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Hormones are chemical messengers in your body. They communicate and control most of the physiological things going on. They tell your body what to do and hormones work together like an orchestra. But, when they aren’t playing well together we start to see imbalance, and things get out of harmony.

These imbalances affect all other hormones. Cortisol is your main stress hormone and it gets pretty bossy when not kept in check by other hormones. Too much cortisol steals progesterone, drives up insulin and blood sugar levels and until you get it under control will cause issues with all of your other hormones. 

The Big Four Hormones and Why They Matter

There are 4 main hormones you need to focus on to find better balance and support in your weight loss journey. 

First is cortisol, this hormone when left to run rampant is great at packing on extra belly fat, giving you sleepless nights and messin...

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Do you ever feel depressed, anxious, or guilty about food before or after eating?

Do you ever wish you could just make it through the day without having to analyze every little thing you eat and when/how you have to work out?

Do you want to avoid discouragement setting you back?

Are you ready to stop the excuses?

Then it’s time for you to get a weight loss mindset working for you. You see, most of us have a pre-established mindset full of unintentional thoughts. These thoughts are messages we get from ourselves, our family, and past experiences. Although it often feels impossible to just “think differently," sometimes making subtle changes in how you think is the KEY to skyrocketing your chances of success and giving you longer-lasting results.

So I'm going to give you seven keys to practice, to overcome self-sabotage. 

Key one: be a detective and a watcher of your thoughts. Becoming aware of...

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If losing weight in your 40s were as easy as "calories in, calories out," then I would be out of a job. 

But sadly, it just isn't that easy. 

In fact, you can almost throw out every "diet" plan you've ever tried or heard about because it won't help you lose weight in midlife. In fact, it might do the opposite and cause your body to keep more weight instead. 

It's time to understand how to best support your body with nutrition during perimenopause and menopause and get tools to get through it quickly. 

Right now, you may be in your late 30s or early 40s and wondering why you're experiencing changes in your body that you never had before. You may be moody, anxious, have irregular periods, or have hot flashes. You probably find weight loss more difficult and notice your waistline expanding no matter what you do. These are all common symptoms of perimenopause. Or, you may be in menopause but still suffering from n...

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Disclaimer- The contents of this guide are for informational purposes only and are not a substitute for professional medical advice. None of the recommendations, suggestions, or written information provided is intended to replace a one-on-one relationship with a qualified healthcare professional. The information presented is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease but rather as a sharing of knowledge and information from the research and experience of Jill Chmielewski, RN, BSN. You are encouraged to make your own healthcare decisions based on your research and partnership with a qualified healthcare professional of your choosing.

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IS IT NATURAL?

What's the big deal about Hormone Replacement Therapy?

There have been a lot of myths out there surrounding Bio-id...

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I was diagnosed with Hashimoto's in my 30's. 

This diagnosis made many of my random and frustrating symptoms make more sense. 

And it set me on a deep-dive journey to figure out how important the thyroid is and how it affects my health and hormones.

Understanding the connection between your endocrine and reproductive system is a game-changer. Your body is a whole component working together to keep you alive, healthy, and energetic. But when hormones start getting out of balance and shifting, it can cause dramatic results. Changing hormones doesn't mean you are at the mercy of crazy and frustrating symptoms. Let's discuss the importance of knowing your thyroid numbers, getting optimized, and ways to mitigate common symptoms.

What is the connection between perimenopause symptoms and the thyroid?

The thyroid is key to health. It is part of your Endocrine system and helps all hormones wor...

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If there's one thing I get asked about by women in the midlife season, it's "How do I get rid of belly fat?" 

I had the same question just a few years ago, and getting the answer was challenging. But thanks to the Trim Healthy eating plan, we have a shortcut to increase belly fat loss without deprivation and dieting.

Today on the podcast, I'll show you a few fundamental changes to make to your meal plan in menopause so you can reduce belly fat and feel better. It's like Trim Healthy Mama 2.0. The same basic principles of protein-centered meals but with a strong focus on your E (energizing) meals over your S (satisfying) meals. Because of declining hormones over 50 and sometimes younger, you need to fuel differently. You need fuel to turn on fat-burning, and as your hormones change, your fueling needs to change too. You can lose the extra belly fat, but you'll need to understand the hormones disrupting ...

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I was sick and I didn’t even know it.

I was a mess. My hormones are out of whack, my energy levels were at an all-time low, and my mindset was toxic. I couldn’t get enough sleep. Day in and day out, I would think about how miserable I was. This, combined with the loss of a close friend and two of my teens struggling with other issues, led to a lot of stress. I was also going through perimenopause, which caused many hormonal imbalances in my body.

I tried to fix myself. I’d exercise, but if I overdid it, it would mess with my adrenals. I tried the Whole Raw diet, but that wrecked my gut. It got to the point where I finally threw in the towel and visited my Gynecologist. She gave me two options:

Either go on the pill, or start taking antidepressants.

I left the building furious and in tears. I couldn’t do that. This led me to a time of heavy study and discussion about hormones, food, and health. I would share what I learned ...

For many of you, the biggest hindrance to following a Trim Healthy Mama fat loss food plan is..the plan?

Not that you don’t know what to eat or how to fuel your body well. 

But the basics of choosing what to eat each meal and then planning it out becomes very complicated and overwhelming.

It doesn’t have to be this way!

Let’s make this easy & brainless. None of us in midlife need to be stressed about feeding our families or ourselves. It is time for you to make a plan for yourself. I know most of you are diligent to make sure your family and work have systems and plans set up, but I bet you don’t always make time to create the plan you need for yourself. 

Your brain might be telling you that this will be hard, or that you don’t need this but we are going to override those unhelpful thoughts. “It’s too hard” limits you, and “I don’t know what I’m going to do” shuts down your creative mind. Stop. Right now grab a piece of paper or a sticky note and write 2 thoughts...

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They don’t call menopause the big “change” for nothing!

There is truly an astounding amount of change that is happening in your body during this time. Changing hormones necessitates changing lifestyle and diet so let’s look at one of the most important things you can focus on every single day.

What you put on the end of your fork is the best place to start when you want better health, supported hormones, and fat loss. And a key change you can make in your everyday diet is to eat enough protein. This is not the time to limit your protein intake but it is a great season to expand the protein you do consume. First, you will choose animal protein, then fish, then choose plant protein options. A lot of the protein choices in this guide can be used for Energizing meals on the Trim Healthy Mama eating plan as long as your fat amount is below 5 grams.

A good guideline ...

Menopause keys to weight loss

Choose foods that are anti-inflammatory to your body. Include foods that boost your gut health and gut microbiome and eat foods that are known to support hormone balance. This is the time of life to choose quality. No more cheap oils and processed, packaged “foods”. Your body is ready and eager to be blessed with nourishing foods. 

Protein is Queen!

Every single meal you consume needs to have a protein source at the center. Begin to diversify your protein choices by including more fish and more plant proteins. 

Find ways to lighten up your meals and use less heavy dairy products. Your body is less efficient at burning through some of the heavier fats, so it is time to make some changes.

An easy way to lighten up your protein-centered meal can be by choosing a protein (think fish), a non-starchy vegetable, and a garnish of fat, roughly about a Tablespoon.

 Instead of a Heavy S meal (animal protein + cheese + mayo + eggs + butter) shift to creati...