If you feel like a smart, capable woman who can handle everything in your life except food, this episode is for you. We’re talking about what it actually looks like to trust yourself around food again in perimenopause – without another strict diet, macro plan, or “never eat sugar again” rule. In this conversation, I walk you through the hidden reasons you keep ending up in the Sunday night “last supper,” the Monday morning “I’ll be good,” and the 9 pm pantry raid… even though you swore you wouldn’t do it again. You’ll hear why this has nothing to do with you being weak or broken, and everything to do with biology, hormones, stress, and the skills you were never taught. We’ll look at the specific skills that women who seem “normal” around food actually have – things like not making overeating a moral failure, knowing when they’re truly hungry Read More . . .
Total Health in Midlife Episode #253: Done With Diets but Still Overeating? How to Break the Cycle
You’ve done the diets. You know the rules. You can list calories and carb counts in your sleep. But somehow, you still find yourself standing in front of the pantry at 10:30 pm, finishing the bag of pretzels and asking, “What is wrong with me? I know better than this.” In this episode of Total Health in Midlife, we’re talking about what’s really going on when you’re done with dieting… but still overeating. We’ll look at why all the plans, macros, and rules haven’t fixed this pattern, and why your late-night snacks, weekend overeats, and “village-sized” takeout orders aren’t actually proof that you’re broken—they’re clues. You’ll learn how to recognize the moment you’re truly ready to stop overeating (it’s not just “I hate my body, I need to lose weight”), and we’ll unpack the three quiet thoughts that keep smart, high-achieving women stuck: “I should be able to do this Read More . . .
Total Health in Midlife Episode #252: Nighttime Cravings in Midlife: It’s Not a Willpower Problem
You’re doing “all the right things” with food… and yet the scale won’t budge, your cravings are loud, and you’re so tired at night that the pantry starts calling your name. In this episode of Total Health in Midlife, Elizabeth breaks down why overeating, night snacking, and constant grazing are almost never about willpower—and how they’re tied to real, physical changes in your midlife body. We’ll dig into how low protein, blood sugar swings, poor sleep, and a more sensitive nervous system in perimenopause and menopause quietly drive overeating long before you ever see the chocolate. You’ll hear how emotions like stress, loneliness, and “I just need a break” sneak into your eating habits, even if you don’t see yourself as an “emotional eater.” Instead of another list of rules to “just be good,” you’ll learn a simple way to understand why you’re really eating when you’re not hungry—and why Read More . . .
Total Health in Midlife Episode #251: Cravings, Stress, Belly Fat: Why Willpower Isn’t Your Problem
You start every January with a new plan: stricter rules, cleaner eating, earlier workouts. By March, the plan has quietly vanished, and you’re left blaming yourself… again. In this episode, we pull back the curtain on why your 2025 diet really failed—and why it has a lot less to do with willpower and a lot more to do with being a midlife woman with an actual life, actual hormones, and actual responsibilities. We unpack the hidden reasons your “perfect” plan fell apart: night snacking on the couch, saying yes to food you don’t want so you don’t offend anyone, mistaking exhaustion for hunger, and using “I deserve this” food as your only form of self-care. Instead of shaming you for not sticking to the plan, we treat those moments as data that show you what’s really going on with your body, brain, and environment. You’ll learn why traditional diets aren’t Read More . . .
Goal Setting Series Episode #4: Maintaining Motivation
If you’ve ever felt like your motivation evaporates the moment life gets stressful, this episode will feel like someone finally turned the lights on. In this final part of the Goal Setting Series, we dig into why midlife women struggle to stay consistent with their health habits — and why it has nothing to do with discipline, willpower, or “trying harder.” Instead, I’ll show you why your system is failing you, not the other way around. You’ll learn how midlife emotional load, hormonal shifts, caregiving, work pressure, and daily unpredictability make traditional goal-setting strategies completely unrealistic — and what to do instead. This episode also breaks down the three forces that actually create consistency: identity, commitment, and focus. You’ll hear real stories of women who transformed their habits using micro-wins and simple systems that fit into real life — not fantasy life. If you’re tired of restarting, tired of feeling Read More . . .
