241 Cortisol, stress and menopause: Why high cortisol is about more than just “belly fat”

You might have heard a lot of talk about high cortisol and perimenopause, the link between cortisol and weight loss and how we should all be aiming for lower cortisol and better nervous system regulation.But the biggie, of course, is the link between cortisol and belly fat. So in this episode, we’re going a little bit deeper to talk about not just the link between stress and more fat around the tummy, but also the ways in which high cortisol shows up in digestion, bloating, recovery, fatigue, cravings…and even your ability to build muscle.This isn’t about scaring you into trying to eliminate stress, but about helping you to understand the places where cortisol might be derailing your progress, so you can learn how to work WITH your body instead of against it.I’m also sharing my own recent cortisol test results - which were genuinely eye opening. Not because I’m burnt out, but because they revealed a pattern I see in so many high functioning women - of high output, low recovery.If you feel like you’re doing all the “right” things but your body isn’t responding the way it should, this episode will help you spot what’s really going on and give you simple, realistic ways to support your nervous system, digestion, and recovery (without ditching training or living like a monk).RESOURCES:Secret (& Free) Limited Podcast: Confident As F**k (Even When You’re Not There Yet)Work with me: www.lifeeditcoaching.comInstagram: @lifeeditwithalix

We’re constantly told that if we want to reach our long term fitness goals, we need to move faster. Work harder. Push more. But what if that constant rush is actually the very thing keeping you stuck? In this episode, I’m exploring why chasing quick wins often leads to burnout, inconsistency and frustration - and how we can get strategic about speed for sustainable fitness, sustainable weight loss and for creating a long term fitness mindset.I’m also sharing the approach I’m taking this year as I turn 50, with a focus on sustainable habits, nervous system safety and consistent effort. If you’re tired of the all-or-nothing cycle and ready for progress that actually lasts, this is the episode for you.Here’s what we’ll cover:Why chasing quick results often creates pressure, inconsistency and burnout.How rushing activates your nervous system and pushes you into all-or-nothing patterns.Why slow progress fitness often leads to faster long-term results.The power of identity-based goals.Practical ways to slow down strategically and build sustainable habits that last.

I’m going to take a wild guess — you’re a bit blind to your own brilliance.You second guess yourself. You overthink. You flirt with imposter syndrome. And while you’re trying to build confidence or develop self belief, you’re still quietly underestimating the very qualities that make you powerful.In this episode, we’re diving into self awareness and identity work - because the problem isn’t your discipline, productivity or willpower. It’s that you’ve normalised your own resilience for so long that you can’t see it clearly anymore.We’ll talk about:Why you see yourself differently to the way everyone else doesHow to stop underestimating yourselfAnd how to increase your self worth (and recognition of your own amazing gifts) every single dayThis is women’s empowerment in its truest form - living authentically, leaning into self acceptance, and building a confidence mindset rooted in self trust, not fear.If you’ve ever wondered how to get out of your own head, how to develop self belief, or how to finally make decisions from who you actually are (instead of who you think you should be), this one’s for you.RESOURCES:Secret (& Free) Limited Podcast: Confident As F**k (Even When You’re Not There Yet)Work with me: www.lifeeditcoaching.comInstagram: @lifeeditwithalix

This week I’m doing something a little different. Because I’m talking about the collective rage (or helplessness) many of us might be feeling about the state of the world right now. And how we can use that to actually stop shrinking…and instead have an amazing impact on the world.How we personally can empower ourselves through things like redefining productivity, learning to rest without guilt, offering ourselves greater self compassion and breaking free from diet culture. The ultimate rebellion in a world that thrives from our sacrifice.And this isn’t just about women’s empowerment and rejecting hustle culture. It’s about the fact that the more of us who stand up for ourselves and lean into a greater sense of self worth, the greater a ripple effect we create collectively.Here’s what we’ll cover:Why our anger is actually our powerThe systems that are keeping us distracted (our weight, our productivity and people pleasing)How we can all create a ripple effect when we stop shrinking and ultimately make this world a better place for all of usRESOURCES:Secret (& Free) Limited Podcast: Confident As F**k (Even When You’re Not There Yet)Work with me: www.lifeeditcoaching.comInstagram: @lifeeditwithalix

Do you ever catch yourself thinking, “I can relax later” - when work calms down, when the kids are older, when you’ve lost the weight, later when you’ve finally earned it? This episode is a loving call-out of that little lie (because yes, I tell myself it too). I’m unpacking why we keep living in that “waiting room” where ease and balance feel so close… but never quite arrive. And the truth is: if your peace is conditional on you achieving something first, you’ll spend your life chasing a finish line that keeps moving.I break down what’s really underneath the “I’ll relax when…” pattern and share simple, practical ways to start bridging the gap now. Because letting go doesn’t mean losing progress and rest is NOT a reward.Key takeawaysWhy “I’ll relax later” is more to do with safety than lack of time.Why if ease is conditional on weight loss / success / productivity, it stays out of reach.Why letting go doesn’t derail progress but usually speeds up the results you actually want.RESOURCES:Secret (& Free) Limited Podcast: Confident As F**k (Even When You’re Not There Yet)Work with me: www.lifeeditcoaching.comInstagram: @lifeeditwithalix

