weight
many, many years ago.
Yet when I look in the mirror,my body doesn't look like my
40-year-old self.
So even with taking hormones,things just shift, because
(07:31):
hormones are a great thing and Iam a big proponent of hormone
therapy but they're noteverything.
They're not a miracle.
There is not a lot we can doabout this body shift, but there
are some things.
Now, taking hormones definitelyhelps.
Some women have just geneticson their side Good for you.
(07:52):
And then there is the rest ofus.
Some women struggle a littlebit more, some a little bit less
, but I'm going to talk aboutsome things that we can do today
to just help alleviate thatmenno belly that we claim that
we have, or just that weightshift.
(08:12):
So, again, this does not meanthat your estrogen loss is
making you gain weight.
It might be shifting your bodyweight around, it might give you
the appearance of gainingweight, but it does not cause
you to gain weight.
So let's clear that again, justbecause you have gone into
menopause or you are inperimenopause, yes, your
(08:34):
hormones are doing wacky things.
Yes, they are fluctuating,they're not settled, but that
doesn't mean that they arecausing you to gain weight.
But that doesn't mean that theyare causing you to gain weight.
Okay, so here is another thingthat we really need to take into
account when we start to thinkthat we're just looking at food
and we gain five pounds.
(08:54):
And we have no idea how ithappened.
And you know, where did thatweight just appear?
Out of nowhere.
We really need to consider ourmuscle mass.
We and I mean all of us, men,women, all of us naturally start
to lose muscle mass as we getolder.
And here's the kicker Muscle isour most metabolically active
(09:18):
tissue.
It helps us burn calories evenwhen we're just sitting still,
even when we're sleeping atnight.
So when we lose muscle which weall do as we get older, we
start to lose a certainpercentage of our muscle.
Our metabolism gets a littleslower.
So this is why it's soincredibly important to maintain
(09:40):
our muscle.
I cannot stress this enough ourmuscle.
I cannot stress this enough.
If you don't lift weights, ifall you are doing is taking your
dog for a walk, get liftingweights.
Walking your dog is great.
I love my dog, sawyer, butlifting weights is absolutely
where it's at.
So join a class, join a gym,buy some weights for home and
(10:04):
not those wimpy two-poundweights.
The heaviest you can lift, thebetter.
The more muscle you have, thebetter your metabolism will be,
and the better your metabolismis, the more calories you will
be burning.
This is an easy fix Start slow.
Also, do not go from no weightsto lifting 20 pounds.
(10:27):
Just start slow, ease in.
But this is something that'salmost not negotiable, I think,
if you want to really considerhow to lose weight when you are
in midlife.
Now, the fundamental truth theenergy equation of calories in
and calories out has not changed.
You can ask other diet gurusand wellness people and
(10:50):
balancing hormones and all theother nonsense that's out on the
internet.
This is set in stone.
It's calories in, calories out.
I have been saying this foryears, I have been saying it on
this podcast, and that's what wehave to consider.
But let's consider a few otherreasons why we might be gaining
weight in midlife.
As women, we know it's not ourhormones, right.
(11:14):
We know we lose muscle as weget older and that that muscle
is our.
In addition to maybe losingmuscle is the combination of
biology and lifestyle.
Okay.
So we have to also considerwhat's happening in our lives.
(11:38):
We are busy, right.
We women are super busy.
We are doing lots and lots ofthings and helping kids and
helping our elderly parents, andworking and careers and all the
things.
We are under a lot of stress,most of us.
We have disrupted sleep, andthe fact that many of us just
(12:00):
don't move as much as we used toall counts.
We're working at desks, we'recommuting, we're caregiving for
kids and our aging parents.
Sleep and stress have verysubtle and profound effects on
our metabolism.
Add all of that up together andsuddenly it feels like the odds
are totally stacked against us.
(12:21):
The reality is then, when youget older, your body requires
less calories because we areburning less calories, because
we have less muscle, more stressand terrible sleep.
If you are eating exactly thesame as you claim you are, that
you've been eating the sameclean eating for 10 years, yet
you don't address your musclemass, your stress and your sleep
(12:44):
, I guarantee that if you arelike many, many women, you will
gain weight seemingly withouteven trying, and this equation
can start to feel really hardand really defeating and very,
very confusing, because you'renot taking all these other
things in consideration andyou're just doing exactly what
you've always been doing.
