Body Freedom with Michele Scarlet

Eating less, exercising more, and STILL gaining weight?
You're eating healthy. You're watching your calories. You're working out harder than ever. So why isn't the scale moving in the right direction?
In this episode of the Body Freedom Podcast, Michele Scarlet sits down with hormone nutritionist and Functional Diagnostic Nutrition Practitioner Monika Eva to discuss stubborn weight gain, belly fat, hormone imbalances, exhaustion, and why eating less and exercising more isn't always the answer.
Monika knows this frustration firsthand.
After gaining 20 pounds despite eating healthy and exercising twice a day, she went to her doctor looking for answers. She was exhausted, struggling with her weight, and knew something wasn't right.
Her doctor's advice? Eat less and exercise more.
But she was already doing both.
Monika eventually began investigating her hormone health, digestion, nutrition, and lifestyle. After changing her approach, she lost over 25 pounds without obsessive calorie counting, endless cardio, or spending hours in the gym.
Together, Michele and Monika challenge the traditional calories-in, calories-out mentality and explain why successful, sustainable weight loss involves looking at more than just what you eat and how much you exercise.
IN THIS EPISODE:
Why am I gaining weight despite eating healthy and exercising?
Can hormone imbalances, cortisol, and stress contribute to stubborn weight gain?
What is holistic weight loss, and how is it different from traditional dieting?
How Monika lost over 25 pounds without counting calories or doing endless cardio.
Why tracking food can be helpful without becoming obsessive.
How digestion, constipation, sleep, and nutrition may influence weight management.
Why the scale can jump several pounds without actual fat gain.
How water retention and menstrual cycles affect daily weight fluctuations.
Are you really gaining muscle, or is something else contributing to your weight gain?
The four foundational habits Michele recommends revisiting when weight loss stalls.
One of the most important distinctions in this conversation is the difference between weight gain and fat gain.
Gaining five pounds over a weekend doesn't necessarily mean you've gained five pounds of fat.
Seeing the scale increase after a workout doesn't automatically mean you've gained muscle.
And if you're consistently gaining weight despite eating well and exercising, simply telling yourself to work harder may mean overlooking other factors worth investigating.
If you're a woman over 40 who's exhausted from dieting, exercising, and feeling like your body isn't responding, this episode is for you.
Because your body deserves more than another calorie deficit.
🎙️ I WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU!
What's something you've been doing to lose weight that simply isn't working anymore?
Have you been told to eat less and exercise more, even though you're already doing everything you can?
Leave me a quick voice message. Tell me your story, ask a question, or share what you wish someone would finally explain about weight loss after 40.
👉 https://www.speakpipe.com/msg/s/506539/1/3t7f9x0pzvrv0cid
Your question might inspire a future episode of Body Freedom!
🍃 STRUGGLING WITH FOOD NOISE OR CONSTANT CRAVINGS?
If you're constantly thinking about food, battling cravings, or fighting the urge to snack, more willpower isn't necessarily the answer.
Crave Support by Just Ingredients is a supplement I recommend as part of a healthy nutrition and lifestyle routine.
Get 10% off Crave Support here:
👉 https://justingredients.com/MICHELE10?q=crave-support
Want more support with food noise and weight loss after 40?
Grab my free Food Noise Guide, including practical strategies and a one-day meal plan.
👉 https://michelescarlet.com/foodnoise
⏱️ EPISODE CHAPTERS
00:00 Why Am I Gaining Weight Despite Dieting and Exercising?00:49 Meet Monika Eva: Hormones, Nutrition & Weight Loss02:49 Monika's Journey From Law to Holistic Health04:35 Eating Less, Exercising More & Still Gaining Weight07:06 Can You Have Hormone Problems in Your 20s?09:25 Hormone Testing: Cortisol, Estrogen & Progesterone11:33 How Monika Lost 25 Pounds Without Counting Calories13:50 What Is Holistic Weight Loss & Why Does It Work?16:16 Should You Track Calories and Macros to Lose Weight?19:24 Holistic Weight Loss vs. Calories In, Calories Out27:37 What to Do When You're Eating Healthy but Not Losing Weight29:30 Inflammation, Water Retention & Sudden Weight Gain30:10 Why Does My Weight Fluctuate So Much Day to Day?34:09 Are You Really Gaining Muscle or Just Gaining Weight?35:34 Is Unexplained Weight Gain a Symptom of Something Else?39:29 What to Do Instead of Dieting Harder
CONNECT WITH MONIKA EVA
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/monikaeeva
The Balanced Body Podcast: Available on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.
CONNECT WITH MICHELE SCARLET
Michele Scarlet is a Functional Diagnostic Nutrition Practitioner, personal trainer, and host of the Body Freedom Podcast, helping women over 40 explore the factors behind stubborn weight gain, fatigue, digestive symptoms, and changing metabolic health.
Website: https://michelescarlet.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/michelescarlet_/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@michelescarlet_
Enjoyed this episode? Follow the Body Freedom Podcast and share it with a woman who's tired of being told to eat less and exercise more.
 