If you’ve ever looked at another woman’s progress and thought - “she’s just got more motivation than me”, then consider this episode your (gentle) wake up call. Because my most successful client aren’t asking how can I be more motivated, or relying on willpower or just trying harder than you.Instead, they’ve dumped control and perfectionism and let themselves do something too many of us resist: getting honest, getting curious and staying in the work even when it feels uncertain.In this episode, I’m breaking down the core traits I see in my most successful clients - the ones who create real change and feel amazing in their own skin.We talk about letting go of the “try harder” trap, and about how to build an inner world that continues to support you, even when motivation goes missing. These are the success habits that really work.RESOURCES:Secret (& Free) Limited Podcast: Confident As F**k (Even When You’re Not There Yet)Work with me: www.lifeeditcoaching.comInstagram: www.instagram.com/lifeeditwithalix

You’re already trying to make self care a priority - the magnesium, the meditation, the phone-free wind down. And yet your brain still feels like an overthinking engine.So maybe you start looking for more self care strategies, a better morning routine, or telling yourself consistency will finally solve the problem. But in this episode I’m getting super clear on why the self care you’re already doing isn’t giving you the calm you’re craving - and won’t do until you make what you’re already doing work better. Yep - we’re flipping the script and looking at what’s really happening beneath the overthinking, the perfectionist tendencies and why even the best self care habits in the world won’t work at their best until you tackle that.I’ll show you how to shift from self care as control, to self care as connection - the kind that finally calms the noise and helps you feel safer in your own body again.So if you’ve ever wondered why bubble baths and meditation aren’t doing the trick…this one’s for you. We’ll cover:Why you don’t need MORE self care, you need to understand why what you’re already doing isn’t landing.Why self care which chases control is going to backfire.The underlying beliefs which block the benefits of any ritualJOIN ME INSIDE DONE WITH DIETS HERENEXT STEPS:Share this episode with a friendFollow me on instagram

You already know exactly what you “should” be doing. You’ve read the books, listened to the podcasts, written the plans, and promised yourself this time will be different… and yet you still find yourself struggling with making habits stick, falling into all-or-nothing patterns, and wondering why procrastination and emotional eating keep creeping in.The worst thing? It feels like if it’s not a knowledge problem, it must be a YOU problem. But in this episode, I’m breaking down why that simply isn’t true, and what’s really going on beneath the “failed” behaviour change.We’ll dig into why the “bad habits” you’re desperate to get rid of are often just your system trying to keep you regulated. And how shame and self-blame shut down the curiosity you need for real habit change.If you’re tired of thinking, “I know what to do, why am I not doing it?”, this conversation will help you build self awareness, shift your mindset, and finally start changing the behaviours that are holding you back—so your new habits can actually stick.Key takeaways:Why striving for more motivation isn’t helping you right now.How procrastination, emotional eating, and skipping workouts often function as coping mechanisms, not character flaws.The role of dopamine in keeping you stuck in familiar habit loops.How to use curiosity (not control) to understand what your habits are really doing for you.A simple way to create space between trigger and response so you can choose new, more supportive behaviours.RESOURCES:Work with me: www.lifeeditcoaching.comInstagram: @lifeeditwithalix 

I work with lots of women who want to lose weight - even though I talk about diet culture and the damage I believe it’s done to our relationship with food and our bodies.And my job is not to talk you out of that goal - but to help you create the right conditions to pursue it without burning out, resorting to emotional eating and ending up at square one yet again.In this episode, I’m sharing how to regulate your nervous system for weight loss - and why this (and not the meal plan you choose) will be the biggest predictor of whether your weight loss efforts will actually pay off…and be sustainable.We dive into what really happens when you’re already overwhelmed and then stack a restrictive plan on top of that, how stress affects weight loss, and how to optimise your nervous system to escape the binge restrict cycle. Key takeaways:Why your struggle with weight loss is not about willpower, but nervous system dysregulation.How low-grade stress keeps you stuck in the binge restrict, on–off diet cycle.The difference between your lower “survival” brain and your higher “reasoning” brain when it comes to food choices.How to identify the areas of your life that keep you chronically activated and drain your capacity for change.How to widen your window of tolerance to make sustainable weight loss truly possible.NEXT STEPS:Share this episode with a friendListen to next: Episode 232 - Diet free weight loss: When you can’t face your next diet (but still want to lose weight)RESOURCES:Work with me: www.lifeeditcoaching.comInstagram: @lifeeditwithalix

The noise around weight loss in January can be deafening. But what if you’re asking “can I lose weight without going on a diet?” Because the truth is that you’re done. You’ve realised that on the surface, quick weight loss looks and feels like the ultimate life upgrade…but your body is screaming “I CANNOT do another diet”.So in this episode I’m talking directly to that crossroads - the space where you’re done with the restriction and misery, you’re ready to find food freedom, AND you also want to feel good in your own skin. I’ll walk you through why diets may have “worked” on paper but have cost you your peace and self trust - and what to do instead.We’ll look at how to create diet free weight loss, how to build healthy eating habits more effortlessly and how to stop the binge restrict cycle that you’ve been trapped in. So you can feel more confident in your body AND have the food freedom that you desire.Key Takeaways:Why you can be “good at dieting” and still feel trapped, unhappy, and obsessed with food.The real cost of chronic dieting on your body image, self-esteem and nervous system.Three core foundations for wanting weight loss without going back to restrictive diets.How to start rebuilding trust with your body and relating to it as a teammate, not an enemy.The connection between nervous system and weight loss - and how to use that to create sustainable habit change. RESOURCES:Work with me: www.lifeeditcoaching.comInstagram: @lifeeditwithalix