The Flipping 50 Show

Visceral belly fat at one time in my career was something that required an explanation. Back in the 90’s and early 2000s we began talking about it as the low and non-fat era gave way to increasing obesity numbers not just in adults but children. And now, here we are, many women, who never experienced a problem with visceral belly fat, just maybe a muffin top, or baby weight, are finding menopause and post menopause has not been kind. Why Now? It's Heart Health Month It’s heart health month so I’m tackling related topics and tips all month. I’m popping into our Facebook page regularly to answer questions and share tips. This one about visceral belly fat is an important one, and related to menopause, your fitness, and your future. So here we go. Before we dive in, this episode is sponsored by my very own Fit-U program. Losing weight, specifically fat weight, for women is different than men. After 50 (and menopause) it’s different than prior to it, and it’s different if you have more than 20 lbs to lose than if you’ve got a couple. The program does all the research – not the heavy lifting – that’s you girlfriends. Like every Flipping50 program the research and protocol behind the program featured women in menopause or beyond. I’ll link to it in the show notes. This month enrollment is open for 50% off, with BONUS Metabolism Makeover, and an Intermittent Fasting component to boost your program results. What and Why Now is Visceral Belly Fat a Concern Visceral Belly fat can accumulate easier in women post menopause. Reduced estrogen levels are a primary reason. But read on for more. It poses a greater heart health risk and may release more free fatty acids into your blood stream as well as inflammation-causing hormones. I’ve shared many times and many places that there’s no/nada/zero correlation between menopause and weight gain. In a study of over one million women (published by ACOG in 2018) it was clear that body composition changes were not related to menopause. However, clearly many women gain weight in midlife. Why? Reduced activity – both in exercise and daily movement Increase social eating and drinking Insomnia – itself, and causing lack of activity or poor choices the following day Wake up with coffee, Good night with alcohol, dehydrated in between Changes in gut health and observance of outdated “healthy” habits making them worse Loss of muscle What Can You Do to Combat Changes and Habits? To Improve Fat burning Exercise (more below) Remove stressors Use adaptogens and natural ergogenic aids Start eating at the right time and with the right food To Decrease Fat storage Fix your Cortisol Coping Avoid Dehydration Reduce or eliminate alcohol (sugar) Reduce insulin spike at meals Eat early … not late for fasting (Insulin spike higher later in the day stops fat burning) Avoid whey protein or high carb and easy to digest protein shakes (ever, really) but especially away from workouts as your blood sugar spikes, then gets stored instead of used Exercise Details High intensity early, followed by high protein Alternate your strength and your HIIT workouts Change Focus: Lose Fat Not Weight by Gaining Lean Muscle Resistance training + protein timing improve muscle, improving blood sugar stabilization Science: Visceral Belly Fat and Insulin Resistance Insulin resistance causes higher insulin and blood sugar levels More and more insulin = more fat storage The answer? The main cause of elevated free fatty acids is often eating too many calories and carrying excess body fat. Having a low fat breakfast of a bagel and fruit for breakfast after a cup of coffee? You’ve gone from your lowest blood sugar in a 24-hour period of time to a rapid spike followed by a rapid spike in insulin that will take hours to come down. Meanwhile you’re primed for fat storage, and a crash, and you’re likely to repeat your mistake because you will want another “hit.” The sugar rush your body got from fruit and bagel were like crack. You’ve Never Had this Problem Before? It's not unusual for hormonal shifts to change things in a big way. This is especially true for women who are in a perfect storm.  Solutions for Visceral Belly Fat   Exercise for Visceral Belly Fat Strength training and some high intensity exercise along with some low intensity walking or other all-day activity. Seek reduced impact, high intensity exercise Seek physical activity that provides energy vs. injury Eating for Visceral Belly Fat Remove foods that are known sensitivities to test them for yourself Substitute other foods, don’t make this a low calorie “diet” Eliminate your snacks – and realize coffee and sweetener in your coffee your body thinks are breakfast Define an eating window – aka fasting Relearn “healthy” foods and the amount of protein you need in your diet Increasing fiber Decreasing or eliminating alcohol until you’ve made progress Sleeping for Visceral Belly Fat Sleep quality can be improved from getting exercise and eating on track Bedtime routines and wake up routines Science Studies that Reveal Health Truths The Nurses Health Study is one of the largest and longest (both things that scream, pay attention!) studies to date that has measured abdominal obesity, looked at the relationship between waist size and death from heart disease, cancer or any cause in middle-aged women. At the start of the study all 44,000 subjects were healthy and had measured waist and hip size. After 16 years, women who had reported the highest waist sizes — 35 inches or higher –had nearly double the risk of dying from heart disease, compared to women who had reported the lowest waist sizes (less than 28 inches). Even women with normal weight BMI (less than 25) with larger than 35 inch waists had 3x the risk of normal-weight women whose waists were smaller than 35 inches. It’s not the only study that found similar relationship between abdominal fatness and death in normal-weight women. The Shanghai Women’s Health study also did. Why is abdominal obesity so much riskier that fat on your hips or elsewhere? The fat surrounding the liver and other abdominal organs is very metabolically active. It releases fatty acids, inflammatory agents, and hormones that ultimately lead to higher LDL cholesterol, triglycerides, blood glucose, and blood pressure.  Abdominal Obesity Measures Used by Health Agency: AHA, and the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute both use Waist circumference (35 inches) The International diabetes Federation uses Waist circumference (31.5 inches) The World Health Organization uses Waist-to-Hip ratio (>0.85) How to measure and calculate the waist and waist-to-hip ratio: Smallest part of the waist Largest part of the hips (widest part of the butt) Divide your waist measurement by your hip measurement Juggling the Challenge of Multiple Needs It’s not just weight, it’s fat. It’s not just belly fat, it’s visceral belly fat. It’s not just about skinny jeans, it’s about long term health. On all counts I think we can agree. The question is how do I exercise – and eat pre and post exercise – to support better hormonal function without causing more pain to my joints, or injury to areas where I’m already vulnerable. You’ve got knees or hips, or feet that don’t care for impact or severe flexion. You’ve got a need to stimulate those major muscles and still provide TLC for the joints that connect them. I hear you. I’ve been working with midlife and older adults for decades. I’ve got ankles and prior injuries too. They don’t stop me. Where there is one thing that won’t work, there are usually 3 that do. As a medical exercise specialist and hormone balancing fitness expert I don’t isolate … I know you need an integrated approach. If you’ve got visceral belly fat, chances are you have 20 or more pounds to lose and chances are that’s stress to your joints that makes your exercise choices need to be thoughtful not random. Support When You Need It I created Fit U to use boxing moves, for intervals at home without equipment for women carrying extra weight. I alternate the boxing workouts with strength training. I have a nutrition, and a mindset component to this DIY program. And… I hop into the Facebook group and answer your questions live… each Sunday afternoon. It’s 50% off right now, PLUS a Bonus Metabolism Makeover course that sold out last spring for $699, PLUS support using Intermittent Fasting if you’re just starting, or if you just want to optimize your exercise and your fasting timing... to lose the fat and keep the muscle. I’ll link to this in the show notes. There are a limited number of the Bonus Metabolism Makeover Course available. The special enrollment and Fasting component offer ends Feb 28, 2021.  