Latest / The Midlife Momma Podcast - Empty nest mom, Parenting adult children, Midlife transition, Christian mom / 236. Why Midlife Weight Gain Happens with Dr. Heather Awad

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236. Why Midlife Weight Gain Happens with Dr. Heather Awad · The Midlife Momma Podcast - Empty nest mom, Parenting adult children, Midlife transition, Christian mom

• 0:02
  [SPEAKER_00]: Christian parenting.
• 0:08
  [SPEAKER_00]: Hey mama, I'm Pamela Hinkelman, certified emptiness coach and your listening to the mid-life Mama podcast.
• 0:15
  [SPEAKER_00]: This show is for Christian moms navigating the emptiness, learning how to let go with grace, set healthy boundaries, reconnected marriage, and step confidently into their God-given purpose.
• 0:27
  [SPEAKER_00]: Each week I'll coach you through this season with faith-filled encouragement, honest conversations, and practical tools that you can apply right away to your relationships and your life.
• 0:37
  [SPEAKER_00]: If this episode encourages you, I'd be grateful if you leave a quick rating and review.
• 0:42
  [SPEAKER_00]: It helps other moms find the support they need.
• 0:45
  [SPEAKER_00]: You'll find the link in the show notes.
• 0:47
  [SPEAKER_00]: And make sure you're following the podcast.
• 0:49
  [SPEAKER_00]: And let's get started!
• 0:51
  [SPEAKER_00]: We are kicking off our brand new her next chapter series, our special fall series where we're having honest conversations about the challenges, opportunities, incredible possibilities of midlife, because your best days aren't behind you, they're still being written.
• 1:08
  [SPEAKER_00]: If you found yourself wondering why your body suddenly feels different, why the weight seems to appear overnight or why the healthy habits that work for years don't seem to work anymore, you're not imagining it.
• 1:19
  [SPEAKER_00]: So many women enter Perry menopause and menopause feeling frustrated, discouraged, and wondering what happened.
• 1:26
  [SPEAKER_00]: Hello.
• 1:27
  [SPEAKER_00]: I'm right there with you.
• 1:28
  [SPEAKER_00]: Today, I'm joined by Dr. Heather Alon, who is here to help us understand what actually happening inside our bodies.
• 1:36
  [SPEAKER_00]: Dr. Heather is a family physician and a menopause weight loss coach.
• 1:40
  [SPEAKER_00]: What a great idea.
• 1:41
  [SPEAKER_00]: She also hosts the vibrant menopause podcast.
• 1:45
  [SPEAKER_00]: We'll talk about why mid-life weight gain occurs, the health risks associated with belly fat, and why eat less and move more often isn't enough.
• 1:54
  [SPEAKER_00]: What to know about medications like ozambic and the practical steps, women can take to improve their health without shame or unrealistic expectations.
• 2:03
  [SPEAKER_00]: My hope is that you'll leave this conversation with a better understanding of your body, greater compassion for yourself, and you renewed confidence that this season,
• 2:12
  [SPEAKER_00]: doesn't have to define you.
• 2:14
  [SPEAKER_00]: Let's jump into the conversation.
• 2:16
  [SPEAKER_00]: Welcome, Dr. Heather.
• 2:18
  [SPEAKER_00]: Thanks so much for having me.
• 2:20
  [SPEAKER_00]: I want to know, before we get started, what is a typical fall day look like for you?
• 2:26
  [SPEAKER_01]: Fall is the time when I feel super energized.
• 2:30
  [SPEAKER_01]: You know how we all have a time when you like that fall is me.
• 2:32
  [SPEAKER_01]: So I am usually crazy producing.
• 2:38
  [SPEAKER_01]: Whether it's a hobby or work or anything, I feel like I get more done in three months than any other time of year.
• 2:43
  [SPEAKER_01]: So I'm usually pack in my calendar with fun and work and projects because once the days get short, I really have fellow season and get quiet and don't do as much.
• 2:56
  [SPEAKER_01]: But I enjoy that part of it too.
• 2:57
  [SPEAKER_01]: It's, ah, you feel that crisp feeling in the air here in Minnesota and then snow.
• 3:02
  [SPEAKER_01]: And I feel amazing.
• 3:05
  [SPEAKER_00]: That was fabulous.
• 3:06
  [SPEAKER_00]: I am right there with you.
• 3:07
  [SPEAKER_00]: If I could live somewhere where it was fall, you're around.
• 3:10
  [SPEAKER_00]: I would be such a happy thing.
• 3:14
  [SPEAKER_00]: Jump right in.
• 3:15
  [SPEAKER_00]: So why do women gain weight with perimenopause and menopause?
• 3:20
  [SPEAKER_01]: What happens is we get the, it's a body phase change like puberty, right?
