Where Women Win with Sarah Fechter

Sarah Fechter
  • 5.0 (98)
  • Fitness
  • Updated Weekly

A podcast designed to help women better navigate common health, wellness, and work challenges they face in daily living and to help women explore becoming a better advocate for themselves in all things in life using a blend of evidence based research and personal experience. Your host, IFBB Pro Sarah Fechter, is the founder of SFHQ Hybrid Gym and the SF Coaching Method - an evidence based, individualized coaching company that places an emphasis on periodized training and nutrition protocols, lab interpretations, lifestyle and mindset. The SF Coaching Method prides itself on taking a comprehensive, whole body approach to one's personal health & fitness goals. Sarah has more than 2 decades of experience in the health and fitness industry as a women's health and nutrition coach. Her programs both online and in person help women and aspiring health professionals improve and deliver results. A popular online coach, mentor, and educator, she consistently offers simple, strategic methods for body and health transformations. Her workshops, coaching, and specialization protocols have served and delivered results for more than 10,000k women worldwide. She has been a leading force for women and many others in Michigan and has been recognized for her undeniable success in the health and fitness industry. Sarah is a certified nutritionist and functional womens health coach, who holds a Bachelor's degree from Saginaw Valley State University and has continued her education over the last two decades through elite private mentorships and functional health courses. If you're here, welcome to the community! We share the goal of learning all things pertaining to health, nutrition, women, workplace and wellness.You will find that many of our episodes integrate concepts and case studies on performance and physique optimization, along with workplace/entrepreneurship wisdom, and of course a few good laughs.

  1. 20h ago

    A Perimenopause Guide for the Partner Who Loves Her (Ep. 135)

    We're going to get intimate today and who I typically speak to will be a little different today. I have coached women from the floor of my own life. I have presented on stages, sat across from hundreds of clients in person and online, and have shown up as the strong one, the leader, the one with all the answers. Even on the very mornings I felt like a shell of the driven, ambitious, sure of herself woman I knew I was. I've lifted other people up while I was the one on the ground. And if you are a mom listening today, you already know exactly what that is. You can relate because you do a version of it every single day. You show up. You are present for your kids, your partner, your work. While underneath it all you feel like there is almost nothing left of you. Let me tell you about why I can sit in this right beside you. Twenty six years working with women's health and their bodies. Ten years competing as an IFBB pro. And right now, at almost forty six years old, I am walking through perimenopause myself with nearly four years of hormone support behind me. So nothing I say today comes from a textbook or from some far off shore I have never stood on. I want this episode to be a resource for the partner who loves their significant other unconditionally but is navigating the ups and downs of perimenopause with them and isn't sure what to do. I will tell you what me and my husband have gone through when it comes to this and remind you that it isn't selfish for her to take care of herself and what that looks like.   Time Stamps:   (1:45) Mom Guilt (3:50) When It's Too Late (10:52) Why Communication Is Key (23:50) The Slimfast Era (26:20) It Is Not Selfish To Take Care Of Yourself ----------  Apply for SF Coaching Method  https://sarahfechter.ac-page.com/sfhq-cc Complimentary Health Content  https://sarahfechter.ac-page.com/Health_Wellness_Community ----------  Follow Me On Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/sarahfechter.ifbbpro/   Check Out My Website - https://www.sarahfechter.com ----------  This Podcast is for general informational purposes only and does not constitute the practice of medicine, nursing, other professional health care services, or any professional practice of any kind. Any reliance on the information provided in this Podcast is done at your own risk and Sarah Fechter Fitness LLC expressly disclaims any and all liability or responsibility for any direct, indirect, incidental, special, consequential or other damages arising out of any individual use of, reference to, reliance on, or inability to use, this Podcast or the information presented in this Podcast. All contents and design for this Podcast are owned by Sarah Fechter Fitness LLC. Always consult your professional team before beginning any exercise or nutrition program.