Resources: Zhang C, Rexrode KM, van Dam RM, Li TY, Hu FB. Abdominal obesity and the risk of all-cause, cardiovascular, and cancer mortality: sixteen years of follow-up in US women. Circulation. 2008;117:1658-67. Zhang X, Shu XO, Yang G, et al. Abdominal adiposity and mortality in Chinese women. Arch Intern Med. 2007;167:886-92. https://www.heart.org/en/health-topics/heart-attack/understand-your-risks-to-prevent-a-heart-attack http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/download?doi=10.1.1.613.3378&rep=rep1&type=pdf https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16551307/

 I’ve got 5 menopause fitness questions all cued up today. In this roundup from our Flipping 50 Insiders, Instagram, and iTunes comments I’m answering 5 questions. I bet one or more of them is a lingering question for you too, or you’ll love listening to confirm what you thought all along was spot on. And I’ll link to each of these too if you’re not following and want to hang out to see a positive message on your social media for a change. That brings me to the sponsor of this episode. I’ll also link to a very special opportunity this month… if you’ve got 20 or more pounds to lose, and you know after 50 it’s different. It’s also different losing 20 vs a few. And if you’ve accumulated a mass of diet experience over the years, it can be really hard to know what the right thing to do at this point in your life really is. My Fit-U program is 50% off enrollment right now, with a special bonus for the first students – my Metabolism Mastery course (a $699 value) PLUS a special Fasting component layered into that. Is soy or almond milk healthier for menopausal women? I first wrote about this in You Still Got It, Girl! Soy is an estrogenic, an obesogenic, and a goitrogenic. Estrogenic – it mimics estrogen, confusing your body Obesogenic – increases fat stores Goitrogenic – disrupts thyroid That said there are a lot of benefits, like the increased protein that if you’re trading dairy because of food sensitivities, lactose intolerance, or gut issues, or in my case when I initially gave it up it was because of mucous that disrupted both running, teaching fitness, and speaking. Surprisingly, some gut issues I’d had for years also improved. What’s the bottom line on soy today? What are your thoughts on intermittent fasting?   I’m going to do a rare thing here and share a limited time replay for you of the master class I did this week. The bottom line is this, some things are terribly wrong for you and some things are absolutely right for you. In this masterclass I gave you a quick self-quiz to decide if it’s right for you, or right for you right now. I share the mounting proven research on the benefits – the long term benefits of fasting – I share my friend and fasting expert with you if you want to go deep on a fasting lifestyle. In the presentation I share the importance of having a specific plan. The timing is on purpose, not accidental. Your exercise during periodic, or during an eating or fasting window during a day should be on purpose as well. Should you resistance train while fasting? Yes, as long as you’re eating window fuels and refuels it with high protein meals. The answer to should you do interval training together with fasting, it depends on the type of fasting you’re doing. Periodic with Calorie Restriction, not so much; using Time Restricted Feeding regularly, with the right timing of the exercise and food yes- making sure that your energy expenditure remains as high as normal. Not effort level, because most things will feel “hard” with little calories or fuel, but if you’re unable to achieve your usual effort level you’re not reaching the same level of fat burning, and you’d be better off exercising low intensity, or changing the HIIT sessions to an eating window. Replay is on demand here for a short time if you’d like to take a deep dive. If you want support for exercise, fasting, and boosting your metabolism, and you’ve got closer to 20 lbs to lose, Fit-U is currently open, and during the month of February I’m offering the Metabolism Mastery in Menopause course (a 699 value) as a bonus, and that’s not all, a Fasting component to help you add this to the exercise, mindset, and recipe & menu suggestions during this 8-week program… that you have access to for good. In this 5 Menopause fitness Questions round up one listener asked a couple questions: When is it recommended to do endurance activities like a Power yoga, a jog or training for a 10K, or a spin bike?  It’s recommended most often, not to do endurance exercise, if you’ve got hormone imbalances. That would be evidenced in weight loss resistance, belly fat, lack of sleep, hot flashes, night sweats. What qualifies as endurance exercise has more to do with length- as suggested. So, a 20 minute power yoga? Go for it. But an hour power yoga session, unless for you it’s a norm and you’re relaxed and getting best sleep and at your ideal weight (aka, it’s working!) I wouldn’t recommend. Long runs ? Which are by nature higher in intensity… if you’re going 75 minutes… or doing even too many 45-minute workouts repeatedly in that “no benefits zone,” you’re going to make cortisol imbalance worse. Fat burning doesn’t usually occur well from those sessions. The Surprise Here’s the irony. A 45-minute walk may result in more fat burning than a 45-minute treadmill (or outdoor) run. It depends on your current status. If you’re balanced, you’re at ideal weight, energy, sleep, fat… then introduce it or continue. Not liking the results you have right now and you are having hot flashes, insomnia, belly fat…. Then you want to not run…. But run from the “more is better” type of workout. Go into the woods and do a 2-hour hike if you’re ready for it, if you need an endurance fix. The longer you go, the lower that intensity better be. Should You Train for Endurance? If you’re training for a 10K you can be smart about it. Less volume, more strategically planned workouts. I use a strategy for myself and clients…. Remember I spent 6 years in Boulder, where everyone tries to train as if they were a world champion. That over training leads to the high frequency of adrenal fatigue and injury you see in midlife women for sure. So I suggest you work with a coach who will help you plan your work and recovery not in a traditional training way. I’ve posted how I work with clients to do this and done for myself to reduce the amount of training I did for Ironman distance triathlons by nearly a third. Spin bike workouts… with a warm up and cool down a good session is about quality not quantity. A 45-60 minute session should be no more than 25 minutes of high intensity. Or it should be a zone 1 to 2 level recovery ride. That’s just like your