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If there's one thing I get asked about by women in the midlife season, it's "How do I get rid of belly fat?" 

I had the same question just a few years ago, and getting the answer was challenging. But thanks to the Trim Healthy eating plan, we have a shortcut to increase belly fat loss without deprivation and dieting.

Today on the podcast, I'll show you a few fundamental changes to make to your meal plan in menopause so you can reduce belly fat and feel better. It's like Trim Healthy Mama 2.0. The same basic principles of protein-centered meals but with a strong focus on your E (energizing) meals over your S (satisfying) meals. Because of declining hormones over 50 and sometimes younger, you need to fuel differently. You need fuel to turn on fat-burning, and as your hormones change, your fueling needs to change too. You can lose the extra belly fat, but you'll need to understand the hormones...

What’s for dinner?

When should I exercise?

How many E meals have I had today?

When am I going to walk?

What should I eat for a snack?

Is this enough protein?

What Trim Healthy fuel should I eat next?

Can you feel your increased heart-rate? Or the sweat beading along your hairline? Maybe you’ve found a nice quiet corner to hide in until all these questions go away.

Has freestyling your Trim Healthy eating plan turned into a recipe for stress?

Do you feel like you might just explode if you have to field one more question or make one more decision?

While we don’t want to live in calorie counting land, living without a plan is a sure recipe for hormonal disaster.

Let’s take a 30,000 foot view to see what is going on in your body when you try freestyling decisions every day.

Estrogen serves as your main hormone to counter cortisol and works as a powerful anti-inflammatory agent. 

Cortisol is your primary stress...

For many of you, the biggest hindrance to following a Trim Healthy Mama fat loss food plan is..the plan?

Not that you don’t know what to eat or how to fuel your body well. 

But the basics of choosing what to eat each meal and then planning it out becomes very complicated and overwhelming.

It doesn’t have to be this way!

Let’s make this easy & brainless. None of us in midlife need to be stressed about feeding our families or ourselves. It is time for you to make a plan for yourself. I know most of you are diligent to make sure your family and work have systems and plans set up, but I bet you don’t always make time to create the plan you need for yourself. 

Your brain might be telling you that this will be hard, or that you don’t need this but we are going to override those unhelpful thoughts. “It’s too hard” limits you, and “I don’t know what I’m going to...

Menopause keys to weight loss

Choose foods that are anti-inflammatory to your body. Include foods that boost your gut health and gut microbiome and eat foods that are known to support hormone balance. This is the time of life to choose quality. No more cheap oils and processed, packaged “foods”. Your body is ready and eager to be blessed with nourishing foods. 

Protein is Queen!

Every single meal you consume needs to have a protein source at the center. Begin to diversify your protein choices by including more fish and more plant proteins. 

Find ways to lighten up your meals and use less heavy dairy products. Your body is less efficient at burning through some of the heavier fats, so it is time to make some changes.

An easy way to lighten up your protein-centered meal can be by choosing a protein (think fish), a non-starchy vegetable, and a garnish of fat, roughly about a Tablespoon.

 Instead of a Heavy S meal (animal protein + cheese + mayo...

Hormones play a large part of fat loss and I'm not just talking about estrogen, progesterone, testosterone or DHEA. I'm talking about all your hormones, but especially insulin, cortisol, thyroid, and estrogen. Those four hormones are really mack daddy hormones that contribute to weight loss. 

The great thing about the Trim Healthy Mama plan is that everything that it stands for and all of the concepts the plan is based on help us with regulating blood sugar. There are some things though that need to change in our 40-plus season. These are the steps that we focus on in the Feminine Freedom path. Making these changes takes time and you might be frustrated with where you are right now. But if you can apply these principles, and you're consistent, then you can start shrinking fat cells, and you can see results. So I just want you to put on your patience. 

The Trim Healthy Mama plan is our foundation, staying on plan is key but we tweak it for our...

What if you could love your menopausal body no matter what?

What if you knew that the symptoms you experience are just part of the menopause transition and they are taking you to a better place?

You do not have to be a victim to hormonal changes and crazy symptoms. You can have relief through this transition and support your body well while you manage your hormones. 

Symptoms during menopause like joint pain, aches, hot flashes and trouble sleeping are usually temporary. But the better you treat yourself, the better you are going to feel.

When you were younger you could push self-care to the bottom of your priority list. That is no longer the case! Punishment & deprivation are out. Neglect of your needs and desires has had its day. This season is a time for you to love on your body.

Choose to make peace with your body during menopause. Understand that your body is changing and needs support and care not anger and frustration. Treat...

Do you have some super-friendly fat cells hanging out in places you don’t want? 

I know you’ve been told to starve those fat cells and exercise the heck out of them but what if that advice doesn’t actually work? 

Let’s look at the best ways you can shrink those fat cells while boosting your metabolism.

>Exercise the right way 

High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) has been shown to increase fat burning even at rest. But it is important how you exercise during this season. No more than 2-3 intense workouts per week for a total of around 40 minutes is the recommendation for Wise Women. Too much intense exercise can cause what the body perceives as stress and increase cortisol levels (fat storage). Protein after a workout is essential for muscle repair and blood sugar stabilization. Along with HIIT (low impact counts), strength training is important for reducing bone loss and increasing muscle mass which increases fat...

Decreasing belly fat isn't about one factor. Take a look at each area and choose what to implement to see the results you want.

1. Reduce cortisol

Cortisol is the primary stress hormone. Cortisol imbalances cause weight gain, and weight gain causes cortisol imbalance. This is a crazy hamster wheel that you have to jump off of to find balance.

Choose one area to focus on: 

>>Get more sleep

>>Try an adaptogenic herb like Ashwagandha

>>Find simple ways to reduce your daily stress, and try asking for help.

2. Avoid dehydration

3. Reduce alcohol and caffeine 

4. Focus on anti-inflammatory foods 

Choose foods like clean grass-fed protein, wild-caught fish, free-range chicken, green leafy vegetables, low glycemic fruits, nuts, seeds, natural oils, butter, olive oil, and whole grains. 

5. Avoid insulin spikes 

Keeping your blood sugar balanced is key to decreasing belly fat and increasing your...

Getting older isn’t all bad, in fact there are so many good things about increasing age. But weight gain, increased belly fat and stubborn weight are not a “good” part of getting older. Let’s discover the reasons behind the extra weight and why it can be so hard to lose.

It’s all about hormones. As women, we have been gifted with a plethora of amazing hormones, moving into the menopause season of life causes those hormones to start shifting to new levels. This shift is usually at the root of most of your frustration with weight loss.

While there are a ton of changes you can make on a daily basis to your diet and lifestyle I would highly recommend that you find a Functional medicine doctor to work with you so you can know the hard data behind your symptoms.

Here are some of the key areas to investigate for optimal fat loss:

• Declining Estrogen levels - can cause your cortisol & androgen levels to increase. While hormonal balance isn’t...