Are you a successful woman in your 50s, navigating the unpredictable waves of peri/menopause while juggling career, family, and personal aspirations? You’re not alone. Many women at this stage feel frustrated by weight fluctuations, low energy, and the constant mental chatter around food and body image. Despite trying countless diets and workout plans, sustainable results seem out of reach. But what if the solution wasn’t another quick fix or restrictive plan? What if it was about understanding you —your unique needs, emotional patterns, and lifestyle challenges—and creating lasting change from there? Read More . . .
Total Health in Midlife Episode #200: Goals Are Just Guesses
Ever fail achieving a goal and then just want to forget about it? In this episode of the Total Health in Midlife podcast, I take the traditional approach to goal-setting and turn it on its head in favor of diving into what really matters: flexibility and authenticity. I opened up about my own journey—setting big, ambitious goals, only to realize that the real growth came when I allowed myself to change course. Let me challenge you to rethink how you’re setting goals. Are they truly in line with who you are today? We’ll explore the power of behavior-based goals—where daily actions, not just outcomes, take center stage. This shift can transform your sense of accomplishment, keeping you motivated and grounded in the present. I’ll share how releasing the pressure to achieve unrealistic expectations can lead to building sustainable habits and embracing change without the weight of guilt. After all, it’s Read More . . .
The Power of ‘Half-Assing’ Your Health: Why Perfection Isn’t Necessary for Progress
This article was written for and originally published on Sixty and Me Here Ever feel like you need to overhaul your entire life to get healthy? Have you ever found yourself putting off making changes because you can’t do it all perfectly? If this resonates, you’re not alone and many women just like you feel overwhelmed by health advice that seems to demand perfection. But what if I told you that you don’t need to be perfect to make real progress? In fact, embracing a ‘half-assed’ approach to your health might be the key to lasting change. Half-assing your health isn’t about lowering your standards. It’s about making consistent, manageable improvements that add up over time. Half-assing your health is about making progress, not striving for perfection. And it’s an approach that can lead to better health, more energy, and yes, even weight loss if that’s your goal. In this Read More . . .
Goal Setting Series #1: Setting Realistic Goals
Are your goals often oversized and unrealistic, leading to feelings of failure and disappointment when you can’t meet them? Join me as I redefine goal setting in the context of midlife, focusing on the power of achievable, behavior-focused goals that lead to lasting change. I share personal experiences and insights, shedding light on the necessity of meeting ourselves where we currently are in life. We challenge the norm, demonstrating that it’s entirely okay, and even necessary, to adjust and evolve our goals as we grow, highlighting the importance of flexibility in this process. I also talk about common goal-setting myths, debunking them one by one. I illuminate the value of adaptability and the power of taking small, deliberate steps towards your future. I invite you to journey with me, transforming your aspirations into attainable realities, and making this year a year of true growth and fulfillment. Get ready to change Read More . . .
Done with Dieting Episode #150: Setting Goals and Missing Marks: A Raw Recap
Here’s a powerful notion to consider: What if falling short of your goal was the best thing that could happen to you? In this episode, I recount the highs and lows of the past year, celebrating the podcast milestones and embracing the detours, like rebranding and unforeseen setbacks. If your expectations are tied to societal norms, let’s shake them up a bit. Personal freedom is at the core of our discussion as we wade through the waters of change and personal growth. I reassess my goals and champion the idea of embracing life’s imperfections. So, prepare yourself, the journey to personal growth isn’t about perfection but more about resilience in the face of adversity. Lastly, I have a heart-to-heart about celebrating small behavioral victories over grand end goals. It’s easy to get disheartened when we don’t meet our lofty goals, but what if we shift our focus to smaller, more Read More . . .
Done with Dieting Episode #130: The Power of Community
Are you ready to transform your life and embrace the power of community and coaching? In this uplifting episode, I’m sharing how the Feel Good Sisterhood works; an extraordinary year-long group coaching program designed specifically for women in midlife. Discover how this program fosters healthier relationships with food, exercise, and ourselves, with an emphasis on sustainable habits and skills that last a lifetime. I’ll explore the incredible benefits of group coaching, including community building, accountability, diverse perspectives, and shared wisdom. Learn how the Feel Good Sisterhood’s weekly calls, targeted pieces of training, and reflective prompts can revolutionize your relationship with food, your body, and your health. Connect with a vibrant community of women who are committed to their growth, success, and evolution, and share vulnerabilities as we navigate midlife shifts and menopausal changes together. Don’t miss this opportunity to embark on a liberating journey with the support of the Feel Read More . . .
Done with Dieting Episode #22: The Power of Visualization in Weight Loss
Do you use the power of visualization when it comes to achieving your goals? If you’re not, you’re missing out. I’ve talked about visualization on the podcast before, in a few techniques that I use within my coaching practice, but on episode 22 of the Done with DIeting Podcast, we’re talking about the power that visualization has to create your results: Visualizing what’s going to happen BEFORE it even happens. See, we often use our past experiences to determine if we’re capable of doing something in the future. (Example: I’ve made rice before, so I’m relatively confident that I can make risotto.) Because weight loss will often take several attempts before we are successful. We often use those past attempts as evidence that weight loss isn’t meant for us. When your confidence and belief that you can be successful in your goal are low, having a vision can help you Read More . . .
