Latest / Midlife Glow Up: Simplifying Fitness, Nutrition and Healthy Habits for Women over 40 / 50. Overwhelmed by Everything You “Should” Be Doing for Your Health?

Transcript

50. Overwhelmed by Everything You “Should” Be Doing for Your Health? · Midlife Glow Up: Simplifying Fitness, Nutrition and Healthy Habits for Women over 40

• 0:00
  SPEAKER_00: Do you ever feel like the list of things that you're supposed to be doing for your health just keeps getting longer and longer?
• 0:06
  SPEAKER_00: We are supposed to lift weights and get 10,000 steps and eat more protein and make sure we're getting enough fiber and make sure that we're hydrated and getting enough sleep and managing our stress.
• 0:17
  SPEAKER_00: And now we have to take care of our hormones and do shoulder mobility and work on our balance and take the right supplements.
• 0:24
  SPEAKER_00: And then you get on social media and somebody tells you that you should be tracking your blood sugar and you should be doing intermittent fasting and you should be taking creatine and you should be walking after every meal or doing something else that seems extreme that you hadn't even ever considered.
• 0:38
  SPEAKER_00: It's a lot.
• 0:39
  SPEAKER_00: And I think for so many women in midlife, the problem isn't that we don't care about our health or that we're not willing to put in the effort.
• 0:46
  SPEAKER_00: But sometimes it's just that we have so much information coming at us that we genuinely just don't know what deserves our attention.
• 0:53
  SPEAKER_00: And when everything feels important, it's really hard to understand how to simplify and get clarity on what actually matters.
• 1:00
  SPEAKER_00: So today, in this episode, I want to help you simplify this.
• 1:05
  SPEAKER_00: And you probably are doing better than you think you are.
• 1:08
  SPEAKER_00: You probably don't need 12 new healthy habits to add in.
• 1:12
  SPEAKER_00: But what you do need to do is really recognize and celebrate what you're already doing well, and then identify where you have opportunities for growth and figure out what actually deserves your focus right now.
• 1:24
  SPEAKER_00: Welcome back to the Midlife Glow Up Podcast, where we simplify fitness, nutrition, and healthy habits for women over 40.
• 1:31
  SPEAKER_00: I'm Joan Dandano, your midlife health and wellness coach.
• 1:33
  SPEAKER_00: And if you are ready to feel strong, consistent, and confident in this season of life, then you are in the right place, my friend.
• 1:40
  SPEAKER_00: One of the biggest changes that I've seen over my 30 years in the fitness industry is how much information we have access to now.
• 1:49
  SPEAKER_00: It used to be someone would ask me a question, and if I didn't know the answer, I needed to go back to some of my textbooks from college or get into Google and try to find exactly the answer I was looking for.
• 2:01
  SPEAKER_00: But now, today, we have so much more access readily available at our fingertips.
• 2:08
  SPEAKER_00: And we know more like science-backed evidence of the importance of strength training as we get older.
• 2:16
  SPEAKER_00: And we know why protein is so important to our muscle and our bone health.
• 2:21
  SPEAKER_00: And we understand more about sleep and how sleep impacts our entire life and how stress is having a negative impact on our physical body and how important recovery is and how our hormones really impact our mood and our sleep and our physical body and everything else.
• 2:42
  SPEAKER_00: There is a downside, though, I think, to having so much access to information.
• 2:47
  SPEAKER_00: I think it makes it actually harder to know what to do with it.
• 2:51
  SPEAKER_00: So I talk to women all the time who are doing quite a bit for their health, but yet they still feel like they're behind.
• 2:57
  SPEAKER_00: So I hear all the shoulds.
• 2:59
  SPEAKER_00: I know I should be lifting heavier, I know I should be getting more protein, I know I should be not drinking wine, I know I should be walking more.
• 3:06
  SPEAKER_00: And then there's like the things that we hear about on Instagram.
• 3:09
  SPEAKER_00: Should I be taking creatine?
• 3:11
  SPEAKER_00: Should I be wearing a continuous glucose monitor?
• 3:13
  SPEAKER_00: How do I get my stress under control?
• 3:16
  SPEAKER_00: And pretty soon taking care of yourself has become this giant to-do list that feels daunting.
• 3:23
  SPEAKER_00: And when that list gets long enough, one of two things tends to happen.
• 3:26
  SPEAKER_00: We try to do all of it, which is impossible, and that becomes unsustainable, or we become so overwhelmed and we don't know where to start that we just are paralyzed or stuck.