    28 min

  2. Jul 6

    You Can Take the GLP-1. Can You Hold the Result? (Ep. 134)

    Right now, someone in your life is on a GLP one. Maybe it's you. Maybe it's half of your group text and everyone keeps asking the same question should I take it. I want you to hear me because there is a more important question underneath that one and it's one that actually decides what happens to your body. You can take the GLP one. The real question is whether you can hold the result. I've spent twenty six years in the health and nutrition industry, and I sit at the head seat of the SF coaching method. I'm on every inquiry call we take. I read every single application that comes through the doors. We have coached hundreds of women since these medications arrived, and I need to be honest with you about what that gives me because it shapes everything I'm about to say. The research on these drugs is real, and we're going to get into that today. The studies are good, but there is something we do not have yet and no one does. We do not have a long term picture. Nobody can tell you what the woman who started one of these medications at thirty eight is going to look like at seventy eight years old. What will her bones look like? What will her muscle look like? What will her metabolism look like after decades of the medication? Those studies have not been written because the time has not passed. In this episode we're diving into the full picture when it comes to GLP-1 use so you can be properly informed.   Time Stamps:    (0:48) Should You Take The GLP-1? (1:42) Lack of Longitudinal Studies (5:12) The Fat Loss Era's I've Experienced (8:28) Why The Food Noise Is Loud (10:00) Starting With Muscle (11:47) Hair Loss (16:40) What Applying Means For You ----------  Apply for SF Coaching Method  https://sarahfechter.ac-page.com/sfhq-cc Complimentary Health Content  https://sarahfechter.ac-page.com/Health_Wellness_Community ----------  Follow Me On Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/sarahfechter.ifbbpro/   Check Out My Website - https://www.sarahfechter.com ----------  This Podcast is for general informational purposes only and does not constitute the practice of medicine, nursing, other professional health care services, or any professional practice of any kind. Any reliance on the information provided in this Podcast is done at your own risk and Sarah Fechter Fitness LLC expressly disclaims any and all liability or responsibility for any direct, indirect, incidental, special, consequential or other damages arising out of any individual use of, reference to, reliance on, or inability to use, this Podcast or the information presented in this Podcast. All contents and design for this Podcast are owned by Sarah Fechter Fitness LLC. Always consult your professional team before beginning any exercise or nutrition program.

    20 min

  3. Jun 29

    The Longevity Conversation Women Should Be Having (Ep. 133)

    What if we stopped asking how much do I weigh and started asking how well am I aging? Sit with that question for a moment. Before we go any further, I want to tell you why I do this work. My mom died at the age of forty six forty six, and several years later I sat with my dad through his own cancer diagnosis. Those two experiences rewrote how I think about health, what matters, what doesn't matter, and what we still have the power to influence while there is time. Twenty six years into this industry, I am not interested in giving a woman another diet, another challenge, another meal plan. I am interested in helping you build a body and a life that will continue to show up for you for as many years as you are given. That is what longevity actually means, not Silicon Valley's billionaires trying to live to be one hundred and twenty years old, not a cabinet full of peptides and supplements. Whether you can get off the floor at the age of seventy five, whether you can travel and explore the world at age eighty, whether the body you are building right now is going to support the woman you become. This episode is for you if have been chasing the scale for fifteen years and you are exhausted by it, if you have tried three, four, five programs that promised you everything and delivered almost nothing. If you are bloated, tired, your energy is gone, your sleep is broken, and you cannot figure out why your body stopped responding the way it used to. If you are sick of being your own coach in a sea of contradictory information from people who have not earned the right to give it. This episode is for you.   Time Stamps:   (0:54) Why I Do This Work (1:58) Who This Episode Is For (5:50) The Role of Muscle (10:20) What's Left Out Of The Longevity Conversation (18:20) Improvements I See In Women (20:25) Working With The SF Coaching Method ----------  Apply for SF Coaching Method  https://sarahfechter.ac-page.com/sfhq-cc Complimentary Health Content  https://sarahfechter.ac-page.com/Health_Wellness_Community ----------  Follow Me On Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/sarahfechter.ifbbpro/   Check Out My Website - https://www.sarahfechter.com ----------  This Podcast is for general informational purposes only and does not constitute the practice of medicine, nursing, other professional health care services, or any professional practice of any kind. Any reliance on the information provided in this Podcast is done at your own risk and Sarah Fechter Fitness LLC expressly disclaims any and all liability or responsibility for any direct, indirect, incidental, special, consequential or other damages arising out of any individual use of, reference to, reliance on, or inability to use, this Podcast or the information presented in this Podcast. All contents and design for this Podcast are owned by Sarah Fechter Fitness LLC. Always consult your professional team before beginning any exercise or nutrition program.

