Asking for a Friend - Health, Fitness & Personal Growth Tips for Women in Midlife

Ep.137 Michele Folan on Unlocking Midlife Metabolism, GLP-1 Insights, and Sustainable Fat Loss

• Michele Henning Folan • Episode 137

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It's me speaking with you this week offering my perspective on midlife health, focusing on building long-term vitality through strength training, mindful eating, and sustainable lifestyle changes. It's time to ditch the quick-fix mentality and embrace lasting results. Together, we'll explore the importance of being mindful about sugar consumption, the crucial role that muscle plays in metabolism, and the often-overlooked implications of relying on medications for weight loss.

We dive into the unique challenges women face during midlife and how to navigate them with confidence and clarity. One of the key topics we cover is the importance of maintaining muscle mass, not just for aesthetics, but for overall health and well-being. In a world dominated by dieting culture and the pressure of caloric restriction, we challenge these limiting ideas and encourage a healthier, more balanced approach to nourishment.

Hidden sugars in processed foods are another major topic, as they can impact cravings and derail our best intentions. We'll uncover how to make smarter food choices, emphasizing balanced nutrition rich in protein and fiber. We’ll also explore the distinction between weight loss and fat loss, empowering you to prioritize sustainable fat loss strategies that support long-term health.

Additionally, we take a closer look at GLP-1 medications and their role in health, helping you understand their potential benefits and limitations. Plus, we offer practical advice on incorporating regular exercise and hydration into your daily routine, helping you feel strong, energized, and ready to take on whatever comes next.

If you’re ready to take the next step and want to learn more about coaching or working with me, please don’t hesitate to reach out. There’s no pressure, just a chance for us to chat and explore what’s best for you. This is the perfect time of year to reassess your health and lifestyle. 

Take a moment to reflect on what you want to achieve in the next 6 to 12 months, but also think about the bigger picture—what do you want your life and health to look like in the next 10, 20, or even 30 years? The power to create lasting change is in your hands.

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Are you ready to reclaim your midlife body and health? I went through my own personal journey through menopause, the struggle with midsection weight gain, and feeling rundown. Faster Way, a transformative six-week group program, set me on the path to sustainable change. I'd love to work with you! Let me help you reach your health and fitness goals.
https://www.fasterwaycoach.com/?aid=MicheleFolan

Have questions about Faster Way? Feel free to reach out.
mfolanfasterway@gmail.com

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*Transcripts are done with AI and may not be perfectly accurate.

**This podcast is for general informational purposes only and does not constitute the practice of medicine, nursing, or other professional healthcare services, including the giving of medical advice. The content of this podcast is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Users should not disregard or delay in obtaining medical advice for any medical condition they may have and should seek the assistance of their healthcare professionals for any such conditions.

Michele Folan:

Health, wellness, fitness and everything in between. We're removing the taboo from what really matters in midlife. I'm your host, Michele Folan, and this is Asking for a Friend. Welcome to the very first show of 2025. I am so excited that you're here.

Michele Folan:

Everyone had a wonderful holiday and kind of finally getting back in the swing of things. I know I took some time off around Christmas time to spend time with family and entertain and it was wonderful and entertain and it was wonderful, but it was exhausting and almost getting back to work and my routine actually helped me catch up on some sleep and so I'm feeling energized and really ready to hit the ground running in the new year. I decided for this first show of 2025 to make this a solo show. I haven't done one of these in a very long time and I really feel like now that I have been doing this podcast for almost three years and also having been a coach most of 2024, I've got a lot to share and a lot of it is based on many of the questions I get from clients and also listeners to the show, and these are really centered around midlife health and wellness, and I know we talk about that quite a bit on the podcast, but these are very specific to this time in our lives and our changing bodies and how we may need to address things a little differently to get results. I want to say first of all, if you are struggling with your weight and your changing body, you are not broken and you are certainly not alone. So don't think for one minute that the situation that you're in right now is not reversible, because it is, and we're going to talk a lot about that.