• 3:39
  SPEAKER_00: So, what I tell my clients all the time is that just because something would be beneficial for you doesn't mean that it needs to be your priority right now.
• 3:48
  SPEAKER_00: I think part of simplifying our health is learning to distinguish between what's important, what's urgent, and what would simply be nice to have.
• 3:57
  SPEAKER_00: Because there are a lot of things that fall into that nice to have category.
• 4:00
  SPEAKER_00: Maybe a certain supplement would be beneficial, and maybe tracking another metric could give you really interesting information.
• 4:08
  SPEAKER_00: And maybe adding another type of exercise to your routine would be great.
• 4:12
  SPEAKER_00: But if you are not strength training at all, or you're barely eating enough protein, or you're consistently getting five hours of sleep instead of seven or eight, those foundational things probably deserve your attention first.
• 4:24
  SPEAKER_00: It doesn't mean that the other things don't matter.
• 4:27
  SPEAKER_00: It just means that they don't all matter equally right now.
• 4:30
  SPEAKER_00: And I think that's where we get overwhelmed.
• 4:32
  SPEAKER_00: We treat every health recommendation we hear as if it has the same level of importance and urgency, and it just doesn't.
• 4:41
  SPEAKER_00: Part of taking ownership of our health is being able to look at all those possibilities and say, yeah, that might be nice, but that's not where my attention is going to make the biggest difference right now.
• 4:51
  SPEAKER_00: And so that's how we start turning that giant list of things we could be doing into a much clearer sense of what actually matters right here and now.
• 5:00
  SPEAKER_00: Because we have jobs and families and relationships and homes and we travel and unexpected things pop up from time to time.
• 5:08
  SPEAKER_00: We are human beings living human lives.
• 5:11
  SPEAKER_00: And instead of constantly adding more to our health to-do list, I want to recommend that you just take a step back and figure out what actually deserves your attention right now.
• 5:21
  SPEAKER_00: I really like the word opportunity because there's a different feeling between looking at your health and thinking about everything that you need to fix, and then looking at your health and identifying where you have an opportunity to grow.
• 5:34
  SPEAKER_00: So we're not searching for everything that you have done wrong thus far, and we're not adding guilt and shame to the fact that you are not further along in your health journey than you are.
• 5:42
  SPEAKER_00: But what we are doing is gathering information, figuring out where you are today so you can make an intentional decision about where you want to go next.
• 5:53
  SPEAKER_00: So before we start identifying those opportunities, I want to highlight something that most of us women in mid-life are really not great at, and that is recognizing and celebrating what's already working.
• 6:04
  SPEAKER_00: I know I've talked about this before on the podcast, but there is a book called The Gap in the Gain by Dan Sullivan.
• 6:09
  SPEAKER_00: And this concept has stuck with me.
• 6:12
  SPEAKER_00: And I love to teach it over and over again because I think it really hits home.
• 6:16
  SPEAKER_00: We have a tendency to measure ourselves against where we want to be.
• 6:20
  SPEAKER_00: And when we do that, we're constantly living in the gap.
• 6:24
  SPEAKER_00: We notice the weight that we haven't lost, the workouts that we're not doing, the nutrition habit that we still have yet to master.
• 6:30
  SPEAKER_00: But the gain asks us to look backwards and recognize how far we've already come.
• 6:35
  SPEAKER_00: And I think that's so important when we're assessing our health.
• 6:40
  SPEAKER_00: Maybe you want to strength train three days a week, but a year ago you weren't strength training at all, and now you're consistently getting in two workouts.
• 6:46
  SPEAKER_00: That is an absolute gain.
• 6:49
  SPEAKER_00: And maybe your nutrition isn't exactly where you want it to be, but if you're eating protein at most meals during your day and you were not doing that six months ago, then that is a gain.
• 6:59
  SPEAKER_00: And maybe you're drinking more water and you're walking more and you're prepping some food and you're going to bed early.
• 7:05
  SPEAKER_00: Those things count.
• 7:06
  SPEAKER_00: And I don't want us to skip over them because we're so busy looking for the next thing to improve.
• 7:11
  SPEAKER_00: So the first thing I want you to do is think about what are you proud of right now?
• 7:15
  SPEAKER_00: Give yourself some credit for the things that you have already changed and the habits that you've already built.
• 7:20
  SPEAKER_00: And then there, from that place, we can look forward and identify our opportunities.
• 7:26
  SPEAKER_00: And these opportunities are going to look completely different from one woman to the next.
