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Have you ever looked down at your belly and thought, Where in the world did that come from?

Maybe you're eating pretty much the same way you've always eaten. You're trying to exercise, watching your portions, and doing your best to follow Trim Healthy Mama. But the scale keeps creeping up, your jeans feel tighter around the middle, and you're beginning to wonder if your hormones are working against you.

And then someone suggests hormone replacement therapy (HRT).

Wait a minute. If you're already dealing with perimenopause weight gain, hormonal imbalance, and stubborn belly fat, could adding hormones actually make things worse?

Ladies, this is a question I hear all the time, and it's one worth digging into.

Today, we're going to look at what the research says about HRT and weight gain, why your body may be storing more fat around your middle, and what you can do to support fat loss and build lasting muscle during menopause.

Because I want y...

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Have you ever finished a workout drenched in sweat, looked at your watch, saw that you burned hundreds of calories and thought, Surely that had to help me lose weight? For years, women were taught that exercise for weight loss meant doing more cardio, burning more calories and eating less. But if you’re over 40 and doing all the things without seeing the changes you want, it may be time to look at strength training to lose weight in a completely different way.

That doesn’t mean cardio is bad or that walking suddenly doesn’t count. I walk, I play pickleball, and I want my ladies moving their bodies. But exercise is about much more than how many calories you can burn in 45 minutes. Strength training gives your body a reason to build and protect muscle, and that becomes incredibly important during perimenopause, menopause and the years that follow.

At this stage of life, I don’t simply want us chasing a smaller number on the scale. I want us losi...

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If you’re trying to lose weight in perimenopause or menopause, you probably spend a lot of time thinking about food, protein, exercise, hormones, sleep, and whether you’re doing everything right. All of those things matter, but there’s another piece of the weight loss puzzle we can’t ignore: our mindset.

God reminded me of that recently in a place I wasn't expecting—the pickleball court. I had one of those moments where I could feel myself getting angry, I knew my attitude was going downhill, and instead of stopping it, I just let it go. A few days later, I was reading Romans 8 and one phrase jumped out at me: we are no longer obligated to live according to our old nature. That word obligated got my attention because an obligation is something you owe. I realized I don't owe my old patterns another response just because they show up. 

What Pickleball Taught Me About Mindset

I have this little problem when I play pickleball against my husb...

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Have you ever looked at your stomach and thought, “Wait a minute. I haven’t even gained that much weight. Why does my body look so different?” Maybe the scale is only up five pounds—or maybe it hasn’t changed much at all—but your jeans are tighter around the waist and you’re noticing more softness through your middle.

If you’re in your 40s, 50s or beyond, there is a very real reason this can happen. One of the big players is estrogen.

As estrogen begins fluctuating during perimenopause and eventually settles at a lower level after menopause, we can see changes in body composition and where our bodies prefer to store fat. That means belly fat after 40 isn’t always as simple as, “Well, I must be eating too much.”

Understanding this doesn’t mean we blame everything on our hormones and throw our hands in the air. It means we learn what’s happening so we can stop throwing random solutions at our bodies and start using strategies that actually make...

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Have you ever finished a week and thought, “Well, that wasn’t very impressive”?

You planned three strength training workouts but only completed two. You meant to walk every day, but you walked three times. You started with a beautiful Trim Healthy breakfast and a protein-centered lunch, and then dinner went completely sideways.

By the end of the week, you’re tempted to dismiss the whole thing because you didn’t follow your plan perfectly.

But those healthy habits still counted.

This matters when you’re trying to lose belly fat during perimenopause, menopause, or post-menopause. Your body may not give you the quick feedback it once did, but that doesn’t mean your consistent choices aren’t creating change.

Your Healthy Habits Are Building Something

Earlier in life, you may have been able to tighten things up for a week or two and see the scale move. You exercised a little harder, cut back on a few things, and your jeans started feeling ...

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If you’re trying to lose weight, struggling with stubborn belly fat, or wondering whether a hormone imbalance is working against you, your first instinct may be to eat less.

