I've coached women's health, nutrition, metabolism, and transformations for twenty five years.

I've sat in the front row of thousands of conversations. I've watched the same themes repeat through different decades, different bodies, different lifestyles, and different levels of discipline.

And in the last few years, perimenopause has become one of the loudest seasons women are navigating. Even when they're doing all the right things.

I live inside these conversations every single week. It's my life's work. It's my expertise. It's what my team and I do relentlessly.

And I have lived it personally.

Perimenopause is fucking hard. It can be disruptive, it can be confronting, and it can absolutely mess with your internal experience in ways you didn't expect.

Even if you're educated, even if you're consistent, even if you've spent years thinking you know your body and two things can be true at the same time.

Yes, perimenopause is fucking hard and you do not have to suffer through it.

You can thrive in midlife.

In today's episode, I'm breaking down what you need to know when it comes to perimenopause, what changes under the surface, and teach you how to think about this pivotal time in a woman's life.

Time Stamps:

(4:40) Framework on Perimenopause

(6:00) I Didn't Soften

(12:35) Leaking Your Own Time and Energy

(13:31) What Is Perimenopause?

(17:34) What's Changing Under The Surface

(24:24) Perimenopause and Sensitivity

(30:35) The SF Coaching Method

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Follow Me On Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/sarahfechter.ifbbpro/

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This Podcast is for general informational purposes only and does not constitute the practice of medicine, nursing, other professional health care services, or any professional practice of any kind. Any reliance on the information provided in this Podcast is done at your own risk and Sarah Fechter Fitness LLC expressly disclaims any and all liability or responsibility for any direct, indirect, incidental, special, consequential or other damages arising out of any individual use of, reference to, reliance on, or inability to use, this Podcast or the information presented in this Podcast. All contents and design for this Podcast are owned by Sarah Fechter Fitness LLC. Always consult your professional team before beginning any exercise or nutrition program.

Today's episode is a metabolic reality episode because insulin resistance isn't rare and it's not something that suddenly appears out of nowhere.

If we zoom out and we look at the landscape of metabolic disease, type two diabetes, cardiovascular disease, non- alcoholic fatty liver disease, insulin resistance sits at the center of all of it. And when we look at the data, close to ninety percent of metabolic disease is driven by lifestyle factors.

This means it's how we eat, how we sleep, how we move, how we manage stress, and how sedentary or active we are over time. That makes this an everyday conversation.

Insulin resistance shows up in women long before anyone ever uses that language. And most women, they can feel it before they can name it.

We'll unpack insulin resistance, how this affects women different than men, insulin signaling, and what we need to do as women to stave off this complex issue.

Time Stamps:

(0:48) Insulin Resistance

(4:15) Gender Differences with Insulin Resistance

(8:30) Insulin and Insulin Signaling

(13:50) What We Need As Women

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Follow Me On Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/sarahfechter.ifbbpro/

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This Podcast is for general informational purposes only and does not constitute the practice of medicine, nursing, other professional health care services, or any professional practice of any kind. Any reliance on the information provided in this Podcast is done at your own risk and Sarah Fechter Fitness LLC expressly disclaims any and all liability or responsibility for any direct, indirect, incidental, special, consequential or other damages arising out of any individual use of, reference to, reliance on, or inability to use, this Podcast or the information presented in this Podcast. All contents and design for this Podcast are owned by Sarah Fechter Fitness LLC. Always consult your professional team before beginning any exercise or nutrition program.

Today's episode is an important one, and I want to say that right out of the gate, because this conversation comes up constantly in my work with women across fat loss, hormones, digestion, energy, and long term health.

This episode is about labs. More specifically, it's about what happens when you're told your labs are normal, but your body is clearly telling you a different story. Women come to me every week holding labs ordered by their doctor. Lab work that has been reviewed. It's been stamped as fine blood work that technically falls within the Western range.

And yet they don't feel good. They're tired. They're inflamed. They have symptoms. They're gaining weight. Their digestion is off. Their mood is off, their sleep is unbearable, and something just doesn't feel right in their body.

And I want you to hear this today.

That disconnect is not imagined. Not even a little bit. After twenty five years of working in nutrition, metabolism, hormone health, and lab interpretation, I can tell you that this is one of the biggest blind spots in women's health.