But here's the thing I want youto remember Harder is not
(13:08):
impossible.
Yes, your body has shifted.
Yes, you may have to approachthings differently than you did
in your 20s or 30s, but thatdoesn't mean you can't lose
weight or feel stronger.
It just means the strategy hasto evolve with you and, honestly
, that's good news because youstill are in control.
(13:29):
But the fact is so many womenfeel really, really out of
control.
I talk to women all the timewho just literally feel like
they are gaining weight for noreason, Like it's like just
happening overnight in theirsleep, and it's so easy to then
get lured in by the promise of adiet or a weight loss drug.
Right, and there's plenty ofthat going around on the
(13:53):
internet and in social media.
So first let's talk about thedetriments of diets, because
when you are desperate, Iunderstand it, you might reach
out and try anything that youcan get your hands on to lose
weight.
Now you've probably been onmore than one diet in your
lifetime, maybe dozens.
I used to be on dozens when Iwas younger.
(14:16):
Keto, paleo, intermittentfasting, juice cleanses they all
promise quick results and surethey can work for a little while
, because diets are just caloriereduction in disguise.
They usually are extremely lowin calories, which is always
impossible to maintain for thelong haul.
And here's the problemRestrictive diets almost always
(14:40):
backfire on you 90% of the time.
So when you slash your caloriesand it's way too low.
Your metabolism just goes intoshock.
Okay, it slows down too toprotect you.
It doesn't want you to starve,even though you're probably
technically not starving, butyour brain thinks you're
(15:01):
starving.
You end up burning fewercalories just going about your
day and on top of that, yourcravings then end up going in
overdrive because your body isliterally fighting to get you
back into balance.
So what happens?
You lose a little weight.
You can't keep up with therestriction and the weight comes
(15:22):
back, sometimes with a littleextra.
So if you feel like you areeating clean because you are
intermittent fasting or you'reon the Galveston diet or
whatever diet or thing of themoment, just pause and think
again about that.
Diets do not promote weight lossin the long run and they really
(15:43):
only mess with your metabolism.
All right, I want to circleback to the drugs of the moment,
because this is huge and I justsee more and more people going
on these drugs.
That's promoting microdosing ofGLP-1s.
I mean, this stuff pops up inmy feed all the time, probably
(16:20):
because I've clicked on one ortwo things just to investigate
and now I'm just inundated allthe time with this stuff.
So let me explain what thesedrugs do.
These medications mimic anatural hormone in your body
that reduces appetite, thatslows down digestion and that
(16:43):
lowers blood sugar, and so, yes,people do lose weight on them,
often pretty quickly, becausethey are just not eating as much
.
Okay, this helps to regulateyour appetite.
And when your appetite isregulated and you're just not
feeling that hungry, what areyou going to do?
(17:04):
You're reducing your calories,but here's what you don't hear
in the glossy Instagram posts.
A lot of that weight loss comesat the cost of muscle and not
just fat.
So when we're losing weight, wedon't want to lose our muscle.
Right?
We know now what our muscledoes that boosts our metabolism.
(17:24):
We want to focus on fat loss,not on muscle loss.
So muscle is exactly what wedon't want to lose in midlife.
Now, when you are going on somekind of a drastic diet and your
body thinks it's starving, oneof the things it grabs to lose
weight is muscle, is your leanmuscle.
We don't want to do that, soit's sort of a dance we need to
(17:47):
play we don't want to eat toofew calories and we don't want
to eat too few calories and wedon't want to eat too many
calories.
All right, I mentionedmicrodosing before.
I'm assuming that people haveseen this.
If you haven't, I mean you cango Google it if you want to.
(18:08):
Microdosing or taking oralversions of a GLP-1.
Now let me be clear here.
These simply do not work thesame way.
If you are going to go on aGLP-1, please, I am begging you,
go talk to your doctor about it.
Do not get something throughsome online pharmacy or with
(18:28):
some wellness influencer orsomeone of you know that ilk
like please, do not do that.