walk. When you know the affect your exercise has on your hormones you know how to manipulate your weight, energy, and sleep. The same listener asked: Please clarify this point, as a nutrition major many years ago, The strategy was to eat carbohydrates after a muscle pump, also protein… But right after not to wait. You’re not an athlete. If you are, and you’re training for a marathon or a triathlon, you’re biking miles and miles daily, yes, fuel immediately because you’ve got to get that glucose back in your muscle and recover to make that next workout best. If you’re a midlife woman or older, exercising minimally for energy, for fat burning, and support balancing your hormones, you want to wait. Something that gets tricky for one of our listeners, who is also a fitness coach and soon-to-be nutrition coach:  is when a carb is also a protein like nuts/hemp seeds, how do I balance meals? First, let’s talk balanced meals. That looks different for everyone. You want to know that you or your clients do best with high protein, high fat, or high carb- and during midlife that one by the way is rare! A balanced meal for someone may be 33% of protein, fat, and carbs. For another it may be a higher fat moderate protein, low carb for a time – for instance doing a keto diet for reset. For others still it’s high protein, low fat and moderate carbs. Then, there really isn’t a lot of confusion. Yes, foods “double” dip all the time. Salmon is a protein and a health serving of fat. So, at that meal you wouldn’t need to be as consciously adding an oil for instance. And if you were keeping fat moderate, because you’re predisposed to do optimally with high protein- moderate fat and low carbs, this would be even truer. More on Fats & Protein Hemp seeds are a great source of healthy fat, added plant based complete protein. They couldn’t solo as the only source of protein at your meal but they’re an addition. Nuts, are primarily a high source of fat, and offer some protein, for instance nuts and seeds pair well with a plant-based shake like my Plant Power smoothie because the pea protein and the nuts/seeds together create a much higher essential amino acid profile. The recipes I share in the Ultimate Smoothie book are on purpose, not random for this reason. How We Do It – Are you a Fitness Pro or Health Coach? Here’s how we operate at Flipping 50. We don’t count… calories, points, or grams of macros except for protein. There is a Formula for Women to follow to easily look at a meal and say… number of servings of carbs? Number of servings of fat? Right amount of protein? And if you follow it you may be counting your hemp hearts or salmon as sources of fat, and of protein, but you won’t back yourself into a corner and have too little protein, the worst mistake a women who wants to hold onto lean muscle can make. For more information about becoming a Flipping 50 Fitness Specialist I’ll link in the show notes. You’ve got great questions that go deeper than RDAs and my Plate ever did or will. We’ve got to combat programs that are still suggesting if you’re going to have wine you just reduce your calories elsewhere in the day… and ignore what the calories you consume do to your hormones. And you can do it all providing information, and asking the right questions, within your scope of practice if you’re not a Registered Dietitian or operating in Colorado or California where those calling themselves nutritionists can say just about anything. Resources mentioned in this 5 menopause fitness questions episode:   Fit U (Feb 2021 with BONUS Metabolism Mastery to first 10, PLUS Fasting & Exercise Plan) Limited Time Replay: Exercise & Fasting in Menopause Flipping 50 Fitness Specialist course (ask about the mastermind too!) After 50 Fitness Formula for Women course (for the science of nutrition, exercise, stress, sleep, and hormones) Flipping 50’s Ultimate Smoothie Guide 

This listener question comes from a new listener and asks about balanced eating, and examples of good workouts if you don’t have weight to lose. She cleverly packed a lot of questions into her “ask.”  I answer the majority of them here. I hope you find it helpful to listen to this … and get a little more information in the resources for this episode too. I just recently found your podcast by doing a search on menopause – I’m loving it! Since I’ve only listened to a few you may have already discussed this, but here are some thoughts – balanced eating – I’ve listened to one about intermittent fasting (which I’ve been doing for a while), and heard you mention in another one the importance of protein. I’d love more on the importance of healthy fats and how much. I too am a product of the 80’s “no fat, low fat” era- I do incorporate healthy fats but really unsure of how much. What is the real good balance of protein, fat, and carbs?? Another thing I’m interested in is fitness ideas and examples of good workouts if you don’t have weight to lose but want to build strength. Thank you!! - Lauren  Questions in this Q and A episode: What is balanced eating? How much healthy fat is healthy? What are examples of good workouts for gaining strength, not necessarily losing weight? Your Turn Do you have a question I haven’t answered yet? Leave it below the show notes and on iTunes where you can leave a comment and a rating if the show and the time we spend preparing it for you is valuable? You can do that from your mobile phone. Click to Flipping50 in iTunes See in iTunes Add a rating and a review. Thank you so very much! Other content you may like: Why Fat Loss is Different (not impossible) After 50  How to workout: 5 day Flip (to get started, or restarted!)

Boosting your muscle in menopause is one of the smartest investments you'll make.  The physiological/hormonal/brain changes you begin to experience in perimenopause are useful to understand. What actionable items women can you take (with food, fasting, training, supplementing) in perimenopause and menopause that make you more immune to the roller coaster ride menopause doesn’t have to be? “Women are not little men” as my next guest explains [and aligns with my TEDx talk] We explain how women are uniquely different to help you better take care of yourself and navigate menopause and beyond. My Guest: Dr. Stephanie Estima is an expert in female metabolism and body composition. She is a doctor of chiropractic with a special interest in functional neurology, brain metabolism, and the specific application of the ketogenic diet and fasting to female physiology. She is particularly focused on distilling strategies in nutritional proxies, movement, posture, and mindset to actualize human potential, health span, longevity and achievement. She is a top writer on medium.com, with millions of reads in the health category, and has appeared on some of the biggest international stages. We talk all things muscle in menopause (all stages) today in this episode. As you are no doubt, a lover of metabolism boosting muscle in menopause already, I think you'll agree she fits right in here! Questions we answer in this episode: How can we eat to coincide with our menstrual cycle? What are some of the metabolic changes that happen in menopause and how do our monthly rhythms (eating) change? How can we change our training to coincide with our menstrual cycle? Why is resistance training so important as we flip 50? Access Stephanie’s New Book:  www.thebettybodybook.com Connect with Stephanie on Social media:  Instagram.com/dr.stephanie.estima/ 4 Week Keto Cycling Program (with Recipes!): https://thehealthloft.lpages.co/4-week-keto-cycling-plan/ It's Not Just Weight Training, It's How You Weight Train Two resources to make your muscle in menopause better with the right start.

