Attention: Women in "Mid-Life" : What's REALLY Keeping The Scale Stuck?  

Quiz Questions

• 1.
  Which bests describes your current diet?

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  • A.
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    Low Carb/Keto
  • B.
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    Strict Vegan
  • C.
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    Carnivore/High Protein
  • D.
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    Plant Based/ Vegetarian (ish)
  • E.
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    Everything in Moderation!
  • F.
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    Mediterranean/ Anti-inflammatory Diet (Whole Foods based)
  • G.
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    Paleo (Grain/Legume -Free)
  • H.
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    Other. Not quite sure...Don't label me!
• 2.
  When you embark on improving your diet or health/weight, are you....

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  • A.
    Super motivated! Especially since I keep overdoing: ______________  (INSERT FAVORITE THING HERE: wine, alcohol, popcorn, cookies, ice cream, nachos, treats. cheese, bread, etc...) 
  • B.
    I'm skeptical that anything will work because NOTHING HAS lately! I've been up and down and disappointed so many times in the past that I just feel like giving up.
  • C.
    I want to make changes, but I just don't have the time or energy to commit.
  • D.
    I'm desperate! I'll do anything to feel better and make this weight be gone (as long as I can still have __________ or insert favorite food/drink here)!
• 3.
  What's your approach to dieting?

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  • A.
    I can be really "good" with my diet, but then I cave or get 'loosey-goosey' with it. I may even give up when it's not working and/or I get tempted by all the delicious things.
  • B.
    I eat perfectly all day (or week), but then lose it in the evening (or on the weekends).
  • C.
    I eat really clean or "on plan' ALL THE TIME. I may even track everything - calories, macros - to make sure. (I just wish I saw better results for all this effort!)
  • D.
    I tend to jump around and try different approaches or try the same approach over and over again - I may lose weight, but I gain it back (or it stops working).  I keep hoping the next diet will be "THE ONE" that finally works for me.
  • E.
    I've lost and regained the same 20+ pounds for years! Nothing seems to work long term.
• 4.
  What do you notice after you eat a meal?

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  • A.
    I feel good. Satisfied, but not stuffed.
  • B.
    I crave something sweet right away.
  • C.
    I want more. I usually go for seconds or something else after I finish my meal.
  • D.
    I get symptoms like bloating, gas, reflux, fatigue...or I may need to run to the bathroom.
  • E.
    I notice I'm hungry again an hour or two later and need a snack.
  • F.
    I feel pretty good when I eat 'healthy', but when my meal is not the healthiest choice, I tend to feel like 💩.
• 5.
  What's your favorite indulgence?

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  • A.
    Sweets - cupcakes, candy, brownies, ice cream, fruit or a low carb/low sugar treat (if I'm trying to be "good")
  • B.
    Salty Crunchy - chips, popcorn, crackers, pretzels, nuts or celery, baby carrots or cucumbers (if I'm being good). 
  • C.
    All the carbs - sweets, yes, but also bread, pasta, rice, pizza, tortillas, etc..
  • D.
    I love rich, fatty foods - all things dairy, dips, guac, mayo, fatty meats or rich desserts like cheesecake & ice cream
  • E.
    Wine. (or beer/cocktails). 🥂
  • F.
    I love it all!  sweet and salty, crunchy, creamy (maybe some wine to go with..Cheers!)
  • G.
    I don't indulge. It messes me up and it doesn't feel good later.
• 6.
  How do you manage stress?

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  • A.
    Wine. And then....more wine. (or alcohol/substance of choice)
  • B.
    I push through. Who's got time for stress?
  • C.
    Self care. I eat well. Rest more. I take care extra care of myself.
  • D.
    I can be a hot mess to be honest. Life is INSANE sometimes. I'm not sure how much more I can take.
  • E.
    I tend to eat more when I get home - maybe go for a big bowl of something like ice cream, popcorn - or I may be "good" and eat something healthy (but too much of it).
  • F.
    I barely eat all day because I'm so busy, but then by dinner time, I'm starving and exhausted so I tend toward snacky, fast-food or take-out  - it's can be an eating-frenzy when I get home.
• 7.
  How does exercise fit into your life?

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  • A.
    It doesn't.  That's my problem. I have no time or energy to workout.
  • B.
    I work out most days - HARD! But I don't see any difference (other than more bulk and fatigue).
  • C.
    I'm inconsistent...I start off super motivated, but then I putter out.
  • D.
    I exercise regularly, but I'm not sure if it's enough or too much?
• 8.
  What's your sleep like?