• 3:26
  [SPEAKER_01]: And your body and your emotions and your brain really changed in six grade for most of us.
• 3:32
  [SPEAKER_01]: So we have another big body phase change.
• 3:34
  [SPEAKER_01]: And part of it is this weight that kind of sticks around the middle.
• 3:39
  [SPEAKER_01]: So what happens is our estrogen goes up and down and up and down along with some other hormones in hairy menopause and then it goes low in menopause.
• 3:50
  [SPEAKER_01]: Now this affects all of our organ systems every everything that we have.
• 3:56
  [SPEAKER_01]: It also, so not surprisingly, it affects our digestive hormone system as well.
• 4:01
  [SPEAKER_01]: So we get a bump in insulin resistance.
• 4:04
  [SPEAKER_01]: This might not be pathologic, but it's a bump.
• 4:08
  [SPEAKER_01]: And more insulin resistance leads to more belly fat.
• 4:12
  [SPEAKER_01]: Or in our brains, we're having cortisol.
• 4:15
  [SPEAKER_01]: People feel on edge, right?
• 4:16
  [SPEAKER_01]: People say, Oh, I got new anxiety with perimenopause or menopause.
• 4:20
  [SPEAKER_01]: I'm waking up in the night with my heart racing.
• 4:22
  [SPEAKER_01]: These are cortisol issues and high cortisol and cortisol that's dysregulated also causes belly fat and then
• 4:32
  [SPEAKER_01]: Number three, many of us experience sleep problems at this time from the change in hormones.
• 4:39
  [SPEAKER_01]: And sleep disruption of even one day makes it hard for us to tell if we're hungry or full.
• 4:47
  [SPEAKER_01]: Those are hormones systems we have in our bodies with growl and in leptin, telling us if we're hungry or we're full.
• 4:54
  [SPEAKER_01]: And when we don't sleep well, those do not work well.
• 4:58
  [SPEAKER_01]: So if you're, if you, I hear from a lot of women, I sucked great until Perry menopause.
• 5:03
  [SPEAKER_01]: And now I sleep terrible all the time.
• 5:05
  [SPEAKER_01]: Then in the middle of the afternoon, you're thinking, am I hungry?
• 5:09
  [SPEAKER_01]: I need something.
• 5:10
  [SPEAKER_01]: What is that?
• 5:11
  [SPEAKER_01]: And you can't tell if you're hungry or fall.
• 5:14
  [SPEAKER_01]: So between those three, that ends up with, you know, women gaining weight at midlife and mostly around the middle.
• 5:23
  [SPEAKER_01]: We also do leave it live in an eat-all-day snack culture, which also does not work well for women at the menopause transition, and beyond to live in a normal weight body.
• 5:35
  [SPEAKER_01]: So, hang out, Shell.
• 5:38
  [SPEAKER_00]: Isn't that great news?
• 5:39
  [SPEAKER_00]: Isn't that great?
• 5:40
  [SPEAKER_00]: Just looking for walking around going, what in the world happened to my tummy?
• 5:43
  [SPEAKER_00]: I don't need to understand.
• 5:45
  [SPEAKER_00]: I myself had bike children and was able to maintain a flat tummy until I hit menopause.
• 5:50
  [SPEAKER_00]: And I'm like, what in the world?
• 5:53
  [SPEAKER_00]: So let's talk a little bit about this menopause belly fat is it dangerous?
• 5:58
  [SPEAKER_01]: What do we need to know about it?
• 6:01
  [SPEAKER_01]: There, a piece of it is very normal, but the problem is that most of us don't like it because our pants don't fit right anymore.
• 6:09
  [SPEAKER_01]: That's for annoying.
• 6:11
  [SPEAKER_01]: But we also, the danger with it is that we can get when we're, we're only gain a little bit of weight.
• 6:16
  [SPEAKER_01]: It's not a big deal.
• 6:17
  [SPEAKER_01]: There's some shifting
• 6:23
  [SPEAKER_01]: But when we have, as we have put more and more weight on some of that, and I would say a lot of it in the middle then starts to hug around our organs, it can actually deposit in the liver and we only have one liver so we want fatty liver disease is a problem.
• 6:41
  [SPEAKER_01]: that internal fat that is around our organs in general is inflammatory.
• 6:48
  [SPEAKER_01]: So that puts us at increased risk of all sorts of things, heart disease cancers, the whole list of cancers.
• 6:56
  [SPEAKER_01]: And so those things when we when people have belly fat, you do worry about that.
• 7:02
  [SPEAKER_01]: And so those are the risks and that's why it's
• 7:05
  [SPEAKER_01]: That's why we don't want to just say, oh, I've got a fat belly now.
