In this episode of the Muscle Strength and Menopause podcast, I go over the "Gut-Hormone Reset Every Woman Over 40 Needs for Fat Loss". I explain how the gut microbiome, those trillions of bacteria living in your digestive system, changes dramatically during the menopause transition. When estrogen and progesterone start declining, your gut loses diversity. The good bacteria that keep you lean, energized, and metabolically healthy start dying off, while the fat-storing bacteria multiply rapidly. This condition is called gut dysbiosis. I discuss how this dysbiosis is one of the biggest hidden reasons why you might be doing everything right but still gaining weight, especially around your belly. Finally, I provide actionable steps on how to reset your gut-hormone axis through nutrition, including loading up on prebiotic fiber, prioritizing high-quality protein, eating cruciferous vegetables, choosing carbs strategically, and adding specific probiotic strains.

Important Time Stamps:

• (00:23): What is gut dysbiosis and why it causes belly fat.
• (04:38): How your gut shifts from fat-burning to fat-storing mode.
• (06:58): What happens when your gut wall becomes permeable (leaky gut).
• (09:36): Why chronic inflammation drives stubborn belly fat.
• (10:48): The disruption of neurotransmitters like serotonin and acetylcholine.
• (14:44): How gut changes lead to the loss of immune cells that protect your bones.
• (18:38): Steps to support your gut health and reduce inflammation.
• (19:47): The importance of prebiotic fiber and the colorful plate strategy.
• (21:08): Why you need 30 grams of protein at every meal.
• (24:00): Choosing carbs strategically to avoid inflammation.
• (25:53): Specific probiotic strains for menopausal women.
• (28:21): What not to do (e.g., train harder and eat less, keto, intermittent fasting).

Links & resources Join the 7-Day Hormone Reset & Fat Loss Starter Challenge → ⁠https://go.sarafrenzafitness.com/7day-fatloss-starter⁠ ‌ Join the waitlist for the 28-Day Menopause Fat Loss Kickstart Challenge → Next one starts in February 2026, get on the waitlist below. ⁠https://go.sarafrenzafitness.com/vip-waitlist ⁠

Are you a woman over 40 struggling with low energy, poor sleep, and stubborn weight gain, even though you feel like you're doing everything right?

In this episode of the Muscle Strength and Menopause Podcast, I share the powerful, evidence-based strategies that helped one of my clients, a 59-year-old postmenopausal woman, go from sleeping 4 to 5 hours a night and waking up with headaches to sleeping 8 hours, having sustained energy all day, and finally seeing body composition changes!

You'll learn why traditional diet and exercise rules stop working in your 40s, 50s, and beyond, and how declining hormones like estrogen and progesterone are the real reasons you feel exhausted. We dive deep into the concept of low energy availability and why training harder and eating less is the worst thing you can do for your body during this time.

Important Timestamps

(2:24) The 2-3 PM Energy Crash and Other Symptoms

(05:18) Why This Is Happening: The Role of Declining Estrogen and Progesterone

(07:29) The Worst Strategy: Why Training Harder and Eating Less Fails

(08:36) Strategy 1: Eating Enough Food (Increasing Calories and Prioritizing Protein)10:50The 160g Protein Goal (30g+ per meal)

(15:58) Strategy 2: Smart Strength Training (Lifting Heavy and Fueling Workouts)17:37Why Hours of Steady-State Cardio Should Be Avoided

(18:19) Strategy 3: Movement Throughout the Day (8K-10K Steps and "Walking Snacks")

(22:36) Strategy 4: The Evening Strategy for Better Sleep and Energy

(24:09) The Protein and Carb Bedtime Snack for Deep Sleep

(24:56) Meal Prep and Eliminating Decision Fatigue

(25:39) The Wind-Down Routine (No Screens, Tart Cherry Juice, Magnesium)

(28:29) Client Results: Inches Lost While Eating Maintenance Calories

(29:51) Key Supplements and Hydration

(33:40) Next Step: Join the Free 7-Day Fat Loss and Hormone Reset Challenge

Links & resources

Join the 7-Day Hormone Reset & Fat Loss Starter Challenge → https://go.sarafrenzafitness.com/7day-fatloss-starter

Join the waitlist for the 28-Day Menopause Fat Loss Kickstart Challenge → Next one starts in February 2026, get on the waitlist below. https://go.sarafrenzafitness.com/vip-waitlist

Apply for 1:1 Nutrition, Fitness and body transformation Coaching program →https://go.sarafrenzafitness.com/coaching-application-email