• 7:30
  SPEAKER_00: So that's why it's really important to get specific here with your personal life.
• 7:35
  SPEAKER_00: So maybe today you exercise consistently, but your nutrition feels chaotic.
• 7:41
  SPEAKER_00: Maybe you are getting your workouts in, but you skip breakfast and you grab something random for lunch and you hit 4 p.m.
• 7:47
  SPEAKER_00: and you're absolutely starving.
• 7:49
  SPEAKER_00: Your opportunity may be nutrition.
• 7:52
  SPEAKER_00: On the other hand, maybe your nutrition is pretty solid.
• 7:54
  SPEAKER_00: You're getting enough protein, you're planning your meals, you feel good about the way you're eating and you have energy, but you haven't progressed your strength workouts in months.
• 8:02
  SPEAKER_00: Or most of your workout is cardio.
• 8:05
  SPEAKER_00: So your opportunity might be inside of fitness.
• 8:09
  SPEAKER_00: Or maybe your fitness and nutrition aren't really the issue at all.
• 8:13
  SPEAKER_00: You know what to do, you do it, but every time life gets busy, then your habits disappear.
• 8:18
  SPEAKER_00: So you miss two workouts and then decide the whole week is lost.
• 8:22
  SPEAKER_00: You go out to dinner on Friday night and order the martini, and before you know it, you're eating a plate full of fries, and then you decide, never mind, I'll start my healthy eating plan again next week.
• 8:31
  SPEAKER_00: Your opportunity may be mindset and consistency.
• 8:35
  SPEAKER_00: And maybe you're doing really well in all of these areas, but you're doing everything all by yourself and you're realizing how much you would benefit from community and support and accountability, then that is your opportunity.
• 8:47
  SPEAKER_00: And I want to emphasize this: you don't need to work on every opportunity you identify.
• 8:52
  SPEAKER_00: That's how we end up right back where we started, feeling overwhelmed by another giant to-do list.
• 8:57
  SPEAKER_00: The goal is to recognize your gains, identify your opportunities, and then specifically choose what you're going to focus on next.
• 9:05
  SPEAKER_00: And part of choosing that focus is being realistic about the season of life that you're in.
• 9:10
  SPEAKER_00: Our capacity changes.
• 9:12
  SPEAKER_00: There are seasons when you have more time and energy to devote to your health, and then you have other seasons where you just don't.
• 9:19
  SPEAKER_00: And the plan that might theoretically produce the fastest results isn't necessarily the best plan for you if you can't consistently follow it.
• 9:29
  SPEAKER_00: So maybe three strength workouts right now just aren't realistic.
• 9:32
  SPEAKER_00: But getting in two solid ones is.
• 9:34
  SPEAKER_00: So that's your plan for right now.
• 9:37
  SPEAKER_00: Maybe cooking dinner from scratch five nights a week is just not going to happen.
• 9:41
  SPEAKER_00: But prepping a couple of proteins ahead of time and chopping some veggies, making sure that you have the rice cooker turned on before you leave for work so that you are able to get a hold of your nutrition and make your entire week easier.
• 9:53
  SPEAKER_00: Maybe that is where we focus.
• 9:55
  SPEAKER_00: That is progress.
• 9:59
  SPEAKER_00: Your next step should challenge you enough to help you grow while still fitting into the life that you're actually living.
• 10:07
  SPEAKER_00: And that is exactly why I created my upcoming free training.
• 10:11
  SPEAKER_00: And I'm so excited to share with you guys the Midlife Health Audit.
• 10:16
  SPEAKER_00: So the Midlife Health Audit is a free three-day live training specifically for women in midlife who want to feel stronger and healthier and more consistent.
• 10:26
  SPEAKER_00: But what you really want is clarity on which changes would make the biggest difference for you right now.
• 10:32
  SPEAKER_00: So we're going to take a big step back and take an honest look at where you are today.
• 10:36
  SPEAKER_00: First, we'll recognize your wins, we'll identify your opportunities, and then we'll choose your focus.
• 10:43
  SPEAKER_00: And you do not have to feel like you're struggling with your health to benefit from this.
• 10:49
  SPEAKER_00: So this training is for you no matter from where you're starting from.
• 10:53
  SPEAKER_00: If you are feeling completely overwhelmed by all the health advice out there, then this will help you understand the foundations and figure out where to start.
• 11:02
  SPEAKER_00: But if you've already been working on your health and you feel like there might be areas where you could be more consistent or make some improvements, then this will definitely help you identify where to focus next.