• 7:09
  [SPEAKER_01]: It's fine.
• 7:10
  [SPEAKER_01]: I'll just keep going.
• 7:12
  [SPEAKER_01]: It's great for us to accept body changes and that things are going to be a little different, but we also still want to have a healthy body.
• 7:20
  [SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, very good.
• 7:22
  [SPEAKER_00]: So, I hear this a lot.
• 7:24
  [SPEAKER_00]: Women always say, what I used to do does not work.
• 7:28
  [SPEAKER_00]: Why is that?
• 7:29
  [SPEAKER_00]: That's so frustrating.
• 7:30
  [SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, that's so true.
• 7:32
  [SPEAKER_01]: And I hear it also.
• 7:34
  [SPEAKER_01]: And that's one of the reasons why people think, oh, my gosh, my body is broken now because I did this after my babies or whatever.
• 7:41
  [SPEAKER_01]: And, and it doesn't work now.
• 7:43
  [SPEAKER_01]: So the reason why is there's something we used to do are especially bad for the menopause transition.
• 7:50
  [SPEAKER_01]: grazing, eating little small meals all day long, terrible for the menopause transition, and people will still advise you that.
• 7:58
  [SPEAKER_01]: Oh, yeah, because with this insulin resistance, insulin takes the food that we eat.
• 8:05
  [SPEAKER_01]: So we eat food and most of it gets turned into glucose in the body.
• 8:09
  [SPEAKER_01]: And then insulin comes in and pulls it into ourselves.
• 8:13
  [SPEAKER_01]: Our brain for thinking, our heart muscle
• 8:18
  [SPEAKER_01]: When you have a meal, it's more than you need to run everything in the moment, so it also tells you your body to store fat.
• 8:25
  [SPEAKER_01]: If we graze all day long, then we have insulin hanging around at a certain level all day long.
• 8:32
  [SPEAKER_01]: If we have meals and we have times where that insulin goes low and quiet.
• 8:38
  [SPEAKER_01]: So if we graze all day long, then it is possible that all day long you will never pull
• 8:47
  [SPEAKER_01]: Because you've got insulin around at a high level because you're great in thing, telling your body to store fat, and so you cannot lose weight that way.
• 8:57
  [SPEAKER_01]: So things that work well are eating meals and letting that insulin go low.
• 9:02
  [SPEAKER_01]: Obviously, when you sleep overnight, then you're fasted because you're not eating while you're sleeping.
• 9:07
  [SPEAKER_01]: So looking at am I getting 12 or 13 hours overnight where I'm not eating?
• 9:12
  [SPEAKER_01]: Again, is helpful because our bodies are meant to eat, use what's there, store some, and then have some time when you're not eating and pulling fat for energy.
• 9:26
  [SPEAKER_01]: That's a normal cycle that happens during the 24 hours.
• 9:31
  [SPEAKER_00]: Like I said, if you graze all day, eat into the evening, then 10, that 10 p.m. snack might not be the of the suck dea right.
• 9:39
  [SPEAKER_00]: Wow, it really works against us at this time during the day.
• 9:42
  [SPEAKER_00]: Can you have an apple at 3 p.m. is that reasonable or is that what I would say?
• 9:50
  [SPEAKER_01]: is if you can make it, lunch to dinner, then that works well if you're trying to lose weight.
• 9:56
  [SPEAKER_00]: Okay.
• 9:56
  [SPEAKER_01]: And you may need to add more protein or more fat, healthy fat, to your lunch to get there.
• 10:01
  [SPEAKER_01]: A lot of the clients I work with though, they have a new-nish lunch and dinner isn't until six, and that's too long.
• 10:07
  [SPEAKER_01]: So if you need something in between,
• 10:10
  [SPEAKER_01]: you want to think about nourishing yourself.
• 10:12
  [SPEAKER_01]: So when Apple is a great idea, we also want to add a little bit of protein with that.
• 10:16
  [SPEAKER_01]: So it has, it's great because it has fiber with it, so it's a wonderful thing to eat, maybe a little nut butter with that, or if you like a square of cheese, you don't have to be a lot, but just having both of those together will also keep your blood sugar from spiking.
• 10:33
  [SPEAKER_01]: higher.
• 10:34
  [SPEAKER_01]: Not that an app is going to spike it really high, but if you add the protein and a little fat there, the curve is going to be a little lower, which means less insulin getting activated.
• 10:45
  [SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, yeah, they're because I don't believe I've ever heard that explained so simply and easy to understand.
• 10:55
  [SPEAKER_00]: People are always throwing that term around and I'm like, I don't even
• 10:59
  [SPEAKER_00]: That means, so thank you, Nugawa.
• 11:01
  [SPEAKER_00]: Sure.