These medications were first ofall engineered to be injected at
very specific doses.
Okay, they only work throughinjection.
So if you see something that'san oral medication for GLP-1,
(18:49):
that's a red flag right there.
Microdosing I don't even knowwhat that is.
I mean, when people start instudies, when they start
microdosing GLP-1s or spacingout their doses, they start to
gain weight back.
So please do not waste yourtime and money.
So cutting them down into tinydoses or taking them pill form
(19:10):
is not a shortcut.
It's just not effective.
I'm not putting down thesemedications.
If you are a candidate, if youhave a lot of weight to lose and
you've just been in struggle, Iam all for using these
medications.
Just know what you are gettinginto, though, because here's the
truth bomb that I want to alsomention.
(19:32):
When you stop taking thesedrugs, your appetite usually
resets back to the start and allthe weight that you lost it
almost always comes back to.
I have heard of people goingoff of these medications and not
gaining weight back, but youhave to then really make sure
that you are doing things as youwere when you were on the
(19:54):
medication.
So unless you're ready tocommit to these medications long
term and deal with any sideeffects that might come up and
the cost, you haven't reallysolved the problem of weight
loss long term weight loss.
You've just pressed the pausebutton.
(20:14):
So I've again heard a lot ofvariety about these medications.
I have talked to people whohave had a lot of success with
them.
I have had clients who have hadwho have gotten on them and
lost weight.
I also know a lot of people whohave not had success on weight
loss medications, who haven'tlost any weight, or maybe
(20:34):
they've lost a couple pounds,but not like it really hasn't
affected appetite or made anybig changes, and I also know
people who have gone off of themedication and started gaining
weight back.
So when you're frustrated, Iknow that these medications can
feel like a lifesaver, but Ibelieve that there is a better,
(20:57):
long-term fix, and that would beto learn how to eat well and
lose weight without a drug.
Now, this takes commitment right.
There's no doubt about it.
You have to commit to yourselfin order to lose weight, even if
you take the drug or not, allright.
So if diets don't work longterm and drugs aren't the magic
(21:17):
solution, what actually doeswork for weight loss in midlife?
Let's get into the real leversthat we can actually pull at
this time to get things movingand to move the needle, not just
for weight, but for your energy, your strength and your
(21:39):
long-term health.
Right, because it's not justall about vanity.
I mean, there's nothing wrongwith losing weight because you
want to look good in a dress ora bathing suit Nothing wrong
with that at all but we alsowant to consider, I think, the
long-term health implications ofbeing at a good weight.
I think those are the things inthe long run that keep you
(22:04):
motivated and committed, allright.
So let's start with protein andmuscle.
I talked about this last weekalso on my podcast, and we've
certainly heard about eatingenough protein for women, right?
Those hundred elusive grams ofprotein that we need to eat.
So there's a good reason behindthis.
(22:25):
Protein is the number onenutrient women in midlife are
not getting enough of.
Most of us are used to having alittle yogurt in the morning
and maybe a salad at lunch, withsome chicken or fish fish at
dinner.
But here's the deal Our bodiesneed a lot more protein now than
(22:46):
they did in our 20s or 30s,because protein is what protects
and builds muscle, and musclenow, we know, is your
metabolism's best friend.
If you want to burn morecalories at rest, you need
muscle on your body.
So that means every meal shouldhave protein front and center.
(23:09):
So that means every meal shouldhave protein front and center.
Eggs, fish, greek yogurt,chicken, beans, lentils, tofu,
tempeh those are just the start.
I love mixing up my animalproteins with my vegetarian
proteins, because animalproteins are a great source of
just complete proteins, andvegan proteins are multifaceted.
(23:34):
They come with so many otherthings.
They can come with fiber, withcalcium, with vitamin D, so it's
always good to have a balanceof these two.
And if you're not strengthtraining yet, this is your
invitation to start.
Okay, strength training two orthree times a week is, hands
down, like I have said, the besttool we have in midlife to keep
(23:57):
your weight stable.
It's not about getting bulky.
Believe me, I go to the gymthree times a week and lift
weights.
If it like was going to make mebulky, it would have by now.
It's really hard for women tobulk up.