 
 
Medical disclaimer: This episode is for educational purposes and includes personal experiences and practitioner opinions. Weight changes can have multiple causes, and some mechanisms discussed are simplified or not firmly established. Supplements are not substitutes for medical treatment. Consult a qualified healthcare professional for individualized advice.

You've been told your hormones are normal. Your thyroid is fine. The weight gain is just perimenopause. The exhaustion? That's what happens when you get older.
But what if nobody is asking the right questions?
In this episode of the Body Freedom Podcast, Michele Scarlet sits down with nurse practitioner Tammy O'Rourke, PhD, to tackle a controversial question: Are women's hormones finally being taken seriously, or have we found another way to sell women treatments?
Tammy isn't just a hormone and thyroid prescriber. She's lived through stage 4 endometriosis, medically induced menopause, ovarian cancer, and what she describes as serious failures within the healthcare system.
And she has some strong opinions about how women's health is being treated.
We get into the uncomfortable conversations around perimenopause, hormone replacement therapy (HRT), thyroid medication, unexplained weight gain, and why so many women are still being told everything is normal when they feel anything but.
IN THIS EPISODE:
Why Tammy was prescribed birth control at just 13 years old.
The woman who spent 30 years on Synthroid without having her T3 tested.
Why some women still experience fatigue, bloating, insomnia and weight gain after starting HRT.
Bioidentical vs. synthetic hormones: what's the difference, and what should you ask your provider?
How thyroid health, insulin, iron levels and other health factors may contribute to persistent symptoms.
Why debilitating periods are too often dismissed as a normal part of being a woman.
Whether the growing hormone-treatment industry is helping women or creating new questions.
This isn't a conversation about putting every woman over 40 on hormone therapy. It's about challenging assumptions, asking better questions, and understanding why a treatment that works for one woman may not work for another.
Because getting older doesn't mean you should stop asking why you feel terrible.
🎙️ I WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU!
Have you ever been told your weight gain, exhaustion, hormone symptoms, or something else was just a normal part of getting older?
What's one symptom you've been told is normal that doesn't feel normal to you?
Leave me a quick voice message by clicking the link below! I want to hear your story, your questions, and what you wish someone had taken seriously.
👉 https://www.speakpipe.com/msg/s/506539/1/3t7f9x0pzvrv0cid
Your question or story might even inspire a future episode of Body Freedom!
 