‌Join my private Facebook Community (attend live podcast recordings & Q&A) https://www.facebook.com/groups/secretstotransformyourbodyforever

‌

Get your Personalized Food List to lose peri/menopausal belly fat. → https://go.sarafrenzafitness.com/food-list

Perfect Sports Nutrition Supplement Use discount code FRENZA20 https://perfectsports.com/ (CANADA SITE)

https://us.perfectsports.com/ (USA SITE)

The makers of DIESEL Protein powder

This session is specifically designed for women in perimenopause and post-menopause. Sara dives into the science of why holiday weight gain is an uphill battle for midlife women, exploring the hormone and metabolism shifts that make you more susceptible to gaining that typical 5 pounds or more.

You'll learn how declining estrogen leads to increased insulin resistance and why your body is breaking down muscle faster than ever.

Sara also explains how changes in brain chemistry (serotonin and BDNF) and disrupted sleep contribute to severe cravings and poor food choices.

Most importantly, she reveals why your elevated baseline cortisol—the stress hormone—creates the perfect storm for storing stubborn belly fat during the holiday season.

Finally, Sara shares her exact 8 Strategy System to help you maintain your weight and enjoy your favorite foods without guilt or shame. Learn how to plan your meals strategically, prioritize protein, manage alcohol, and embrace maintenance goals to start January ahead of the curve.

Key Takeaways You'll Learn:

• How to enjoy your favorite holiday foods and prevent weight gain.
• How to support your hormones so cravings and bloating decrease.

Links & resources

Join the 7-Day Hormone Reset & Fat Loss Starter Challenge → https://go.sarafrenzafitness.com/7day-fatloss-starter ‌

Join the waitlist for the 28-Day Menopause Fat Loss Kickstart Challenge → Next one starts in February 2026, get on the waitlist below. https://go.sarafrenzafitness.com/vip-waitlist

Apply for 1:1 Nutrition, Fitness and body transformation Coaching program →https://go.sarafrenzafitness.com/coaching-application-email ‌Join my private Facebook Community (attend live podcast recordings & Q&A) https://www.facebook.com/groups/secretstotransformyourbodyforever ‌

Get your Personalized Food List to lose peri/menopausal belly fat. → https://go.sarafrenzafitness.com/food-list

Perfect Sports Nutrition Supplement Use discount code FRENZA20 https://perfectsports.com/ (CANADA SITE)

https://us.perfectsports.com/ (USA SITE) The makers of DIESEL Protein powder

Connect with Me

Say Hello!

Email: [email protected]

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sara_frenza

Shop programs, bundles & resources : https://stan.store/SaraFrenza ‌Website: https://www.sarafrenzafitness.com/

In this episode of the Muscle Strength and Menopause podcast, host Sara Frenza welcomes her friend and fellow coach, Amy Ledin.

Amy specializes in sustainable body recomposition for midlife women through a hybrid approach of science-backed training, simplified nutrition, and identity-based habit change. Drawing from her personal journey, she teaches women how to build a body that reflects their discipline. Her methods challenge the macro-focused coaching industry by introducing tools that help women reprogram the mental loops that keep them stuck.

Amy shares her personal weight loss journey, moving from being a "chubby kid" to a competitive athlete, and how her coaching philosophy has evolved over 19 years to focus on the unique needs of women in perimenopause and menopause. Discover why long-term success requires an identity shift, and how the brain's tendency to repeat 91% of your thoughts daily means rewiring is essential. Amy and Sara break down the myths of cardio and extreme restriction, explaining why most women are "under muscled" rather than "over fat". They discuss the crucial shift from death-defying circuit workouts to prioritizing recovery and progressive overload strength training to build a strong, confident body in midlife.

Amy gives three actionable steps for any woman over 40 ready to transform:

1. Audit your diet and test your deficit at 11 times your body weight.
2. Start strength training using a structured progressive overload program.
3. Ditch the intense cardio (like HIIT and circuits) and replace it with daily walking.