So it's not about getting bulky.
If this is one of your fears.
This is about protecting yourmetabolism and protecting your
(24:21):
bones and boosting yourconfidence.
Okay, next up, I want to talkabout daily movement, and I
don't just mean workouts.
I mean, yes, exercise isimportant, but what really adds
up is the movement you dooutside of the gym Walking your
dog, gardening, taking thestairs rather than the elevator,
(24:43):
cleaning your house, standingup to stretch during work all
those little things what we callNEAT that's the acronym for
non-exercise activity actuallyburn a surprising number of
calories over the day.
So if you've ever wondered whyyou used to stay slim without
(25:04):
even trying, it's often becauseyou were moving more, without
even realizing it.
We don't move a lot.
For the most part, on average,we sit a lot.
So don't underestimate thoseeveryday actions and steps that
you're doing.
Get outside and go take a walk.
Go take two walks.
Go do one in the morning, onein the afternoon.
(25:26):
Go walk your dog.
Your dog would love it.
Okay, I want to dive a littledeeper into sleep and stress and
why these two can affect weight, especially in midlife.
Now, sleep and stress, I meanwe used to be able to get away
with a lot when we were younger.
I mean you could go like burnall naders and everything and
like not have it even affect you.
(25:46):
But we have to address thesebecause they really do count.
Now, I know they're not as likeflashy as a new diet or a
trendy supplement, but they'rejust as important as anything
else.
Now, poor sleep doesn't justmake you tired.
It messes with your hungerhormones.
To name the first, mostimportant thing when you don't
(26:10):
sleep well, ghrelin, which isyour hunger hormone, goes up and
leptin, which is the hormonethat makes you feel full, goes
down.
That means you feel hungrier.
You start craving carbs andsugar.
You feel less satisfied whenyou eat.
Now let's talk about stress.
(26:31):
This adds another layer.
Chronic stress keeps yourcortisol levels high, and
cortisol encourages your body tostore fat right in the belly.
That's why stress managementand consistent sleep are
routines that are not just niceto haves.
They are essential to have andthey are one of your most
(26:51):
important weight loss tools.
All right, and finally, I wantto talk about balanced eating.
I've talked about the wordbalance incessantly on this
podcast, but I think sometimeswe all need to hear it again.
This doesn't mean followingstrict rules or cutting out
entire food groups.
You know that.
I'm not about that in any way,shape or form.
It means building a plate thatsupports your hormones and your
(27:15):
energy and your health.
Take a minute and justvisualize this plate.
Okay, just visualize a plate.
On it.
You want protein, fiber-richcarbs, like veggies, like any
kind of vegetables, dark leafygreens, whole grains, healthy
fats like olive oil or avocado,and a lot of color from your
(27:39):
fruits and vegetables.
That's your hormone-friendlyplate.
That's it.
It's not so flashy and not fullof bells and whistles.
And while we're here, let's callout two sneaky saboteurs okay,
that I think sometimes get ahall pass, and those are sugar
and alcohol.
Now, they don't just add emptycalories, they mess with your
(28:02):
blood sugar, they totally wreckyour sleep and they absolutely
monkey with your metabolism.
So, cutting back on sugar weall know a lot about sugar.
We all know that sugar is notgreat for us, but what about
alcohol?
Reducing alcohol intake orcutting it out entirely can be
the game changer to losingweight, okay, and can make huge
(28:25):
differences.
Now here's the good news.
With all these levers I'mtelling you to pull with sugar
and alcohol and stress and sleepand balance and everything.
None of these levers are aboutpunishing yourself, none.
They're about supporting yourbody and your brain.
Okay, protein and musclemovement, sleep and stress,
(28:50):
balanced, nourishing meals.
These are the things thatactually work, and they're all
things that you can start today,right now.
Okay, so here's, I think, one ofthe most important and most
overlooked part of losing weightin midlife, and that is our
(29:10):
mindset, and this is where realchange happens.
Now, we've probably all heardabout the word mindset, and we
have to have a good mindset orpositive mindset, or, or you
know all versions of that, butthe fact is, is that it's true?
