Trigger warning: This episode includes discussion about restrictive eating patterns and their potential harm.

This is the final episode in our Metabolism Roundtable series, bringing together HER+ providers to challenge the messaging women — especially moms — have been taught about weight, energy, and health. (Episodes 158, 157 & 156 are also part of the Metabolism Roundtable series)

In this closing conversation, the panel unpacks why cycles of restriction often leave women feeling more fatigued, stressed, and metabolically stuck, particularly during perimenopause. The experts explore how under-fueling, chronic stress, and the pressure to be smaller can disrupt hormones, increase metabolic resistance, and fuel weight cycling.

The discussion also examines the evolving role of GLP-1 medications, including their potential benefits for insulin resistance and inflammation, alongside the critical need for medical oversight, strength training, and adequate nutrition to protect muscle and bone health.

The takeaway for this final chapter: intensity and restriction aren’t the answer. Consistency, strength, proper fueling, and a collaborative care team offer a more sustainable path forward — one that shifts the focus from shrinking the body to supporting long-term metabolic health and overall well-being.

These are the top three things you will learn from this podcast episode:

• Why restriction often backfires for women’s metabolismYou will learn how under-fueling, chronic stress, and repeated cycles of “trying harder” can slow metabolism, increase fatigue, and create metabolic resistance — especially for moms and women in perimenopause.

• What actually supports long-term metabolic healthThis episode clarifies why consistency matters more than intensity, and how adequate fueling, strength training, muscle preservation, and stress support are foundational for sustainable energy, blood sugar balance, and overall well-being.

• How tools like GLP-1 medications fit into a bigger pictureYou will gain a balanced understanding of the potential benefits and limitations of GLP-1 medications, and why medical oversight, nutrition, and strength work are essential to protect muscle, bone health, and long-term outcomes.

HER+ Experts:

● Katherin Andrew, Registered Dietitian - https://www.katherineandrew.com/

● Dr. Abby DeVries, Family Medicine Doctor - https://www.sabiahealthnc.com/

● Sarah Parise, ACE Certified Fitness Professional - https://greatdaysbysarah.com/

● Kate Layman, Certified Nurse Midwife - https://motherlovewellness.com/

Episode Notes and Resources:

Dr. Salas-Whalen and her book Weightless

FREE Expert Provider Directory - https://herhealthcollective.com/search-the-directory/?type=fitness

HER Circle (A Mom community by HER Health Collective) - https://www.herhealthcollective.com/membership

Support Mama Needs a Moment! Become a patron through our Mama Needs a Moment Patreon.

This roundtable continues our conversation on metabolic changes—but this time, we focus on how those shifts show up mentally and emotionally for moms.

As hormones fluctuate and sleep declines, many women experience rising anxiety, low mood, irritability, or brain fog and begin to wonder why they no longer “feel normal.” Our experts explain how these symptoms are not separate from metabolism—they are deeply connected. Changes in estrogen impact brain chemicals like serotonin, dopamine, and GABA, influencing mood, stress resilience, sleep, and overall emotional regulation.

Together, we explore why mental health should be considered a core part of metabolic health—not an afterthought—and why so many women are treated for symptoms without addressing underlying hormonal shifts. You’ll also hear guidance on advocating for yourself, tracking symptoms, and finding providers who understand the full picture.

If you’ve been feeling unlike yourself lately, this conversation offers clarity, validation, and a reminder: your body isn’t failing you. It’s communicating.

These are the top three things you will learn from this podcast episode:

• Why you don’t “feel like yourself”

  You’ll understand how shifting hormones and poor sleep affect brain chemicals like serotonin, dopamine, and GABA—contributing to anxiety, low mood, irritability, and brain fog.

• Why mental health is a core part of metabolic health

  You’ll learn how mood, stress tolerance, sleep, and metabolism are deeply interconnected—and why treating them as separate issues often misses the root cause.

• How to advocate for better, more integrated care

  You’ll gain practical insight into tracking symptoms, knowing when hormones may be part of the picture, and finding providers who look at the full biopsychosocial story—not just isolated symptoms.

HER+ Experts:

● Katherin Andrew, Registered Dietitian - https://www.katherineandrew.com/

● Dr. Abby DeVries, Family Medicine Doctor - https://www.sabiahealthnc.com/

● Sarah Parise, ACE Certified Fitness Professional - https://greatdaysbysarah.com/

● Kate Layman, Certified Nurse Midwife - https://motherlovewellness.com/

Episode Notes and Resources:

Dr. Lisa Masconi - https://www.lisamosconi.com/

FREE Expert Provider Directory - https://herhealthcollective.com/search-the-directory/?type=fitness

HER Circle (A Mom community by HER Health Collective) - https://www.herhealthcollective.com/membership

Support Mama Needs a Moment! Become a patron through our Mama Needs a Moment Patreon.

If you’ve been told metabolism is just about calories in and calories out, this conversation offers a much-needed reframe.

In this roundtable episode, Cindi is joined by several HER+ Experts from the free online Inclusive Provider Directory to explore the systems behind metabolism—and why it’s about far more than food or willpower. Together, they break down how hormones, sleep, stress, muscle, nourishment, and the nervous system all work together to influence metabolic health, especially through motherhood and midlife.

The experts discuss common red flags moms often overlook, including disrupted sleep, fatigue, appetite changes, mood shifts, and stubborn weight changes, and how these signals can point to deeper hormonal or metabolic needs. You’ll hear why strength training is essential for women, how building muscle supports metabolism and longevity, and why sleep quality plays a critical role in how the body functions.

The conversation also highlights under-recognized issues like insulin resistance and sleep apnea in women, along with realistic strategies to improve sleep, manage stress, and support the body as a whole—without chasing perfection.

This episode is a compassionate reminder that metabolism is dynamic and interconnected. When you understand the systems behind it, you can stop blaming yourself and start supporting your body in ways that truly matter.

These are the top three things you will learn from this podcast episode:

• Metabolism is shaped by multiple systems—not just calories.You will learn how hormones, sleep, stress, muscle, and the nervous system all work together to influence metabolism, and why focusing only on food or willpower often leads to frustration rather than results.

• Common “normal” symptoms are actually important metabolic signals.This episode will help you recognize red flags like disrupted sleep, fatigue, mood changes, appetite shifts, and stubborn weight changes as meaningful clues—not personal failures—that may point to hormonal imbalances, insulin resistance, or unmet nutritional and recovery needs.

• Strength training and sleep are foundational, not optional.You will understand why building muscle is critical for metabolic health at any age, how it supports blood sugar, hormones, and longevity, and why improving sleep quality (not perfection) can dramatically impact energy, metabolism, and overall well-being.

HER+ Experts:

● Katherin Andrew, Registered Dietitian - https://www.katherineandrew.com/

● Dr. Abby DeVries, Family Medicine Doctor - https://www.sabiahealthnc.com/

● Sarah Parise, ACE Certified Fitness Professional - https://greatdaysbysarah.com/

● Kate Layman, Certified Nurse Midwife - https://motherlovewellness.com/

Episode Notes and Resources:

FREE Expert Provider Directory - https://herhealthcollective.com/search-the-directory/?type=fitness

HER Circle (A Mom community by HER Health Collective) - https://www.herhealthcollective.com/membership

Support Mama Needs a Moment! Become a patron through our Mama Needs a Moment Patreon.