Menopause Motivation

Cravings once felt like my biggest weakness, but I’ve come to see they’re actually my greatest superpower. In this episode, I share how cravings have guided me through some of the toughest chapters of my life, and how they can do the same for you. If you’ve ever felt stuck in the cycle of food controlling you, this conversation will help you see cravings in a completely new light.

If you’re in midlife or menopause and feel overwhelmed and stuck, unable to achieve your health & fitness goals, this episode is for you. I'm a 53 year old personal trainer and I share my personal journey through the combined struggle of menopause and midlife. I couldn't shake off the desire for change, but I didn't know how to make it happen. This is my story of how I discovered the mindset, nutrition, and exercise strategies that helped me take back control, build strength, and feel confident again, not just in my body, but in myself, in knowing what I wanted for me, and giving myself permission to go for it.

Another truly uplifting catch-up with Rachel. She was struggling with perimenopause and had made several changes to her life, including changing jobs and giving up exercise, but she was still struggling with low energy and feeling like the joy had gone out of her life. She felt that diet was the missing piece of the jigsaw, but felt too overwhelmed to change her habits. We caught up a month after our initial call and what a transformation. Within two days of putting her new plan into action she felt better. She was less anxious and sleeping better. When she did wake up she could get back to sleep quickly. She had more energy, less brain fog and had found her mojo. Crucially, she felt the changes had been really easy to make, and this is so important. Listen to Rachel talk about the changes she's made and you'll hear the enthusiasm in her voice about the difference its made to her. More support from Gabrielle Apply to appear on my podcast by emailing me at hello@gabrielleohare.com You can find similar advice in my book which is available on ⁠Amazon⁠ There is more information on exercise, nutrition and wellbeing on my ⁠website⁠ and you can sign up for my weekly newsletter there.

This episode is a great reminder that Thriving After 40 isn't just about food. Emma lost her fitness after catching Covid and then perimenopause struck bringing anxiety and issues with sleep. As her kids hit their teens she was also missing the socialising that she did with other parents when the children were younger. She wanted to take better care of herself, but was overwhelmed by all the things she was supposed to be doing, and wasn't doing anything. She needed a plan that would work for her. I loved this episode because the main focus was about making time to do things that brought Emma pleasure in her life. When I asked her what she did for herself, she realised she did nothing. Yet she worked hard at her job and spent most evenings ferrying her kids around. We need a reward for the work we put in. Often we turn to food to do this, and I suspected this was the reason she was turning to biscuits and chocolate during the day, even though she ate a healthy diet and didn't suffer with hunger or cravings. Another key part of our chat was about exercise and how she could find time and energy to build up her fitness again because this had been a big part of her life pre Covid and she knew it would improve her mood and even her sleep. More support from Gabrielle You can find similar advice in my book which is available on Amazon There is more information on exercise, nutrition and wellbeing on my website and you can sign up for my weekly newsletter there.

Rachel is 3 years perimenopause and her biggest symptoms are mood swings, anxiety and overwhelm and real loss of joy. Taking the brave step of changing career didn't remove the feelings of anxiety that she'd hoped. Determined to make more changes she cut down on alcohol and joined a running club. But she just couldn't get a grip on her diet. She knew toast for breakfast and meal deals for lunch weren't ideal, but she couldn't break the cycle. The natural response to this is feeling guilty, being angry with yourself for being lazy/useless/disorganised, and with that comes a lot of negative self-talk that can take over your brain and direct a lot of anger and frustration towards yourself. This is not a small deal because it can have a huge impact on how you feel about yourself. Yet, when you lead a busy, stressful life and have to deal with anxiety and overwhelm, getting a grip on your diet can completely evade you. That's why these sessions work so well. It's so much easier when you take a step back with someone who can help you figure things out. And that's what we do in this week's episode. We find simple changes that Rachel can actually make without adding extra work or making her feel overwhelmed. Tune in now and listen to how we figured it out, because the same ideas could well work for you too. MORE SUPPORT FROM GABRIELLE You can find similar advice in my book Why Women Over 40 Can't Lose Weight which is available on ⁠Amazon⁠ If you'd like to apply to be coached in a future podcast, please email me at hello@gabrielleohare.com Private coaching is also available. To find out more click ⁠here

