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Disclaimer- The contents of this guide are for informational purposes only and are not a substitute for professional medical advice. None of the recommendations, suggestions, or written information provided is intended to replace a one-on-one relationship with a qualified healthcare professional. The information presented is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease but rather as a sharing of knowledge and information from the research and experience of Jill Chmielewski, RN, BSN. You are encouraged to make your own healthcare decisions based on your research and partnership with a qualified healthcare professional of your choosing.

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IS IT NATURAL?

What's the big deal about Hormone Replacement Therapy?

There have been a lot of myths...

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"I hate the belly fat that I have. I'm on bio-identical hormones and can't get rid of the tire. I don't want to go through surgery; I don't know what to do; please don't tell me to start running; I can't do it."

Does anyone else feel the same?

This question came from a member of my Peri/Menopause Trim Healthy Mama Community.

No, I'm not going to tell you to start running, and I'm not going to encourage you to exercise more. Or eat less. 

But there are multiple things that contribute to that spare tire/muffin top you are seeing. And a lot of it has to do with your age and your hormones. 

Extra fat is frustrating and a health risk for women, especially in midlife. 

The fat you see around your middle is most likely visceral...

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I was diagnosed with Hashimoto's in my 30's. 

This diagnosis made many of my random and frustrating symptoms make more sense. 

And it set me on a deep-dive journey to figure out how important the thyroid is and how it affects my health and hormones.

Understanding the connection between your endocrine and reproductive system is a game-changer. Your body is a whole component working together to keep you alive, healthy, and energetic. But when hormones start getting out of balance and shifting, it can cause dramatic results. Changing hormones doesn't mean you are at the mercy of crazy and frustrating symptoms. Let's discuss the importance of knowing your thyroid numbers, getting optimized, and ways to mitigate common symptoms.

What is the connection between perimenopause symptoms and the thyroid?

The thyroid is key to health. It is part of your Endocrine...

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Hitting menopause put me in a bad attitude.

I wasn't prepared.

I wasn't educated.

And I didn't care about mastering menopause since surviving this life change would be enough. Personally, I just wanted to cancel the whole thing.

You too?

I tend to always start things with a lousy attitude only to realize that it could be more helpful. And I miss all the good things in my challenging situation when I allow a bad mood. 

All women experience hormonal shifts, and it's important to understand that what worked in your twenties, thirties, or forties won't be helpful to your lifestyle and eating plan as much now. This is due to a decline in key hormones. 

You may notice this decline as hot flashes, night waking, and depression, or you might experience signs of hormone decline like decreased energy levels. Lower estrogen levels tend to...

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I'm not going to change.

I'm not going to change the commitment I've made to myself.

That's exactly what Coach Kelly Rackley told herself all year long.

With one quick, impulsive decision, she committed to eating 100% on the Trim Healthy Mama plan for 365 days. 

The trajectory of her entire year took on a new look as she walked out this commitment day after day. And in the end, she learned more about herself and what eating Trim Healthy Mama really means.

MAKING A "DIET" YOUR LIFESTYLE

The ability to stay on the Trim Healthy plan has much more to do with how you talk to yourself than you might think. Kelly found this out with each passing day. Focusing her energy on solving her problems and pushing through the temptation rather than feeling deprived or sorry for herself took time and effort. 

She had to coach herself. 

"I literally truth...

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Is exercise in midlife really all that important?

Would you rather be doing just about anything other than exercising?

After all, the extra time and an open schedule can be challenging.

I get it.

The truth is, yes, exercise is important enough for you to prioritize. But not the exercise you are thinking of.

Getting older has loads of great benefits, but choosing not to include exercise and include daily movement in your schedule may set you up for health issues that are better avoided.

Exercise in midlife is necessary for longevity, health and will help you build strong muscles to maintain your independence as you age. 

And as added benefit doing the proper exercise gets your body in metabolism-boosting & fat-burning mode fast.

STRENGTH TRAINING FOR FAT LOSS

I have great news for you and some myths to bust. 

It's time to hang...

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There are days the constant bombardment of questions has me ready to catch the next ride to crazy town.

I'm not talking about big, scary decisions but the daily ones. The decisions you need to make every single day.

What's for dinner? When should I exercise? How many meals should I eat? 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?

The level of panic that starts to set in makes me feel like Lucille Ball in "I Love Lucy" trying to deal with too much candy on the conveyor belt.

It's all too much!

via GIPHY

DECISION FATIGUE & BELLY FAT

When you live in this state of panic and constant decision-making, you are setting yourself up physiologically for increased cortisol levels. Those cortisol levels trigger your body to store fat at your waistline and create an uptick in inflammation.

By leaving multiple decisions...

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Impossible goals are. the. worst. 

And Anne felt like her health and weight loss goals were…impossible. 

She couldn't stick to the Trim Healthy Mama plan long enough to get traction. So…how was she supposed to find success in health and weight loss?

Hopeless and feeling like she was shoveling snow in a blizzard (she would know, she lives in Canada) - Anne kept trying. Eating on plan but falling off as soon as "life" happened. 

"I did not believe I would be able to find success for my health and weight loss. It seemed completely unmanageable." - Anne

One day, she reached out to me after a mutual friend recommended Feminine Freedom Path, my 6-month Coaching program. 

Her hormone and weight loss struggles made her a great candidate for Feminine Freedom Path. Years of blaming and shaming her lack of commitment...

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Are you seeking that ray of hope to finally conquer your weight loss journey and maintain a healthier you?

Ready to leave behind the feeling of hopelessness and embrace the chance to shed those stubborn pounds for good?

Let's take the confusion out of this process and get super simple on what works in menopause to shrink your waistline and regain your vibrant health; what you put on the end of your fork everyday matters. Making choices of good foods, whole foods, healing foods, and hormone-supporting foods will bring positive change in your body, but that's not all. Strength training twice weekly is essential to shrinking fat cells and increasing your metabolic rate. But a few more critical areas in your life are needle movers. Once you have created your fat-loss food plan and have a routine for strength training, you can start working on lifestyle factors. ...

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Wouldn't life be simpler if losing weight was actually a calorie-in/calories-out math equation? But in reality, eating less and exercising more does not guarantee you lose belly fat. And as you get older, it can create the opposite and cause you to increase in weight and inches instead. So, let's get this figured out. In menopause, your body needs supported hormones and strategic exercising to burn fat faster without burning you out.

STOP DOING SO MUCH CARDIO

A few decades ago, cardio was all the rage. Women couldn't get enough of it and thought this was the magic pill to weight loss. We now have the research to prove this is not true, and excessive cardio is not beneficial for women at any age. But in menopause, you for sure do not need more cardio. 

Let's also clear up the confusion around cardiovascular disease and cardio exercise. Doing one doesn't negate the other. The cause of...