In today's episode, I'm sharing the story I've never fully told — the moment my own menopause journey went sideways and why the strategies I had always relied on completely stopped working.

You'll hear how I went from losing 20 pounds easily in my early 40s… to suddenly gaining weight, feeling bloated, exhausted, wired, and confused by a body that no longer responded to anything I tried. And more importantly — the moment I finally realized nothing was wrong with me… my body was overwhelmed.

This shift became the foundation of EVERYTHING I teach now.

If you've been wondering why you're doing "all the right things" and getting nowhere, this episode will help you finally make sense of what's really going on.

In this episode, we talk about:

• Why my early-40s weight loss success (20 lbs!) didn't help me later

• The moment workouts, calorie cuts, and HIIT stopped working

• What was actually happening underneath the stubborn symptoms

• How stress + an overloaded nervous system were driving everything

• The shift that changed my results — and my entire career

• Why your body isn't broken… it's overwhelmed

• The exact root-cause framework that came out of my own journey

If you're experiencing…

• unexplained weight gain

• bloating

• stalled metabolism

• anxiety or wired-but-tired energy

• symptoms that don't match your effort

…this episode will give you the insight you've been missing.

Links Mentioned

Free Nervous System Morning Reset Start here if your body feels like it's not responding: Download here

Episode #109 — The Calm Before the Holiday Storm: Why Calm Has to Come First in Menopause

If the holidays leave you feeling overwhelmed, exhausted, bloated, or "on edge" every year — it's not that you can't handle stress anymore. It's that your menopause nervous system can't absorb pressure the same way it used to.

In this episode, we break down why stress hits harder in midlife, how it impacts your hormones and metabolism, and what you can do right now to create the grounded, steady energy your body is craving before the holiday chaos begins.

This isn't about perfection, routines, or pushing through. It's about understanding how your cortisol, blood sugar, sleep, and nervous system all shift in menopause — and how creating calm first changes everything.

Whether you're dealing with cravings, mood swings, low energy, sleep disruptions, or that "always on" feeling, this is the episode that will help you find your footing again.

⭐ In this episode, you'll learn:

• Why holiday stress feels heavier during perimenopause and menopause

• The real reason your nervous system becomes more sensitive in midlife

• How dysregulation leads to fatigue, cravings, bloating, and mood swings

• What "calm" actually means biologically (and why it must come first)

• Simple, realistic ways to regulate your system before the holidays

• How small daily shifts help your hormones respond — not rebel

⭐ Free Resource Mentioned

Start your morning in a regulated state with my Nervous System Morning Reset — simple, effective habits to help your body feel calm, clear, and in control. 👉 https://cindistickle.myflodesk.com/nervoussystemorningreset

⭐ Get Personalized Support

If you're tired of feeling dismissed, overwhelmed, or stuck in survival mode, book a Menopause Hormone Clarity Call. We'll uncover what's really driving your symptoms and the next steps that will finally work for your body. 👉 Schedule here

⭐ Join the Community

Come join us inside Menopause Made Easier: Real Relief & Support for Women 50+ — a community of women who are learning how to support their hormones with no shame, no judgment, and no BS. 👉 Join group here

If you keep blaming yourself for sugar cravings, afternoon crashes, or late-night snacking — this episode is your wake-up call. Menopause changes how your body handles stress, blood sugar, and hunger signals, and no amount of "willpower" can outsmart cortisol.

In this episode, Cindi breaks down the real science behind stress-induced cravings and shows you how to stabilize your energy, calm your nervous system, and stop feeling out of control around food. You'll learn why stress and cortisol are the missing pieces behind constant hunger, energy dips, and stubborn belly fat — and the small, doable habits that finally make your hormones work with you instead of against you.

You'll learn:

• Why cortisol spikes make cravings feel uncontrollable

• How stress and menopause hormones team up to wreck blood-sugar balance

• The stress-snack cycle (and how to finally break it)

• 5 simple habits that calm cortisol and stop cravings naturally

• Why you don't need more control — you need more calm

🔗 Mentioned in this episode

✨ Free guide: The Nervous System Morning Reset — simple daily habits to keep cortisol calm and energy steady all day.

💬 Book your Hormone Reset Clarity Call: Click Here — get personalized guidance to finally fix what's driving your stress, cravings, and fatigue.

If you're already feeling the weight of holiday stress — the endless to-dos, the travel, the expectations — and wondering why your body just can't handle it the way it used to, this episode is for you.

In menopause, your stress response changes. What once felt like "manageable chaos" can now send cortisol soaring, disrupt your sleep, and stall your metabolism. In this episode, Functional Nutrition Practitioner and Certified Menopause Specialist Cindi Stickle breaks down exactly why "pushing through" no longer works — and what your body is actually asking for instead.