⏱️ EPISODE CHAPTERS
00:00 Are Women's Hormones Being Ignored or Overtreated?
01:47 Endometriosis, Ovarian Cancer & Tammy's Story
07:00 Why Women Are Still Struggling to Get Hormone Answers
09:48 Why Estrogen and Progesterone Aren't the Whole Story
14:26 Thyroid Medication, T3 Testing & Persistent Symptoms
18:17 Environmental Exposures and Hormone Health
19:19 Nutrition, Dairy & Inflammation
23:22 Food Marketing, Lobbying & Women's Health
24:32 Bioidentical vs. Synthetic Hormones: What's the Difference?
28:29 Why Some Women Still Feel Terrible on HRT
31:02 Menopause, Aging & Long-Term Health
34:38 Cholesterol, Estrogen & Heart Health
36:38 HRT Weight Gain: Why Did I Gain 15 Pounds?
41:13 Heavy Periods, Medical Dismissal & Better Care
🔗 CONNECT WITH MICHELE SCARLET
Website: https://michelescarlet.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/michelescarlet_/
Subscribe on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@michelescarlet_
CONNECT WITH TAMMY O'ROURKE
Happy Hormones Canada: https://happyhormonescanada.ca
Book: Tammy Talks Hormones: Generationally SpeakingBuy Its Now - https://amzn.to/47hYjGn
🎙️ Enjoyed this conversation? Subscribe to the Body Freedom Podcast and share this episode with a woman who's tired of being told her symptoms are just part of getting older.
MEDICAL DISCLAIMER: This episode shares the guests' personal experiences and clinical opinions for educational purposes. Some views discussed are debated within medicine and should not be taken as established medical guidance. Hormone therapy, thyroid medication, screening and other treatments require individualized medical evaluation. Never start, stop or change prescribed treatment without consulting a qualified healthcare professional.
 

Do mammograms actually save lives? And are some women being treated for breast cancers that would never have harmed them?
After 17 years as a breast surgeon and surgical oncologist, Dr. Jenn Simmons began questioning everything she had been taught about breast cancer screening.
In this provocative episode of the Body Freedom Podcast, Michele Scarlet and Dr. Simmons discuss why she changed her position on mammograms, the science of overdiagnosis, the risks of unnecessary treatment, and the difference between detecting cancer and saving lives.
They also explore breast cancer risk, genetics versus metabolic health, GLP-1 medications, radiation exposure, biopsies, and emerging alternatives to conventional breast screening, including QT ultrasound and tear-based risk testing.
This conversation challenges conventional thinking and gives women important questions to bring to their healthcare providers.
🎧 EPISODE CHAPTERS
00:00 — Do Mammograms Really Save Lives?01:35 — Who Is Dr. Jenn Simmons? Former Breast Surgeon02:06 — Why Dr. Jenn Simmons Left Conventional Breast Surgery05:42 — Do Mammograms Reduce Breast Cancer Deaths?09:31 — What Is Breast Cancer Overdiagnosis?12:18 — How Do Immune Health and Toxins Affect Cancer Risk?16:17 — Why Are More Young Women Getting Cancer?17:27 — Is Breast Cancer Genetic or Metabolic?20:14 — GLP-1 Medications, Weight Loss, and Breast Cancer Risk25:06 — Muscle Mass, Bone Density, Sleep, and Cancer Prevention27:32 — Can Mammograms or Breast Biopsies Spread Cancer?28:05 — Does Mammogram Radiation Increase Breast Cancer Risk?31:52 — Radiation Therapy: Risks and Long-Term Side Effects34:12 — Does Breast Cancer Surgery Address the Root Cause?36:29 — What Are the Alternatives to Mammograms?39:51 — Screening Mammograms vs. Diagnostic Mammograms42:40 — What Are the Risks and Benefits of Mammograms?45:33 — New Breast Cancer Screening Tests: QT Scan and Tear Testing50:03 — Are Breast Biopsies Always Necessary?52:17 — Can Lifestyle Changes Reduce Breast Cancer Risk?54:26 — What Should Women's Breast Cancer Prevention Look Like?56:03 — Dr. Jenn Simmons: Book, Podcast, and Where to Find Her
🎁 FREE FOOD NOISE GUIDE
Struggling with cravings, food noise, or stubborn weight after 40?
Get my free Food Noise Guide with practical strategies to help you manage cravings and make weight loss feel less overwhelming.
👉 https://michelescarlet.com/foodnoise
CONNECT WITH MICHELE SCARLET
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@michelescarlet_
Website: https://michelescarlet.com
Instagram: @MicheleScarlet_
CONNECT WITH DR. JENN SIMMONS
Website: https://perfectionimaging.com
Book: The Smart Woman's Guide to Breast Cancer
Podcast: Keeping A Breast with Dr. Jenn
Instagram: @drjennsimmons
MEDICAL DISCLAIMER
This episode is for educational purposes only and is not medical advice. Dr. Simmons shares perspectives that differ from established breast cancer screening guidelines. Mammography is recommended by major medical organizations because evidence shows it can reduce breast cancer mortality, although screening also carries risks, including overdiagnosis. Some alternative screening methods discussed are not validated replacements for mammography. Consult your healthcare provider before making screening or treatment decisions.