Yes, supplements in menopause will influence your ability to get and keep muscles. They’ll support your immune system. They’ll influence your overall energy levels today and the way you age. You can eat “healthy” every day of the year, but we all slip sometimes. We can’t eat 21-27,000 calories it would take a day in the healthiest diets to reach even the RDAs. That number is far too low for optimal health, it simply helps you avoid disease. Yes, aging can impact your micronutrient sufficiency. Questions I answer about Supplements in Menopause: Are you able to eat your micronutrient needs? Are you absorbing all of them? (leaky gut, stress, competing ingredients, conditions, food sensitivities preventing you from absorbing 100%) What daily activities deplete what you eat? (exercise, over the counter and Rx) An example of Rx depleting actions: CoQ10 for instance, if you’re on statins, is something to look at. The best way to know if you need supplements for more energy and optimal life – or confirm which ones and how much is beneficial – is to test. Then go over that test results with someone like me who is tuned into the difference between optimal and normal ranges. Understanding Your Tests Normal ranges include an average of a lot of people who don’t feel very good. Optimal ranges let you know levels of someone who thrives with high energy, and a strong immune system. As a health and hormone coach I don’t prescribe or diagnose. I educate you on the results, what they mean and discuss changes you might want to consider. Together we put together a plan for doing that. Tests Support Your Compliance Never once in 37 years has any client said, “Debra, I just love taking my supplements.” Testing is often the kick you and I both need for compliance with what we said we wanted to do. When you see the numbers, you’re not shooting blanks. Suggestions for change are based on getting you to your optimal range. The knowledge you’re going to test again in 6 weeks is so very helpful for staying the course. Reading an article, watching a video suggesting that iron or Vitamin D or B12 is what you need for low energy, then running to Amazon thinking you need supplements for more energy according to no specific numbers doesn’t work very well. There are a lot of factors to consider. Partner with Someone Who Can Help Work with a coach on the project of you to consider whether you need supplements or what to do about it makes it a strategy that is sequential, time-sensitive, and gets better results. Start with a test. Go over them with a professional who’s tuned into functionally optimal levels, decide which changes you want to make, test again. I’ll link to the self-directed labs I use personally and share with my clients for testing themselves and also will go over these results with them. It’s important to consider what you’re referring to as supplements. Is this just your vitamins and minerals? Is it protein supplementation from protein shakes? Is it amino acids to supplement low protein diet or plant-based protein diet? Is it hormone supplementation or adaptogens? All might be considered beneficial supplements in menopause. Top supplements in menopause recommended by OBGYNs: An intelligent multivitamin Magnesium Omega 3 Vitamin D Probiotic Digestive enzyme If you’re not currently taking any or doing so consistently/randomly, it’s a perfect time to test need for supplements for energy, optimal aging, muscle tone, sleep and IMMUNITY. Your hormones, digestion, skin, as well as your muscle and body composition are dependent on micronutrient sufficiency. Your gut health or protein may also need a boost. So, these shouldn’t be ignored as you look for a best workout. Resources: Yourlabwork.com/flipping-50   Coupon Code: Flipping50 Supplements in Menopause (and every age) are important. Learn more from the After 50 Fitness Formula for Women course about which, why, how they help and how to test. Is one-on-one more your style? Are you interested in private coaching? Please explore the coaching package options here. If that feels like a match, and now is the time to invest in yourself, book a session to choose which one. [Limited number of private coaching spots available. Thank you for not booking without intention to enroll.] Note: As a Medical Exercise Specialist and Health Coach I do not diagnose or treat. The information here should never replace or substitute for that of your medical professional. I support you in considerations and making informed decisions about what you want to ask, try, and follow through with.

Dealing with menopause belly fat weight gain? So is one reader who asked for a refresher on this very commonly visited question at Flipping50. And here’s what you can do about it. I am wondering if you have any insights into why postmenopausal women gain weight in the stomach or lower stomach. I understand cortisol plays a big role. -Dixie In addition to refreshing your memory on the why here on possibly the most common question here at Flipping50, I’ll share the resources I’ve shared the past 7 years. I’ll give you a short list of items in the show notes here to use as a check list. And share resources if those aren’t coming easy to you. Questions I answer: What hormone shifts influence menopause belly fat weight gain? What does estrogen have to do with it? How does cortisol, as well as insulin come into it? Exercise that is most effective Is it fat, bloat, or constipation? Be sure you know. Checklist of Support Adaptagens  - maca – see macapause below, rodiola, ashwaganda Decrease stress exposure/Enhance your selfcare Change the way you exercise – first reduce fatigue (see 5 Day Flip) Reduce dietary-induced stressors (alcohol, processed foods, and those foods not agreeing with you!) Sleep (see Sleep Yourself Skinny) Optimize your carbohydrate cycling for cortisol and sleep Make sure you have adequate protein content daily at each meal Learn the cycle of carbs, protein, and fat (the After 50 Fitness Formula™) Belly fat weight gain is not an absolute. Yes, many women do experience it. Treat it as a sign you’re not adjusting your lifestyle habits to meet your needs now, not as a permanent sentence.  Signs of menopause are just whispers that you need to make changes in your lifestyle medicine. You can change, if you change. Resources: Macapause Natural Menopause Solutions You'll Love Flipping 50 Insiders Lab testing Cortisol - 4 sample saliva test About Flipping 50 Flipping 50 hosts the First and Only Exclusively dedicated Fitness Membership for Women in Menopause. It's based on research featuring women in menopause. You're not a mice, a man, or a young woman. And you don't just have hormones to work with, you have joints, ligaments, a history, and more conditions to juggle along with hormonal changes. That doesn't make it harder or impossible. It does mean whether you're getting started, restarted, or you're an athlete, you need intelligent exercise made for you.  You'll find not only the exercise, but the reason why you're exercising in the way you are and what it's doing for and to you. Try a small piece of the exercise here. It's 5 days of short videos, planned, not random, and for you not for "anyone."    