Michele Folan:

I do blame diet culture for a lot of the mindset and some of the approaches that we have taken that haven't worked for us. They've failed us. But you know, there's also the decline in hormones and with that we start to lose muscle. And when we lose muscle, there goes our metabolism. Muscle drives your metabolism. And so back to that mindset comment that I just made, we have to make a shift and we have to start thinking in terms of prioritizing being strong rather than being thin, because we need to have that muscle. Well, first of all, why do we need muscle? So it's not just for metabolism, right? So it's good for balance, helps our core strength so we can get up out of a seated position, it helps with bone health and because I don't want to be that woman that falls on the floor and is so frail that I can't get up.

Michele Folan:

If you can't get up from a seated position, out of a chair without pushing off with your hands, then it's time to hit the weights and working on your core. And I did a video I think it was December 6th of 2024, and it showed how to get up off the floor without using your hands. Now, if you can get up off the floor just using one hand, that's terrific, but the ultimate goal would be to be able to get up off the floor without using either of your hands. And the reason and I state this in the video is when we fall, we oftentimes break our fall with our hands, which can result in broken bones, fractures of the wrists. The wrist is typically the first bone that women fracture. So if you're lying on the floor and you have broken one wrist or God forbid two then you need to be able to get yourself up so you can get help. So I'm just throwing that out there, but check it out on Instagram.

Michele Folan:

So I want to address this issue of our bodies holding on to fat at this point in our lives. So we talked about muscle and the importance of having enough muscle to drive our metabolism. Having enough muscle to drive our metabolism. If you are in a calorie deficit and still not losing weight, then your body is holding onto fat. If you are doing a ton of cardio and still not seeing body changes, then your body is holding onto fat. And if you haven't changed anything in your lifestyle and you're still gaining weight, then your body is probably holding onto fat.

Michele Folan:

Here's the thing. Just eating less is not going to get you the body that you want, and just doing a bunch of cardio is not going to produce results. You may have heard me say along the line somewhere that our bodies are still programmed from when we lived in caves, when there was famine, scarcity of food. Our bodies are very good at hanging onto fat so that we can survive. If you are doing one of these 1200 or less calorie a day diets, you probably aren't going to get the results that you desire. You might get some temporary weight loss at the beginning, but then your body is going to get smart and shut down your metabolism. And, if you really think about it, 1,200 calories a day is the caloric intake that a very young girl is supposed to get, not a grown woman. If you work with me, you're going to be eating a lot more than 1,200 calories a day, and it can seem uncomfortable at first for some people who are not used to eating that much, but the point of that is to get your metabolism going again. This helps fuel you, it provides you energy and gives you that boost that you need to get through workouts and a long walk and not to fall asleep in the middle of the afternoon. So there is a method to the madness in eating more to lose weight. All right.

Michele Folan:

The other thing is we've got to start maybe reading labels a little more closely, and I'll explain this. So we've all heard about processed foods and they've really come under attack here recently, which I'm glad. I'm actually very happy to hear that we are starting to wake up around our food industry. But there's so much hidden sugar in the foods that we're eating and if you are one of those people that you add a little bit sugar to your coffee and add a little sugar to your oatmeal and then you're maybe drinking one of those drive-through yummy coffees in the afternoon, you may be getting a lot more sugar than you realize that on top of salad dressings, ketchup, barbecue sauce, I mean, there is sugar in so much of what we typically consume in a day. The American Heart Association they recommend no more than 25 grams of sugar per day for women. Now, if you look at a 12-ounce can of Coke and you're probably saying, well, I never drink Coke, but that in itself has 39 grams of sugar in it. So put it in perspective of what you typically consume in a day and try to think about how you can start doing zero added sugar. This does not include fruit. Fruit is still absolutely necessary for fiber and micronutrients.

Michele Folan:

It is possible to turn off those sugar cravings If you are eating a balanced plate. So when I say a balanced plate, I mean three meals a day where you are getting adequate protein and we'll talk about how much protein that should be and you're getting some fat and you're getting some good whole food carbohydrates and fiber, you can start to diminish those sugar cravings. Because oftentimes what's happening? If you're starting to get sugar cravings, say, late in the morning or in the afternoon, it may be because you're not eating three meals a day with a balanced plate. If you're skipping breakfast, if you're having coffee or a Diet Coke, for a snack. These are all things that can trigger sugar cravings.