Follow Amy on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/amy_ledin/

Timestamps

03:07Amy shares her personal weight loss journey and the start of her coaching career

05:07 How not knowing how to keep weight off led to five years of food issues

06:04 Learning about "metabolic damage" and reverse dieting from her now-husband, Eric

07:32Amy's realization that nutrition is key, leading to her online business "Former Fat Girl Fitness"

10:21 Going from 130 lbs with no abs to 155 lbs with a six-pack through strength training

10:56 Most ladies are "under muscled" not "over fat"

13:45Chasing a firmer body and the "skinny fat" problem

15:37How Amy's coaching philosophy has changed over 19 years, focusing on mindset and identity shift

18:38Amy's personal cancer journey led her to therapy and the practice of "scripting" for rewiring the brain

21:01The massive change in training: stopping HIIT and circuit training and replacing it with "Crockwalks" (slow walking)

28:50How to help women stuck in a cardio mentality

29:27Comparing marathon runners to sprinters: success leaves clues in physique

31:33The marketing myth of the "Pilates body"

32:50 Why nutrition has 100% control over weight loss and exercise should not be seen as calorie burn

33:31The importance of progressive overload to get stronger

38:07The mistake of not following a structured program (e.g., just doing YouTube videos)

41:01 Three Actionable Steps for women over 40 who want to lose fat and build muscle

In this episode of Muscle Strength and Menopause, learn the two most powerful tools you have at your disposal—nutrition and exercise—to support systems affected by declining estrogen and progesterone. Discover the biggest nutrition mistakes women over 40 make (do not cut your carbs or start intermittent fasting!) and why your old workouts—like boot camp classes and light weights—aren't working anymore. Sara shares actionable strategies on prioritizing protein to overcome anabolic resistance the importance of eating carbs for thyroid and cortisol support and how heavy resistance training and short-burst sprint intervals are the external stressors your body needs now to build muscle, burn fat, and improve insulin sensitivity. It's time to work with your changing hormones, not against them. Learn how to claim muscle as your menopause superpower and start your comeback today!

Links & resources

Join the 7-Day Hormone Reset & Fat Loss Starter Challenge → https://go.sarafrenzafitness.com/7day-fatloss-starter ‌

Register for the 28-Day Menopause Fat Loss Kickstart Challenge → https://go.sarafrenzafitness.com/registration ‌

Next one starts in early 2026, get on the waitlist below. https://go.sarafrenzafitness.com/vip-waitlist

Apply for 1:1 Coaching program →https://go.sarafrenzafitness.com/coaching-application-email ‌

Join my private Facebook Community (attend live podcast recordings & Q&A) https://www.facebook.com/groups/secretstotransformyourbodyforever ‌

Get your Personalized Food List to lose peri/menopausal belly fat. → https://go.sarafrenzafitness.com/food-list

Perfect Sports Nutrition Supplement Use discount code FRENZA20 https://perfectsports.com/ (CANADA SITE)

https://us.perfectsports.com/ (USA SITE) The makers of DIESEL Protein powder

Connect with Me

Say Hello!

Email: [email protected]

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sara_frenza

Shop programs, bundles & resources : https://stan.store/SaraFrenza ‌

Website: https://www.sarafrenzafitness.com/

Are you putting in the work—attending 6 a.m. spin classes, sweating through F45 or Orange Theory, logging miles on the elliptical—only to see your stubborn belly fat getting worse? If you're a woman over 40, your hormones have literally changed the rules of the game, and the "old playbook" of traditional cardio and moderate-intensity exercise no longer works.

In this episode of the Muscle Strength and Menopause podcast, host Sara Frenza, a certified nutrition coach, fitness expert, and hormone and menopause specialist, unpacks the science behind why your body is not responding to typical exercise in perimenopause and post-menopause and what you need to do instead to finally see results.

Learn the critical training shift you need to make to lose fat, build muscle, and get stronger in midlife without burnout, starvation, or shame.

Links & resources

Join the 7-Day Hormone Reset & Fat Loss Starter Challenge → https://go.sarafrenzafitness.com/7day-fatloss-starter ‌

Register for the 28-Day Menopause Fat Loss Kickstart Challenge → https://go.sarafrenzafitness.com/registration ‌

Next one starts in early 2026, get on the waitlist below. https://go.sarafrenzafitness.com/vip-waitlist

Apply for 1:1 Coaching program →https://go.sarafrenzafitness.com/coaching-application-email ‌

Join my private Facebook Community (attend live podcast recordings & Q&A) https://www.facebook.com/groups/secretstotransformyourbodyforever ‌

Get your Personalized Food List to lose peri/menopausal belly fat. → https://go.sarafrenzafitness.com/food-list

Perfect Sports Nutrition Supplement Use discount code FRENZA20 https://perfectsports.com/ (CANADA SITE)

https://us.perfectsports.com/ (USA SITE) The makers of DIESEL Protein powder

Connect with Me

Say Hello!

