651: Perimenopause: What's Actually Happening, What It Does to Your Fitness + What Will Help the Most

If you have ever finished a workout drenched in sweat, muscles burning, feeling like you absolutely crushed it, and still wondered why your body is not changing the way you want it to, this episode is for you. There is this belief that more reps automatically means more results. More burning. More sweating. More pushing through. More "just keep going." And I get why that feels like it should work. A high-rep workout can feel intense in the moment, so of course your brain starts thinking, "This has to be doing something." But what if the thing you are building is not actually the thing you think you are building? In this episode of Embrace Your Real, we are talking about what high reps actually do, why that burn can be a little misleading, and what your muscles really need if your goal is to feel stronger, more defined, and more confident in your body. What's Discussed: Why high-rep workouts can feel so effective in the moment

Mama, when was the last time you ended the day and actually let yourself believe you did a good job? Maybe the house was still messy. Maybe dinner was whatever you could throw together. Maybe you lost your patience once or twice. Maybe the day looked nothing like the version you had in your head. But your kids were fed. They were loved. They were safe. And somehow, even with all of that being true, it can still feel hard to say, "I did enough today." If that feels familiar, this episode is for you. Somewhere along the way, the bar for being a "good mom" got set so high that no real human could reach it. And now so many moms are walking around feeling like they are failing when they are actually doing an incredible job. In this episode of Embrace Your Real, we are talking about three things that change when you stop trying to be a perfect mom. My hope is that this helps you loosen your grip on the version of motherhood that was never realistic and start seeing the ways you are already showing up. What's Discussed: Where the pressure to be a perfect mom starts to come from

Hey hey beautiful human! Some body image advice sounds really good until you are the one standing in front of the mirror trying to believe it. "Just love your body." "Say positive things to yourself." "Focus on the parts you like." And listen, I know most of that advice is meant to help. But when I was really struggling with how I felt in my body, some of it did not make me feel better. Some of it made me feel like I was failing at body confidence too. And that is such a frustrating place to be. In this episode of Embrace Your Real, we are talking about the body image advice that did not help me, why it felt so hard to actually use, and what started to make a difference when forcing myself into body love did not feel honest yet. My hope is that this episode gives you a more realistic place to start if body positivity feels too far away right now. What's Discussed: Why "just love your body" is not always helpful when you are struggling

Hey hey beautiful human! I have officially lost 40 pounds since having my baby. And yes, that number is exciting, but what feels even better is that I feel stronger than I have in years. My endurance is better. I am lifting consistently. I am training for a marathon. And when I think about where I started postpartum, it honestly feels wild. So if you have been wondering what changed, I get it. Did I overhaul everything? Did I follow some intense plan? Did I cut out foods? Did I start working out every single day? Did I finally find some secret that made the weight come off? Not exactly. In this episode of Embrace Your Real, I am sharing the very unsexy advice that helped me lose 40 pounds, feel stronger, and build a routine I actually believe I can keep. It is probably not the flashy answer most people want, but it is the one I keep coming back to because it works in real life. What's Discussed: Why big results do not always come from big overhauls

Hey hey beautiful human! The last few months of the year can make everything feel like it is moving faster. The holidays are coming. The calendar starts filling up. There are events, family plans, travel, work, errands, and a million little things that suddenly need your attention. And somewhere in the middle of all of that, it gets really easy to tell yourself, "I will get back to me in January." But I do not want you to lose the next three months just because life feels full. In this episode of Embrace Your Real, I am sharing three quotes to carry with you this month when motivation feels low, your schedule feels busy, or one imperfect decision makes you want to throw the whole thing away. These are the reminders I want you coming back to when showing up for yourself does not feel easy, exciting, or perfectly planned. What's Discussed: Why the last few months of the year can make consistency feel harder