Ep. 562 “It’s Not a Willpower Problem” – Why Women’s Bodies Resist Weight Loss in Midlife with Ashley Koff, RD
Everyday Wellness: Midlife Hormones, Menopause, and Science for Women 35+
Outro
Cynthia and Ashley close with book links, contact info, thanks, and listener call to action.
Today, I had the honor of connecting with Ashley Koff. She is a leading voice in personalized nutrition and the founder of the Better Nutrition Program. With over 25 years of experience and the groundbreaking GLP-1 Optimization System to her name, she’s helped redefine how we approach sustainable weight health.
In our conversation, we dive into how her book reframes the concept of healthy weight. We explore integrative perspectives on digestive health and GLP-1s, why many women blame themselves when they struggle to lose weight, and how Ashley’s framework helps them remove that self-blame. We also discuss issues surrounding info-besity and the “less is more” approach, natural ways to support appetite regulation and satiety signaling, key areas of digestive health, and the importance of detoxification. Ashley also shares the red flags she sees in women who are undernourishing themselves or over-fasting, things to consider when you want to stop taking GLP-1s, and her opinions on new drug therapies.
Join us for today’s thought-provoking and insightful conversation around metabolic health and weight-loss resistance for women in middle age, perimenopause, and menopause.
IN THIS EPISODE, YOU WILL LEARN:
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The interconnection that exists between digestion, hormones, and metabolic signaling
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How the hormonal fluctuation that occurs in perimenopause disrupts women's digestion
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What drives satiety?
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How GLP-1 medications simply amplify, extend, or mimic an existing communication loop within the body rather than creating new pathways
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Why do women blame themselves when they cannot lose weight?
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How info-besity blocks the body from doing what it is naturally designed to do
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Why detoxification is essential for supporting natural digestive and metabolic processes
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The red flags that indicate undernourishment or over-fasting in women
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What you need to think about before stopping GLP-1s
Bio:
Ashley Koff, RD, is the USA Today bestselling author of Your Best Shot (HarperOne) and founder of The Better Nutrition Program (BNP).
An acclaimed weight-health expert and practitioner for more than 25 years, Koff is leading a transformative movement in personalized nutrition, turning “better, not perfect” choices into practical, sustainable strategies that deliver real outcomes. Your Best Shot introduces weight-health hormones (GLP-1, GIP, CCK, PYY) as the regulators of weight health, offering the first-ever assessment of their function and a personalized optimization system—shot or not.
A trusted expert featured across major media and a sought-after educator for health professionals, Ashley has been recognized as one of CNN’s Top 100 Health Makers and featured in InStyle as “Hollywood’s Leading Dietitian.”
Connect with Cynthia Thurlow
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Follow on X, Instagram & LinkedIn
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Check out Cynthia’s website
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Submit your questions to support@cynthiathurlow.com
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Join other like-minded women in a supportive, nurturing community: The Midlife Pause/Cynthia Thurlow
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Cynthia’s Menopause Gut Book is on presale now!
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Cynthia’s Intermittent Fasting Transformation Book
Connect with Ashley Koff
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On Instagram and Substack
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On other social media: @Ashley Koff
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