You'll learn how to calm your system before it crashes, support your hormones through the holidays, and finally stop blaming yourself for being "too tired" or "too emotional." Because this season, you don't need to push harder — you need to regulate smarter.

🔑 In This Episode, You'll Learn:

• Why holiday stress hits harder during perimenopause and menopause

• How fluctuating estrogen and progesterone amplify your cortisol response

• The hidden ways "good stress" still drains your nervous system

• Simple, science-backed ways to calm your body before it burns out

• How to use food, rest, and nervous-system regulation to stay grounded through the season

🌿 Mentioned in This Episode:

• Free Guide: The Nervous System Morning Reset — simple habits to start your day calm, clear & in control

• Join the Community: Menopause Made Easier: Real Relief & Support for Women 50+

If you've ever felt like your progress disappears the moment life gets stressful — you're not alone.

Most "solutions" for menopause aren't built to last. Diets, detoxes, and 30-day resets push your body harder… instead of helping it heal.

In this episode of It's Not Just Menopause, I'm breaking down the real reason results fade — and what it takes to finally make progress that sticks.

You'll learn:

• Why short-term fixes trigger long-term setbacks

• How stress and cortisol sabotage metabolism and hormones

• Why you can't rebuild results on an unregulated nervous system

• The truth behind my 3R Framework — Regulate, Rebuild, Reignite

• How to create results that actually stay — without burnout, restriction, or guilt

If you're tired of starting over, it's time to build a foundation that lasts.

🔗 Links & Resources

• ✅ Take the free Menopause Quiz → cindistickle.com/quiz

• 🌅 Get your free Nervous System Morning Reset guide → HERE

• 💻 Learn more about The No-BS Menopause Method™ → cindistickle.com

You're Not Failing — You've Been Misled

If you've been doing everything "right" — eating clean, working out, tracking macros — and still feel stuck, exhausted, or frustrated with your body… you're not failing.

You've been misled.

In this episode of It's Not Just Menopause, I'm breaking down why the "eat less, move more" advice doesn't work for women in menopause — and how decades of outdated, one-size-fits-all guidance have set women up to fail.

You'll discover:

• Why traditional weight-loss advice backfires for women in menopause

• How stress, cortisol, and under-eating sabotage your metabolism

• The truth about willpower — and why it's not your problem

• What your body's actually trying to tell you when nothing's working

• How my 3R Framework — Regulate, Rebuild, Reignite — helps women finally see lasting results

If you've been blaming yourself for not being disciplined enough, this episode will help you see your body — and your health — through a whole new lens.

🔗 Links & Resources

• ✅ Take the free Menopause Quiz → cindistickle.com/quiz

• 💻 Learn more about my coaching and The No-BS Menopause Method™ → cindistickle.com

The Stress–Symptom Spiral: Why Relief Starts with Your Nervous System

Are you doing everything "right" — eating well, exercising, taking supplements — yet still feel bloated, exhausted, and stuck?

You're not broken. You're caught in what I call the Stress–Symptom Spiral.

In this episode of It's Not Just Menopause, I break down the hidden cycle that keeps women in survival mode — where stress makes symptoms worse, and those symptoms create even more stress.

You'll learn:

• What the "stress–symptom spiral" is and how it keeps you stuck

• Why cortisol steals from your sex hormones and slows your metabolism

• How stress impacts digestion, sleep, and energy in menopause

• Simple ways to regulate your nervous system so your body can finally respond

• How my 3R Framework — Regulate, Rebuild, Reignite — helps women calm chaos and restore balance

If you've been told to "just stress less" or "try harder," this episode will show you what your body's really trying to tell you — and how to get out of the cycle for good.

🔗 Links & Resources

• ✅ Take the free Menopause Quiz → cindistickle.com/quiz

• 💻 Learn more about my coaching and The No-BS Menopause Method™ → cindistickle.com

Episode Title: Menopause Isn't a Willpower Problem — Here's What's Really Going On

Are you eating less, exercising more, and still not seeing results in menopause? You've probably been told it's a willpower problem — but that advice is flat-out wrong.

In this episode of It's Not Just Menopause, I break down why "trying harder" backfires in midlife, why your symptoms aren't a sign of weakness, and what your body actually needs to reset.

Here's what you'll learn:

• Why calorie restriction and over-exercising fuel stress hormones instead of fixing them

• How cortisol, metabolism, and your nervous system collide during menopause

• The three things that actually help your body release weight and energy (without diets or quick fixes)

• An introduction to my 3R Framework — Regulate, Rebuild, and Reignite — and how it flips the script on everything you've been told about menopause care

✨ And don't miss this week's big event: my free online summit, Menopause Reimagined. It's happening right now and brings together top experts in stress, hormones, and root-cause relief. This is your chance to get clarity and real answers before time runs out.

