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 . . .

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 . . .

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 . . .

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 . . .

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 . . .

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 . . .

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 . . .

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 . . .

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 . . .

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 . . .

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 . . .

What happens when you’re so good at keeping everything together… that you forget to take care of yourself? In this episode of The Total Health in Midlife Podcast, I’m joined by Master Certified Coach and people-pleasing expert Sara Fisk to explore a surprising culprit behind so many women’s exhaustion, resentment, and stalled health goals: high-functioning codependency. We’re not talking about the kind of codependency tied to addiction. This is the polished, over-performing version that shows up in moms, partners, daughters, and leaders—the women who hold everything and everyone together… and quietly fall apart in the process. Sara shares how people-pleasing, perfectionism, and control patterns drain your energy, chip away at your physical and emotional health, and keep you stuck in a cycle of doing for others while ignoring your own needs. If you’ve ever found yourself running ragged fixing other people’s problems, this episode will help you come back to Read More . . .

Making—and keeping—friends in midlife can feel surprisingly hard. In this episode of the Total Health in Midlife podcast, I’m joined by Nina Badzin, writer and host of the Dear Nina podcast, to talk about the real stuff that comes up in adult friendships—like feeling left out, keeping score, and what to do when your once-close friends just… fade. Whether you’ve ever wondered, “Is it just me?” or you’ve found yourself ghosted or burned out from being the one who always initiates, you’re not alone—and you’re not doing it wrong. This episode is full of validation, fresh perspective, and practical tips to help you build stronger, more satisfying friendships, even if it’s been a while. ABOUT NINA BADZIN Nina Badzin is the host of the podcast, Dear Nina: Conversations About Friendship. She’s a writer, teacher, and mom of four in Minneapolis who has been writing about friendship for over a decade. Read More . . .

Why is it so hard to start something you already know you want to do? In this episode of Total Health in Midlife, we’re pulling back the curtain on one of the most frustrating patterns women face when trying to improve their health: knowing what to do… but not actually doing it. If you’ve ever found yourself stuck in prep mode, endlessly planning, researching, tweaking your routine without ever taking action, this one’s for you. We’ll explore why planning feels safer than doing, how perfectionism keeps you spinning, and the powerful mindset shift that turns overwhelming change into small, doable steps. With relatable stories, gentle humor, and practical takeaways, this episode will help you move from “I’m getting ready to start” to actually making progress, with less pressure and more self-trust. What You’ll Learn from this Episode Listen to the Full Episode: Featured on the Show: Full Episode Transcript: 240 Read More . . .

When life looks good on the outside, but feels empty on the inside, what do you do? In this episode of the Total Health in Midlife podcast, I’m joined by transformational mentor Judith Richey for a candid conversation about what happens when we spend too many years saying yes to everyone but ourselves. From the subtle (and not-so-subtle) ways we lose ourselves in midlife, to the physical and emotional toll of ignoring our own needs, Judith shares her personal experience of hitting rock bottom, and how she found her way back. If you’ve ever wondered what it really means to reclaim your health, reconnect with your intuition, and create a life that actually feels aligned—you won’t want to miss this episode. This isn’t just inspiration. It’s instruction. About Judith Richey: Judith is a spiritual and transformative healer who guides women through deep emotional and energetic healing to reclaim clarity, peace, Read More . . .

Why do your healthy habits feel so easy in the summer… and so impossible by October? In this episode of Total Health in Midlife, I’m unpacking a surprisingly overlooked reason your motivation disappears when the seasons change—and what to do instead of blaming yourself. You’ll hear how weather, light, mood, and routine can quietly hijack your habits unless you plan for them, and how understanding your own seasonal patterns can help you feel more consistent, confident, and in control—all year long. Whether you’re eating lighter and walking more right now, or already dreading the colder months ahead, this episode will help you spot the patterns before they sabotage your progress. What You’ll Learn from this Episode Listen to the Full Episode: Featured on the Show: Full Episode Transcript: Paste Here Enjoy the Show? Elizabeth ShermanElizabeth is a Master Certified Life and Health Coach with over 18 years of experience, dedicated Read More . . .

Have you ever eaten something you didn’t want—just because it was there, or because you didn’t want it to go to waste? In this episode of Total Health in Midlife, I’m sharing a deeply personal story about leftovers, silent resentment, and the invisible rules so many women live by without even realizing it. What started with a container of forgotten vegetables turned into an unexpected insight about worth, sacrifice, and why we often take the smaller portion—not just at the dinner table, but in life. If you’ve ever felt like you’re always the one settling, always making do, always keeping things together while putting yourself last—this episode is for you. We’ll explore the hidden beliefs that drive these choices, how they affect your health, and what you can do to start choosing differently. This conversation isn’t about food.It’s about self-respect, small rebellions, and learning how to want again. What You’ll Read More . . .

Why is it that you can crush your to-do list, manage your household, support your family, and absolutely rock your career—…but still feel powerless around a plate of cookies? If you’ve ever told yourself, “I know what to do—I just can’t seem to do it,” this episode of Total Health in Midlife is for you. In this episode, Elizabeth Sherman reveals the hidden reasons traditional diets don’t solve overeating—and how they may actually make things worse. You’ll learn why relying on willpower, rigid rules, and food guilt keeps you stuck, and what it really takes to build lasting, sustainable change with food and your body. Tune in to discover why it’s not about eating perfectly…It’s about finally understanding why you eat when you’re not hungry—and what to do instead. What You’ll Learn from this Episode Listen to the Full Episode: Featured on the Show: Full Episode Transcript: 236 – The Read More . . .

“Food is fuel”. It sounds so clean and logical, doesn’t it? Like if we could just stick to that belief, everything would fall into place. We’d stop craving sweets when we’re stressed. We’d stop emotionally eating after a hard day. We’d finally be “in control.” But here’s the truth no one talks about: food isn’t just fuel. It’s comfort, connection, culture, memory, and celebration. And trying to pretend otherwise? That’s often what keeps us stuck. In this episode of Total Health in Midlife, I’m sharing why the “food is fuel” narrative might be doing more harm than good—and why giving yourself permission to enjoy food can actually lead to more peace, not less. If you’ve ever wondered why you can’t seem to stick to your “plan” or why you feel shame around emotional eating, this episode will help you see things in a whole new light. What You’ll Learn from Read More . . .

You’ve been “good” all day. You ate the healthy lunch. You passed on the afternoon treat. You had a reasonable dinner.And then… it hits. That creeping, nagging feeling that something is missing. You’re not hungry—but the pantry is calling your name. If you’re stuck in the cycle of nighttime overeating and can’t figure out why your willpower disappears after dark, this episode is for you. In today’s conversation, we unpack the real reasons why evenings feel so hard—and why diets, discipline, and food rules won’t fix the problem. You’ll learn what your body and brain are actually asking for when you reach for food at night, and how to start addressing those needs in ways that actually work. Because it’s not about controlling the snack.It’s about solving the right problem. What You’ll Learn from this Episode Listen to the Full Episode: Featured on the Show: Full Episode Transcript: 234 – Read More . . .