What about flipping 60? That’s such a frequently asked question. The question comes up so often that I’m dedicating this short podcast to answer. And it begs two responses. First your body, specifically your muscle and your bone. Second, your mindset. I’ve worked with many women over 37 years. Privately, in group situations, on campuses, and in private gyms, as well as in their homes, my home, and across the globe from SKYPE calls to Okinawa, Trinidad, Italy, Canada, and Australia to name a few. They’ve been realtors, lawyers, physicians, accountants, faculty, business owners, Here’s what I’ve found. What About Flipping 60 Physically? Physically, the biggest change you will make in your life occurs at about age 50. That’s a rough estimate because the average age of menopause is 51.3. However, some women reach it in their 40s, others not until their late 50s. The hormonal change you make causes a ripple effect in muscle, bone, body composition, metabolism, and heart health risk. Women in the late stage of perimenopause and early post menopause are at accelerated risk of losing muscle and bone because of the dramatic change in estrogen levels, namely though other hormones are influencing factors too. By the time you’re in your 60’s, your body has adapted to lower estrogen levels (or you may be on hormone replacement) and your losses are slowed. And Just What About Flipping 60? So, while the question, what about flipping 60? Often comes from women thinking that maybe this information isn’t appropriate for me because I’m older and need a gentler program, the opposite is true. You are more hardy and sturdy, unless you have a history of sedentary lifestyle and habits that contribute to muscle and bone losses. You actually stand to make more gains and improvements than a woman might just beginning in her early 50s because you are not in that period of accelerated loss. The biggest obstacle you face, may not be your physical ability, but the mindset around your aging. Thus, flipping 50. It is the flipping of the expectations, the actions, and the outcomes of women who are in the second half of your life. Flipping 50, 60, and 70 Mindset Women often but not always accept and settle for aging based on the conditioning and influence they’ve had on their mindset about aging. No two 60-somethings are alike. No two 70-somethings. I knew a young-at-heart woman friend of my mother’s back in the 70s and early 80s who was a perfect example of proactive aging long before her time. She was using supplements, exercising, and living thoughtfully. Yet, many women in the 70’s and 80s did not approach their aging proactively. She stood out because she was an anomaly. I remember her distinctly. We Do Have More Science Than Ever Before So, of course we can now access so much more information about the reality of what is possible as we age. Examples include Dan Buettner’s Blue Zones research, and organizations like Growing Bolder, International Council on Active Aging, and a growing number of studies showing us the effects of our epigenetics – our lifestyle – on our life and more importantly, “healthspan.” But it’s first and foremost attitude and expectations that change the way you age. The women who expect to gain weight, who have been conditioned to serve others, and put themselves last, who don’t put exercise or eating – or researching the eating they’re doing – at a high priority gain the most weight. They have the most hot flashes. They are surrounded by people who tell them they look good “for their age” or compared to most women their age they’re doing great. And so they accept it, or at the least it makes it harder to change the way you think about yourself and the way others think about you. Acceptance is Okay And by the way, if that is where you are, and what you want, is to be the weight you are and to accept and find peace with it rather than changing it and your health and health risk, I think it’s important that you know, it is your decision. In fact, I think ideal health is both. Do everything you can based not on your old beliefs and old science but on current science, and an openness to new strategies. Then also accept that there may be a boundary that you are unwilling to cross. If you won’t follow through with some changes and though you want the change, won’t do the daily and weekly changes to get there, there is either a gap between you understanding the science of how that will help, or there is just a “no, I’m not going to do it.” You are at choice. I’m here for the women who are willing to change. For the women who want to know the exercise, and the integrated lifestyle changes they can make and how they will affect their aging. For the women who are willing to do the deeper inner work and realize that their changing weight loss for years – while getting repeatedly injured and sick – is a sign that the changes they need and weight they need to lose is in their emotions and mindset. I’m here to help you go through the resistance to change that we all have as human nature. One of the hardest things that we do is change. Even when we choose it. Habit gravity is heavy. Change Is Hard Even when we have all the evidence in the world that what we’re doing isn’t working, we continue to do it. Without small actionable steps and building a bridge of tiny new habits. Research You May Like https://www.researchgate.net/publication/247158630_Comparison_of_Strength-Training_Adaptations_in_Early_and_Older_Postmenopausal_Women  

Tucked into all the life lessons of 2020, the fitness lessons from 2020 were pretty clear. Exercise done right boosts immunity. The first of fitness lessons from 2020 was the fact that it is moderate amounts of high and low intensity exercise, not moderate exercise that benefits your immune system most. Exercise supports depression, anxiety, and mood. Strength training to muscular fatigue prevents the muscle losses associated with aging. Strength training with heavy weight prevents bone losses associated with aging. Strength training (more than any form of cardio) improves longevity and the life in your years. It is not the strength training activity, it is the result of proper strength training that increases lean muscle, decreases fat, and therefore improves body composition. A question from Cary in our community, “If strength training does more to improve fat loss shouldn’t we do that more often?” That is such a logical thoughtful question. So, it’s important you realize it is not the 10, 20, or 40 minutes you spend strength training per session that improves fat loss, lean muscle loss prevention, and therefor body composition. Proper strength training is this formula: Adequate stimulus during the strength training session + adequate recovery after a session = Positive anabolic muscle response What is adequate stimulus during the strength training session? Overload to a point of temporary muscular fatigue - Done with a heavy weight and lower rep range or lighter weight and lower rep range Includes as many major muscle groups as possible – a full body routine, not a body part (or split routine) is best for women in midlife Includes compound exercises What is adequate recovery following a strength training session?             The purpose of all of the following is to improve anabolism, that is repair and rebuilding of the muscle following the act of breakdown during the workout. During exercise of any kind the muscles experience stress and microtears. When the body recovers it doesn’t just repair to original state, it overcompensates to be prepared for the next stress (workout).             