• 11:12
  SPEAKER_00: And if you are in a really good place with your fitness and nutrition, this is still for you too.
• 11:17
  SPEAKER_00: There is always an opportunity to learn and grow and fine-tune what you're doing and simply confirm that you are on the right track.
• 11:26
  SPEAKER_00: You don't have to wait until something feels broken or you're struggling to take an honest look at your health.
• 11:31
  SPEAKER_00: The whole point of this audit is to understand where you are today and then use that information to decide what comes next.
• 11:38
  SPEAKER_00: And that's exactly what we're gonna do over these three days together.
• 11:43
  SPEAKER_00: So day one is all about fitness.
• 11:45
  SPEAKER_00: We're gonna take a look at where you are with movement right now.
• 11:48
  SPEAKER_00: And we'll assess things like strength training and cardiovascular exercise and the movement that we get just in our everyday life.
• 11:55
  SPEAKER_00: We'll take a look at mobility and balance.
• 11:58
  SPEAKER_00: And maybe inside day one, you're gonna realize I should be giving myself a lot more credit for what I'm already doing.
• 12:03
  SPEAKER_00: Maybe you're strength training regularly, but you aren't getting much cardiovascular exercise.
• 12:07
  SPEAKER_00: And so that's an opportunity.
• 12:08
  SPEAKER_00: Or maybe you just realize that movement has fallen off your priority list and you're ready to start rebuilding that habit again.
• 12:15
  SPEAKER_00: We are establishing where you are so that we can recognize what you're already doing well and then identify where there's room for growth.
• 12:23
  SPEAKER_00: Day two is nutrition.
• 12:25
  SPEAKER_00: We're going to be doing the same thing with identifying what you're doing well right now with fueling your body.
• 12:31
  SPEAKER_00: And we'll take a look at foundational nutrition habits that are super important in this stage of life, including prioritizing protein, getting balanced meals.
• 12:38
  SPEAKER_00: So we're not cutting out a food group, making sure that we're getting color through fruits and vegetables and that we're staying hydrated.
• 12:44
  SPEAKER_00: And then we'll touch also on planning and food prep, because that is so important to set ourselves up for success.
• 12:50
  SPEAKER_00: Maybe your meals are balanced when you make them, but planning is the issue.
• 12:54
  SPEAKER_00: So when life gets busy, everything falls apart.
• 12:56
  SPEAKER_00: So it doesn't matter what you do really well when you're not busy if your life is busy.
• 13:01
  SPEAKER_00: And then finally, maybe you're spending so much time thinking about what you shouldn't eat that you're not even paying attention to whether you're adequately feeding your body with what you are eating.
• 13:10
  SPEAKER_00: So day two is all about nutrition, finding the opportunities that are most relevant to you.
• 13:16
  SPEAKER_00: And then day three is our mindset day.
• 13:18
  SPEAKER_00: So this is where we're gonna look at what happens between knowing what to do and actually doing it consistently.
• 13:24
  SPEAKER_00: You can have the best fitness plan, you can know exactly what to eat, but if you still struggle with the follow-through when life happens, then this is gonna be the most important day for you.
• 13:34
  SPEAKER_00: We're gonna take a look at things like all or nothing thinking, your expectations, especially in midlife, your ability to adapt the way you talk to yourself when things don't go according to plan, and how consistently you're actually following through on the habits that you're trying to build.
• 13:50
  SPEAKER_00: And we're also gonna look at your support and your level of accountability in your life.
• 13:55
  SPEAKER_00: Are you trying to do all of this by yourself?
• 13:58
  SPEAKER_00: Or do you have people in your corner cheering you on?
• 14:01
  SPEAKER_00: Do you have some form of accountability, some people who understand what you're working towards and who can support you through it?
• 14:09
  SPEAKER_00: Because sometimes your biggest opportunity isn't another workout or another diet plan, but your opportunity could be learning how to follow through consistently and having the mindset and the flexibility and the support that make that possible.
• 14:26
  SPEAKER_00: And that's what I really hope day three helps you see.
• 14:31
  SPEAKER_00: And once we've gone through the three days, you'll be able to step back and look at your health from a much bigger perspective.
• 14:37
  SPEAKER_00: And instead of drawing the conclusion that now I have 17 new things to work on, we're actually going to bring it back to those same three steps: recognizing and celebrating what you're already doing right, identifying your room for improvement, your opportunities, and then choosing your focus so that you leave with a really clear picture of what is already going well, where you have room to grow, and which opportunity makes the most sense to focus on right now.
