Beyond The Scale - How To Un-Diet Your Life After 40
For the first 10+ years of my practice, I believed with all my heart in the "food as medicine" mantra. Anyone who worked with me will recognize it from the handout I gave them as they left my office. Food is important, right? So why shouldn't we try everything when it comes to food, nutrition, and diet.
And sometimes it worked. For some, a food-solution did exist for their problem, and making changes offered a long-term sustainable solution that didn't feel restrictive or too much work and easily fit into their lives. But most of the time, the conversations I had about food mainly revolved around weight. Because if you're like the women I work with, you probably believe that:
Your weight is supposed to be a certain number (or within a range) in order to be "healthy".
Weight is something you should be in control of at all times, and by any means necessary. (And you must not care about your health if you aren't)
Your weight is the main determinant of health, so giving up on dieting means giving up on health.
You've probably spent a lot of time trying to use food (and/or exercise) to control it. Maybe it works (for a while), maybe it doesn't, but you always feel like you're doing something wrong when it comes to food, and you're always thinking about how to finally find "something that works".
And while these conversations were happening with women of all ages, I started to notice that the conversations I was having with women over 40 were different...women would say things like:
"Since turning 40, I feel like my metabolism is broken. Why doesn't anything work anymore?
"Why do I have a belly now? That was never where I gained weight in my 20s and 30s"
"It doesn't matter how much exercise I do, nothing is shifting".
But also...
"I'm so tired of fighting with my body. I need to finally figure this out"
"I'm tired of counting all the things...I can't even bring myself to open my app in the morning"
"I wish I could just eat and not worry about gaining weight all the time"
"I just want to be healthy."
Like me, they believed that food was medicine. So whether they were trying to lose weight, control their blood sugar, or prevent heart disease, they made food the focus of their efforts. And they felt like they'd failed when it didn't do what they'd hoped or expected. But here's the thing...Food isn't medicine. Food is food. And what we eat isn't the only thing that influences our health. And midlife changes everything because the hormonal soup we're swimming in changes dramatically. The shift in estrogen/progesterone balance influences:
Metabolism
Body composition
Appetite (including how we feel hunger and fullness)
Digestion (I wrote about bloating the other day)
Insulin sensitivity (which can influence heart disease and diabetes risks)
And more...
And let's not forget about the other symptoms of midlife like insomnia, meno-rage, and a broken thermostat.
The conversations we have about food need to change
So if you're spending all of your time and effort thinking about the "diet and exercise" equation, making weight a proxy for health, and not taking into account what happens below the surface in midlife, I want to help you move Beyond The Scale.
This 7-week group program is the unicorn you've been looking for. ;) It combines my unique weight-neutral approach to perimenopause and menopause with the proven intuitive eating framework that I use in my 1-1 practice. Here's how it works:
6 weekly modules that including a video and workbook to help you make real progress in your relationship with food and get out of the diet trap once and for all.
Each module is designed to feel like we're having a conversation, just you and me. The videos aren't presentations, but short recorded conversations from me to you. And your weekly workbook will help you follow along with me while we work to un-diet your life.
Weekly group calls to take what you’ve learned to the next level, answer your questions and share your un-dieting victories
Private group chat that's not on a social media platform. It's safe and secure, and a cozy place to share your journey with me and the others in the group.
My brain on retainer - I’ll pop into the group chat M-F to answer any questions that come up as you make your way through the work.
And the bonuses (over $350)! Full access to my 'Thinking Woman's Guide to Menopause' self-study course, instant access to a replay of my webinar (What to Expect When You're Not Expecting Perimenopause) AND a 1-hour clarity call to use anytime before, during, or after the program if you register before Sept 4th
This program is the best of everything I have to offer, and I can't wait to help you find freedom from dieting and the confidence that you deserve in midlife. And here’s a preview of the workbook. At the end of 6 weeks, you'll have a complete workbook to celebrate just how far you've come
Who is this program for?
Women in perimenopause and menopause who are feeling frustrated by the midlife body changes that are happening and can't understand why nothing is working anymore.
Women who have spent their lives either on or off a diet and want to try something new, but don't know how to have a relationship with food that isn't based on trying to change their size or shape.
Women who want to work on their health, but keep getting stuck in the diet culture narrative about food, nutrition, and weight.
Women who are ready to try different, not just harder.
As Brene Brown says, "Midlife is when the universe gently places her hands upon your shoulders, pulls you close, and whispers in your ear: I'm not screwing around." Why waste time starting yet another diet, tracking food, counting calories, and worrying that you're doing something wrong when you could be thriving in midlife?