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If you’ve been following along in this Breaking Up With Sugar series, you already know this isn’t just about willpower.

In Part 1, we talked about blood sugar and hormones.

In Part 2, we talked about mindset and emotional eating.

Now in Part 3, we’re getting very practical.

Because sometimes you don’t need another pep talk.
You need to know what to do when cravings for sugar hit at 3:30 in the afternoon… or after dinner… or when you’re tired and your belly fat feels stubborn and you’re wondering why this is still so hard.

Today I’m going to give you simple, Trim Healthy–aligned tools that reduce cravings physiologically — not by fighting yourself, but by supporting your body.

Why Cravings for Sugar Get Louder in Midlife

Before we jump into the tools, let’s quickly anchor this again.

Cravings for sweets in perimenopause and menopause are not random.

Estrogen shifts affect insulin sensitivity. Cortisol rises more easily. Sleep change...

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If you’ve ever felt like cravings for sugar hit so fast and so strong that you have to answer them… this one’s for you.

In Part 1, we talked about blood sugar, hormones, and why cravings for sweets get louder in midlife. We talked about physiology. We talked about belly fat and why insulin and cortisol matter.

But today?

We’re talking about mindset.

Because the honest truth is that even when your blood sugar is steady, even when you’re eating Trim Healthy meals, even when you “know better”… cravings can still show up.

And when they do, it can feel like emotional eating is driving the bus.

I want to teach you the skill that changed everything for me.

The Mindset Shift That Changes Cravings for Sugar

For years, I lived in two extremes.

I either:

• fought cravings
• or gave into them

That’s it. Those were my two options.

I resisted. I white-knuckled. I tried to “buffet my flesh.” Or I gave up and gave in. And when I gave in, the ...

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If you’ve ever eaten off plan, skipped a workout, or just felt too tired to care—and then immediately felt disappointed in yourself—you’re not alone. I hear this story from midlife women every single week.

The food itself usually isn’t the hardest part.
It’s what happens after.

That internal dialogue.
The frustration.
The quiet shame spiral that says, “Why am I still dealing with this?”

And here’s what most women don’t realize: that moment doesn’t just affect your mindset. It affects your hormones—specifically high cortisol—and that matters deeply when you’re trying to release stubborn belly fat in midlife.

This post isn’t about fixing you.
It’s about helping you return—without shame.

When Slip-Ups Trigger High Cortisol (and Belly Fat)

Let’s slow this down and separate fact from fiction.

The facts might look like this:
You didn’t track your food.
You ate off plan.
You skipped your workout.

Those are behaviors. Period.

But what usually ha...

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If you’re over 40 and trying to lose weight, there’s a good chance the struggle isn’t coming from a lack of effort.

Most of the women I coach aren’t beginners. They know protein matters. They’re strength training (or at least trying to). They’re choosing real food. They’re doing their best to stay consistent with Trim Healthy principles.

And yet…
The scale feels stubborn.
Belly fat hangs on.
Progress feels slow or unclear.

That’s usually the moment when doubt creeps in.

Is this even working?
Do I need to try something else?
What if my body just won’t respond anymore?

Friend, that moment isn’t a nutrition problem.
It’s a mindset moment.

And how you respond right there often determines whether you stay the course—or start over (again).

As a Trim Healthy coach, personal trainer, and menopause fitness specialist, I want to walk you through the mindset shift that changes everything for midlife weight loss.

Why Losing Weight After 40 Feels...

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There’s a moment most midlife women don’t expect.

It’s when you realize you’re still doing “all the right things,” yet your body is responding differently. The scale creeps up. Belly fat shows up uninvited. Energy dips. Sleep feels fragile. Your mood feels unpredictable. And somewhere in the middle of it all, a quiet thought sneaks in:

Why does this feel so much harder than it used to?

If that’s you, I want you to know something right up front—you’re not imagining it. Menopause and perimenopause bring real physiological shifts. Hormone imbalance is real. Weight gain is real. Fatigue is real. And the mental weight of trying to stay consistent through it all? Also very real.

But here’s what I want to gently reframe for you today:
These aren’t signs that you’re failing.
They’re giants in the land—and every season has them.