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  • A.
    I'll sleep when I'm dead.  I have too much going on.
  • B.
    I sleep like a rock and wake up refreshed.
  • C.
    I have a hard time getting to sleep...so many thoughts and to-do's in my head (so I toss and turn, or try some techniques, maybe read, watch TV,  or get on social media)
  • D.
    I fall asleep OK, but then I wake up - either to pee, or with night-sweats, leg cramps or I just wake up in the middle of the night for no reason.
  • E.
    I sleep really well for the most part, but if I eat or drink the wrong thing - or drink too much alcohol or coffee  -my sleep suffers.
• 9.
  OK - Last one:  Imagine you're in your ideal body right now - you're clothes fit perfectly (they may even be loose!), how do you eat and live each day?   You made it to the final question!   Scroll all the way down to reveal your results! 👇

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  • A.
    My life is balanced.  My weight, health and hormones are where I want them to be. Always trying to lose weight and dieting is a thing of the past. I love how I eat, drink and move. I mindfully indulge in my favorite things weekly - with no guilt or worry AND I rarely over-indulge (if I do, I just move forward). I have pleasure, peace and ease in this part of my life and it spills into other areas too! FINALLY!
  • B.
    For this to happen, I'm going to have to be super strict. It's only if I eat perfectly and work out 3-5X a week that this can happen. I know me! No treats allowed, but it's totally worth it! I love how I look and feel at this size!
  • C.
    I can't actually imagine this.  My weight never stays off - and lately, my weight doesn't budge and just keeps creeping up.  I try to be "good" but after a while, I just give up...I guess I never really stick with anything long term. This "ideal weight" would only happen by  some kind of miracle or magical surgical procedure. I feel pretty hopeless.
  • D.
    I'm trying to imagine this - I really want this! - but I have serious doubts that it can happen without me having to overhaul everything and give up all my favorite things and social events - I'd have to change who I am!.  I know what to do, but I can't see myself doing it...It's too overwhelming, exhausting and I'm just skeptical that it'll work anyway.
  • E.
    I can't eat any healthier or work out more than I am! I'm already doing everything "right" and cannot lose this weight - especially around my belly, so this is REALLY hard to imagine...
  • F.
    I have done SOOO much work with my diet and lifestyle. I've done functional testing, fixed my hormones/gut, pulled things out of my diet, supplements, you name it.....I even went plant based (or carnivore or keto, etc..) but nothing seems to work when it comes to my weight! So when I imagine this, it's hard to actually get in that headspace because it hasn't happened yet...what's going to change now?

Quiz Outcomes

• 1.
  Mindset & Emotional Eating

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  Your Mindset and/or Emotional Eating (or Drinking) MAY be the biggest reason(s) the scale's stuck. (READ ALL THE WAY TO THE END 👇🏻 FOR KEY INSIGHTS & NEXT STEPS - AND/OR GO BACK 👈🏻 TO THE QUIZ RESULTS PAGE TO READ THE DETAILS FROM YOUR OTHER RESULTS!) You may sometimes (or often) use food (or alcohol) for a little relief - to perhaps avoid feeling the uncomfortable feelings associated with acute or chronic "stress"...like to unwind or relax after a tough day (or week) or to have some much needed FUN by overindulging with thoughts of: "Hey, I deserve it!" OR "I may not be able to have (insert substance of choice) again so I'd better enjoy it now!" This behavior may also evolve into a mindless, automated habit...developing into a full-on compensatory neural pattern that may temporarily help you in your desire to release any built-up pressure and tension OR to jumpstart dull, drained, blah feelings. Common scenarios may include: eating in the car on the way home from work pre-dinner eating because you're starving intermittent munching at the office/treat area or the pantry throughout the day enjoying that night time glass (or 3) of wine or bowl of popcorn/ice cream after dinner to 'unwind' night time binge eating when everyone's out of sight going overboard socially ("I don't get out much!") Even eating/drinking out of boredom or to satisfy that hollow gnawing "I just need a little something, but I don't know what.." feeling would fall into this category. This over-consuming behavior is associated with avoidance...it's a 'checking out', 'getting carried away' or 'numbing out' pattern that may have primal roots seeded in self-preservation... To protect you from potential emotional pain (discomfort, anxiety, exhaustion, overwhelm, uncertainty, worry, loneliness, etc..) and/or to compensate for too much "stress" or living a life out of balance. You seek that pressure valve release or a BUMP of feel-good Dopamine by means of short term pleasure - and even distraction - which often leads to overdoing it, which then creates a higher tolerance.. ...a repetitive association with this behavior and then long term consequences as the pattern gets more deeply rooted. The consequences may be weight gain, digestive distress, poor sleep, hangovers, inflammation, lethargy, pain, more imbalances, etc.. Whether this happens daily, on the weekends, monthly or within a longer span of time, this potential root cause of over-eating/drinking ultimately negates efforts associated with improving one's health or weight through healthy diet, leading to a viscous cycle of being "good" (with dieting or restriction) and then being "bad" (ditching the diet or plan and/or binging on the substance(s) of choice). The classic "all or nothing" dieting pattern. This is all very much rooted in a mindset of negative self-talk, scarcity, limitation and/or imbalance which often is based in old subconscious neural pathways (thought-behavior patterns) that will need to be "reprogrammed" (literally). By the way, this is all very "normal" human behavior...nothing is 'wrong' with you, but you don't need to stay stuck here either! Mindset is a HUGE topic that often gets dismissed (like, "ya ya, I know, whatever...🙄 just give me a "diet", a structured meal plan and more rules to follow!) The first step in transformation with your weight and getting unstuck is first becoming very aware that your negative thoughts and beliefs exist in the first place - and then being open and committed to shifting them. Once you can see and accept the stuck thought patterns with openness, self-love and full ownership, then and only then, can you truly move forward with lasting change. The bottom line: Another strict diet or a better workout will NOT be the answer long term...Nutrition is foundational of course, start there - but you also MUST manage your mind - the urges, thought and habits that drive your eating (or drinking behavior). I have much more to share in my weekly emails (and be on the look out for future opportunities to go even deeper too). This "INSIDE-OUT" approach is now what I teach all the women in my practice and programs - with tremendous success...The solutions are sooo much simpler than you think! You'll see!
• 2.
  Hormonal Imbalances

