This episode opens with a story that so many of us will recognize ourselves in: a woman who is doing everything right — hot yoga, 20,000 steps a day, running, dragon boat, weight training — and yet her body has hit a wall. Nothing is working anymore. I use her story to unpack one of the most counterintuitive truths in this work: sometimes the path forward is exercising less, not more. Meet the "Workoutaholic" I introduce a client who is doing it all — cardio, hot yoga, lifting, dragon boat — and is also moving through perimenopause. Despite (or because of) all that effort, her body has stopped responding. She's stuck. So my first suggestion wasn't a new workout plan. It was this: "Would you be open to exercising less?" That question landed hard. It challenged a deep belief: if I stop working out this hard, I'll gain even more weight. The Surrender She said yes anyway. And I was clear this wasn't about quitting forever — it was about calming the nervous system first, then slowly reintroducing movement and watching how the body actually responds. Why Rest Is Where the Magic Happens This is the heart of the episode. Exercise, even healthy exercise, triggers the nervous system and raises cortisol. That's normal — but if you never rest, cortisol never comes back down. And rest isn't just "nice to have." I name exactly what happens in the pause: Weight release happens in the pause Muscle building happens in the pause Healing happens in the pause Nervous system regulation happens in the pause Without the pause, none of it happens — no matter how hard you're working. What We Actually Changed Not much, and that's the point: Kept: daily walking Swapped: hot yoga → gentle, unheated yoga flow and sun salutations (heat itself adds cortisol) Removed: everything else, temporarily Within a few weeks, she started releasing weight — and couldn't believe that doing less was what finally worked. Moving With Your Hormones, Not Against Them I break down how movement can be matched to the menstrual cycle: Higher estrogen phase → more room for intensity, PRs, harder training Closer to menstruation → body temp rises, stress is already higher → shift toward active recovery, lower intensity And for those no longer cycling, the focus shifts toward building and preserving lean muscle mass — protecting against sarcopenia (age-related muscle loss), which affects both metabolism and physical stability and strength. The Secret to Weight Release I say it plainly: your body holds onto stored fat when it doesn't feel safe letting it go. That's it. That's the whole secret. Which means movement has to feel safe too — not just be technically "good for you." Safe Movement vs. Unsafe Movement Every thought creates chemistry in the body. So: "I have to do this," "I hate this," "I must lose weight" → stress chemistry, unsafe signal Pushing through exhaustion, ignoring poor sleep, forcing a hard workout → stress for the body, even if the workout itself is "healthy" Safe movement, by contrast, can still be challenging — but it feels like ease, even joy, while you're doing it. That felt sense of safety is what keeps the body out of protection mode and out of the cortisol loop. Book your FREE 30-minute Food Freedom Call and start your journey to lasting change! www.sherryshabanfitness.com/clarity Grab your FREE copy of ‘Irreplaceable Coach Playbook': www.mpwfpractitioner.com Listen & Subscribe Catch more episodes at www.makepeacewithfood.com/podcast or subscribe on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or YouTube so you never miss an episode! Connect & Go Deeper Join our Facebook Community: www.myfoodfreedomlifestyle.com Work with Sherry: www.sherryshaban.com/transform Explore more resources: www.makepeacewithfood.com Share Your Takeaway Tag us on Instagram (@makepeacewithfoodofficial), Facebook (@MakePeaceWithFoodOfficial), TikTok (@sherryshaban), or LinkedIn (sherryshaban) and share your biggest insight from this episode!