• 15:04
  SPEAKER_00: I want to tell you a little bit about how this training works because this is not three pre-recorded videos that I'm gonna send you that you have to watch by yourself.
• 15:11
  SPEAKER_00: We're actually meeting live on Zoom September 22nd, 23rd, and 24th from 5 to 5:30 p.m.
• 15:18
  SPEAKER_00: Pacific time.
• 15:20
  SPEAKER_00: So that if you live on the East Coast, that's eight o'clock in the evening, should work both well for both coasts.
• 15:25
  SPEAKER_00: And each session is only about 30 minutes.
• 15:27
  SPEAKER_00: And I'm intentionally keeping this focused and concise.
• 15:30
  SPEAKER_00: And I chose Zoom because I really want us to actually be able to connect.
• 15:35
  SPEAKER_00: So you'll participate, ask questions, um, share what you're learning and connect with other women who are on a similar journey.
• 15:43
  SPEAKER_00: There is a lot of value in hearing someone else share something and realizing, oh my gosh, I do that too, or I'm not alone.
• 15:50
  SPEAKER_00: Or hearing someone else's perspective and recognizing something about yourself that you hadn't even noticed before.
• 15:56
  SPEAKER_00: So that's why I really want this to be a live experience.
• 15:59
  SPEAKER_00: But of course, if you can't attend the live sessions, then you will have access to the replay so you can still participate.
• 16:05
  SPEAKER_00: And the best part is that there will be an opportunity for you to get direct coaching from me inside of this three-day free training.
• 16:14
  SPEAKER_00: So each day you'll have a little homework based on the audit that we're doing for that day.
• 16:20
  SPEAKER_00: And you will complete your fitness audit, your nutrition audit, and your mindset audit, and then send those directly to me for feedback.
• 16:28
  SPEAKER_00: Because sometimes it's hard for us to see our own patterns clearly.
• 16:32
  SPEAKER_00: And sometimes I can recognize red flags or um, you know, specific language that I can help you with, or you might be overlooking, again, how much progress you've already made because you're so focused on where you think you should be.
• 16:45
  SPEAKER_00: Sometimes just another set of eyes can help you see both what you're doing well and what opportunities you have more clearly.
• 16:53
  SPEAKER_00: So you'll get the education, you'll do a self-assessment, we'll connect on Zoom, and you'll have the opportunity to share what you discover directly with me and get my feedback.
• 17:03
  SPEAKER_00: And by the end of these three days, the goal is pretty simple.
• 17:07
  SPEAKER_00: I want you to feel less overwhelmed and more clear.
• 17:12
  SPEAKER_00: I want you to recognize how much you've already done well so far in your life instead of constantly measuring yourself by what you haven't done yet.
• 17:22
  SPEAKER_00: I want you to be able to identify your opportunities without turning them into evidence that you're failing or falling short again.
• 17:30
  SPEAKER_00: And most importantly, I want you to know where to focus next because you do not need to do everything.
• 17:35
  SPEAKER_00: You do not need to overhaul your whole life.
• 17:38
  SPEAKER_00: And you do not need to chase every piece of health advice that shows up in your Instagram feed.
• 17:42
  SPEAKER_00: I really hope to see you live September 22nd, 23rd, and 24th, 5 to 5:30 in the evening on Zoom.
• 17:49
  SPEAKER_00: Again, replays will be available if you can't make the live session.
• 17:52
  SPEAKER_00: And this is a completely free training for you.
• 17:56
  SPEAKER_00: I'll put the registration link in the show notes.
• 17:58
  SPEAKER_00: I hope to see you there.
• 18:00
  SPEAKER_00: And before we even get together for the audit, I want you to pay attention this week.
• 18:04
  SPEAKER_00: Instead of searching for the next thing to add to your health routine, instead of being persuaded by the next ad you see on Instagram, I want you to take a little inventory of what's already working.
• 18:17
  SPEAKER_00: And then start noticing where might there be an opportunity for growth.
• 18:21
  SPEAKER_00: Because sometimes simplifying your health isn't about doing more and more.
• 18:26
  SPEAKER_00: It's about knowing what deserves your attention now.
• 18:30
  SPEAKER_00: I can't wait to see you inside the free training.
• 18:33
  SPEAKER_00: Thanks for listening, my friend.
• 18:34
  SPEAKER_00: Remember progress over perfection and consistency over intensity.
• 18:38
  SPEAKER_00: Until next time, keep growing, keep glowing, and bye for now.