Music provided by: https://www.purple-planet.com/ 

Apple Podcast - Spotify

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...

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...

I remember feeling anything but sane around the age of 40 when I suddenly started to gain belly fat.

What made it worse was even though I was faithfully eating on the Trim Healthy Mama plan, I was also experiencing:

>> Low-level anxiety 

>> Lack of motivation

>> Low libido (no libido)

And having sleepless nights AGAIN- after all those sleepless nights with 9 babies. 

My cycle was regular but my moods were unpredictable.

Brain fog set in as did some depression.

So, I went to my Gynecologist with my complaints and she gave me two options: the pill or an antidepressant.

And then she said this could last up to 10 years!! 

What!?! 

I wasn’t willing to try either of these.

There had to be a better way.

I started researching and ended up joining a life coaching school that was teaching people how to “get control of their life and start creating the results they wanted”.

I learned...

This post contains affiliate links to products. I may receive a commission for purchases made through these links.

Progesterone naturally begins to decline around age 30, and by age 50 has decreased significantly. According to the late Dr. John Lee (leading progesterone specialist), estrogen levels drop only 40-60% at menopause, just enough for the monthly cycles to stop. Sadly, progesterone levels may drop to near zero in some women causing hot flashes, night sweats, insomnia and other troubling symptoms. Stress, endocrine-disrupting chemicals, and xenoestrogens all accelerate the progesterone decline. During perimenopause and menopause, the sharp decline of progesterone can lead to estrogen dominance – despite lower estrogen levels.

HEALTH BENEFITS OF PROGESTERONE

• Enhances thyroid hormones
• Good for your bones
• Good for your heart
• Helps weight loss
• Keeps estrogen in check
• May offer protection against some cancers
• Prevents hot flashes and night sweats
• Prevents some...

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...

So, what can you do about hormonal weight gain? 

Well, your plan of action will depend on what hormones are out of whack but these basic actions are a good place to start. 

CHILL OUT. 

When you are stressed, your body produces lots of cortisol to help alleviate the stress. That's why cortisol is called the stress hormone. Chronic stress can lead to weight gain insulin resistance, among other issues. Therefore, your first step to dealing with hormonal weight gain is to deal with the cause of your stress. Meditate, do yoga, practice mindfulness. Whatever you do, try to relax. The less stressed you feel, the better.   

GET SOME REST. 

If you have poor sleeping habits, it's time to work on that.  

People who sleep less have been shown to have higher BMIs. Try to get 7 or 8 hours of sleep a night. This will help regulate your hormones, returning your system to a healthy rhythm. Your body and your brain need to...

Ever fallen down the rabbit trail of shame and guilt when your weight starts to creep up on you and there doesn’t seem to be a good reason why?

Why is it that our first instinct is to blame ourselves for unexplained weight gain? 

But what if your weight gain isn’t about self-control or lack of exercise. What if the thing stopping you from shedding those extra pounds is like a plug in your drain keeping all the nasty dishwater stuck in your sink? You can’t shed the pounds until you figure out what is stopping your body from releasing that extra weight.

If you are dealing with unexplained weight problems, the chances are that your hormones are to blame. 

Let’s look at some common symptoms you may be experiencing if your hormones need support: 

• Rapid weight gain (especially in belly, hips, thighs) 
• Difficulty losing weight (even with a diet and exercise) 
• Anxiety 

• Craving carbohydrates...

This post contains affiliate links to products.

I may receive a commission for purchases made through these links.

Let’s talk about the factors that help you lose weight and those that keep you from losing weight.

Believe it or not the scale is not the best instrument to measure your fat loss. The scale is only one type of measurement, it’s just a piece of metal, it’s a tool that can give you data but it is only telling you one thing - pounds up, down or the same. Those numbers can be influenced by a number of factors so you can’t take this number too seriously.

Let me suggest 2 better ways to measure your actual weight or fat loss. Measuring your body and noticing how your clothes fit or using a smart scale will give you a more accurate picture or your weight. A smart scale, which I use, will tell you how much fat you have and how much lean muscle. Your goal is to increase your lean muscle and decrease your fat.

...