What did growing up in early-2000s diet culture teach us about weight, food, exercise, and our bodies? And how much of it are we still carrying with us after 40?
In this deeply personal episode of Body Freedom, Michele Scarlet looks back at more than 25 years of body image, weight loss, food rules, exercise, and the pressure to be thin.
It starts in 1999, with one of the first comments Michele remembers someone making about her body. From there, she looks back at what it was like becoming a teenage girl in the early 2000s, when low-rise jeans were everywhere, cellulite and stretch marks were treated like problems to fix, food was “good” or “bad,” and being told you looked thin could feel like the ultimate compliment.
But this conversation was triggered by something happening right now.
After Michele posted a video about women’s bodies that reached more than 2.3 million views, she watched thousands of people debate, defend, criticize, and judge the women in the video.
And then she had an uncomfortable realization:
She was participating in it too.
This episode explores how easily women can learn to see their bodies through other people’s eyes, and how those beliefs can follow us into adulthood, motherhood, our careers, and even the way we look at other women.
Michele also shares her own history with eating less, exercising to “make up” for food, being praised for looking thin, and eventually feeling like her body was part of her credibility as a health and fitness professional.
But this is NOT a conversation about giving up on weight loss, pretending appearance doesn’t matter, or believing you have to love every inch of your body.
Michele still wants to be lean.
She wants muscle.
She likes feeling strong, athletic, healthy, and confident in how she looks.
The difference?
She stopped confusing her preferences with her worth.
Because you can want to lose 20 pounds without hating yourself first.
You can want stronger legs without believing your current body is wrong.
You can care about how you look without making your appearance your value.
And you can have body goals without allowing your body to become a full-time project.
Body Freedom isn’t loving everything about your body. It’s knowing none of it determines your worth.
CHAPTERS
00:00 What Does Body Freedom Actually Mean?01:01 How Body Comments Shape Your Body Image03:07 Why We’re Still Judging Women’s Bodies06:57 How 2000s Diet Culture Changed Body Image12:11 When Healthy Eating and Exercise Become Control17:12 Can You Want Weight Loss and Still Love Your Body?21:31 What Is Body Freedom?
CAN’T STOP THINKING ABOUT FOOD? 👀
Before you decide you need more willpower, another diet, or that a GLP-1 is your only option, start here.
I put together my FREE Food Noise Guide + 7-Day High-Protein Meal Plan for women over 40.
👉 GET THE FREE GUIDE + MEAL PLAN:https://michelescarlet.com/foodnoise
Just want the supplement?
Crave Support is the one supplement I keep coming back to for extra support around cravings, appetite and healthy blood sugar.
Get 10% off through my link. No code needed.
👉 GET CRAVE SUPPORT 10% OFF:https://justingredients.com/MICHELE10
DISCLAIMER
This podcast is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease or medical condition. Nothing discussed in this episode should be considered medical advice or a substitute for individualized care from a qualified healthcare professional.
Always speak with your healthcare provider before making changes to your diet, supplements, medications, exercise routine, or health plan.