This follow-up session with Allison is a really special episode. When we first spoke a few weeks ago I told her she was practically starving herself. I gave her some advice on what to change to see some improvements, but what I didn't know at the time was that Allison has MS. I only found out a few weeks later when I checked in on her and she told me she was in the middle of a relapse or a MS Hug. I was really nervous about our catch-up. She had recovered from the relapse, but I know how hard it is to make diet changes with the usual stressors we all have to cope with. But doing it while coping with MS relapses and the side effects of the condition? But what Allison told me blew me away. Within a few days of making the changes I'd given her, she felt immediately better. Then the MS Hug hit and she was confined to bed, relying on her family to care for her until she recovered. But as soon as she could, she got back onto it. Her new way of eating had made such a profound difference, she was determined to keep going. Now she's got her hunger and cravings under control and has even found the energy to go walking everyday for 45 minutes. These are the things that change your life. Don't miss this episode - it will change your mindset about the power of what you eat.

In this short but sweet episode, Anna takes me through an impressive list of changes she's experienced after making really simple changes. Better sleep, less hungry, fewer cravings, more energy, not hangry any more, less brain fog and half a stone lighter in just over a month. The changes she made were easy to work into her busy lifestyle and she still ate the same meals as her family, something that was really important to her. The secret is to start prioritising your own health and well-being, which Anna completely embraced. Tune in and listen to what she did and how it worked for her.

If you can't seem to make time for yourself, then listen to this truly uplifting episode with Bev, who told me she felt 200% better after making some tiny changes to her lifestyle after our first call a couple of months ago. Bev has a full-time job and a family, she runs a running club and was struggling with menopause so much, she was often shattered. She was the first person to sign up for the live coaching, because she just felt something was missing from her life and couldn't work out how to move forwards. The changes I suggested in our session were tiny, set boundaries around when she was available to her running groups (her Whatsapp was pinging all night) and take time out to read. She loved reading but never got around to it. These sound so simple it's hard to believe they made such a big impact. But what happened was she immediately felt so much happier and better in herself that they became a catalyst for her to look for other small changes she could make to take better care of herself - and the list was impressive! Doing more for herself didn't get in the way of doing her job or her other responsibilities, but it meant she became her own priority and as a result, everyone else benefitted, but mostly Bev. She felt happier and more energetic. She became more productive and a better runner and got her mojo back. Listen to this show and I guarantee you'll be inspired to make changes to your own life too. Get Featured on the Show If you'd like to appear in an episode email me at hello@gabrielleohare.com Coaching with Me If a public session isn't for you but you'd like to book private coaching sessions with me then you can find out more here: www.thrive-after40.com

A month ago Sybil appeared on the show. She was struggling to lose weight following diets that she'd relied on for years. She also wanted to start exercising, but just didn't have the time. What her dilemma boiled down to was how do you get past feeling stuck, so you can start making progress? Sybil came back to let me know how the changes I suggested she make, had worked for her. She told me the biggest transformation had been her mindset. After a lifetime of dieting and obsessing about what she was eating, she was now thinking about food from a completely different point of view. She had more energy, her mood was better and she felt less stressed because she didn't feel hungry all the time. Listen to the episode and hear all about the powerful transformation Sybil experienced. Abandoning the diet mentality has enabled her to create a much healthier lifestyle and the great news is that she found the changes easy to make and experienced the benefits very quickly.

