Episode 27: Why You Wake Up at 3am and Gain Belly Fat When You Eat Less
Coffee first thing. The Goldfish your kids didn't finish for lunch. Starving at 8pm. Wide awake at 3am. And somehow your middle keeps getting softer when you're eating less than you ever have.
This is a solo episode about the thing I see in almost every client I work with: we're not eating enough. A lot of us were trained to eat small so we could stay small, and in midlife that plan stops working.
What we get into:
Why under-eating keeps the weight on. When your body doesn't get enough food, it reads it as stress. Cortisol goes up, and your body holds on to what it has instead of letting it go.
Why perimenopause makes it worse. Muscle is one of the first things we lose when protein is low and we're not lifting. An underfed body can also slow the thyroid down to save energy.
The signs you're not eating enough. 3am wake-ups. Tired and wired. Not hungry all day, then starving at dinner. These aren't quirks. They're your body asking for food.
What actually goes on your plate. Protein, fiber, and some healthy fat at every meal, 80/20 style. Sometimes the fries are magic, and that's allowed.
Why coffee isn't breakfast. Coffee on an empty stomach adds stress and cortisol. Eat before or with it. A protein shake and a banana counts. I also get into why intermittent fasting so often backfires for women, and why I love Dr. Stacy Sims on this.
Why your body keeps eating until it gets what it needs. If it doesn't get enough at breakfast and lunch, it'll find it in the pantry at 8pm. That's not a willpower problem.