What if the answer to weight loss after 40 isn’t simply eating less and exercising more?
In this powerful conversation, Michele Scarlet sits down with peptide and wellness coach Stephanie Gambetta to explore GLP-1s, peptides, metabolism, muscle building, nutrition, insulin resistance, and the foundational habits that can change how women approach their health.
Stephanie shares her personal journey from years of intense running and cardio to discovering the importance of strength training, recovery, nourishment, and listening to her body. After a major knee injury forced her to slow down, she began approaching fitness and metabolic health differently and ultimately became deeply involved in peptide education. Pasted markdown
Together, Michele and Stephanie discuss why women in their 40s and 50s may need a different approach to weight loss, body composition, metabolism, and exercise, especially during perimenopause and menopause. They challenge the idea that working harder, eating less, and constantly trying to “burn off” food is the answer, while highlighting protein, progressive strength training, sleep, hydration, recovery, and adequate nourishment as important foundations. Pasted markdown
The conversation also takes a deep dive into GLP-1s and peptides, including microdosing, food noise, insulin resistance, gut health, healing peptides, and why these tools should not be treated as quick fixes or one-size-fits-all solutions. Michele and Stephanie discuss the importance of individualized protocols, appropriate education, foundational health, and understanding when these tools may or may not be appropriate. Pasted markdown Pasted markdown
They also explore why excessive reliance on wearables, calorie counting, supplements, social media, and external health data can disconnect women from their own bodies.
Most importantly, this episode is about building, not punishing your body.
If you’re interested in women’s health, weight loss after 40, metabolic health, GLP-1s, peptides, hormone health, strength training, muscle building, or improving body composition, this conversation offers a deeper look at why sustainable progress requires more than a quick fix.
Can’t stop thinking about food? 👀
Before you decide you need more willpower, another diet, or that a GLP-1 is your only option, start here.
I put together my FREE Food Noise Guide + 7-Day High-Protein Meal Plan for women over 40.
👉 GET THE FREE GUIDE + MEAL PLAN:https://michelescarlet.com/foodnoise
Just want the supplement?
Crave Support is the one supplement I keep coming back to for extra support around cravings, appetite and healthy blood sugar.
Get 10% off through my link. No code needed.
👉 GET CRAVE SUPPORT 10% OFF:https://justingredients.com/MICHELE10?q=crave-support
⚠️ DISCLAIMER This content is for education only and is not medical advice. Always consult your healthcare provider before making changes.
🔗 IMPORTANT LINKS:
Subscribe to Michele Scarlet on YOUTUBE for more expert episodes on hormones, metabolism, and fat loss after 40.
Chapters00:00 Stephanie’s Story: When Exercise Became Too Much03:41 How Peptides Changed Her Health Journey05:20 Why Women Need to Train Differently After 4006:59 Perimenopause, Metabolism & Exercise08:37 Stop Exercising to “Burn Off” Your Food11:27 What Happened When Stephanie Stopped Doing So Much Cardio12:43 Are We Too Obsessed With Health Data?13:47 GLP-1s, Food Noise & Insulin Resistance14:31 The Case for Microdosing GLP-1s16:02 Build the Foundation Before Adding the Tools17:41 Protein, Muscle, Sleep & Recovery18:09 When Lab Testing Becomes Too Much20:02 The Simplest Way to Eat More Protein22:04 The Wild West of Peptides & Social Media23:11 Why Peptides Aren’t One-Size-Fits-All25:23 The GLP-1 Conversation Parents Need to Hear26:51 Peptides & Gut Health29:13 Our Obsession With Quick Fixes30:25 Why “Low and Slow” Matters32:39 Who Should Avoid Peptides?34:29 Women Need to EAT36:17 Why Muscle Matters More After 4038:42 Health Isn’t a Six-Month Project
 