Why goals might not get you to your goal
There are no shortage of memes about goals. “A goal without a plan is just a wish” “Set your goals high, and don’t stop until you get there” “Goals that are not written down are just wishes” Aaaah! They’re endless! Not only were goals a huge part of my early success with my weight, but they were a cornerstone of my health coaching business for a long time. I would teach folks about SMART Goals. How to create them, and help them through the process. But I’ve changed my attitude about goals. I don’t think they’re necessary anymore. I have a client who’s daughter is one of the most disciplined kids that I know. Every year, she’d create New Years Resolutions, and actually complete them! I Know! Who does that?!? I think they were tests of her willpower. When she was in high-school, she created a New Years Resolution to perform Read More . . .
What do you say to yourself?
Have I mentioned lately how much I love my bodybugg? I also have the display device which, when I originally got it, didn't think it was that useful. After all, I uploaded my information on a pretty consistent basis – twice or three times a day. Since it doesn't take that long to upload the data from the armband, it was really easy for me to keep track of the number of calories I was burning. Well, once I got the digital display, I realized that I didn't need to update as often as I had been doing, because the digital display allows me to see almost real time how many calories I'm burning. Yes, Exactly! It allows me to be even more anal retentive than I had been before! So anyway, I recently set a goal to burn 100 calories per hour, or 2400 calories per day. I burn Read More . . .
Total Health in Midlife Episode #229: When Food is Friendship
You’ve committed to eating better. Maybe you’ve even started feeling more like yourself again—more energy, fewer cravings, pants that fit the way you want them to. But then you go to dinner with friends… and suddenly, you’re halfway through a basket of fries you didn’t even want, wondering how you got there. If you’ve ever felt like changing how you eat starts messing with your relationships, you are not alone. In fact, the pressure to eat a certain way around others is one of the biggest hidden reasons women struggle to stick with new habits. In this episode of Total Health in Midlife, we’re exploring what happens when food is more than just fuel—it’s friendship, tradition, and connection. And what it means when you start making different choices. Because it’s not about discipline. It’s about belonging. And if you’ve ever felt torn between doing what’s right for your body and Read More . . .
Food Is More Than Fuel: How to Stop Emotional Eating Without Going on a Diet
You’ve been told that food is just fuel—but that’s only half the truth. If you’re stuck in the cycle of emotional eating, guilt, and “starting over” every Monday, this post will show you a better way. Learn how to trust yourself around food, enjoy what you eat, and finally stop dieting for good—without giving up the things you love. Read More . . .
Total Health in Midlife Episode #227: The Thing Before The Thing
You think the problem is food. Or maybe it’s your lack of motivation. If only you had more discipline, or found the right plan, then everything would finally fall into place—right? But what if the real reason you’re not making progress isn’t about food, or workouts, or willpower? In this episode of Total Health in Midlife, I’m pulling back the curtain on what’s really getting in the way of your health habits—and it’s probably not what you think. From skipping workouts to stress eating yogurt by the tub (yes, I’ve been there), we’re diving into why so many smart, capable women are solving for the wrong problem… and how that keeps us stuck in patterns that don’t serve us. If you’ve ever said, “I know what to do—I just don’t do it,” this episode is your invitation to rethink everything you thought was the issue. Because once you see what’s Read More . . .
Total Health in Midlife Episode #226: Lit Up Life with Debbie Heiser
Have you ever caught yourself wondering, How did I get here? You’re doing all the right things, checking off the to-do list, showing up for everyone else but somehow, your own joy feels like an afterthought. In this episode of the Total Health in Midlife Podcast, I sit down with Debbie Heiser, Chief Igniter of The Lit Up Life, to talk about what it really takes to build a business and a life that feels fully aligned and lit up from the inside out. Debbie and I talk about what it means to live in integrity with yourself while making good money doing work you love. We explore how so many of us, especially women, have been conditioned to downplay what we want, to stay small, and to avoid being “too much.” Debbie shares how learning to own your desires, trust your decisions, and flip the script on guilt and Read More . . .
Total Health in Midlife Episode #225: Answering the Question, “Is it Healthy?”
Is this healthy… or fat as sh*t?” Why That Might Be the Wrong Question Entirely. Have you ever paused mid-scroll, staring at some sort of ‘food hack’ on Instagram, and wondered, “Wait… is that actually good for me?” In this episode, I peel back the layers of that deceptively simple question and challenge the rigid good vs. bad food mindset that so many of us carry. Through a relatable Costco story, surprising examples (yes, even kale can be ‘unhealthy’ for some people), and a new framework called the “Three Food Buckets,” I help reframe how we think about food, moving away from judgment and toward self-trust and context. This episode dives into the exhausting cycle of all-or-nothing thinking, second-guessing every bite, and feeling like one “wrong” food choice will derail everything. I walk you through how you’ve been trained to treat food like a morality test and why that thinking Read More . . .