In this episode, Gabrielle speaks to Sybil, a 52-year-old mother juggling 3 jobs, a dog and a chronic back condition. She suffers from low energy and brain fog and wants to get rid of her menopause belly, and, knowing that strength training is important at this age, she wants to start training. But, she explains that even though she feels like she knows what she should be doing, she just can't make it happen. Gabrielle digs into her diet in more detail and discovers that she eats far too little during the week. Her big downfall is snacking and eating sweets and treats with her daughter - so she doesn't make her daughter feel bad about eating them. During the conversation, Gabrielle finds that Sybil has a much more powerful goal than simply losing weight, which could give her the motivation she needs to make the lifestyle changes she desperately wants to make. She also suggests Sybil prioritises energy over dieting because until she has more energy, she's not going to be able to manage the extra exercise. Lastly, she asks Sybil to think about her weekend boundaries and dig deeper into her willingness to snack and eat sweets with her daughter. By the end of the episode, Sybil has a clear action plan and agrees to catch up with Gabrielle again in a month's time to tell her how she's got on. This second session will also be recorded. More support from Gabrielle You can find similar advice in my book Why Women Over 40 Can't Lose Weight which is available on ⁠Amazon⁠ If you'd like to apply to be coached in a future podcast, please email me at hello@gabrielleohare.com Private coaching is also available. To find out more click ⁠here

Anna juggles full-time work with being a mum to two hungry boys. Eating together as a family is really important to her, but the meals that keep her husband and kids full of energy aren't working for her. She is steadily gaining weight but doesn't want to cook separate meals for herself. For one, she doesn't have time, but more importantly, she doesn't want the kids exposed to dieting or restriction. In this session, I dig into Anna's eating habits outside of family meals and help her understand how the compromises of working from home are behind her compulsion to snack even though she's not hungry. The answer lies in focusing on the meals she eats during the day when the kids are at school, and making small tweaks to the family dinner time meal, so those meals work for her as well as her family. Anna and I agreed on a plan as well as scheduling a follow-up call in 4 week's time which will also be recorded, so you can listen to how she gets on. More support from Gabrielle You can find similar advice in my book Why Women Over 40 Can't Lose Weight which is available on Amazon If you'd like to apply to be coached in a future podcast, please email me at hello@gabrielleohare.com Private coaching is also available. To find out more click here

In this episode, Gabrielle speaks to Allison, a 50-year-old mother of teenagers who said that she felt lost. She suffers from health issues that cause fatigue and battles constant hunger. It didn't matter what she ate, she still had an empty feeling she hated but couldn't fill. She candidly explains what she eats in a day and is surprised when Gabrielle tells her she's starving herself. During the course of the show, Allison and Gabrielle agree on a plan and Allison will come back in 4 weeks' time to explain how she's got on. More support from Gabrielle You can find similar advice in my book Why Women Over 40 Can't Lose Weight which is available on ⁠Amazon⁠ If you'd like to apply to be coached in a future podcast, please email me at hello@gabrielleohare.com Private coaching is also available. To find out more click ⁠here⁠

This is the first of a new series of live coaching sessions where I help women over 40 overcome the challenges they face in sticking to their diet and exercise routines. We're faced with tons of advice about what we should or shouldn't be doing, but the reality is that we struggle to put it into practice. This series will help women identify the blockers that are holding them back and unlock the small changes that will help them get the results that are eluding them. Bev was one of the first volunteers to sign up for this. After losing 5 stone and falling in love with exercise, a couple of special holidays, Covid and then menopause, all conspired to throw her off track. We talk about the bread-and-butter habit she turns to to compensate for sleepless nights and the struggle to start strength training sessions that she knows will help her running. But the issue I really want to focus on is how can she build up her energy levels. Like most women, Bev is constantly trying to do more, but first, she needs to boost her energy so she has the resolve to eat healthier meals and switch up her exercise routine without leaving her exhausted. By the end of the session, Bev and I have a clear action plan in place that she will follow for the next 5 weeks. Then, we'll be getting back together to record a follow-up to hear how she's got on and what changes she's noticed. More support from Gabrielle You can find similar advice in my book Why Women Over 40 Can't Lose Weight which is available on ⁠Amazon⁠ If you'd like to apply to be coached in a future podcast, please email me at hello@gabrielleohare.com Private coaching is also available. To find out more click ⁠here⁠