If you’ve ever trained for a 5k you’ve experienced this. When you start, you’re not able to complete more than a mile. Then over time you can gradually do more and more, until you’re able to do the entire 3.1 miles. Or you’ve started a weightlifting routine and you’re using a 5 lb weight, and a few weeks later you realize you’re never tired at the end of a set and you need a heavier weight.              Adequate calories             A caloric deficit may be created because of activity, because of reduced calories and activity, or reduced calories – however during times of stress – from menopause, loss of sleep, stressful life situations, careful adherence to abundant micronutrient dense foods over strict calorie deficit is the better goal Adequate protein – especially in the presence of lower calories             Protein needs increase with age due to muscle protein synthesis decline. On a per meal basis, 30-40 grams of high-quality protein at breakfast and again at dinner (or slightly higher at dinner) along with a modest protein midday meal support muscle protein synthesis.             The 24 hours following strength training muscle protein synthesis is boosted, making it a prime time to increase protein intake slightly over other days of the week. In fact cycling protein intake over the weeks of the month if you’re still experiencing a cycle or you’re in menopause can improve your body composition significantly. The type of training you do and the protein you consume both together have dramatically improved results for many women, even in their 60s. Adequate rest between muscle re-stimulus             Without adequate rest anabolism will not be allowed to happen. Without enough time between coming back to the muscles again with a hard workout the repair can’t happen.             Imagine having the flu. You’re a busy person and when you start feeling better you get back into your regular routine to find yourself having to sit down after you take a shower and get ready, or maybe you make it until noon on your first day back and realize you’ve overdone it and wind up back in bed again. Your muscle, without the full recovery will experience more muscle wasting than repair and you may be losing muscle even while you’re exercising regularly.             To sum it up, recovery included not only the time between sessions, but the time between sets of exercise in a workout, and requires consideration of your nutrition, your life stressors, and quality of sleep – the ultimate rest. The right exercise is only small but important a part of the movement every woman needs in her day in order to impact her optimal health. Time was for many the biggest obstacle to exercise and when commuting, and distractions like social gatherings, entertaining and travel were removed exercise activity increased by 88% in those who had a lower level of activity before Covid (BC). Online options for fitness increased dramatically as did the across the age space generations taking advantage of them The wave of dumbbells, weight equipment purchases that left shelves, and even Amazon without weight training options, created a short term need to get creative with resistance equipment – from soup cans, to water bottles filled with rocks, then sand, then water, to backpacks or small pieces of luggage filled with books or sandbags. We got creative and found solutions.  Fortunately, because in a moment of midlife when you are more rapidly losing muscle and bone (late stages of perimenopause and early post menopause) abandoning a resistance training program now, or not beginning one, could have a devastating effect on disability in a decade or more… that is completely avoidable. Fitness lessons from 2020 will change your life, one way or another. Other posts you may like: Strength Training More Top 10 At Home Fitness Equipment Keeping up with Statistics in 2020? Register for the Food Flip (open through Wednesday January 27, 2021. I’d love to hear what fitness lessons from 2020 have stuck with you. Leave a comment below the show notes or join the Insider’s group.

What is the relationship between cortisol and exercise in menopause? Is cortisol sabotaging your exercise results? Understanding the Role of Cortisol and Exercise in Menopause I’m a science girl, a prove-it-to-me girl. I’m also a follow your gut and heart girl. The science spiritual. Quite the diverse continuum. I believe we all have the ability to use intuition and sense what’s best for our body. However, we’ve been so conditioned to be “good” and do the right thing, that because that has gotten so confused… is the right thing cardio, or HIIT specifically, or weight training, or yoga, or long walks… and is it eating animal foods or plant foods… we wonder. In the first a full series of audio recordings I’m doing exclusively for our Flipping 50 members only, I’m going to give you what I hope is an understanding of how cortisol is your friend if you let it, helping you to burn fat, or causing symptoms there for you to pick up. Belly Fat in Menopause Muffin top, as frustrating as it might be is not immediately life threatening. Yet, belly fat excess does become a heart health risk. In fact, cortisol signals like this left untapped is directly related to over 80 diseases. We’re in control of that. But we’ve been conditioned to do the wrong thing. We no longer trust our guts, our hearts, and listen to tired as a signal to rest. Instead, you override fatigue with caffeine and 5-hour energy. I’m not talking about your kids or your grandkids. In 2020 I’ve had 60-something women admit they’ve resorted to it and explained it away by saying they were just so tired. Listen, if you’re overweight, over tired, resorting to extremes like that, you’re drilling yourself into the ground and putting yourself and system under risky stress. Let’s start with what cortisol does. It is your energy hormone as well as your stress hormone. Let’s agree that both of these things are good. When you walk into a room full of people and you’re approached by someone who makes your hair stands on end… or you’re scared, even if only watching a movie, are signs of cortisol in part… and preparing you for fight-or-flight response. Exercise is a self-induced type of flight or flight response. And imagine how it works. If you did have to run from a monster, you got away from a difficult discussion, when you’re on the other side and safely escaped you exhale and feel restored again. Exercise provides a similar relief like that for many who are stressed. You may have a little too much adrenaline and cortisol (the adrenal glands signal the production of cortisol) and the exercise can do a satisfying job of helping to release that. HPA Axis Dysfunction For those with adrenal fatigue, they’ve been operating on overdrive for weeks or months without a recharge or break, they may experience weight loss, lethargy, fatigue. Let me be clear that adrenal fatigue is not a term recognized by Western medicine. But the HPA Axis Dysfunction is, and they are actually referencing the same situation. Long periods of high stress, can result in low levels of cortisol. During perimenopause estrogen levels begin to drop and cortisol begins to rise. The body has a way of wanting to find balance. The problem where muscle is concerned is lower estrogen makes it harder to keep or gain lean muscle, and cortisol causes more muscle breakdown. That’s a terrible one-two punch. If you’re guilty of thinking you can coast on coffee and not eat ‘til noon, or you’re not treating sleep like the goddess it is and it can make you, you’ve got even more cortisol blocking any efforts you’re making from exercise. In fact, even an appropriate amount of exercise for someone else is too much for you when you’ve got all these other factors going on. Overthinker? If you ruminate as many women do, thinking about the same problem and amplifying