What if trying to become healthier is actually making your life smaller?
In this powerful conversation, Michele Scarlet and Sarah Ball take an honest look at the modern wellness industry and ask whether the constant pursuit of better health can sometimes turn into obsession, fear, perfectionism, and consumerism.
From avoiding seed oils and tracking glucose to worrying about cortisol, filtering water, buying organic, taking supplements, monitoring sleep scores, testing hormones, studying toxins, and constantly searching for the next thing to fix, women are surrounded by an endless stream of health advice. But where does healthy awareness end and over-optimization begin?
Michele and Sarah discuss women over 40 health, hormone health, perimenopause, functional medicine, gut health, food sensitivities, wellness culture, health optimization, and self-trust while challenging the black-and-white thinking that dominates so much online health content.
They also explore why women can become disconnected from their own intuition and start giving their power to lab results, wearable data, influencers, doctors, diets, supplements, and wellness programs. The conversation doesn’t dismiss testing or functional medicine. Instead, Michele and Sarah explain that there can be a season for data, testing, and healing, but the goal should ultimately be learning how to understand and trust your body rather than endlessly searching for something else to fix.
They also unpack the connection between perimenopause and wellness culture, including the growing pressure to “prepare” for perimenopause and the danger of treating every symptom as something that must be optimized or controlled.
Most importantly, this episode asks a deeper question: What does healthy actually mean for you and when is enough enough?
If you’re tired of wellness noise, information overload, endless health rules, or feeling like you need to do more to finally be healthy, this women’s health podcast conversation offers a refreshing invitation to live in the gray, develop discernment, and create a healthier relationship with your body and your life.
Can’t stop thinking about food? 👀
Before you decide you need more willpower, another diet, or that a GLP-1 is your only option, start here.
I put together my FREE Food Noise Guide + 7-Day High-Protein Meal Plan for women over 40.
👉 GET THE FREE GUIDE + MEAL PLAN:https://michelescarlet.com/foodnoise
Just want the supplement?
Crave Support is the one supplement I keep coming back to for extra support around cravings, appetite and healthy blood sugar.
Get 10% off through my link. No code needed.
👉 GET CRAVE SUPPORT 10% OFF:https://justingredients.com/MICHELE10?q=crave-support
.
.
.
.00:00 Is the Wellness Industry Making Us Less Healthy?03:01 Can Trying to Be Healthy Become an Obsession?05:48 Are Seed Oils and Food Sensitivities Really That Bad?09:01 How to Stop Obsessing Over Food and Eating Perfectly11:54 How to Trust Your Body and Your Intuition Again15:10 Why Women Stop Trusting Their Own Bodies18:03 Are Health Trackers and Lab Tests Actually Helpful?21:09 Can You Do Too Much Functional Medicine Testing?27:06 Can Trying to Optimize Your Health Make You Less Healthy?30:23 Why High-Achieving Women Obsess Over Health and Weight Loss35:57 Does Perimenopause Really Have to Be This Hard?39:54 Is the Wellness Industry Profiting From Women's Insecurities?42:39 What Actually Matters Most for Your Health?49:29 How Do You Know When Your Health Journey Has Gone Too Far?
 
⚠️ DISCLAIMER This content is for education only and is not medical advice. Always consult your healthcare provider before making changes.
🔗 IMPORTANT LINKS:
Subscribe to Michele Scarlet on YOUTUBE for more expert episodes on hormones, metabolism, and fat loss after 40.

What if the weight gain you noticed after starting HRT isn’t actually being caused by your hormone therapy?
In this episode, Michele Scarlet shares the story of a woman in her 40s who gained 15 pounds around her midsection within six weeks of starting HRT. She was bloated, constipated, felt puffy, noticed food sensitivities, and suddenly felt different in her body. It would have been easy to assume that HRT was the problem but Michele looked deeper.
This conversation explores HRT weight gain, perimenopause weight gain, hormonal changes, gut health, constipation, cortisol, chronic stress, and weight loss after 40 women.
Michele explains why your hormones and gut are not completely separate systems and why digestion, bowel movements, bloating, and the body’s ability to process and eliminate estrogen deserve attention when you are trying to understand changes in your body.
She also takes a closer look at cortisol and chronic stress, challenging the idea that cortisol is simply something women need to “lower.” Instead, she discusses the importance of a healthy cortisol pattern and what can happen when a woman has spent years pushing through stress, tracking everything, eating less, exercising more, and constantly trying to force women to lose fat after 40.
Most importantly, this episode challenges the idea that women have to choose between feeling better on HRT and losing weight.
Michele shares how, in this particular client’s case, focusing on gut function, movement, and the body’s stress response while continuing HRT was followed by a 16-pound weight loss over three months, while the improvements she experienced from HRT remained.
If you’re searching for answers about hormonal weight gain, women over 40 health, hormone imbalance women, HRT and weight gain, or why women over 40 can’t lose weight, this conversation offers a different way to look at what may be happening inside your body.
This is a women's health podcast, hormone health podcast, and metabolism podcast conversation about looking beyond one symptom and understanding the whole woman.
Can’t stop thinking about food? 👀
Before you decide you need more willpower, another diet, or that a GLP-1 is your only option, start here.
I put together my FREE Food Noise Guide + 7-Day High-Protein Meal Plan for women over 40.
👉 GET THE FREE GUIDE + MEAL PLAN:https://michelescarlet.com/foodnoise
Just want the supplement?
Crave Support is the one supplement I keep coming back to for extra support around cravings, appetite and healthy blood sugar.
Get 10% off through my link. No code needed.
👉 GET CRAVE SUPPORT 10% OFF:https://justingredients.com/MICHELE10?q=crave-support
⚠️ DISCLAIMER This content is for education only and is not medical advice. Always consult your healthcare provider before making changes.
🔗 IMPORTANT LINKS:
Subscribe to Michele Scarlet on YOUTUBE for more expert episodes on hormones, metabolism, and fat loss after 40.
 