Total Health in Midlife Episode #224: When We Ignore Our Own Boundaries
Have you ever noticed how you can be completely on it in one area of your life, like nailing your eating habits and moving your body, while completely bulldozing your own rules in another? You know that getting enough sleep makes you feel amazing, yet you stay up for just ‘one more’ episode. Or you set a boundary around your phone use, only to immediately check Instagram the next morning. Why do we do this? This episode of The Total Health and Midlife Podcast dives into the deeper reasons why we override our own boundaries, and spoiler alert, it’s not about willpower. If you’ve ever found yourself breaking the very rules you set for yourself, this episode is for you. We like to tell ourselves that discipline and self-control are the answers, but if that were true, we wouldn’t keep repeating the same patterns. The real issue? Disconnection. When we Read More . . .
Total Health in Midlife Episode #223: Midlife, Anxiety, & Alcohol
What if the very thing you use to unwind is actually keeping you stuck? Have you ever woken up in the middle of the night with your heart racing and your mind spinning, wondering why you feel so anxious? Or maybe you notice a lingering unease throughout your day, a quiet hum of worry that you can’t quite place. Most of us chalk it up to stress, hormones, or just the realities of midlife. But what if there’s another hidden factor that’s fueling your anxiety, one that’s so ingrained in our daily habits that we rarely question it? In this episode, we’re peeling back the layers on alcohol and anxiety, exploring how that evening glass of wine or celebratory cocktail might not be helping you relax as much as you think. You don’t have to quit drinking, but what if you just paid attention? I share my personal journey of Read More . . .
Total Health in Midlife Episode #222: Learning to Trust Yourself with Dawn Ledet
What if the reason you’re struggling to follow through on your health goals isn’t a lack of willpower—but a lack of self-trust? In this episode of the Total Health and Midlife Podcast, I sit down with Self-trust Coach and author, Dawn Ledet to unpack why we often fall off track with our wellness intentions. Dawn reveals that missed goals aren’t a sign of self-sabotage or failure; they’re simply feedback. Instead of beating ourselves up, we can rewire our inner dialogue, build trust in our decisions, and finally create lasting consistency in our habits. Dawn introduces her three-part framework for self-trust—making decisions, following through, and having your own back—while exposing the common mental traps that keep us stuck. She explains how our brains are wired to focus on past failures, distort our present, and predict future disappointment, making it easy to give up before we even begin. But with simple shifts Read More . . .
Total Health in Midlife Episode #221: Menopause, Sleep, Stress, & Recovery
We think that health is all about eating and exercising. But that’s not the whole story. If you’ve ever felt like you’re doing everything “right,” eating well, exercising, and following all the health rules, but still not seeing the results you expect, this episode is for you. The truth is, diet and exercise are only part of the equation. What’s often missing? Stress, sleep, rest, and recovery. These are the overlooked pillars of true health, especially in midlife when your body starts playing by a whole new set of rules. In today’s episode, we dive deep into why prioritizing rest isn’t a luxury. It’s a necessity for real, lasting health. We live in a world that glorifies doing more, pushing harder, and ignoring the warning signs of burnout. But as women in midlife, we can’t afford to keep running on empty. When stress levels soar and sleep suffers, our bodies Read More . . .
Total Health in Midlife Episode #220: What to Expect in Maintenance
Have you ever made progress with your health… and then, slowly, without realizing it, started letting the little things slide? In this episode, I dive deep into a universal experience in health journeys: the quiet backslide that happens after success. I call it the “cocky syndrome,” that phase where we get a little too confident, start cutting corners, and convince ourselves it’s just balance or moderation. But when the momentum starts slipping and we don’t feel as good as we used to, we’re left confused, frustrated, and often blaming ourselves. I share a relatable personal story involving my piriformis pain, which only flares up when I slack on my short daily routine. I use it to highlight a powerful metaphor: Just like kids, our habits need supervision, structure, and eventually, gentle maintenance. What once needed full focus now requires ongoing care, not perfection, just consistent attention. This episode breaks down Read More . . .
Total Health in Midlife Episode #219: Graceful Mom with Kim Damon
What if the key to transformation isn’t about doing more but about being more? In this episode, I sit down with Kim Damon, a true expert in personal growth and transformation, to explore the deep shifts that lead to lasting change. Kim shares her journey of breaking through limitations, embracing authenticity, and stepping into a life of purpose. Her insights challenge the conventional approach to self-improvement, encouraging us to move beyond surface-level tactics and into profound, identity-based transformation. Throughout our conversation, Kim reveals the mindset shifts and emotional breakthroughs that pave the way for real success. She dives into the hidden beliefs that hold people back and offers practical strategies to rewire thought patterns for growth. Whether you’re facing a career shift, personal roadblocks, or simply looking to elevate your life, Kim’s wisdom will resonate deeply. Join us as we uncover the power of self-awareness, the courage to embrace change, Read More . . .