it instead of learning skills to stop that monkey mind and change your thoughts, emotions, and therefore your hormones you may have a harder time losing weight once this cortisol train gets started. Your exercise is just as important but it's more important that you get small regular doses that don’t increase cortisol too much and that lead to the post exercise decrease in cortisol you want. Your food needs to support your hormones. Healthy fat, ample protein, and tons of green vegetables are a good start. The levels of cortisol rise and fall throughout the day. Usually highest at about 8am and lowest at 2am. That is so you do have energy during the day, and can relax and get to sleep in the night. Of course, if all is well. You may be having wakings or night sweats as a result of blood sugar levels, other hormones, or your cortisol levels. There are steps to support yourself, and definite steps you want to take to avoid throwing yourself under the bus. Let’s outline some of the steps to support Cortisol and Exercise Choose your exercise type and timing based on your hormone status. To do this you’ll wonder what is my hormone status. You can test your hormones in a lab, and you can use the signs & symptoms chart in You Still Got It, Girl! And the After 50 Fitness Formula course to know how to respond. No matter if you do use lab tests  you should listen to how you feel. Lab tests vary, and using norms can suggest you’re normal when you feel terrible. This is because optimal levels are not the same as comparing yourself to the average of a lot of people who don’t feel well. That’s essentially what “norms” are. Your Cortisol & Exercise Relationship is Unique No longer are ‘position statements’ and ‘guidelines for physical activity’ enough for anyone really, but in particular a woman in midlife going through the biggest hormone shift in her life. You need a hormone balancing fitness expert. Because inevitably, you have not only hormones status to consider – which has too long been ignored – but you have a health history, joints and conditions true of you right now. Diverse Needs Even in Menopause There are commonalities among women in midlife, but there are still a diverse number of needs. There are women in the 60s starting to do triathlon for the first time ever, 70-year-olds doing Ironman distance triathlons, and there are women who are suffering from arthritis, fibromyalgia, and with other health concerns, who are all going through hormonal changes. Do not allow yourself to label yourself as “almost 70” or “way over 50” and tie meaning to it. Your desire, your prior history, your current hormone status and joint health all matter in your exercise plan. For healthy women in midlife, with energy, but not potentially as much as they like, High Intensity exercise performed early in the day while cortisol levels are naturally high is best. The #2 Tenent of Flipping 50 is “Intense Early, Light Late.” That alliteration will help you remember. You can do light level exercise any time. Short walks, longer walks, yoga, SUP.. do what you love. Yet, high intensity done late can disrupt your hormones and have a more negative effect than positive. When late day your body doesn’t have the cortisol that creates the energy for exercise, it will beg, borrow, and steal from another hormone that can be converted to cortisol, pregnenolone. Fight the urge to “catch up” and hit the quota of exercise. Please realize that you’ve been conditioned to “exercise more and eat less” for decades in order to lose weight. In midlife, this will backfire more than it ever has. It may also backfire for younger women, but never more than for you. The hormone changes you experience during menopause and that forever change you, mean using the wisdom of working with your body instead of punishing it with discipline will get you to your goal faster and with more ease than will pushing. Pay attention to frequent muscle or joint injuries and illness Cortisol causes muscle breakdown. Your thyroid eventually also can’t fully function when you’re allowed yourself to be stressed for long periods of time. Poor thyroid function can be related to your ligament health. There are a higher number of injuries among midlife women. Those frenzied workouts, or those that lack progression – even too quickly using intervals of long work duration and short recovery duration, and instructions to do as many reps as possible (AMRAP) in a specific time all encourage poor form especially as you tire. Your immune system will be boosted if you’re exercising appropriately for your adrenal status. But you’ll be constantly fighting the next cold or flu if you’re not using exercise instead to restore and to support. Exposure to an illness alone does not mean illness. A weak immune system does. Pay attention to your personal demand for perfection, for having a strong opinion, for needing things a certain way and for the need to internalize your emotions, thoughts, and beliefs. Since there’s no separation of mind, body, and soul, stress can show up quietly or loudly as you spin out of control. Know your stress signs. Know who causes you to feel them. While reaching for exercise to reduce or negate your stress level is something many women do, you need to reach for the right type. A run might be appropriate for some, while yoga or a short slow walk may be most beneficial. Define your toolbox based on the repair that needs to be done. The first thing coming out of fatigue from stress would be small, short, and low intensity movement. Notice I said movement. That is walking, yoga, stretching, Pilates, for instance. Maybe for you its stand up paddle board or a light swim. Next would be strength training. Long before, if ever, there is increased endurance exercise, strength. Every woman will do well to reach muscular fatigue. Challenge your major muscle groups. But you may in the beginning use 3 exercises for major muscles and repeat them 3 times, to complete a workout (not counting warm up and cool down) in about 10 minutes. Cortisol disrupts your blood sugar. It will elevate it. That then increases insulin. Cortisol and insulin together team up to redistribute fat to the belly. Cortisol has the ability to: Grow baby fat cells to big ones Create new fat cells Relocate fat cells to the belly When cortisol levels are taking you on a roller coaster ride, you will experience more cravings. Choosing poorly, will increase the likelihood that those choices are stored as fat in the belly. Exercise and Cortisol-Derived Belly Fat Stubborn cortisol belly fat of the visceral type, can be easier to remove however. By doing much less than you believe you “should” you may decrease your cortisol level. Imagine being at the gate of the most desirable destination, you’ve made it all this way, traveled so far, but you’re knocking, and they won’t let you in. Cortisol is the gatekeeper. Your efforts to get there won’t be recognized until you’ve done the foundational work. You’re going to have to go get the broom of the wicked witch and then come back. You’re going to in other words, have to eliminate the gate. Cortisol reduction is supported by you finding your personal stress toolbox. Your Stress Toolbox should have: Nutrition – higher protein, moderate high quality resistant starches, healthy fat, all taken at the right time and dose – food is medicine Sleep – if you’re uptight just hearing this, you’re likely not sleeping well, and the thought of going to bed stirs you up due to frustration. There are two dozen potential steps to support you. They can’t be random or inconsistent and you don’t need them all, you need to find the ones that work. Stress exposure reduction – people, toxic chemicals, situations, electronics, processed