Are GLP-1 medications the right tool for weight loss after 40 or are we missing what your body actually needs?In this candid episode of the Body Freedom Podcast, Michele Scarlet breaks down the increasingly confusing conversation around GLP-1 medications, perimenopause and weight loss resistance, including why some women see incredible results, why others don't, and why some women regain weight after stopping.
For women navigating perimenopause weight gain, hormonal changes, insulin resistance, slow metabolism, thyroid issues, and weight loss resistance, it can feel like everything that worked before suddenly stops working. Michele explains why the metabolic environment can change during midlife and why factors such as insulin, blood sugar, sleep, muscle mass, protein intake, stress, gut health, and thyroid function all deserve consideration.
Michele explores when a GLP-1 may potentially be a useful tool and when it may not be the right place to start. She discusses GLP-1s for weight loss, insulin sensitivity, appetite suppression, gastric emptying, muscle preservation, metabolic health, and the importance of building a strong foundation alongside medication.
You’ll also hear an important conversation about GLP-1 dosing and “microdosing,” why individualized guidance matters, the risks of sourcing medications from questionable providers or online sources, and why more medication does not automatically mean better results.
Most importantly, Michele challenges the idea that GLP-1s are either “magic” or “cheating.” Instead, she explains why they should be viewed as a tool that may amplify an appropriate health strategy not replace nutrition, strength training, recovery, sleep, and foundational metabolic health.
If you're wondering why you can't lose weight after 40, why you're experiencing hormonal weight gain, how insulin resistance affects weight loss, or whether a GLP-1 makes sense for your body, this episode will help you ask better questions before making that decision.
Because the goal isn't simply to get smaller.
The goal is to become metabolically healthier while building results that can last.
 
🔥
Can’t stop thinking about food? 👀
Before you decide you need more willpower, another diet, or that a GLP-1 is your only option, start here.
I put together my FREE Food Noise Guide + 7-Day High-Protein Meal Plan for women over 40.
👉 GET THE FREE GUIDE + MEAL PLAN:https://michelescarlet.com/foodnoise
Just want the supplement?
Crave Support is the one supplement I keep coming back to for extra support around cravings, appetite and healthy blood sugar.
Get 10% off through my link. No code needed.
👉 GET CRAVE SUPPORT 10% OFF:https://justingredients.com/MICHELE10?q=crave-support
 
⚠️ DISCLAIMER This content is for education only and is not medical advice. Always consult your healthcare provider before making changes.
🔗 IMPORTANT LINKS:
Subscribe to Michele Scarlet on YOUTUBE for more expert episodes on hormones, metabolism, and fat loss after 40.