Okay, now let me justacknowledge let's backtrack for
a second and acknowledge theoverwhelm here with being a
(29:33):
woman in midlife and trying tofigure out our bodies and just
making peace with our bodies,because there's so much noise
out there.
I keep saying this, but it'strue, there is so much noise out
on the internet and socialmedia.
There's one person telling youto fast until noon, another is
swearing by keto, someone elseis telling you to take shots of
(29:56):
apple cider vinegar, and thenyou've got Instagram reels in
your feed convincing you that apill or injection is the
solution.
And it's no wonder we freezeright.
We literally go numb.
I mean, I'll be honest, I getoverwhelmed sometimes too, and
this is my career.
I've said this before, but Ijust it's sometimes just shocks
(30:19):
me and I can feel myself gettinglike caught up.
I'm staring at women who arelike so in shape and so good and
they're injecting, they'remicrodosing GLP-1s and that was
the game changer for them, andthey, you know how could they
have lived without them?
And it's kind of a form ofbrainwashing.
So I have to remind myself,along with you, to take a step
(30:43):
back and remember the basics.
That's why awareness is soimportant.
Now, one of the simplest ways tobuild awareness is through
tracking, and I don't meanobsessing over every calorie or
weighing your food down to thegram, but tracking can be as
easy as jotting down what youeat in a notebook, snapping a
(31:05):
quick photo of your meals orusing an app for a week just to
get a reality check.
Because here's the truth.
Most of us eat more than wethink we do.
Okay, most of us eat more thanwe think we do.
This is based in studies andscience.
I can't tell you how many timesclients come back to me after a
(31:27):
week of tracking and say, wow,I had no idea how many bites
licks tastes I was actuallyhaving in a day.
All that stuff adds up A biteof peanut butter oh, just a
scoop of peanut butter, you know.
A tablespoon here, a handful ofsnacks there.
This stuff adds up.
(31:47):
Okay, these are the caloriesthat awareness alone can create
change.
The second piece is thinkingabout goals and not just any
goals, goals you can actuallycontrol.
Now here's what I mean.
You can't control whether thescale moves three pounds this
(32:09):
week, right.
You can't control whether it'sgoing to rain or the sun's going
to come out, but you cancontrol whether you strength
train twice this week.
You can't guarantee that yourbelly fat will shrink in a month
, but you can set the goal ofgetting 100 grams of protein in
a day.
Set the goal of getting 100grams of protein in a day.
(32:33):
These kind of goals areempowering, because they're in
your hands and they buildmomentum.
And if the thought of 100 gramsof protein in a day just seems
daunting, then let's start at 75.
You can do that, okay, thisgives you control.
And then there's the compassionpiece.
Okay, I have talked about thisfor years, because this is the
thing that moved the needle forme in my weight loss journey and
(32:57):
my journey to quit alcohol.
Now let me be very clear.
Beating yourself up has never,ever once, burned a calorie.
Guilt doesn't shrink yourwaistline.
Shame doesn't make you stronger.
In fact, the opposite happens.
The more we criticize ourselves, the more likely we are to say
(33:21):
forget it, I blew it, I might aswell keep eating.
This isn't working for me, Ican't do it.
What works instead is curiosity.
I want you to ask yourself whatmight have triggered that
craving?
Why did I reach for the chipsafter dinner?
What worked really well for metoday?
Curiosity is neutral, andcuriosity leads to learning.
(33:47):
Okay, it leads to something ofawareness, without judging
yourself.
Okay, no one's perfect here.
We all make mistakes.
I just told you before that Ihad a pretty decadent summer.
I was eating, you know, wayabove my calories.
(34:09):
It's all right, I knew what Iwas doing.
I was aware I had awarenessaround it.
Curiosity leads to learning.
Shame shuts the door on it.
There's no place for shame whenwe are trying to lose weight
and take care of our bodies.
Okay, and here's what I've seenagain and again, both in my own
(34:31):
life and in my clients.
Every lasting success storypairs smart strategies with a
mindset shift.
It's never just one or theother.
You don't have to be perfect,you just have to be consistent
and you have to be kind toyourself along the way.
We are going to trip and fall.
(34:52):
Okay, we're going to get backup.