📣 Just announced: My live workshop "It's Not Just Hormones" is on October 27. If you're ready for an actionable plan (not another quick fix), grab your seat here → cindistickle.com/its-not-just-hormones-workshop

🔗 Links & Resources

• 🎟️ Grab your free ticket to the Menopause Reimagined Summit → menopausereimagined.co

• 🗓️ Oct 27 Workshop — It's Not Just Hormones → Sign up here for FREE!

• ✅ Take the free Menopause Quiz and find out what's really driving your symptoms → cindistickle.com/quiz

• 💻 Learn more about my coaching and The No-BS Menopause Method™ → cindistickle.com

🎙️ Gaslighting with a Stethoscope: Why Midlife Women Deserve Better Menopause Care

Episode 102 — It's Not Just Menopause Podcast

You're not crazy. You're not weak. And no — it's not "just stress" or "just getting older."

If you've ever walked out of a doctor's office feeling dismissed, misunderstood, or worse — gaslit — this episode is for you.

In today's no-BS conversation, I'm pulling back the curtain on how midlife women are routinely ignored, overmedicated, and sent home without real solutions during one of the most pivotal transitions of their lives: menopause.

You'll hear:

🔹 What "gaslighting with a stethoscope" really looks like — and why it's so common 🔹 How standard menopause advice often causes more harm than help 🔹 The real root causes behind your fatigue, mood swings, bloating, and weight gain 🔹 Why nervous system support is the missing link in most hormone health plans 🔹 And what you can do to stop settling for surface-level care

It's time to stop blaming your body — and start demanding the right kind of support.

Because you deserve answers that actually make sense for your hormones, your metabolism, and your stage of life.

🔍 Resources Mentioned in This Episode:

🎧 Take the Quiz: Find out what's really driving your menopause symptoms. 👉 cindistickle.com/quiz

🎤 Join the Summit — Menopause Reimagined (Starts Oct 6): Root-cause relief for the symptoms no one warned you about. 👉 menopausereimagined.co

🎟️ Register for the FREE Workshop (Oct 27): It's Not Just Hormones: Why Nothing's Working in Menopause — And the 3 Things You Need Now 👉 cindistickle.com/its-not-just-hormones-workshop

📞 Book Your Hormone Reset Clarity Call: Get personalized, root-cause support from a certified menopause specialist. 👉 calendly.com/cindistickle/hormone-clarity-call

💬 Loved This Episode?

Leave a review, share it with a friend, and make sure you're subscribed so you never miss a real conversation about what it actually takes to thrive in midlife.

📍 It's Not Just Menopause — finally, a podcast that puts YOU back in control of your hormones, your health, and your life.

🎙️ Episode 101 – What Every Menopause Plan Leaves Out

And Why It's the First Thing Your Body Actually Needs

If you're doing everything "right" but your menopause symptoms are still getting worse—not better—it's time to look deeper.

In this episode, Certified Menopause Specialist and Functional Nutrition Practitioner Cindi Stickle reveals the missing piece in most menopause protocols: nervous system regulation.

Whether you're dealing with weight gain, exhaustion, mood swings, or brain fog, this root-cause step is essential—and it's the first thing your body actually needs to get out of survival mode.

In this episode, you'll learn:

• Why your body isn't the problem—your stress load is

• The #1 reason most hormone plans don't work for women in midlife

• How hidden stress shows up in real-life moments (and how to spot it)

• What nervous system dysregulation actually looks like

• The critical first step to stop feeling stuck in your menopause journey

If you've ever said "nothing is working," this episode is for you.

🔍 Resources Mentioned in This Episode ✅ Take the Menopause Symptom Quiz

What's Really Driving Your Menopause Symptoms? Uncover your root cause in just a few minutes—and get personalized next steps. 👉 cindistickle.com/quiz

🎤 Join the Menopause Reimagined Summit – Starts October 6

Real relief for the symptoms no one warned you about. 10+ experts. 5 days. Zero BS. 👉 menopausereimagined.co

🎟 Reserve Your Spot for the Live Workshop – October 27

It's Not Just Hormones! Why Nothing's Working in Menopause – And the 3 Things You Need Now to stop waking up exhausted, snapping at your partner, and relying on caffeine just to function. 👉 It's Not Just Hormones

🟡 Book a Hormone Reset Clarity Call

Get personalized insight into what's keeping your body stuck—and whether the No-BS Menopause Method™ is the right next step. 👉 Hormone Reset Clarity Call

💬 Loved this episode?

Tag @cindisticklenutrition on Instagram and tell me what resonated most. And don't forget to subscribe and leave a review if this helped you!