• 11:03
  [SPEAKER_00]: Hey mama, if your house feels too quiet and your heart feels too heavy after launching your child, I've created a guide just for you.
• 11:11
  [SPEAKER_00]: It's called journaling through a transitional grief.
• 11:15
  [SPEAKER_00]: A gentle, faith-filled resource to help you process the deep of motions of letting go.
• 11:21
  [SPEAKER_00]: Inside, you'll find six reflection questions that will help you name your feelings, invite God into the grief and experience his comfort in the middle of change.
• 11:31
  [SPEAKER_00]: Remember, transitional grief is only a season and God is leading you toward peace, purpose, and joy.
• 11:39
  [SPEAKER_00]: You can grab your free copy at the link in the show notes.
• 11:45
  [SPEAKER_00]: Well, cortisol, because women this age are stressed, right?
• 11:51
  [SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, everything, yeah, everyone's stressed.
• 11:55
  [SPEAKER_00]: Even though we're to the age where we're launching our kids to the world and everything looks different in our life.
• 12:01
  [SPEAKER_00]: And so it can be very stressful.
• 12:03
  [SPEAKER_00]: What can a woman do to control the cortisol?
• 12:06
  [SPEAKER_01]: Things that I recommend are planning some time to get outside.
• 12:11
  [SPEAKER_01]: That vitamin N for nature really does help.
• 12:14
  [SPEAKER_01]: If you're thinking, like, got a break, can walk your dog up and down the block?
• 12:19
  [SPEAKER_01]: Can you, if you're, I see people even at work now, I recommend, and like, can you go outside?
• 12:23
  [SPEAKER_01]: And they're like, that seems weird that I would go outside.
• 12:26
  [SPEAKER_01]: But I have doctors who, they have a little break, they go outside and stand on the grounds, or stand under a tree and put their hand on a tree.
• 12:34
  [SPEAKER_01]: We have blood tests that show that when you get out in nature,
• 12:38
  [SPEAKER_01]: your cortisol drops.
• 12:39
  [SPEAKER_01]: So trying to put that into your day at some point.
• 12:42
  [SPEAKER_00]: If you're going to have a break.
• 12:44
  [SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, doing it outside is great.
• 12:46
  [SPEAKER_01]: There are a lot of breathing exercises that are really available.
• 12:49
  [SPEAKER_01]: You can find them on relaxation breath.
• 12:52
  [SPEAKER_01]: These things actually, when you do one of these cycles, they actually take less than a minute.
• 12:58
  [SPEAKER_01]: So you could do that also.
• 13:00
  [SPEAKER_01]: I had a client who was on her weight loss journey and she said, oh, I'm not gonna be able to lose weight next week because I have to fire two people and hire four people from my sales team.
• 13:10
  [SPEAKER_01]: So we worked with planning the food part, but also I taught her a breathing exercise and she did it before she met with ancient things people and after and she said, you know what it was pretty smooth that way, you know.
• 13:26
  [SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, just knowing that if you look these up on you too, they're short.
• 13:31
  [SPEAKER_01]: You don't have a lot of time pick one that seems good and just do that one a couple times a day or like I said if you're having a stressful week like that one client was and she was able to just I can't believe I'm losing weight while I'm hiring and firing people.
• 13:47
  [SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, yeah, so add-knows.
• 13:51
  [SPEAKER_00]: So what about exercise?
• 13:52
  [SPEAKER_00]: How does exercise help us lose weight?
• 13:55
  [SPEAKER_00]: Or does it matter what kind of exercise we do?
• 13:59
  [SPEAKER_01]: So the recommended thing for women at the menopause transition and beyond for weight loss is strength training.
• 14:06
  [SPEAKER_01]: And the reason for that is that your metabolism at this age is not broken, the burner inside of you works,
• 14:17
  [SPEAKER_01]: At age 30, all humans start to lose a little muscle every year.
• 14:21
  [SPEAKER_01]: But at the menopause transition, those of us who are going through it, you start to lose a lot of muscle.
• 14:27
  [SPEAKER_01]: And your body maintaining what's going on in it is your metabolism.
• 14:33
  [SPEAKER_01]: So your brain and your heart, obviously, are going to keep going at the same.
• 14:37
  [SPEAKER_01]: But if you're losing muscle, then that lowers your metabolism.
• 14:40
  [SPEAKER_01]: And the other thing about strength training that's cool is when you do it,
• 14:45
  [SPEAKER_01]: If you go for a run, you burn calories.
• 14:48
  [SPEAKER_01]: It's not as much as you think it's going to be.
• 14:50
  [SPEAKER_01]: And then when you're done, it's up.
• 14:52
  [SPEAKER_01]: It's over.
• 14:53
  [SPEAKER_01]: But when you do strength training, you're working and using fuel at the time.