Today, we're going to talk about why normal doesn't always mean optimal. Why symptoms almost always show up before a diagnosis ever does, why timing patterns and context matter more than a single data point, and why so many women feel dismissed because the system isn't designed to interpret what they're actually experiencing.

This is not an episode about blaming medicine. It's an episode about understanding scope, training, and systems.

Time Stamps:

(0:50) What Happens When Your Labs Come Back "Normal"

(4:48) Context and Patterns Matter

(7:04) Systems Are Adaptive Responses

(8:13) Functional and Being Proactive

(9:55) Blood Sugar

(15:00) My Soapbox on Tik Tok and ChatGPT

(15:34) Who Is Equipped To Interpret Labs?

(20:30) Why Women Come To Us For Help

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Complimentary Health Content

https://sarahfechter.ac-page.com/Health_Wellness_Community

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Follow Me On Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/sarahfechter.ifbbpro/

Check Out My Website - https://www.sarahfechter.com

----------

This Podcast is for general informational purposes only and does not constitute the practice of medicine, nursing, other professional health care services, or any professional practice of any kind. Any reliance on the information provided in this Podcast is done at your own risk and Sarah Fechter Fitness LLC expressly disclaims any and all liability or responsibility for any direct, indirect, incidental, special, consequential or other damages arising out of any individual use of, reference to, reliance on, or inability to use, this Podcast or the information presented in this Podcast. All contents and design for this Podcast are owned by Sarah Fechter Fitness LLC. Always consult your professional team before beginning any exercise or nutrition program.

Today's episode is one I've wanted to record for a while, because it sits at the center of almost every conversation I have with women week after week, inside the gym, inside coaching, and inside long term mentorship.

Women come in asking about fat loss, hormones, digestion, energy. They want a better look at their labs they'd love for them to be explained to them. Interpreted.

They want to understand why a doctor says normal, but their body is telling a very different story through symptoms and day to day experiences that don't line up with what they're being told.

What I've learned after twenty five years in this space is that those questions are rarely separate. They're different entry points into the same conversation, and that's a huge part of coaching.

We help women connect the dots between multiple systems and multiple symptoms, instead of treating each one like it exists in a vacuum.

Today we're going to talk about overlap as a working system because fat loss, hormones, digestion, blood sugar, and insulin resistance are not isolated from each other. I'm going to explain how they work together and why they affect each other.

Time Stamps:

(1:45) Communication Between Systems

(3:19) How I Think About Coaching

(5:55) Crutch vs Mentorship

(7:47) Thyroid Function

(9:35) Chronic Undereating

(10:49) Estrogen Clearance and The Gut

(16:18) SHREDS

(19:30) Thyroid Output Adapts to Energy Availability

(21:55) Recapping The Systems Lens

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Complimentary Health Content

https://sarahfechter.ac-page.com/Health_Wellness_Community

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Follow Me On Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/sarahfechter.ifbbpro/

Check Out My Website - https://www.sarahfechter.com

----------

This Podcast is for general informational purposes only and does not constitute the practice of medicine, nursing, other professional health care services, or any professional practice of any kind. Any reliance on the information provided in this Podcast is done at your own risk and Sarah Fechter Fitness LLC expressly disclaims any and all liability or responsibility for any direct, indirect, incidental, special, consequential or other damages arising out of any individual use of, reference to, reliance on, or inability to use, this Podcast or the information presented in this Podcast. All contents and design for this Podcast are owned by Sarah Fechter Fitness LLC. Always consult your professional team before beginning any exercise or nutrition program.

If today's episode title resonates with you and is something you've either thought or said out loud, I want you to know you aren't alone. This frustration leads to negotiating with the plan and trying to regain control. What your emotions are failing at is understanding the reality of the scale, what it actually measures, and why it has nothing to do with fat loss. In today's episode, we are going to break down your relationship with the scale, how to break free from the emotional control it has over you, and help you understand what really happens with the process of fat loss.

