I gained 50 pounds almost overnight—at least it felt like that.
And I was like, “What do I do now? Why am I crying at commercials?”
Plus I had really severe mood swings when I had periods.
And so I took a pill throughout my surgical residency and when I stopped, I didn’t immediately get a period but I had some weird symptoms…
I had brain fog. I couldn’t remember the names of anatomical landmarks and drugs that I was prescribing!
It was so messed up.
So I went on hormone replacement and I got a period.
Here’s the thing though: I thought, “Nope. This isn’t for me. I’ll just deal with it.”
It’s the weight gain and the anxiety that came with it that moved me to take my first step out of that MENO-Muck and take women like you with me.
But I want to be honest with you: I always thought that exercise was punishment.
I didn’t have a good relationship with my body. And I don’t think I’m alone (I still fight with myself to get my workouts done).
I always say that when it comes to weight loss in menopause, there is no one-size-fits-all answer.
And I think it’s really important that we realize that each one of us is gonna have a different response. Some people are better depending on how they feel…
As someone who exercises regularly, I don’t lift a lot but since I do triathlon I’m always looking to run faster or swim faster or bike faster.
Recently I did my fastest 5K ever (my fastest 800 and 400), and it was like a sub 8 minute mile which is faster than I was able to run when I was 18!
And that’s a big win for me.
But the point that I’m trying to make is that everybody is different.
And so what you’re gonna like as exercise might not be the same thing that I like. So if you’re looking to lose weight in menopause…
It’s really important to tap into how you feel.
And if you’re someone who doesn’t believe in your athletic ability…
I want to be someone who tells you that you’re strong.
You’re capable.
You probably have pictures of you throwing your grandkid in the air while he’s 40 pounds.
Or maybe you come out of the grocery store carrying bags close to 20 all by yourself.
You’re awesome.
But what if I fail and I don’t lose weight?
I know some of you are going through the changes in your body like, “I eat healthy. I’ve upped my water and cannot get the weight off. My anxiety is through the roof.”
And it’s not your fault.
Here in the menopause movement we talk about how it’s important to fail forward.
I’ve got more to share about that in today’s podcast with author and fitness coach, Amanda Thebe.
During the interview we talk about Amanda’s menopause experience and how it changed her life PLUS:
• Hormonal predation in the wellness industry
• What to do to improve nutrition in menopause
• How carbs aren’t the enemy
• Exercise, menopause, mindset and accountability
• Amanda’s experience with contracting and recovering from COVID
• The role failure plays in making ourselves better
And stay to the end to find out Amanda’s stress management tips for us.
If menopause has felt like the apocalypse of your life, this episode is for you!
Resources:
• Check my latest podcast or listen to the previous ones https://www.menopausemovement.com/blog
• Connect with me on Instagram @drmichellegordon
• Follow me on Facebook
• Join The Menopause Movement private group on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/groups/menopausemovement
• Sign up for our Virtual Live Retreat: https://www.menopausemovement.com/retreat
• Sign up for the 28-Day MENO-Belly Challenge here https://www.menopausemovement.com/challenge
• Check out Amanda Thebe’s website https://amandathebe.com/
What’s Discussed in This Episode:
[0:00] Introduction
[4:04] Amanda’s menopause story
[11:23] The lack of information regarding menopause
[13:00] Eating differently to support a woman’s changing body in menopause
[14:15] identifying red flags in the nutrition and fitness industry
[15:48] There are no shortcuts only considerations for menopausal women
[16:53] Finding a balanced approach to nutrition
[19:12] Macros
[20:44] Everybody is different, approaches will be different
[22:26] Menopause metabolic resistance training
[28:31] How Amanda helps women who were never exercisers
[32:54] You don’t start something and expect to be amazing
[35:23] Three-to-one ratio theory of negative bias
[37:03] Amanda’s shares her story with COVID
[43:21] Hypoxic components in swimming
[45:27] Stress management
[50:50] Cognitive decline and lack of exercise
About the Guest:
Amanda Thebe is a force of nature for women who are experiencing menopause hell and want to start feeling healthy and fit in their 40s and beyond. She’s here to help you find the tools to have more energy and zest for life, while making you laugh like a 20 year old throughout the process.
Her exercise workouts and fitness tips have been featured in Breaking Muscle, Girls Gone Strong and Ultimate Sandbag Training. Her adoring fans and clients have called her a ‘resilient bitch’ and ‘an unstoppable inspiration’, with one woman naming her “the over 40 guru to watch in 2018.”