• 14:59
  [SPEAKER_01]: And then Esher body is remodeling and saying, OK, we had some breakdown.
• 15:03
  [SPEAKER_01]: We're building this muscle a little bit stronger.
• 15:05
  [SPEAKER_01]: The next 24 hours, it's working.
• 15:09
  [SPEAKER_01]: So you spend 20 minutes strength training.
• 15:15
  [SPEAKER_01]: going on and continuing to do active things in your body.
• 15:20
  [SPEAKER_01]: So that's why this is a recommended thing.
• 15:23
  [SPEAKER_01]: And this of course the wonderful we always want to hit weight less goals and health goals.
• 15:28
  [SPEAKER_01]: It keeps us from getting frail.
• 15:30
  [SPEAKER_01]: We look at our older relatives and we know the ones that move well.
• 15:33
  [SPEAKER_01]: We know the ones that look little too small and can't pick anything up.
• 15:37
  [SPEAKER_01]: I noticed that my cast iron pan all of a sudden got really heavy as if it had gotten heavier and not my wrist
• 15:46
  [SPEAKER_01]: So we want to be able to do all the things as we move forward here.
• 15:50
  [SPEAKER_01]: So that's the, you hit both goals that way.
• 15:54
  [SPEAKER_01]: There is recent already over health, but we won't talk about it for weight loss.
• 15:57
  [SPEAKER_00]: Because it's just not great for weight loss.
• 15:59
  [SPEAKER_00]: It doesn't work anymore.
• 16:01
  [SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, it's just that that helpful at all.
• 16:03
  [SPEAKER_01]: And it makes you hungry here sometimes.
• 16:04
  [SPEAKER_00]: And okay, let's switch into that then.
• 16:07
  [SPEAKER_00]: How do we actually lose weight at midlife?
• 16:10
  [SPEAKER_00]: What does that look like?
• 16:11
  [SPEAKER_01]: Sure.
• 16:12
  [SPEAKER_01]: So what I like to tell people is it's important to get a little bit more consistent in what you're having and you don't need any this doesn't have to be perfect don't worry because sometimes you're going to do it wrong and it's fine so what you want to do is look at every meal and put on that plate some protein some vegetables and some healthy fats.
• 16:37
  [SPEAKER_01]: And the reason I bring this up is because I'm talking to women who are like, what about my green salad at lunch?
• 16:41
  [SPEAKER_01]: It's fine.
• 16:42
  [SPEAKER_01]: And I said, you have to have protein there.
• 16:44
  [SPEAKER_01]: Breakfast.
• 16:45
  [SPEAKER_01]: I eat eggs.
• 16:46
  [SPEAKER_01]: Okay, can you pull some vegetables out of the fridge as well?
• 16:49
  [SPEAKER_01]: And just eat a little bit of it.
• 16:50
  [SPEAKER_01]: My husband or my partner cooks dinner with a cooks on saucy meat thing in the evening.
• 16:57
  [SPEAKER_01]: Okay, again, need to pull some vegetables out.
• 17:00
  [SPEAKER_01]: It's a formula and every meal should have it.
• 17:03
  [SPEAKER_01]: I go up to a buffet now at a work conference and I'm like, okay, where's my protein or my vegetables?
• 17:11
  [SPEAKER_01]: Um, and if I make it something at home, I make sure I have some healthy fat with it.
• 17:14
  [SPEAKER_01]: It's, if you drizzle olive oil on things, olive oil is proven to help you live longer.
• 17:20
  [SPEAKER_01]: When you eat olive oil, it doesn't raise your insulin at all.
• 17:24
  [SPEAKER_01]: So who cares about calories?
• 17:27
  [SPEAKER_01]: It's going to help you feel, say, shaded to your next meal.
• 17:31
  [SPEAKER_00]: Let's talk about what are some other healthy fats.
• 17:34
  [SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, so avocado oil is also great.
• 17:37
  [SPEAKER_01]: Avocados in general are an ideal menopause food if you like to eat those.
• 17:42
  [SPEAKER_01]: So have your guacamole as every day.
• 17:46
  [SPEAKER_00]: your avocado toast?
• 17:48
  [SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, have your avocado toast, definitely.
• 17:51
  [SPEAKER_01]: So those are great things.
• 17:52
  [SPEAKER_01]: A little bit of nuts, nuts are wonderful because they have protein, fiber, and healthy fats.
• 17:58
  [SPEAKER_01]: It's the one thing that I end up with my clients saying, okay, you're eating too many nuts.
• 18:06
  [SPEAKER_01]: I'm trying to tell you when we talk about nutrition, we talk, we want nutrient dense foods, but nuts are cast so very dense.