Goal Setting Series Episode #3: Overcoming Obstacles
Most midlife women think they fail at their goals because they lose motivation, get too stressed, or can’t stay consistent. But what if the real reason has nothing to do with discipline at all? In this episode of Total Health in Midlife, we uncover the hidden forces that derail your habits long before you ever “fall off track.” This conversation is about the obstacles you don’t see coming—the emotional labor, invisible responsibilities, and overloaded schedule that make traditional goal-setting impossible. You’ll learn why your habits collapse the moment life gets chaotic, why this pattern is predictable, and how to finally build goals that can survive the real rhythm of your days. If you’ve ever wondered, “Why can’t I stay consistent?” or “Why do my goals fall apart the minute I’m busy?”, this episode will show you what’s actually happening beneath the surface. And more importantly, it will show you how Read More . . .
Goal Setting Series Episode #2: Myths of Achieving Goals
If you’ve ever set a goal with the best intentions, only to watch it fall apart a few weeks later, this episode will feel like someone finally turned the lights on. Today, we’re digging into the hidden myths that quietly sabotage midlife women — myths that make you think you’re the problem when, in reality, your model was flawed from the start. In Part 2 of the Goal Setting Series, Elizabeth breaks down why health and habit goals collapse even when you’re committed, smart, disciplined, and doing “all the right things.” These myths show up as believable reasons, familiar patterns, and well-worn stories about motivation, consistency, timing, and willpower — and they are the reason women in midlife struggle to make health changes stick. The episode doesn’t shame you for these patterns — it explains them. More importantly, it shows you why the strategies you’ve been told to use were Read More . . .
Goal Setting Series Episode #1: Setting Realistic Goals
Most midlife women don’t struggle with goals because they’re undisciplined. They struggle because they’ve been taught to set goals as if they’re living in their past life—the one with more energy, fewer responsibilities, and a calmer hormonal landscape. In this episode of Total Health in Midlife, we’re kicking off a powerful four-day Goal Setting Series designed to help you set goals that finally stick. Today’s episode explores why the traditional goal-setting methods you’ve relied on for years never accounted for your invisible workload, emotional labor, shifting hormones, or the reality of being “the responsible one” in everyone’s life. We pull apart the myth of the “realistic” goal and uncover the structural mismatch that causes your habits to fall apart the moment life gets loud. If you’ve ever thought, “I should be able to do this,” only to watch your goals crumble during busy seasons, this episode will give you relief, Read More . . .
Total Health in Midlife Episode #250: Future-Self Living
Most women in midlife know what it feels like to hit a wall with their health – the fatigue that won’t go away, the weight that won’t budge, the anxiety that shows up out of nowhere. And when you’re stuck in that place, it’s easy to believe there is no way forward.In this milestone 250th episode of Total Health in Midlife, Elizabeth shares the single practice that helped her reconnect with her body, soften the harsh self-judgment that midlife often brings, and finally feel hopeful about her health again: living from her future self. Through story, reflection, and deeply relatable examples, Elizabeth explains how imagining the version of you who has already figured out her health (the calm, confident, well-rested version) can change the decisions you make today. You’ll hear how a topless French woman in Tahiti unexpectedly became her North Star, and how a monthly photo ritual helped her Read More . . .
Total Health in Midlife Episode #249: Big Rocks
Most women in midlife don’t struggle because they’re “not disciplined enough.” They struggle because the wellness world has trained them to focus on details that don’t actually change their health. So they spend time, energy, and money on supplements, special drinks, detox protocols, tracking tools, and wellness trends—while overlooking the simple habits that create real, lasting results. In this episode, I’m talking about the difference between the health “big rocks” that move the dial and the marbles and sand that make you feel like you’re working hard while barely getting anywhere. I share the Costco hot dog story, the ice conversation, and my own tendency to chase fixes before building a strong foundation. If you’re overwhelmed by all the conflicting advice online—or if you’re trying hard and still not feeling better—this episode will help you understand exactly why things haven’t been clicking. And more importantly, what to do next. The Read More . . .