Every Season Has Giants (Midlife Just Has Different Ones)

One of my favorite stories in Scripture is the story of Cal...

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If you’ve ever stood in your kitchen staring at your food, your supplements, or even your own reflection and thought, “How am I a capable grown woman who suddenly can’t figure out what to eat?” — I want you to take a deep breath. You’re not losing your mind. And you’re definitely not alone. Menopause has a way of catching even the strongest, most organized women off guard. Hormone imbalance brings a kind of internal chaos that can shake your confidence and make simple decisions feel surprisingly heavy.

I hear it every week in my coaching calls. Women who’ve raised large families, run businesses, supervised dozens of employees, homeschooled children, managed chronic illnesses, served in ministry — women who have done hard things for decades — suddenly hit perimenopause or menopause and think, “Why can’t I do what I used to do?” And the quiet fear underneath that question is just as heavy: “What’s wrong with me?”

The truth is nothing is wrong wi...

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The holidays can stir up a whole mix of thoughts for women in midlife — especially around food. Maybe you’ve walked into a Thanksgiving or Christmas gathering thinking, “Why try to stay on plan?” Or maybe your brain goes straight to, “I can eat whatever I want today — I’ll deal with the consequences later.”

If so, hear me when I say this: nothing is wrong with you.
Those thoughts come from a real place — from years of seeing the holidays as a “pause button,” from hormonal shifts that change hunger and cravings, and from the exhaustion of holding everything together all season long.

As a Trim Healthy coach and menopause fitness specialist, I’ve watched thousands of women struggle with the same pattern: excitement about the season, fear of losing consistency, and then guilt when old habits start creeping back in. And I’ve lived my own version of it, too.

But it doesn’t have to be this way.
You can enjoy holiday meals, support your hormones, an...

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If you’ve ever found yourself starting strong on Monday and then feeling off track by Thursday — wondering why you “can’t stay consistent no matter how hard you try” — take a breath with me. What you’re navigating is a shared midlife season, not a personal shortcoming. Your body is changing, your hormones are shifting, and what worked in your 20s is no longer enough to sustain the results you want in your 40s, 50s, and beyond.

And here’s the hope: nothing is wrong with you. Your body simply requires a different level of support in this season — support that honors your hormones, your nervous system, your metabolism, and your real life.

Consistency isn’t about willpower. It’s about aligning your actions with who you believe you are, creating simple rhythms that support belly fat loss in menopause, and learning to respond to your thoughts with compassion instead of pressure.

Let’s dig into what consistency really means for the midlife woman ...

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Ever start strong — meal prepped, workouts planned, water bottle in hand — and then life completely blows up? You’re not alone.

In this week’s episode of The Menopause Makeover Podcast, I’m sharing exactly how to stay consistent and lose belly fat in midlife, even when everything falls apart.

When You Start Strong… and Then Life Blows Up

You know that feeling when you start the week strong — you’ve meal prepped, your fridge looks like a Pinterest board, your workout clothes are laid out, and your water bottle is ready to roll — and then life just blows up?

A sick kid. A surprise work project. Sleepless nights. Hot flashes. Emotional triggers.

Suddenly, that strong start feels like a distant memory and you’re wondering, “Why can’t I ever stay consistent?”

Friend, I get it. You’re not alone in this. Every woman I coach — even the ones who look like they have it all together — has weeks where life derails the plan. But here’s the truth:...

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The Frustration of “Doing Everything Right”

If you’re in perimenopause or menopause, you probably know the feeling. You’re following the Trim Healthy plan, you’re eating the recipes, you’re even getting your steps in—and yet the belly fat keeps creeping up. The scale doesn’t budge. Your energy dips, your clothes feel tighter, and you start asking yourself, what in the world is happening to my body?

This is exactly what my client Cindy was experiencing. She had been trying for years to make it all work on her own. She read the Trim Healthy books, bought the ingredients, and gave it her best effort. But in midlife, the puzzle pieces just didn’t fit the way they used to. She came to me saying, “I feel like I’m doing everything right, but my body isn’t cooperating.”

Friend, if that sounds like you, I want you to know—you’re not lazy, you’re not broken, and you’re not behind. What’s really keeping you from losing weight in menopause isn’t a lac...