• 18:14
  [SPEAKER_01]: A little bit in your palm, a quarter cup, is no more than that, no more than once a day.
• 18:20
  [SPEAKER_01]: If you're having a nut butter, then you've already, then that counts as your nuts.
• 18:26
  [SPEAKER_01]: So that's one that I would just say, people tend to overeat it.
• 18:29
  [SPEAKER_01]: Because people say, that's perfectly healthy.
• 18:30
  [SPEAKER_01]: So they have it with their meals and between their meal.
• 18:32
  [SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, I was going to admit that.
• 18:35
  [SPEAKER_00]: There's lots of calories.
• 18:36
  [SPEAKER_00]: I do a piece of string cheese and ten almonds.
• 18:39
  [SPEAKER_00]: I did that for years.
• 18:41
  [SPEAKER_00]: Just nice, like, yeah, that's wonderful.
• 18:45
  [SPEAKER_01]: So it doesn't have to be restrictive at all, but you just know that's one thing that you could possibly be overeating.
• 18:53
  [SPEAKER_01]: I had one client, it a lot of healthy nuts.
• 18:56
  [SPEAKER_01]: And she said, oh my goodness, now that cupboard is just full of bags of nuts and no one is eating,
• 19:02
  [SPEAKER_01]: I couldn't realize how many I was eating every day.
• 19:05
  [SPEAKER_01]: So then she's just switched to once a day and still gets to enjoy not some, yeah, it's just about being aware, right?
• 19:10
  [SPEAKER_01]: We have to start paying attention.
• 19:12
  [SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, I don't know, are doing.
• 19:14
  [SPEAKER_01]: Yeah.
• 19:15
  [SPEAKER_01]: And we are paying attention, right?
• 19:17
  [SPEAKER_01]: We go through this big phase change.
• 19:20
  [SPEAKER_01]: You talk about how our families are changing and our relationships are changing.
• 19:26
  [SPEAKER_01]: So it's a good time to also look at
• 19:31
  [SPEAKER_00]: I want to, more than anything I want to be here in the healthy body, and I want to be strong.
• 19:38
  [SPEAKER_00]: I want that.
• 19:40
  [SPEAKER_01]: Yeah.
• 19:40
  [SPEAKER_00]: There you are.
• 19:41
  [SPEAKER_00]: So let's talk about this hot topic, all the drugs that people are using.
• 19:47
  [SPEAKER_00]: Like, go Zembeck, what do you think?
• 19:50
  [SPEAKER_00]: How do they impact menopausal women?
• 19:52
  [SPEAKER_01]: Sure.
• 19:54
  [SPEAKER_01]: I'm of two minds about these.
• 19:55
  [SPEAKER_01]: Okay, some people medically, they're a wonder drug, right?
• 20:00
  [SPEAKER_01]: You have people with diabetes, that's where we found out that these help with weight loss.
• 20:04
  [SPEAKER_01]: People with cardiac issues, if your doctor recommends it for that, also really good data on that.
• 20:12
  [SPEAKER_01]: So wonderful and probably they're putting it together with for your heart and your weight.
• 20:18
  [SPEAKER_01]: So wonderful.
• 20:19
  [SPEAKER_01]: If you've had lifetime obesity, I think these drugs are worth a try, because just going to three meals and no snacks is probably not going to get you there.
• 20:30
  [SPEAKER_01]: So I think it's worth having a very good conversation with a doctor that you trust on that, because I don't know for any individual person.
• 20:39
  [SPEAKER_01]: I'm just trying to give some general information.
• 20:41
  [SPEAKER_01]: For people who've just gained weight like my weight was good until menopause transition, those folks don't usually need it.
• 20:50
  [SPEAKER_01]: You can make these nutrition tweaks and then do strength training two or three times a week, and you'll be amazed that the weight will fall off.
• 21:00
  [SPEAKER_01]: It doesn't mean you can't use them for this.
• 21:03
  [SPEAKER_01]: My concern is that this becomes an expensive yo-yo diet.
• 21:07
  [SPEAKER_01]: If you put 20 to 30 pounds, your insurance is not going to cover this.
• 21:12
  [SPEAKER_01]: And then most people, I guess it's two thirds, have quit by the end of the first year.
• 21:18
  [SPEAKER_01]: Only 15% are still on by the second year.
• 21:21
  [SPEAKER_01]: Some of that is cost, some of that is side effects.
• 21:24
  [SPEAKER_01]: And looking at that and saying this doesn't work for a lot of people.
• 21:29
  [SPEAKER_01]: Maybe I want to try some meals, consistent meals, and strength training first.
• 21:36
  [SPEAKER_01]: The other thing that I worry about for women at the menopause transition and other doctors are worried about this as well is that with these drugs, you lose...