If this was your daughter or agood friend or someone who was
just really trying, would youshame them?
No, would we shame ourselves Alot.
Yes, women are good at that,but this is not about shaming
ourselves here.
Okay, this is not how it works.
Okay, let's bring this alltogether.
(35:15):
What does it actually look likewhen we put these pieces into
practice?
I'll tell you what it lookslike for me right now, because
I've made the decision that thisfall, I'm getting back on track
right alongside you, decisionthat this fall, I'm getting back
on track right alongside you.
Like I said, my summer wasincredibly busy.
I was traveling, I wasentertaining a ton.
(35:37):
I was up in Maine, we weretraveling back and forth.
We just had lots of friends and, honestly, I ate a lot of food
I wouldn't normally eat in myreal life.
My workouts slipped too.
I was hiking a lot up there.
Hiking in Maine is the best.
They have the most beautiful,challenging hikes and so I was
doing a lot of movement andwalking and that was incredible.
(35:58):
But strength training, thatdefinitely took a hit because I
don't have a gym up there and Ihave my own weights.
I brought them up with me.
But honestly, I need a class orI need like a gym for that.
I need something to like bescheduled in my calendar to go
to.
It just motivates me more.
That's just me.
(36:19):
That doesn't have to be you.
You could do weightlifting athome.
That's totally fine.
But you know what, overall outof this for my whole summer I
was, I'm just thinking that'slife.
I had a great summer, I had areally good summer, and it
happens and I'm going to getmyself back on track.
So this fall I'm all in.
(36:40):
I've started tracking mycalories again, not obsessively,
but just enough to buildawareness.
It's even so, easy for me toget off track with portions.
So if you're not tracking, evenevery once in a while, you can
absolutely overeat and not evenrealize it.
It's so easy to just startovereating bigger portions.
(37:02):
It's so easy just to have adessert or a friend who brings
like something, and you're justgoing to take a bite, you're
just going to have a littlepiece, you're just going to all
that adds up.
So tracking your food gives youinformation and it's very black
and white.
Don't tell me you eat clean oryou barely eat, without also
(37:23):
telling me you tracked yourcalories.
I don't want to hear it.
Okay, if you're telling me Ihave no idea why I'm gaining
weight, I eat clean, I eat sohealthy and somehow I've gained
weight that it's just not true.
Okay, this is not how weightgain works.
Okay, you have to be overeatingcalories.
(37:44):
Weight loss is a numbers game.
First and foremost, do yourselfa favor and get an app like
Lose it or MyFitnessPal andtrack your food.
It's almost ridiculously easy.
Don't be lazy about this.
It will take the confusion outof wondering if you are eating
too much or too little.
I'm also really making sure thatI hit my protein goals at each
(38:06):
meal, because I know how muchbetter I feel when I do.
I'm not a big snacker, so I'drather use my calories for
actual meals that keep mesatisfied and energized.
Now, why this focus on protein?
Again, let me remind you,because protein is the fuel for
your muscles.
Your muscles are made up ofprotein.
(38:27):
You need to replenish them allday long.
Protein also takes longer todigest than simple carbs like
sugar or processed snacks.
Okay, back to what I'm going tobe doing this fall.
I've also committed to dailymovement.
Now, I do a lot of dailymovement anyway, but I'm just
(38:48):
making this like on my list ofcommitments for myself this fall
to do at least one walk or onehike a day with my dog, which I
do.
Okay, my dog actually getsprobably like two walks a day.
If it's not just me, it's thenmy husband and I'm doing this
every single day.
Am I obsessing, though, about10,000 steps?
(39:11):
No, I'm not.
Am I wearing a weighted vestwhen I walk?
No, or maybe sometimes, if Ifeel like it, just to add some
extra weight.
But my walk usually gets meabout 10,000 steps and I know
from the research and I talkedabout this in the podcast last
week that a weighted vest isfine to use, but it's not going
(39:34):
to make or break my weight loss.
Strength training that's what'sgoing to make or break my
weight loss, and I'm back at thegym three times a week and,
like I said before, I learnedsomething this summer from going
up to Maine being up there sooften is that I have no class up
there, right, and I like havinga class to go to.