Michele Folan:

There's a kind of a simple, I don't know, I say like philosophy that can help you manage some of these slumpy feelings that you get in the afternoon, the sugar cravings, and we call it the 30-30-30. And I don't want you to think that it's always this simple, but this is a great place to start. You want to get at least 30 grams of protein at every meal. That's only 90 grams of protein. I would typically ask a client to try to get at least one gram per desired pound of body weight, but if you can at least get 90 to 100 grams of protein a day, that is a great start. Protein produces satiety, it keeps you from getting hungry and it keeps you satiated much longer than other foods do.

Michele Folan:

The other 30 is 30 minutes of exercise every day. Now I think doing strength training at least three times per week is super important, particularly for women, our age, because again it's back to the muscle piece. We want to make sure that we're not just maintaining but we're building muscle, and that 30 minutes of exercise could also include walking and get into more about walking a little bit later. And get into more about walking a little bit later. And then 30 grams of fiber every day. If you can get 25, I'll be happy, but if you can get 30, that's even better. The reason fiber is so important First of all, fiber keeps you full.

Michele Folan:

So again back to the sugar cravings and, just in general, just feeling more satisfied when you eat. Fiber also is a prebiotic. The prebiotic is what you need for probiotics to do their job. So if you're eating things like fruit and whole grains, those are all really wonderful things to create a great microbiome in your stomach. And we all know now you've heard this a million times that there is this gut-brain connection. So if your gut is happy, your brain tends to be a little happier too. So think about that. And gut health is super important to a health journey and a weight loss journey.

Michele Folan:

So back to this mindset piece. I want to kind of tie a bow on this. The faster you try to lose weight, the more your body will resist. I just want to make sure you heard me the faster you try to lose weight, the more your body will resist. If you go into any kind of weight loss program and you are expecting quick results, you may not be successful. I hate to tell you that. So if you are wanting to drop 30 pounds before the big wedding in March, that's a tall order. My fear is that we want to lose this weight quickly, but we forget how long it took us to put that weight on.

Michele Folan:

Sustainable weight loss comes slow and steady. You may not necessarily have a weight problem. It may be more your mindset and your lifestyle that is holding you back from being successful. I'm not trying to be harsh here, but I oftentimes feel like you know, when we sign up for these fitness programs and it's six weeks or 12 weeks long, we kind of think that's like the end point, when actually that's just the beginning. What I do is not a diet. I do this as a lifestyle, because it's sustainable and it produces great results for women in midlife. So if you want to come work with me, I want you to have realistic expectations that we are changing old habits that sometimes take some time, and we also are looking at long-term benefits, not just for weight but for our overall health and well-being. So let's start a weight loss journey, a health journey, with realistic expectations so we're not setting ourselves up for failure.

Michele Folan:

Now I know I keep saying weight loss, but truly the ultimate goal is fat loss, and there is a big difference between the two. When you lose a large amount of weight, many times muscle is also part of that. So it's not all pure fat loss. You are also losing some muscle. Well, we don't want muscle loss, we just want fat loss. And when clients are working with me, at least for those first six weeks, I ask them not to weigh themselves. We are working on improving your metabolism in those first six weeks and we are lifting weights so you may gain a little bit of muscle weight because of that. And I don't want people to get discouraged because, remember, this is a process. This is a long-term process in order to get healthy. So after those six weeks, I have people start to weigh themselves again and you may be surprised. I had one client. She only lost four pounds, which, honestly, four pounds in six weeks is really pretty good, but she went down a whole pant size. So it's really hard to judge by what the scale says. It's really about taking your measurements and doing before and after pictures, and that's part of the process as well. Talking about weight loss versus fat loss is a terrific segue into talking about the GLP-1s.

Michele Folan:

I get a ton of questions about the GLP-1 drugs and this class is super interesting and very, very important to the medical community and to patients. So I want to first of all get that out there. I am not anti-GLP-1 at all. For a little background, I worked for the company in 2005 who launched the very first GLP-1. So they've been around for 20 years. I was a manager of a 10-person sales team for a little company called Amylin Pharmaceuticals. I actually met the scientist who developed the first GLP-1. And, interestingly, in his research he found that the saliva of the Gila monster, which is a big lizard, mimicked very closely the molecule of GLP-1 that is naturally occurring in humans. Gila monsters have very efficient saliva. They only eat once or twice a year and their bodies are just very good at using their nutrients very slowly over a period of time. So it's great science Now.