    23 min

  4. Jun 22

    Stop Apologizing for Wanting Help (Ep. 132)

    Today's conversation is going to feel a little different than some of our recent episodes. We've spent a lot of time talking about hormones, perimenopause, menopause, metabolism, inflammation, histamine, nervous system regulation. And we'll go right back to all of that. But today I want to talk about something sitting heavy on my heart. And this might be one of the more personal episodes I've recently recorded. It might even feel a little unhinged at moments. And I'm okay with that, because after a series of conversations I've had recently, I can't not talk about this. And over the last few months, I've noticed an uptick in a pattern I've watched throughout my entire career. And after more than two decades coaching women through fat loss, metabolic health hormones, and disease prevention, there's one theme that keeps surfacing. Lately it's showing up more. I've talked with women in their thirties who don't feel at home in their own bodies after having kids. Women entering perimenopause, watching their sleep, mood, and energy change in ways they don't understand. Women in menopause who have spent years caretaking for everyone else and are now wondering what happened to the version of themselves they used to know and many have already seen doctors.  Many have ordered every lab panel the internet has to offer. Many have spent years researching and trying to figure it out alone. What grabs my attention isn't that they're struggling, it's that so many of them are apologizing for wanting help. They're apologizing for wanting guidance, for wanting to feel better. That's the problem. Somewhere along the way, asking for help started requiring justification. We'll dive into my honest thoughts about this and why I believe you need to stop apologizing for wanting help.   Time Stamps:   (2:00) Apologizing For Wanting Help (3:34) What I've Been Seeing (7:02) Lack of Awareness and Misunderstanding of Support (9:10) Money and The Investment (12:40) "You Should Already Know How To Do This" (18:20) Support vs Defensiveness (19:45) The Future Versions of Ourselves ----------  Apply for SF Coaching Method  https://sarahfechter.ac-page.com/sfhq-cc Complimentary Health Content  https://sarahfechter.ac-page.com/Health_Wellness_Community ----------  Follow Me On Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/sarahfechter.ifbbpro/   Check Out My Website - https://www.sarahfechter.com ----------  This Podcast is for general informational purposes only and does not constitute the practice of medicine, nursing, other professional health care services, or any professional practice of any kind. Any reliance on the information provided in this Podcast is done at your own risk and Sarah Fechter Fitness LLC expressly disclaims any and all liability or responsibility for any direct, indirect, incidental, special, consequential or other damages arising out of any individual use of, reference to, reliance on, or inability to use, this Podcast or the information presented in this Podcast. All contents and design for this Podcast are owned by Sarah Fechter Fitness LLC. Always consult your professional team before beginning any exercise or nutrition program.

    23 min

  5. Jun 15

    The Pepcid + Allegra Trend Part 2: Risks, Tradeoffs & The Missing Conversation (Ep. 131)