(39:55):
It helps keep me accountableand it just makes exercising
more fun for me.
So next summer, when I'm upthere, I'm going to have to
figure out how to integrate thisand make it work, but that's
for another time.
My next thing I want to reallyfocus on this fall is my sleep.
This is a huge one for mebecause, honestly, my sleep
(40:15):
hasn't been great lately.
I was all over the map thissummer, but I'm working on
consistency and now that it'sgetting darker earlier, that,
for some reason for me, justgets me into sleep mode a little
earlier.
So I'm going to definitely beconsistent with my sleep and get
(40:38):
into bed every night no laterthan 10 pm.
I'm also doing a deep dive intostress what it means for me
right now, how it shows up in mylife and how I can manage it
better.
Because here's the truth, forme at least, life is feeling
short lately.
You know it's I'm not old, butI'm not super young anymore and
(41:02):
I want my years to count and Idon't want to wear stress like a
badge of honor anymore.
So I'm looking at a lot of waysthat stress impacts my life,
which in turn impacts mymetabolism and my weight and not
to mention my joy.
So that's a big one for me thisfall.
And maybe the most importantpiece of all, I'm being kind and
(41:27):
forgiving to myself through theprocess.
I've set a weight loss goal.
I don't have a lot of weight tolose, but a long time ago I
made a promise to myself thatwhen I start to see a certain
number and I'm not going to tellthe number right now, but I
have a number on the scale thatkind of says to me if I'm
(41:47):
getting up to that number, it'stime to start getting back on
track.
And I've started to see thatnumber and I am getting back on
track because it means that I'mout of my comfort zone of my
weight.
Okay.
So I'm honoring that and I'mjust simply getting back on
track with all the kindness andcompassion in the world, because
(42:10):
I know that my body feelsbetter at a certain weight.
I feel stronger, lighter, Ifeel more energized when I'm
there and I'm committed to it,not with guilt, not with
punishment, but with consistency, compassion and a plan.
So here's my action plan, sortof summed up, that I'm following
(42:32):
and you can follow it rightalong with me if you want.
Step one I am incorporating 20to 30 grams of protein at every
meal.
Step two I'm going to bestrength training two to three
times per week.
Training two to three times perweek, hopefully.
Three I am moving daily,however I can right, but it
(43:01):
definitely is a minimum one longwalk a day with my dog.
I am absolutely prioritizingsleep and stress and, one of the
most important, I'm keeping itsimple.
I'm tracking, I'm setting goalsI can control and I'm being
kind to myself, and that's it.
It's not glamorous, right?
This is not glamorous.
This is not some like crazydiet out on the internet.
(43:21):
It's not flashy and it's kindof boring, actually, and it
doesn't cost me anything insupplements and crazy diets.
But I'll tell you somethingit's effective.
This is the formula that worksin midlife and this is the
formula I am definitelycommitting to right now.
(43:41):
Now, of course, I'm also goingto be eating a ton of greens and
other vegetables and fruits andwhole grains and healthy fats.
Those all count in the pursuitof losing weight and health.
My energy benefits, not tomention my health.
So that's a definite priorityand that's something I haven't
really included in today, butthat's I almost feel like that's
(44:04):
like a given, especially for mewho's a culinary nutritionist.
All right, so I'll keep you ontop of my progress and I would
love to hear from you about yourprogress.
How are you feeling aboutweight loss in midlife?
Are you ready to get back ontrack?
Leave me a comment in the shownotes.
I would love to hear from you.
(44:25):
So if you're listening andnodding along or this is
resonating for you and maybeeven feeling that same overwhelm
that might be coming up for younow it's September and you're
feeling that I got to get backon track, feeling just know that
you are not alone.
(44:46):
This journey is not aboutperfection.
It's about progress.
It's about showing up foryourself with small, consistent
actions that add up over time.
Now, midlife doesn't take awayyour ability to lose weight or
feel strong.
It just asks you to approach itdifferently, with more
(45:06):
intention, more compassion and alittle more strategy.
So I'm in this with you, stepby step, and I know that we can
do this together.
I can't wait to hear about yourjourney and I will keep you
posted on mine.
Have a great day, everybody.
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