Email: [email protected]

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sara_frenza

Shop programs, bundles & resources : https://stan.store/SaraFrenza ‌

Website: https://www.sarafrenzafitness.com/

In this episode we dive into the real reason your walks, yoga, and “light toning” stopped working—and what to do instead. When estrogen declines, your muscles lose sensitivity to the “build” signal (think fewer estrogen receptor docking stations). The result? Weaker contractions, sluggish brain-to-muscle communication, and a muted muscle-building response. Translation: you now need a louder stimulus—heavy, smart strength training.

I break down:

• Muscle as a metabolic moneymaker: why muscle burns more, even at rest, and helps you eat like a human again.
• Blood sugar control after 40: how strength training and short sprint intervals increase GLUT-4 “doors” so glucose goes into muscle (not your midsection).
• Shape you can see: rounded shoulders, lifted glutes, defined arms—the Hourglass Body Method in action.
• Function for life: keep power, prevent falls, carry luggage, play with grandkids—without fearing “bulk.” (You won’t; you don’t have the hormonal profile for it.)
• Bone density benefits: the mechanical loading that actually builds bone after 40.

You’ll also get my simple 3-phase starter plan:

1. Months 1–3: Foundations (master squat, hinge, push, pull, carry; 2–3 full-body sessions/week)
2. Months 3–6: Progressive Overload (track lifts; add weight/reps on a set plan)
3. Months 6–12: Heavier Loads (introduce barbell work; 4–6 rep strength ranges)

Plus, the nutrition anchor that makes it all work: aim for ~1g protein per pound of goal (or current) body weight.

If you’re ready to stop shrinking yourself and start sculpting strength, this episode is your roadmap.

Links & resources

Join the 7-Day Hormone Reset & Fat Loss Starter Challenge → https://go.sarafrenzafitness.com/7day-fatloss-starter

Register for the 28-Day Menopause Fat Loss Kickstart Challenge → https://go.sarafrenzafitness.com/registration

Next one starts in early 2026, get on the waitlist below.

https://go.sarafrenzafitness.com/vip-waitlist

Apply for 1:1 Coaching program →https://go.sarafrenzafitness.com/coaching-application-email

Join my private Facebook Community (attend live podcast recordings & Q&A) https://www.facebook.com/groups/secretstotransformyourbodyforever

Get your Personalized Food List to lose peri/menopausal belly fat. → https://go.sarafrenzafitness.com/food-list

Perfect Sports Nutrition Supplement Use discount code FRENZA20 https://perfectsports.com/ (CANADA SITE)

https://us.perfectsports.com/ (USA SITE) The makers of DIESEL Protein powder

In this episode we dive into what’s really driving that sudden midlife belly fat—and why your old playbook (more cardio, fewer carbs, tiny dumbbells, crash diets) can make it worse. I break down the science in real-world language: insulin resistance as estrogen declines, slower fat removal (lipid turnover), accelerated muscle loss, cortisol spikes, and rising inflammation. Then I give you the plan that does work now: lift heavy with progressive overload, add short sprint-interval sessions, eat enough protein (1 g per pound of goal weight), and stop skipping breakfast so your metabolism and hormones can work for you again. You’ll walk away with simple, do-today action steps and a sample day that fits a busy schedule. If you’ve been “doing everything right” and still watching your waistline creep up, this is the reset your midlife body has been asking for. Key timestamps (8) 00:00 The midlife metabolism shift: fat checks in…but doesn’t check out 02:57 Not your fault: why “eat less, do more” backfires after 40 05:07 Estrogen drop → insulin resistance (GLUT-4, blood sugar, visceral fat) 07:24 Lipid turnover slows: why the same routine now adds 10–20 lbs 08:48 Muscle loss + cortisol + inflammation: the perfect storm for belly fat 13:05 What to stop: chronic cardio, light weights, aggressive deficits 18:13 What to start: heavy resistance training + true sprint intervals (SIT) 23:48 Nutrition that works now: protein targets, pro-carb stance, eat breakfast 30:04 Action plan: 30g protein/meal, compound lifts, sleep routine Links & resources Join the 7-Day Hormone Reset & Fat Loss Starter Challenge → https://go.sarafrenzafitness.com/7day-fatloss-starter Register for the 28-Day Menopause Fat Loss Kickstart Challenge → https://go.sarafrenzafitness.com/registration Next one starts in early 2026, get on the waitlist below. https://go.sarafrenzafitness.com/vip-waitlist Apply for 1:1 Coaching program →https://go.sarafrenzafitness.com/coaching-application-email Join my private Facebook Community (attend live podcast recordings & Q&A) https://www.facebook.com/groups/secretstotransformyourbodyforever Get your Personalized Food List to lose peri/menopausal belly fat. → https://go.sarafrenzafitness.com/food-list Perfect Sports Nutrition Supplement Use discount code FRENZA20 https://perfectsports.com/ Connect with Me Say Hello! Email: [email protected] Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sara_frenza Shop programs, bundles & resources : https://stan.store/SaraFrenza Website: https://www.sarafrenzafitness.com/

If you’ve struggled with leaking, prolapse, back pain, or “I guess this is normal after kids,” this conversation will change how you think about your body—and give you actionable steps to feel strong and confident again.