Maybe you need fewer carbs. Less fat. More Fuel Pulls. A longer fasting window. No nuts. No bread. And while you’re at it, perhaps you should add another workout just to be safe.

That is usually where our brains go when the scale stops moving.

We ask, “What else can I take away?”

But what if your next step isn’t more restriction? What if your midlife body actually needs to be better nourished?

Now, before anyone starts slathering butter all over her oatmeal and announces, “Coach Kris told me to do this,” hang in there with me. 😂 I’m not talking about adding hundreds of random calories or turning every meal into a free-for-all.

I’m talking about strategically giving your body more quality fuel—and paying attention to how it responds.

Are You Eating Too Little to Los...

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Have you ever felt like your body has become really good at storing food—but not nearly as good at burning it?

You eat healthy, but a couple of hours later you’re hungry, tired, or looking for something else to eat. You’re exercising, but your belly fat isn’t changing. The things that worked beautifully at 35 don’t seem to produce the same results at 45, 55, or 65.

That’s when the questions start.

Is my metabolism damaged? Is a hormone imbalance preventing weight loss? Does my body want to store everything I eat? Do I need more exercise, fewer carbs, or a longer list of fat burning foods?

Those are understandable questions, especially during perimenopause and menopause. Hormonal changes can affect where we store fat, how well we sleep, how hungry we feel, and how easily we maintain muscle.

But your next step doesn’t need to be another extreme plan.

Instead, I want to help you improve your body’s ability to receive food, use food, build mu...

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Have you ever had a couple of off weeks and started wondering what happened to your motivation? Maybe your workouts slipped, meal planning became hit-or-miss, and you stopped journaling or checking in with yourself. Before long, your mindset shifted from, “I’m having a hard week,” to, “Why can’t I get myself together?”

This is such a common place for women in midlife. We are navigating full lives, shifting hormones, unpredictable energy, interrupted sleep, family responsibilities, stress, and bodies that do not always respond the way they once did. When healthy habits slip, it is easy to believe we have failed—but falling out of a routine is not the same as failing.

Knowing how to change your mindset when you’ve fallen off track can make the difference between staying stuck for another month and taking one helpful step today. You do not need to wait for motivation to return, and you do not need to overhaul your entire life by Monday. You ca...

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The Menopause Makeover Podcast Blog | Coach Kris Honeycutt

You’re tired, your hair seems thinner, your body feels puffy, and you cannot lose weight the way you used to. Then your doctor checks your thyroid on blood work and tells you everything looks normal. So now what? Is this hormone imbalance, a thyroid issue, or simply another part of menopause you are expected to live with?

This is exactly why I invited Jessica Myers, Chief Experience Officer at Kiaora, back to The Menopause Makeover Podcast. We had already talked about sex hormones, but this time we turned our attention to the thyroid - a small gland that can have a big influence on energy, temperature regulation, digestion, mood, and metabolism.

This conversation is personal for me. Years ago, I looked healthy from the outside, but I spent close to a decade in a health crisis without clear answers. Finding an integrative practitioner who diagnosed Hashimoto’s disease became an impo...

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If you’re a woman over 40, you may be wondering what to eat before and after strength training—especially if your goals include building muscle, losing stubborn belly fat, and having more energy.

There is so much conflicting information out there. Exercise fasted. Never exercise fasted. Avoid carbohydrates. Eat carbohydrates. Drink a protein shake immediately. Wait until your next meal. It’s enough to make you wonder if you need a nutrition degree just to complete your workout!

I want to simplify this for you.

Your midlife body needs adequate fuel to perform, recover, and build lasting muscle. That doesn’t mean you need a huge meal every time you pick up a dumbbell, but intense exercise during perimenopause, menopause, and post-menopause usually deserves more support than a cup of coffee and sheer determination.

Why Strength Training After 40 Requires Proper Fuel

Strength training sends an important message to your body.

When you challe...