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  Could hormonal imbalances be a key factor in your weight struggles? (READ ALL THE WAY TO THE END 👇🏻 FOR KEY INSIGHTS & NEXT STEPS - AND/OR GO BACK 👈🏻 TO THE QUIZ RESULTS PAGE TO READ THE DETAILS FROM YOUR OTHER RESULTS!) Hot-flashes, night sweats, insomnia, brain fog, fatigue, mood swings and of course, weight gain - these are just a few of the symptoms of hormonal imbalance that can occur in women over 40 that are in the peri-menopause/menopause stage of life. Peri-menopause simply refers to the phase of a woman's lifecycle as she approaches menopause (which is when your period has stopped completely for 12 months or more). It can start in your 30s or with surgery, but it typically occurs in your 40s with irregular periods and various symptoms which range from mild to severe. It can be a bit of a hormonal 💩 show for many women as the middle of the chart illustrates. . BUT there's a LOT you can do to balance your hormones before taking drastic measures or throwing in the towel. Know this: Hormonal imbalances manifest MOST when stress is out of balance in other places in your life (physically, mentally and emotionally) - so that's the first and best place to place your focus. Making sure your nutrition, hydration, sleep and movement are all in balance helps balance hormones too. Although there are tests, prescriptions and supplements that can help to identify and rebalance hormones, many women find that once their nutrition, lifestyle and stressors are balanced, hormones tend to come into balance - and then weight follows suit! I have much more to share in my weekly emails (and be on the look out for future opportunities to go even deeper too). This "INSIDE-OUT" approach is now what I teach all the women in my practice and programs - with tremendous success...The solutions are sooo much simpler than you think! You'll see!
• 3.
  Too Much Stress

