I WROTE GOODBYE LETTERS TO MY PARENTS - and I was prepared!

This week’s episode is the one piece of advice I’d give anyone approaching midlife, dealing with it, or coming out the other side: be prepared.

We almost always wait until we’re in a situation to educate ourselves about it. We’re sitting in a pool of night sweats, googling what causes them. We’ve gained the weight, then we search for fat loss. We’ve lost 10 pounds of muscle, then we look up muscle loss with age. It’s like getting marriage advice in the middle of a divorce. The information doesn’t stick, because you’re too deep in it to take it in.

In this episode:

Why preparing early is a strength. It applies to health, money, relationships, and parenting.

My timeline. Perimenopause started around 44 with a “nagging voice” at a gas station in Malibu. At 47 came the night sweats. Then came menopause at 51-52.

The panic attack. Even with 30+ years of coaching experience, I thought I was having a heart attack. I filled the animals’ bowls and wrote letters to my mum and dad. It shows how much being in the moment clouds your thinking, and how fast the toolkit came out once I recognised what it was.

The life pivot. Ten days after moving to Idaho at 50, I had emergency surgery. My hormones crashed and I lost about 15 pounds of muscle, and my legs just disappeared. Because I’d built so much muscle beforehand, I was ahead of the curve.

Amateur vs. master. Knowing a little gets you a good week. Mastering something gets you ease.

Why I didn’t gain the 35 pounds many women gain. It wasn’t luck. I understood insulin and cortisol long before I needed to.

Why going it alone is the hardest way. When you’re already in it, support from a coach, a group, or a medical professional is priceless.

This isn’t just for women. The signs in men are subtle (sadness, isolation, body changes) and often ignored.

One action you can take this week: If you’re in your late 30s, 40s, or 50s, get your baseline blood work done. You’re probably fine right now, but when things change (and they will), you’ll have your numbers to compare against.