Holiday Health Series Episode #4: The Martyr Myth
In this episode of Total Health in Midlife, Elizabeth Sherman pulls back the curtain on one of the biggest reasons women end the holiday season feeling exhausted, resentful, and disconnected from themselves: the Martyr Myth. If you’ve ever found yourself doing everything for everyone else—wrapping the gifts, cooking the meals, organizing the schedule—while telling yourself, “It’s just easier if I do it,” this episode will hit home. Elizabeth explains why high-achieving women so often fall into this role, how over-functioning quietly destroys your health, and why taking your hands off the wheel (even a little) might be the most healing thing you do this year. With a mix of humor, tough love, and compassionate truth-telling, she’ll show you how to stop running on fumes and start reclaiming your energy, boundaries, and self-respect. Because you can’t keep calling exhaustion “love” and burnout “tradition.” This is part one of Elizabeth’s 4-part Holiday Read More . . .
Holiday Health Series Episode #3: Your Holiday Bare Minimums
The holiday season has a way of turning capable, health-conscious women into overextended versions of themselves. Between travel, parties, family expectations, and endless to-do lists, it feels like you either have to be perfect or give up completely. In this episode of Total Health in Midlife, Elizabeth Sherman shows you a third option—the Bare Minimum Holiday Plan. She explains how defining your personal “minimums” for movement, food, rest, and emotional care can help you stay consistent without adding pressure or guilt. If you’ve ever started December with great intentions and ended up saying, “Forget it, I’ll start again in January,” this conversation will change how you approach the season. You’ll learn to find a rhythm that keeps you grounded and proud—no perfection required. This is Episode 3 in the 4-part Holiday Health Series, designed to help midlife women feel strong, calm, and in control from Thanksgiving through the New Year. Read More . . .
Holiday Health Series Episode #2: The Invisible Holiday Load
Between shopping lists, social calendars, and endless wrapping paper, it can feel like the entire weight of the holidays rests on your shoulders. You’re not imagining it — that invisible load is real, and it’s costing you more than just sleep. In this episode of Total Health in Midlife, Elizabeth unpacks why so many women feel responsible for making the holidays “magical” for everyone else — and why that pressure leaves them exhausted, resentful, and off track with their health by January. You’ll learn how cultural conditioning, people-pleasing, and “scope creep” quietly chip away at your energy and self-care, plus the one mindset shift that can help you reclaim calm and joy this season. This episode will show you that boundaries aren’t selfish; they’re the key to your sanity and your health. If you’ve ever sworn you’d “do less next year” but somehow ended up doing even more, this conversation Read More . . .
Holiday Health Series Episode #1: Holiday Food & Body Triggers
Feeling like the holidays undo every bit of progress you’ve made with your health? You’re not alone. Between sugar-filled gatherings, endless to-do lists, and the pressure to “make it magical,” midlife women often end up exhausted, bloated, and quietly promising themselves they’ll start over in January. In this episode of Total Health in Midlife, Elizabeth Sherman breaks down what’s really happening beneath the overeating, overdrinking, and overcommitting that show up every December. Spoiler: it’s not about willpower. It’s about stress, hormones, and the invisible load that midlife women carry when everyone expects them to hold it all together. Elizabeth shares her own holiday wake-up call—standing in her closet before a party, frustrated that nothing fit—and the simple mindset shift that changed everything. You’ll learn how to approach the holidays without restriction, guilt, or perfectionism, and how small, intentional choices can help you feel grounded and proud when January 2nd arrives. Read More . . .
Total Health in Midlife Episode #248: Upleveling Your Health
You’ve upgraded everything—your skincare, your wine, your wardrobe.You’re not DIYing your hair in the bathroom anymore. You’ve outgrown fast fashion, bad coffee, and relationships that take more than they give. And yet… when it comes to your health? You’re still stuck in the bargain bin. Still trying to “just do it” with free downloads, 30-day resets, or the same rules you learned from your mom’s Weight Watchers meetings. In this episode of Total Health in Midlife, I’m pulling back the curtain on the disconnect so many high-achieving women are living with—and the lightbulb moment that changed everything for me and for my client Kathy. We’ll talk about why “knowing what to do” isn’t the problem—and why smart, successful women still struggle with their health despite doing everything “right.” If you’ve ever said, “I know what to do, I’m just not doing it,” this episode is going to reframe everything. It’s Read More . . .