What if the wellness trend you’re following isn’t actually what your body needs?
In this candid, no-BS episode of the Body Freedom Podcast, Michele Scarlet is joined by Bria Gadd to question the growing obsession with biohacking and wellness optimization and explore what actually deserves your time, money, and attention.
From AG1 and greens powders to continuous glucose monitors (CGMs), peptides, GLP-1 medications, PEMF and grounding mats, cold plunges, and wearable health trackers, Michele and Bria break down where these tools may be useful, where they can become unnecessary, and when health tracking can actually disconnect you from your own body.
They discuss why biohacking should support-not replace-the foundations of health: nutrition, protein, fiber, hydration, movement, quality sleep, gut health, and understanding your individual biology. The conversation also explores the potential downside of becoming obsessed with blood sugar readings, HRV, sleep scores, step counts, and other health metrics.
Michele and Bria take a closer look at CGMs, peptides, and GLP-1 medications, emphasizing the importance of testing before guessing and understanding whether a particular intervention is appropriate for your body before using it. They also discuss why powerful tools can create problems when they are used without addressing underlying health issues.
You’ll also hear their honest perspectives on cold plunging, PEMF mats, EMF protection, greens powders, and wearable technology, including when these trends may be helpful and when simpler approaches may make more sense.
At the heart of the conversation is a bigger question: Are we actually becoming healthier, or are we becoming more obsessed with optimizing ourselves?
For anyone interested in biohacking, midlife health, metabolic health, gut health, nervous system health, wellness trends, functional health, and body freedom, this episode offers a refreshing reminder to stop chasing every new health hack and start listening to your own body.
Because the ultimate health hack may not be another product, device, or protocol.
It may be learning to trust yourself.
Can’t stop thinking about food? 👀
Before you decide you need more willpower, another diet, or that a GLP-1 is your only option, start here.
I put together my FREE Food Noise Guide + 7-Day High-Protein Meal Plan for women over 40.
👉 GET THE FREE GUIDE + MEAL PLAN:https://michelescarlet.com/foodnoise
Just want the supplement?
Crave Support is the one supplement I keep coming back to for extra support around cravings, appetite and healthy blood sugar.
Get 10% off through my link. No code needed.
👉 GET CRAVE SUPPORT 10% OFF:https://justingredients.com/MICHELE10?q=crave-support
 
 
 
⚠️ DISCLAIMER This content is for education only and is not medical advice. Always consult your healthcare provider before making changes.
🔗 IMPORTANT LINKS:
Subscribe to Michele Scarlet on YOUTUBE for more expert episodes on hormones, metabolism, and fat loss after 40.
 

What if the anxiety you feel every day isn't simply “who you are” and your body may be part of the story?
In this deeply personal episode of the Body Freedom Podcast, Michele Scarlet explores the kind of low-grade anxiety many women quietly normalize: constantly overthinking, planning ahead, worrying about sleep, replaying to-do lists, feeling on edge, and never quite switching off even while successfully managing work, family, relationships, and everyday life.
Michele shares her own experience with anxiety alongside bloating, constipation, insomnia, food sensitivities, fatigue, inflammation, weight gain, hormonal changes, and chronic stress, and explains why she began looking beyond mental health alone to understand what was happening inside her body.
The conversation takes a closer look at the gut-brain connection, thyroid health, digestion, sleep, nutrition, caffeine, alcohol, blood sugar, protein intake, and movement and how these factors may influence how your body feels. Rather than claiming that gut health or thyroid problems cause anxiety, Michele explains why persistent physical symptoms deserve attention instead of being dismissed or simply labeled as personality traits.
You'll also learn practical ways to turn down the volume on anxiety, including eating enough, prioritizing protein, protecting sleep, being mindful of caffeine, moving your body, getting outside, and collecting your own seven-day data before making major changes.
For women navigating women's health, metabolic health, gut health, thyroid symptoms, hormone health, weight changes, or chronic stress, this episode offers a grounded reminder: you don't have to optimize every uncomfortable emotion away.
Sometimes the goal isn't to never feel anxious again.
It's to understand your body well enough to know when something needs your attention and when you can simply feel the feeling and keep living your life.
🔥 $15,000 IN SCHOLARSHIPS: 90 DAY METABOLISM RESETIf you’re doing everything “right” but your body still isn’t responding, stop guessing and let’s look under the hood.I’m giving away $15,000 in scholarships to my 90 Day Metabolism Reset, where we look at your metabolism, hormones, thyroid, gut, nutrition, training, sleep and what may actually be standing between you and lasting results.Applications close September 7th. We start September 14th.
👉 Apply now: https://www.michelescarlet.com/scholarship
We’re starting September 14th. With or without you.
 
 
⚠️ DISCLAIMER This content is for education only and is not medical advice. Always consult your healthcare provider before making changes.
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