• 21:44
  [SPEAKER_01]: is it like 33% of the weight loss is muscle mass.
• 21:48
  [SPEAKER_01]: We're already at a point in time where we're losing muscle mass.
• 21:52
  [SPEAKER_01]: And then people when they quit the drugs gain back, gain the way back quickly, and they gain it back.
• 21:59
  [SPEAKER_01]: So then you've really changed your body composition.
• 22:02
  [SPEAKER_01]: Now for some, there are some people.
• 22:03
  [SPEAKER_01]: And of course, I think I get to talk to the ones that are having a bad
• 22:10
  [SPEAKER_01]: Otherwise, I wouldn't reach out to me.
• 22:12
  [SPEAKER_01]: The people have a good experience.
• 22:14
  [SPEAKER_01]: I am guessing are making sure that each plate has protein and vegetables and some healthy fats on it and maybe a piece of fruit every day and are doing some strength training.
• 22:27
  [SPEAKER_01]: And so then they go on a short term and they continue that same way of eating and exercising when they're done.
• 22:34
  [SPEAKER_01]: and that allows them to maintain it.
• 22:37
  [SPEAKER_00]: Boost.
• 22:38
  [SPEAKER_01]: So yeah.
• 22:39
  [SPEAKER_01]: Yeah.
• 22:40
  [SPEAKER_01]: And not losing as much muscle, because they're eating protein and exercising.
• 22:45
  [SPEAKER_01]: I talk to a lot of women who are like, I'm just so pleased because I'm not hungry at all.
• 22:49
  [SPEAKER_01]: I hardly eat anything in the wake, job and off.
• 22:52
  [SPEAKER_01]: And I think they're losing a lot of muscle.
• 22:55
  [SPEAKER_00]: Consequences when you quit.
• 22:56
  [SPEAKER_00]: Yikes.
• 22:59
  [SPEAKER_00]: Yeah.
• 22:59
  [SPEAKER_00]: Yeah.
• 23:00
  [SPEAKER_01]: So we can see it's.
• 23:03
  [SPEAKER_01]: Every person is an individual, I can't tell.
• 23:06
  [SPEAKER_01]: There's a lot of different things to look at there.
• 23:08
  [SPEAKER_01]: So hopefully something I said there made someone who's listening, think that one is me, I need to talk to my own doctor or provider about that.
• 23:18
  [SPEAKER_00]: I love that.
• 23:18
  [SPEAKER_00]: As we finish out today, I want to speak to the woman, who's listening today, who has been frustrated about her body for a long time, and then menopause is just kind of ampeded up.
• 23:31
  [SPEAKER_00]: What kind of hope would you give her?
• 23:33
  [SPEAKER_00]: Or what would you encourage her with?
• 23:35
  [SPEAKER_00]: Yeah.
• 23:37
  [SPEAKER_01]: Your body is really flexible.
• 23:39
  [SPEAKER_01]: So if you want to try some of these things, I would say the food is 80% of it.
• 23:46
  [SPEAKER_01]: It's silly for me to put a number on it, but just to let your audience know, the food is a lot of it.
• 23:50
  [SPEAKER_01]: The nutrition is a lot of it.
• 23:53
  [SPEAKER_01]: But if you can work on having those nutritious meals and getting away from snacking,
• 23:59
  [SPEAKER_01]: I get a lot of people that will come to me and say, I lost 10 pounds just doing that on that and get you some hope.
• 24:05
  [SPEAKER_01]: The other thing is it doesn't, you don't have to do it perfectly.
• 24:08
  [SPEAKER_01]: Sometimes you're going to come home, you're exhausted, your husband made that meaty, saucy thing, and you're like, I'm just going to eat this.
• 24:17
  [SPEAKER_01]: It's fine, your body will adapt.
• 24:18
  [SPEAKER_01]: But if you most of the time eat all the things you, you need to have the protein and the vegetables,
• 24:27
  [SPEAKER_01]: I think you'll be surprised that you feel better.
• 24:30
  [SPEAKER_01]: You'll be able to do some weight.
• 24:32
  [SPEAKER_01]: And through all this, I would tell everyone to be kind to themselves and have grace for themselves.
• 24:38
  [SPEAKER_01]: A lot of us have that be mean to yourself thing, a special weight loss, or we had it in school, or whatever you don't getting down on yourself, oh, you did it wrong, or oh, you didn't pull out the vegetables when you're spouse made the saucy meaty thing.
• 24:53
  [SPEAKER_01]: It doesn't help you lose weight.
• 24:54
  [SPEAKER_01]: They have actually looked at this.
• 24:56
  [SPEAKER_01]: So instead of saying, what happened there?
• 24:58
  [SPEAKER_01]: Wow, I was really tired that day.