Total Health in Midlife Episode #247: What My Hair Taught Me About Midlife Health
What do curly hair and your midlife health journey have in common? More than you’d think. In Episode 247 of Total Health in Midlife, Elizabeth Sherman shares a personal story about ditching the flat iron—and discovering that the path to healthier hair was eerily similar to the path so many midlife women take toward better health. The endless trial-and-error, the frustration, the belief that there must be one perfect product (or plan) out there if you could just find it. This episode is for every woman who’s ever said “Just tell me what to do” and still ended up feeling stuck, exhausted, or like her body just doesn’t respond the way it used to. Elizabeth dives into the mindset traps, the false promises of quick fixes, and the deeply empowering truth about what actually works. The Biggest Problem Midlife Women Face Regarding Midlife Health Habits The biggest problem women in Read More . . .
Total Health in Midlife Episode #246: Is it OK to Want to Lose Weight?
We’ve been told all our lives that thinner is better. But now, in midlife, we’re also told that wanting to lose weight makes us shallow or brainwashed by diet culture. That its vain & that our appearance or weight is the least interesting thing about us. So… is it okay to want to lose weight? In this episode of Total Health in Midlife, I’m asking the question that so many women are silently wrestling with, but don’t feel like they’re allowed to say out loud. I’ll walk you through the real reasons behind that desire, what we’re hoping weight loss will “fix,” and why the fantasy often doesn’t match the reality. If you’ve ever said things like “I just want to feel better in my clothes” or “I want to feel more like myself,” but underneath it, you meant I want to lose weight, this episode is for you. We’ll Read More . . .
Total Health in Midlife Episode #245: Self-Pity, Sabotage & Self-Soothing
Self-pity is one of the most overlooked emotions we experience, and one of the most powerful. It doesn’t stomp in and throw a tantrum. It shows up quietly, as I have to, I deserve this, or no one ever includes me. And because it feels true, we don’t even question it. We just… sabotage ourselves. In this episode of the Total Health in Midlife podcast, I’m sharing a deeply personal moment that pulled back the curtain on my own self-pity spiral, and how it almost derailed my day (and my health habits) before I realized what was happening. We’ll explore how this hidden emotion can show up in your thoughts, your food choices, and even your relationship with exercise and rest. If you’ve ever felt stuck in your routines, quietly resentful of your habits, or unsure why you keep “treating yourself” in ways that don’t actually feel good… you’ll want Read More . . .
Total Health in Midlife Episode #244: Having Your Own Back
Ever catch yourself thinking, “I’ll do it later” only to realize later is even more chaotic than now? In this episode of Total Health in Midlife, we’re unpacking the subtle, sneaky ways we make life harder for ourselves without even realizing it. From moldy broccoli to missed workouts and late-night wine that wrecks your sleep, these aren’t just random moments, they’re patterns. And those patterns can be shifted. I’ll share the real story behind how one freezing night at a gas station changed the way I treat myself, and why learning to “have your own back” isn’t about doing more, but about making life easier for future-you. This episode isn’t about being perfect. It’s about getting curious, noticing the friction, and choosing one small way to stop boobytrapping yourself. What You’ll Learn from this Episode Listen to the Full Episode: Featured on the Show: Full Episode Transcript: 244 – Having Read More . . .
Total Health in Midlife Episode #242: Asking Better Questions
Have you ever asked yourself, “Do I want to go to the gym?” or “Do I feel like making dinner?”—and then beat yourself up when the answer was no? In this episode of Total Health in Midlife, we’re exploring how the questions we ask ourselves—especially around our health—can either sabotage our best intentions or support the version of ourselves we’re trying to become. You’ll hear a story about a real-life conversation with my husband that sparked this whole idea, plus my own recent experience with a motivation slump. And most importantly, we’ll unpack the powerful shift from asking reactive, yes/no questions to practicing real self-leadership.This isn’t just about working out. It’s about learning how to talk to yourself in a way that actually moves you forward—without shame, guilt, or waiting around for motivation to strike. What You’ll Learn from this Episode Listen to the Full Episode: Featured on the Show: Read More . . .