Michele Folan:

Back in the day we did not have GLP-1 pills because those early molecules would have disintegrated immediately once they hit your stomach, so everything had to be a shot. Now I know, in 2019, I believe, the FDA-approved Rybelsus and that is an oral GLP-1. I think the side effects seem to be the same for oral versus the injection. I don't think the nausea is any less, but the weight loss with the oral medications don't seem to be as robust as with the injection. So just keep that in mind with the injection. So just keep that in mind.

Michele Folan:

And I know there are some new combo drugs out there that take GLP-1 in combo with GIP. Now GIP stands for gastric inhibitory polypeptide, glp-1 stands for glucagon-like peptide 1, all right, so both are responsible for insulin release after you eat to control your postprandial blood sugar. So they're also slowing gastric emptying. So you're not dumping all of your glucose into your small intestine at one time, so it just slows things down a little bit. So that helps control some of the glucose levels as well. By slowing down your gastric emptying they make you feel full longer and they send a signal of satiety to the brain. So there's multi things going on here with these drugs. What I find incredibly encouraging is that the fact that we have GLP-1 receptors all over our bodies and we are studying these drugs now in Alzheimer's, fatty liver disease, depression, psoriasis, parkinson's and even alcohol abuse. So time will tell, but it seems that this class could be very promising in the future.

Michele Folan:

But I will say this for my clients who have either been on a GLP-1 or are currently using one. I am always concerned with rapid weight loss. That could also mean that they're losing muscle, because, remember, when you lose muscle, it is really hard to get that back. We need our muscle again for metabolism. So I have found that there have been a lot of healthcare providers out there who have put patients on GLP-1 with absolutely no nutritional counseling or fitness counseling on. Hey, you have to eat a lot of protein and you have to eat protein even if you're really not that hungry. You have to lift weights, you have to do weight-bearing exercise. We want to maintain your muscle, because what happens is when you go off these drugs and you gain your weight back, you gain back the fat, you don't gain back the muscle, and so then you start at a deficit.

Michele Folan:

Now there are doctors out there that are doing some microdosing, so they may do a maintenance dose of a very small amount to help you maintain, but I just don't know if that is a long-term strategy, particularly if you're having nausea or other side effects. So here's my thing. True health will never come from a pill or an injection. It requires effort, eating real food and moving your body and also prioritizing sleep. It's about lifestyle change. There are no shortcuts, but if you are morbidly obese you have metabolic disease then I believe these drugs are incredibly valuable. So I am always open to working with clients who are on them, because I really want to help them not only lose body fat but maintain their muscle and have sustained results.

Michele Folan:

We talked about protein and the importance of fiber, but I also want to discuss carbohydrates and the importance of fat. Cutting out any one food group is not ideal for long-term results, and let me explain. I had a client who was trying to figure out if she wanted to work with me with the Faster Weight program and she said, well, I think I might try keto again. And I said, okay, so if the keto was so successful the first time, why do you need to do it again? And she paused and I wasn't saying that to be snarky, but I think the point is that when you're cutting out a food group, can you sustain that for a long period of time, even though you might get quick results? Back to that whole notion of is that really what you're going after? Are you going after quick results or are you going after long-term results.

Michele Folan:

We need to have carbohydrate. You need carbohydrates for energy and you also need fats. You need good, healthy fats, and this is something that we incorporate in the Faster Way program. We do carb cycling, so there may be one day when you get to eat a high amount of good, healthy fats, but your carbohydrate requirement is going to be much lower. Then you may have other days when you're going to be able to eat a lot of carbs but a lot less fat. Back to the adaptability of our bodies. Our bodies can figure things out, so if you're eating the same thing day in, day out, your body can get adjusted to that. So with FasterWay, we change it up by the day, and so we keep the body guessing a little bit. I think it's fascinating. Plus, we do intermittent fasting as well. So I think there's a lot there that really works. There's some great science there, and that's why this program is so effective for women in midlife.