foods, food sensitivities, Love, joy – what do you do that you love, who do you surround yourself for support Laughter, humor – smiling and cortisol don’t go together Purpose – it may mean you work hard, but you’ll do it with ease because it pulls you and lights you up Recovery – you may need this one more than any if cortisol is closing the gate on your success right now. It is not any one thing for all of us. It is your personal perception of reality that allows or prevents your ability to experience stressful situations and respond either with your health intact or have it suffer. If you didn’t learn, weren’t taught, stress skills it’s never too late. Before testing: What will you do with results? The test gives you a measure. However, that will be a benchmark for you. You still must do – in this case, the heavy resting. It is most often the woman who does so much. Who loves to exercise. Who may have few other vices, that finds herself falling into cortisol imbalance. For testing your cortisol levels Saliva tests are the gold standard. You’re seeing the cortisol in real time and 4 key times of day. You’ll hold a cotton in your mouth until it is saturated with saliva and deposit in a tube. It’s simple, it’s done at home, then mailed to a lab where you’ll then see your results in a portal. Cortisol is the energy hormone. Cortisol is the stress hormone. Harnessing the power of cortisol can help you get things done and get far better exercise results. If you support your own natural hormone balance with responsible exercise for the current status, whether you are taking hormone supplementation or choose not to, fitness is easier, requires less effort, and contributes to longevity. Cortisol and Exercise Combination There is a wrong exercise, and right exercise at the wrong time, that will negatively impact your hormone balance. Have you gone on vacation? Eaten deliciously, exercised far less, though you moved more than usual, and returned home to find you lost weight, feel tremendously rested? That’s the power of cortisol reduction. Put down the weight tracking attachment to the scale, the required quota to exercise unless you feel rested, restored and ready, and allow yourself to trust again. Your body doesn’t lie. She’s telling you what to do. Every sign and symptom is a message that what you’re doing is not working. Pills, creams, and patches should not do the heavy lifting. You should, when you’re ready and you’ve earned the right to do so but filling up any hole you’ve dug yourself into.  

 Should you strength train more often? That is the question.  It is not the strength training activity, it is the result of proper strength training that increases lean muscle, decreases fat, and therefore improves body composition. A question from Cary in our community, “If strength training does more to improve fat loss shouldn’t we strength train more often?” That is such a logical thoughtful question. So, it’s important you realize it is not the 10, 20, or 40 minutes you spend strength training per session that improves fat loss, lean muscle loss prevention, and therefore body composition. Proper strength training follows this formula: Adequate stimulus during the strength training session + adequate recovery after a session = Positive anabolic muscle response What is adequate stimulus during the strength training session? Overload to a point of temporary muscular fatigue - Done with a heavy weight and lower rep range or lighter weight and higher rep range Includes as many major muscle groups as possible – a full body routine, not a body part (or split routine) is best for women in midlife Includes compound exercises What is adequate recovery following a strength training session?             The purpose of all of the following is to improve anabolism, that is repair and rebuilding of the muscle following the act of breakdown during the workout. During exercise of any kind the muscles experience stress and microtears. When the body recovers it doesn’t just repair to original state, it overcompensates to be prepared for the next stress (workout).             If you’ve ever trained for a 5k you’ve experienced this. When you start, you’re not able to complete more than a mile. Then over time you can gradually do more and more, until you’re able to do the entire 3.1 miles. Or you’ve started a weightlifting routine and you’re using a 5 lb weight, and a few weeks later you realize you’re never tired at the end of a set and you need a heavier weight.       Three big components of adequate recovery: Adequate calories             A caloric deficit may be created because of activity, because of reduced calories and activity, or reduced calories – however during times of stress – from menopause, loss of sleep, stressful life situations, careful adherence to abundant micronutrient dense foods instead strict calorie deficit is the better goal Adequate protein – especially in the presence of lower calories             Protein needs increase with age due to muscle protein synthesis decline. On a per meal basis, 30-40 grams of high-quality protein at breakfast and again at dinner (or slightly higher at dinner) along with a modest protein midday meal support muscle protein synthesis. Prime Time for Boosting Lean Muscle             The 24 hours following strength training muscle protein synthesis is boosted, making it a prime time to increase protein intake slightly over other days of the week. In fact cycling protein intake over the weeks of the month if you’re still experiencing a cycle or you’re in menopause can improve your body composition significantly. The type of training you do and the protein you consume both together have dramatically improved results for many women, even in their 60s. Adequate rest between muscle re-stimulus             Without adequate rest anabolism will not be allowed to happen. Without enough time between coming back to the muscles again with a hard workout the repair can’t happen. For Instance             Imagine having the flu. You’re a busy person and when you start feeling better you get back into your regular routine to find yourself having to sit down after you take a shower and get ready, or maybe you make it until noon on your first day back and realize you’ve overdone it and wind up back in bed again. Your muscle, without the full recovery will experience more muscle wasting than repair and you may be losing muscle even while you’re exercising regularly. Review What Happens If You Strength Train More Often To sum it up, recovery included not only the time between sessions, but the time between sets of exercise in a workout, and requires consideration of your nutrition, your life stressors, and quality of sleep – the ultimate rest. Strength training at a frequency of twice a week to muscle overload that causes temporary muscle fatigue, allows 72 hours between for recovery, and fits easily into most busy women’s schedules. It also allows the energy and desire for more movement in every day that ultimately prevents obesity more than a frequent exercise schedule that leads to couch compensation. What does work? Adding a third - functional workout - in the middle of two heavier sessions. There you have it, my answer to should you strength train more often? Who Is “Most Fit?” It is that woman who has the energy to play golf, clean the house, entertain grandchildren at the park or learn to dance or SUP that ultimately spends far more calories than an exerciser who sits all day with no energy or too sore to do more. You might also like: Stuart Philips on Flipping 50   Dr Gabrielle Lyon on Flipping 50   Dr Douglas Paddon-Jones on Flipping 50     Resources mentioned in this episode: The 5 Day Flip The Flipping 50 Fitness Specialist