Time Stamps:

(2:00) The Moment I Want You To Visualize

(5:10) Your Relationship with The Scale

(7:22) How A Coach Talks About The Scale

(14:40) Understanding The Why Behind The Process

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Apply for SF Coaching Method

https://sarahfechter.ac-page.com/sfhq-cc

Complimentary Health Content

https://sarahfechter.ac-page.com/Health_Wellness_Community

----------

Follow Me On Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/sarahfechter.ifbbpro/

Check Out My Website - https://www.sarahfechter.com

----------

This Podcast is for general informational purposes only and does not constitute the practice of medicine, nursing, other professional health care services, or any professional practice of any kind. Any reliance on the information provided in this Podcast is done at your own risk and Sarah Fechter Fitness LLC expressly disclaims any and all liability or responsibility for any direct, indirect, incidental, special, consequential or other damages arising out of any individual use of, reference to, reliance on, or inability to use, this Podcast or the information presented in this Podcast. All contents and design for this Podcast are owned by Sarah Fechter Fitness LLC. Always consult your professional team before beginning any exercise or nutrition program.

It's time we talk about APPLICATION when it comes to nutrition and what I teach my clients at the SF coaching method to do when it comes to their nutrition. In this episode, we'll cover the basics of food composition when it comes to protein, carbs, fats, and fiber, why most people don't understand carbs, how to think about your meals through a Chipotle style lens, and more!

Time Stamps:

(0:50) Leaning Into Application This Week

(3:00) Why I Hate Snacks

(6:27) The Basics of Food Composition

(8:13) Why People Don't Understand Carbohydrates

(10:45) Quality Fats

(13:15) Everyone Understands Chipotle

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Complimentary Health Content

https://sarahfechter.ac-page.com/Health_Wellness_Community

----------

Follow Me On Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/sarahfechter.ifbbpro/

Check Out My Website - https://www.sarahfechter.com

----------

This Podcast is for general informational purposes only and does not constitute the practice of medicine, nursing, other professional health care services, or any professional practice of any kind. Any reliance on the information provided in this Podcast is done at your own risk and Sarah Fechter Fitness LLC expressly disclaims any and all liability or responsibility for any direct, indirect, incidental, special, consequential or other damages arising out of any individual use of, reference to, reliance on, or inability to use, this Podcast or the information presented in this Podcast. All contents and design for this Podcast are owned by Sarah Fechter Fitness LLC. Always consult your professional team before beginning any exercise or nutrition program.

To fully understand your relationship with nutrition and how it impacts your life, we need to go to the core: identity. As someone who has spent 25 years coaching women on training, nutrition, mindset, and every other facet of health and fitness, change doesn't come from rules. It comes from understanding. In this episode, we are going to unpack understanding with identity and share a few examples of various identities that involve nutrition. Remember: understanding is a life long pursuit and doesn't happen overnight but I hope this podcast allows you to see identity for what it truly is.

Time Stamps:

(1:15) Building Our Understanding Around Nutrition

(6:45) Nutrition Identity Doesn't Happen Overnight

(11:00) "This Is What Works For Me"

(15:50) The Foodie Identity

(17:35) The Athlete Forever Identity

(18:18) The Food Rules Identity

(19:02) The Social Eater

(20:10) When Identity Drives Automatic Decisions

(28:15) Preferences vs Principles

(31:15) Systems Are Meant To Evolve

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Complimentary Health Content

https://sarahfechter.ac-page.com/Health_Wellness_Community

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Follow Me On Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/sarahfechter.ifbbpro/

Check Out My Website - https://www.sarahfechter.com

----------

This Podcast is for general informational purposes only and does not constitute the practice of medicine, nursing, other professional health care services, or any professional practice of any kind. Any reliance on the information provided in this Podcast is done at your own risk and Sarah Fechter Fitness LLC expressly disclaims any and all liability or responsibility for any direct, indirect, incidental, special, consequential or other damages arising out of any individual use of, reference to, reliance on, or inability to use, this Podcast or the information presented in this Podcast. All contents and design for this Podcast are owned by Sarah Fechter Fitness LLC. Always consult your professional team before beginning any exercise or nutrition program.

Building on our previous episode around nutrition advice, I want to take this episode and discuss the topic of nutrition literacy and why this is the skillset that will determine whether nutrition ultimately works for you. This is an episode that goes beyond food labels as we'll talk about strategies that will make your life easier, better, and give you agency over your nutrition. We'll also talk about the mental side of nutrition literacy and how to lessen your mental load with the tools I'll share with you.