We all know we should eat healthier and get more exercise, but I think the real question that needs answering is how. How do we find the motivation to do these things when we are stressed and have so much to do? In this week's episode I ask Shiela Docker for her take on this question. Sheila is a Health & Wellness Coach who also works with T2 Diabetic Patients through the NHS. She overhauled her lifestyle in her mid-40s after suffering from chronic health issues for most of her adult life. We discuss what motivates her and get her thoughts on progress not perfection and whether there's room in a healthy diet for treats and enjoyment, and how we navigate the fine line between accepting our bodies as they are now and becoming the best version of ourselves. More about Shelia & How To Work with her Sheila is Health and Wellness Coach, an NLP Practitioner and NHS Health Coach. Website: https://www.theprimalzone.com/ Linked in: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sheiladocker/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the_primal_zone/

When I gave up alcohol, I worried I wouldn't enjoy going out anymore, or that it might even change my relationship with my partner. Thinking about this was too overwhelming, so I just focused on one day at a time. But these are valid worries which could discourage women who are falling out of love with alcohol from trying. But when I met up with Life Coach, Sam Parkinson recently, she had an entirely different perspective to share, how giving up drinking is a gateway into a more adventurous and fulfilling life. Middle age is a time when we crave change, but our fears can hold us back. Both Sam and I have found that since we've stopped drinking our lives have taken a different turn, making us feel stronger, more confident and even sexier. In this episode, Sam shares her experiences and explains how important it is to replace the highs you thought you were getting from alcohol, with real highs that have the power to change how you feel about yourself. More about Sam & how to work with her Sam Parkinson is a 57-year-old wellness and life coach, living in Stockport, Greater Manchester. Trained in Positive Psychology coaching, she works with people, on a one-to-one basis, who want to make positive changes in their lives to move them towards a goal or help them become unstuck, including lifestyle changes around alcohol, dealing with menopause symptoms, coping after a divorce or wanting a career change. She also offers alcohol awareness workshops to organisations. Her next course is in July https://www.samparkinsonwellness.com/time-for-you-courseWebsite: https://www.samparkinsonwellness.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/samparkinsonwellness Tips for mindful drinking and reducing: https://www.samparkinsonwellness.com/tipsformindfuldrinkingandreducing

We all want to feel better and be healthier, but the reality is that many of us simply don't have the time, energy or headspace to change. So the big question is, how do we overcome the overwhelm? In the second episode of Thrive After 40 I am joined by Jane Fox, a solution-focused hypnotherapist. Together we discuss the different types of thoughts and thinking patterns that keep us stuck in our heads and how to take back ownership of our minds so we can clear out the clutter and free up the mental energy to take on new things, or just allow ourselves to feel more relaxed. If you've been trying to make changes to your lifestyle but have struggled with overwhelm, you'll learn simple yet highly effective techniques that you can put into practice straight away. Sometimes, however, we simply have too much on our plates and need a helping hand and support from someone else to enable us to make changes. Jane explains how hypnotherapy works and how she helps her clients break through stress to make life easier. For more info about hypnotherapy and access to some valuable free resources, visit janefoxhypnotherapy.co.uk For more information about Gabrielle & Thrive After 40 including a free, 7-Day reset visit thrive-after40.com

Thrive after 40. What does it mean? In this first episode, I introduce what Thrive After 40 is all about. It all started when I sat down after waving my daughter off on her first day of secondary school. She was at the beginning of a new stage in her life, and I knew that before long, she would be flying the nest, off having wonderful adventures and enjoying life as an adult. As I thought about her living her best life, I wanted a piece of the action too! Her becoming independent meant I was free of ties of parenting. I too had a wonderful opportunity for new adventures, and that’s what I wanted. At some point, our lives will change. We’ll want a change of career, or to retire or go part-time, and our kids will leave home, or at least wont need us 24/7. I wanted to be able to make the most of this opportunity and this meant taking care of my my physical health and finding freedom from the things that held me back; an unhealthy relationship with food, being unhappy with my body and fear of change. Thrive after 40 is the journey we take to get ourselves in great physical and mental shape so we can fully embrace the second half of our lives.