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: sara@sarafrenzafitness.com

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