• 25:01
  [SPEAKER_01]: I'm so thankful that I have a spouse that put dinner on the table on Thursday night and say, okay, breakfast.
• 25:09
  [SPEAKER_01]: I'm going to have my Greek yogurt and my berries.
• 25:14
  [SPEAKER_01]: Just go on in next time and just say, okay, I'm just going to do
• 25:20
  [SPEAKER_01]: At the next meal, like I said, have a lot of self-compassion.
• 25:25
  [SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, I love that.
• 25:26
  [SPEAKER_00]: I love that.
• 25:26
  [SPEAKER_00]: I want to thank you today for joining me, Dr. Heather, and can you tell my listeners how to find your work on mine?
• 25:32
  [SPEAKER_01]: Sure.
• 25:33
  [SPEAKER_01]: I'm easy to find under my name on Instagram or LinkedIn.
• 25:38
  [SPEAKER_01]: Please feel free to reach out to me there.
• 25:40
  [SPEAKER_01]: I think we'll have some links in the show notes as well.com.
• 25:43
  [SPEAKER_01]: We'll also get you to my website.
• 25:46
  [SPEAKER_01]: But I'd love to talk to you.
• 25:47
  [SPEAKER_01]: I love talking about this stuff because I enjoy watching women feel better in their own bodies and nourish themselves.
• 25:55
  [SPEAKER_00]: That's awesome.
• 25:56
  [SPEAKER_00]: Thank you so much.
• 25:57
  [SPEAKER_00]: I will for sure leave those links in the show notes.
• 26:00
  [SPEAKER_00]: What a helpful conversation Dr. Heather reminded us that your changing body is in the sign that you failed midlife brings real hormonal and metabolic changes, but it also offers an opportunity to care for yourself and new and wise your ways.
• 26:15
  [SPEAKER_00]: Here's your coaching tip for the week, and each episode, I will give you one actual step to improve your life.
• 26:21
  [SPEAKER_00]: Remember, you can't change everything, but you can take one step to be better.
• 26:27
  [SPEAKER_00]: Listener, you don't know how I need to do today.
• 26:29
  [SPEAKER_00]: I want you to go one day without snacks and let that insulin not keep popping up in your body, and then you won't be insulin resistant.
• 26:38
  [SPEAKER_00]: So, keep it a try.
• 26:40
  [SPEAKER_00]: You can make it as long as you eat protein and ventures at your heels.
• 26:46
  [SPEAKER_00]: If you've been carrying guilt or frustration about your weight, I hope today's episode replaces some of that self-criticism with understanding.
• 26:54
  [SPEAKER_00]: Your worth has never been determined by the number on the scale.
• 26:57
  [SPEAKER_00]: You are deeply loved by God and your health, journey can be motivated by caring for the body he's giving you and not by shame.
• 27:04
  [SPEAKER_00]: If this episode encouraged you, would you take a minute to follow the podcast, leave a review, and share it with a friend who's navigating, Perry Menopause or Menopause.
• 27:13
  [SPEAKER_00]: Just hit the little share button.
• 27:14
  [SPEAKER_00]: I so appreciate it.
• 27:16
  [SPEAKER_00]: Thanks for joining me for the fall series, her next chapter.
• 27:19
  [SPEAKER_00]: Grace and peace mama, you've got this and God's got you.
• 27:23
  [SPEAKER_00]: Thank you so much for spending time with me on the Midlife Mama Podcast.
• 27:27
  [SPEAKER_00]: My hope is that you leave each episode feeling encouraged, grounded, and clearer.
• 27:32
  [SPEAKER_00]: Clearer about what you're feeling, what God may be stirring in you, and how to move forward in the season of the empty nest.
• 27:39
  [SPEAKER_00]: Through these conversations, I'm not just sharing stories, I'm coaching you, helping you name what's happening beneath the service, challenging the thoughts that keep you stuck and take intentional steps toward peace and confidence as a midlife mom.
• 27:54
  [SPEAKER_00]: If you're ready to go deeper and want personalized coaching support, I invite you to apply for coaching.
• 28:00
  [SPEAKER_00]: Coaching is a focused one-on-one space where we work together to gain clarity and
• 28:05
  [SPEAKER_00]: process emotions and discern what God is calling you to in this next chapter.
• 28:10
  [SPEAKER_00]: You'll find the application linked in the show notes and let's stay connected.
• 28:14
  [SPEAKER_00]: You can find me on Instagram at P-Hinglman that's P-H-E-M-K-E-L-M-A-N or on Facebook at Pamela Hinglman M-D-Nest Coach.
• 28:25
  [SPEAKER_00]: You don't have to figure out the season alone mama.
• 28:28
  [SPEAKER_00]: Support and direction are possible and I'm here when you're ready.