Michele Folan:

Now I will put together a custom macronutrition plan for every one of my clients. So when we look at macronutrients, those are your fat, your carbohydrates and your protein, and we throw fiber in there as well. So you're going to get your own custom goal based on your goals and your current fitness level, and I'll tweak that at the beginning to make sure that it meets you where you are in your current lifestyle. Because what if you're a teacher and it's hard for you to make food in the morning? We take all those things into consideration when we put together a plan. And then one of the other big questions I get is if I don't currently have a fitness practice, will I be able to do the workouts? And my answer is yes. Our workouts are intended for any fitness level. If you've had, you know, say, a shoulder injury or a knee issue, we can work around those things. And I start people very slow and typically the first thing I really want to do is dial in on your nutrition and get that set, and then we'll worry about doing the workouts.

Michele Folan:

If for anything, I'll get you out walking, particularly after you eat. So when I tell people, hey, I want you to walk for 30 minutes a day, that doesn't mean you have to walk all 30 minutes at one time. It's almost preferable that you get out and walk right after you eat. This helps with glucose uptake. It helps keep your blood sugars stable. It's really fascinating the power of walking after a meal. I was reading an article the other day that was discussing fitness trends for midlife in 2025.

Michele Folan:

And the first thing on the list was next level hydration. We all know we need to drink more water, but adding electrolytes to your water is very important, and I'll tell you why. When you drink water a lot of times, it will just pass through you, but when you add potassium and sodium to your water, it opens up the cell so that your body can more efficiently utilize the hydration. I recommend to my clients to get half their body weight in ounces every day. So if you weigh 150 pounds, you should drink about 75 ounces of water. The other thing I would ask is that your first drink of the day be 12 to 16 ounces of water with at least a pinch of sea salt in there. If you think about it, you haven't probably had anything to drink for at least eight hours. Your body is just craving water at that point, and it also can help with hunger. So if you tend to be a little hungry in the morning, just drink some water with some hydration like electrolytes or a pinch of sea salt, and that can be super helpful.

Michele Folan:

The second thing on the list was protein from whole food sources, and that would include animal protein. I don't need to go into the whole protein thing again. I think I've made that pretty clear. Mindful mood support was number three on the list, and that can include meditation, yoga, also getting good sleep. We want to minimize cortisol overload. Now we need some cortisol. Cortisol is your flight or fight hormone, but too much cortisol can add to some of that fat deposition that we get around our midsection. They mentioned gut health as your second brain, so taking care of your gut is also helping your second brain. Longevity diets were big on the list savvy snacking, so that means not eating the chips and the empty calorie type foods or having a coffee in the afternoon. It was really about eating high protein, nutritious snacks that are very satisfying, that keep us from eating the candy and the sugary sweet stuff. They talked about functional foods as well, which kind of tied into some of the longevity diet issues or items, I should say and also exercise programs for older adults. So, as you can see, there's a ton of parallels between what I've discussed with you today and this article that I read, so I thought it was super interesting and I wanted to share that with you.

Michele Folan:

I started the podcast before I began this current health journey. I will say that interviewing all of these health experts really got me motivated. I'd always been someone who worked out. I ate a pretty clean diet, but all that cardio I was doing and the calorie restriction were not producing results. I'd had a hysterectomy, I was gaining belly fat, I was tired all the time, was not sleeping well, my joints ached, I was probably very inflamed and you know what? Having that coaching created accountability that I hadn't had before. It was a game changer.

Michele Folan:

I'd love to learn more about you, your pain points and your goals. If you are just merely kicking the tires, that's okay. If you want to learn more about getting some coaching or working with me, please reach out. We can chat. There is no pressure. This is a perfect time of year to reassess your health and your lifestyle. Think about what you want to achieve here in the next 6 to 12 months, but, more importantly, think about what you want your life to look like and your health to look like in the next 10, 20, 30 years.

Michele Folan:

You are in the driver's seat of your health. I'm here to support you in any way that I can. Let's connect and let's get the ball rolling. I have a new group coaching round starting January 6th. If you're not quite ready, we can talk about that, because I've got other group coaching rounds coming. I think I have three in January, so there's one in there for you. Thank you for listening. I'm really glad you're here. Hey, thanks for tuning in. Please rate and review the show where you listen to the podcast. And did you know that Asking for a Friend is available now to listen on YouTube. You can subscribe to the podcast there as well. Your support is appreciated and it helps others find the show. Thank you.