This episode is a tribute to my dear friend, Nicole Thompson, who we lost to cancer on September 16, 2025 at just 53. Before she left, Nicole poured her brilliance into helping women reclaim their bodies through pelvic floor education—and she even finished her book, Pelvic Floor Secrets, so her work could keep changing lives.

I’m sharing a replay of our 2022 Lunch & Learn where Nicole breaks down, in the most human and hopeful way, why so many women leak when they lift (or laugh, sneeze, and run), what’s really going on inside the body, and the exact first steps to get back to a leak-free, stronger life. You’ll hear her warmth, her laugh, and the straight-up coaching that made everyone feel capable. This one’s for you, Nicole. Your light keeps going.

• Nicole’s book: Pelvic Floor Secrets https://a.co/d/1VxveZE

• Legacy fund for her daughters, Kate and Ally (100% to their trust) https://go.pelvicfloorsecrets.ca/nicoles-legacy

Links & resources Join the 7-Day Hormone Reset & Fat Loss Starter Challenge → https://go.sarafrenzafitness.com/7day-fatloss-starter

Register for the 28-Day Menopause Fat Loss Kickstart Challenge → https://go.sarafrenzafitness.com/registration

Next one starts in early 2026, get on the waitlist below. https://go.sarafrenzafitness.com/vip-waitlist

Apply for 1:1 Coaching program →https://go.sarafrenzafitness.com/coaching-application-email

Join my private Facebook Community (attend live podcast recordings & Q&A) https://www.facebook.com/groups/secretstotransformyourbodyforever

Get your Personalized Food List to lose peri/menopausal belly fat. → https://go.sarafrenzafitness.com/food-list

Perfect Sports Nutrition Supplement Use discount code FRENZA20 https://perfectsports.com/

Say Hello!

Email: [email protected]

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sara_frenza

Shop programs, bundles & resources : https://stan.store/SaraFrenza

Website: https://www.sarafrenzafitness.com/

In this episode of Muscle, Strength & Menopause, I sit down with my incredible coach and teammate Tammy Groot—the powerhouse behind so many of our client transformations inside our Frenza Fit 1:1 Coaching program.

Tammy opens up about her 25+ year fitness journey: from teaching endless bootcamps and kickboxing classes to realizing she still didn’t look or feel the way she expected. At 44, she discovered the power of lifting heavier, fueling smarter, and training for strength instead of punishment and it completely changed her body, her mindset, and her career.

If you’ve ever said, “I work out all the time, but nothing’s changing,” this episode will hit home.

Follow Coach Tammy at https://www.instagram.com/thetammygroot/

Links & resources Join the 7-Day Hormone Reset & Fat Loss Starter Challenge → https://go.sarafrenzafitness.com/7day-fatloss-starter

Register for the 28-Day Menopause Fat Loss Kickstart Challenge → https://go.sarafrenzafitness.com/registration

Next one starts in early 2026—get on the waitlist → https://go.sarafrenzafitness.com/vip-waitlist

Apply for 1:1 Coaching (Hourglass Body Method) → https://go.sarafrenzafitness.com/coaching-application-email

Join my private Facebook Community (attend live podcast recordings & Q&A) → https://www.facebook.com/groups/secretstotransformyourbodyforever Get your Personalized Food List to lose peri/menopausal belly fat → https://go.sarafrenzafitness.com/food-list

Perfect Sports Nutrition (use code FRENZA20) → https://perfectsports.com/

Connect with me

Email: [email protected]

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sara_frenza

Shop programs, bundles & resources: https://stan.store/SaraFrenza

Website: https://www.sarafrenzafitness.com/

women over 40 fitness, strength training menopause, perimenopause weight gain, metabolic health women, fat loss vs weight loss, build muscle after 40, midlife transformation, protein for women, hormone health, menopause metabolism, Frenza Fit, Hourglass Body Method, women lifting heavy, strong not skinny