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  Could the STRESS you're taking on be out of balance for your current 'stress capacity'? (READ ALL THE WAY TO THE END 👇🏻 FOR KEY INSIGHTS & NEXT STEPS - AND/OR GO BACK 👈🏻 TO THE QUIZ RESULTS PAGE TO READ THE DETAILS FROM YOUR OTHER RESULTS!) Are you taking on too much? Pushing yourself or "pushing through" whatever comes your way like a 'trooper' or some sort of super hero? always that reliable problem solver - picking up the slack and putting out fires where ever you're needed? Too much stress in life signals the nervous system to get into "fight or flight mode" which sends out stress hormones telling the body to: "STORE FAT! This woman's in trouble and she's gonna need it later!" This gets even more pronounced in mid-life because sex hormones and adrenal hormones are in transition, making women even less "stress tolerant". In other words, what you might have been able to 'take on' when you were younger, just won't cut it anymore. And just to be clear, stress is EVERYWHERE and includes: Physical Stress: poor diet, overeating, over-drinking, overexertion, lack of sleep, infection, injury, deficiencies, imbalances, exposure to toxins or inflammatory substances, chronic nervous system activation, etc.. Mental Stress: overwork, over scheduled, having too much on your plate, the burden of illness, family demands, etc... Emotional Stress: loss, grief, abuse, trauma, fear, depression, anxiety, dysfunctional patterns, loneliness, overthinking, hyper-vigilance, etc... Spiritual Stress: living out of alignment with your inner truth, no connection to a deeper purpose or higher power, lacking connection, love, peace, etc.. Because we're wired for survival - all this over-stress translates into: "This woman might starve!" "Better send signals for her to hang onto extra body fat!" When any or all aspects of the stress response are out of balance, your DNA and physiology - which are only trying to help you 'SURVIVE" - will signal hormones to hang onto to more body fat - especially around the belly to protect vital organs. This physiology is hard wired genetically as a "just in case" (ya' know - for emergencies...) mechanism. So even though food is quite plentiful and over abundant in these modern times - our physical evolution is still quite primitive and based on food scarcity. As you better manage your nutrition and exercise (major contributors to 'physical' stress) you'll be properly nourished and 'clear' to be able to work on establishing better boundaries for your life > which will reduce your mental, emotional and maybe even create some space to work on the spiritual stress. As your stress alarms start to calm down, you start to find more balance in both your life - and your weight. I have much more to share in my weekly emails (and be on the look out for future opportunities to go even deeper too). This "INSIDE-OUT" approach is now what I teach all the women in my practice and programs - with tremendous success...The solutions are sooo much simpler than you think! You'll see!
• 4.
  Something May Be Off With Your "Diet"

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  Could your current nutrition ("diet") approach be keeping the scale stuck? (READ ALL THE WAY TO THE END 👇🏻 FOR KEY INSIGHTS & NEXT STEPS - AND/OR GO BACK 👈🏻 TO THE QUIZ RESULTS PAGE TO READ THE DETAILS FROM YOUR OTHER RESULTS!) In midlife, as hormones transition in peri/menopause, many women become less "carbohydrate tolerant" and more "insulin resistant" which means you may become more prone to fat gain and inflammation. You also may become more sensitive to inflammatory foods and drinks.... In other words, it may be that what you could consume when you were younger, no longer works for your body NOW. Shifting from a processed foods diet to more of a real, whole foods diet is a great start to improving weight balance and reducing inflammation and insulin...so that's #1 if you're not there already: STEP 1: Shift to more real foods and away from packaged and highly refined foods made with flour and sugar (even "healthy whole grain" flours may be too much for your current physiological tolerance). From there, it may be necessary to adjust your overall carbohydrate intake - meaning real food carbs that come from fruit, starchy veggies, grains and legumes. I'm not talking about cookies, breads and pasta - those are processed foods. Balance real food carbs with the "right amount" of high quality protein and healthy, anti-inflammatory fats. And despite the expert claims that you can eat as much fat as you want and lose weight, that MAY NOT be the case for you. (It wasn't for me!) You definitely don't need to count calories, but your overall caloric intake has to be at a level that allows the body to release and use it's stored energy (body fat) in order to achieve your ideal weight balance. (Movement, sleep and stress play a major role in this too.) Whether you choose a low carb, ketogenic approach, carnivore, a plant based approach, a Paleo or Mediterranean type diet is really up to you. It truly depends on your metabolic physiology and your personal preferences. Then it's a matter of balancing your real food choices in a macronutrient - and a micronutrient-rich - way according to your unique biochemical individuality and functional needs to best fuel your cells without creating inflammation. Another consideration is meal timing and frequency (aka: intermittent fasting with 1, 2 or 3 meals per day). Whatever dietary or fasting approach you choose, choose a fasting or eating window based on what feels best in your body, gives you the results you're looking for and that you can stick with (or flex with) for life. And last but not certainly not least, I highly recommend factoring in a little fun each week - a mindful amount of indulgences. These are "worth it" treats that don't make you sick and inflamed. This should include foods or drinks that you absolutely LOVE to make your nutrition approach more pleasurable and totally doable long term🥂🍕🍿🧁. This is a key part of ditching the old yo-yo diet mindset. The way you approach your eating and drinking has to not only work for your body and goals, but you also have to love the way you're eating and drinking to be able to stick with it for life! I have much more to share in my upcoming and totally free MasterClass where I'll reveal the 3 biggest secrets that took me DECADES to figure out on my own journey. This is now what I teach all the women in my practice and programs - with tremendous success... The solutions are sooo much simpler than you think! You'll see!