Time Stamps:

(0:45) Skill Building Episode

(2:25) What Is Nutrition Literacy?

(9:50) Assembling Balanced and Repeatable Meals

(12:55) The Reinforcing Gym Atmosphere

(17:40) Reducing Mental Load

(23:55) The Compound Interest of Daily Habits

(28:43) Decision Speed

(31:30) Why I Care About Great Coaching

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Complimentary Health Content

https://sarahfechter.ac-page.com/Health_Wellness_Community

----------

Follow Me On Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/sarahfechter.ifbbpro/

Check Out My Website - https://www.sarahfechter.com

----------

This Podcast is for general informational purposes only and does not constitute the practice of medicine, nursing, other professional health care services, or any professional practice of any kind. Any reliance on the information provided in this Podcast is done at your own risk and Sarah Fechter Fitness LLC expressly disclaims any and all liability or responsibility for any direct, indirect, incidental, special, consequential or other damages arising out of any individual use of, reference to, reliance on, or inability to use, this Podcast or the information presented in this Podcast. All contents and design for this Podcast are owned by Sarah Fechter Fitness LLC. Always consult your professional team before beginning any exercise or nutrition program.

It's officially 2026 and I want to start this year off with a foundational concept that will lead the way though the entire year and that is understanding. We cannot change what we don't understand and I want to explain why understanding is so important in our modern world and how you are influenced and marketed to as women. We'll discuss the responsiveness of our bodies, why trends hit women heavy, why your body is like running a business, and more!

Time Stamps:

(1:40) This Episode is About Understanding

(6:00) The Human Body is Responsive

(10:58) Seasons Changed But Your Approach Didn't

(12:20) Why Trends Hit Women So Hard

(18:34) Your Body Is Like Running A Business

(20:30) Low Hanging Fruit Works

----------

Apply for SF Coaching Method

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Complimentary Health Content

https://sarahfechter.ac-page.com/Health_Wellness_Community

----------

Follow Me On Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/sarahfechter.ifbbpro/

Check Out My Website - https://www.sarahfechter.com

----------

This Podcast is for general informational purposes only and does not constitute the practice of medicine, nursing, other professional health care services, or any professional practice of any kind. Any reliance on the information provided in this Podcast is done at your own risk and Sarah Fechter Fitness LLC expressly disclaims any and all liability or responsibility for any direct, indirect, incidental, special, consequential or other damages arising out of any individual use of, reference to, reliance on, or inability to use, this Podcast or the information presented in this Podcast. All contents and design for this Podcast are owned by Sarah Fechter Fitness LLC. Always consult your professional team before beginning any exercise or nutrition program.

There's a certain quietness that happens between Christmas and New Years and I want to take this week for reflection and reinvention over resolutions. I have no issues with New Year's resolutions but I want you to listen to this episode so you'll understand what I mean by reinvention. We'll discuss hibernation season, what habits really are, why this week is so important, and more.

Time Stamps:

(0:50) The Quietness Between Christmas and New Years

(3:50) Reinvention Is Powerful But Vague

(6:28) Where Are We Right Now?

(9:25) Hibernation Season

(15:10) What Habits Really Are

(16:22) The Smallest Version Example

(18:00) Resolutions Aren't Evil

(20:40) Why This Week Is Important

(23:06) Subtraction Is Powerful

(26:05) Power Of Data

----------

Apply for SF Coaching Method

https://sarahfechter.ac-page.com/sfhq-cc

Complimentary Health Content

https://sarahfechter.ac-page.com/Health_Wellness_Community

----------

Follow Me On Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/sarahfechter.ifbbpro/

Check Out My Website - https://www.sarahfechter.com

----------

This Podcast is for general informational purposes only and does not constitute the practice of medicine, nursing, other professional health care services, or any professional practice of any kind. Any reliance on the information provided in this Podcast is done at your own risk and Sarah Fechter Fitness LLC expressly disclaims any and all liability or responsibility for any direct, indirect, incidental, special, consequential or other damages arising out of any individual use of, reference to, reliance on, or inability to use, this Podcast or the information presented in this Podcast. All contents and design for this Podcast are owned by Sarah Fechter Fitness LLC. Always consult your professional team before beginning any exercise or nutrition program.