    This is part two of our conversation on the Pepcid and Allegra trend that has exploded across social media, particularly among women navigating Pmdd, histamine intolerance, mast cell activation syndrome, hormonal fluctuations in perimenopause. If you missed last week's episode, I highly encourage you to pause here and go back to episode one thirty first, because today's conversation builds directly on that foundation. Last week, we unpacked the relationship between histamine and estrogen, the connection between Pmdd and perimenopause, my personal experience with histamine issues throughout my lifetime, and some fascinating research suggesting Pepcid may be doing much more than simply blocking histamine.  Today, we're picking up exactly where we left off. At the end of part one, I said something that I think is incredibly important. Medications including Pepcid and Allegra, come with trade offs. There are benefits. There are risks. For some women, the benefit may absolutely outweigh the risk, and that doesn't mean the risk disappears. And that's what we're unpacking today. This isn't about creating fear around medications. And this isn't about convincing anyone to stop taking something they think may be helping. This is about understanding the entire picture so you can make informed decisions with greater confidence and self-awareness.   Time Stamps:   (0:45) Last Week's Episode (2:40) What Works vs What It Costs (6:50) What Happens After Digestion (13:17) Risk Vs Benefit (18:50) Becoming A Student Of Your Physiology ----------  Apply for SF Coaching Method  https://sarahfechter.ac-page.com/sfhq-cc Complimentary Health Content  https://sarahfechter.ac-page.com/Health_Wellness_Community ----------  Follow Me On Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/sarahfechter.ifbbpro/   Check Out My Website - https://www.sarahfechter.com ----------  This Podcast is for general informational purposes only and does not constitute the practice of medicine, nursing, other professional health care services, or any professional practice of any kind. Any reliance on the information provided in this Podcast is done at your own risk and Sarah Fechter Fitness LLC expressly disclaims any and all liability or responsibility for any direct, indirect, incidental, special, consequential or other damages arising out of any individual use of, reference to, reliance on, or inability to use, this Podcast or the information presented in this Podcast. All contents and design for this Podcast are owned by Sarah Fechter Fitness LLC. Always consult your professional team before beginning any exercise or nutrition program.

    23 min

  6. Jun 8

    The Pepcid + Allegra Trend Part 1: Histamine, PMDD & Perimenopause (Ep. 130)

    Today we're diving into part one of a two part series conversation that has absolutely exploded across social media, comment sections, and private messages. The Pepcid and Allegra conversation. Maybe you've heard of it. Maybe this is something new. Unveiled today. If you've been anywhere online lately, you've probably seen women talking about Pepcid and Allegra for Pmdd. Some women are reporting dramatic improvements in mood, anxiety, irritability, rage, overwhelm, breast tenderness, bloating, headaches, and a variety of symptoms that seem to intensify around their cycle. And I'm glad this conversation is happening. Pmdd. Perimenopause and histamine drive the spotlight here for a moment, because the majority of women are struggling or will struggle with these in their lifetime, whether they know it or not. For far too long, many women thought their symptoms were simply stress, allergies, aging, anxiety, part of being a woman, or something they should learn to live with. What concerns me isn't that women are talking about Pepcid and Allegra. What concerns me is that most of the information being shared is only a small piece of a much larger physiological picture, as you can imagine. And if you're someone who has already purchased these medications, started the protocol, or you're considering trying it after hearing somebody rave about it online in a thirty second Tik Tok, I want you to stay with me through this entire episode because context matters as always. Today we're going to talk about Pmdd, perimenopause, histamine mast cell activation syndrome, often called MCAs. We're going to talk about vagus nerve and neuroinflammation. We're going to talk about estrogen and why so many women are experiencing symptoms that they never connect back to hormones. And most importantly, we're going to talk about why Pepcid may be helping some women and why the explanation being circulated online is often incomplete.    Time Stamps:   (1:10) The Pepcid + Allegra Trend (2:20) What We'll Cover (9:15) Histamine Is Not The Enemy (13:47) What The Research Is Showing (17:00) Vagal Nerve Stimulation (18:45) Where Symptoms Develop (22:25) Perimenopause and HRT (31:20) Please Share This Episode ----------  Apply for SF Coaching Method  https://sarahfechter.ac-page.com/sfhq-cc Complimentary Health Content  https://sarahfechter.ac-page.com/Health_Wellness_Community ----------  Follow Me On Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/sarahfechter.ifbbpro/   Check Out My Website - https://www.sarahfechter.com ----------  This Podcast is for general informational purposes only and does not constitute the practice of medicine, nursing, other professional health care services, or any professional practice of any kind. Any reliance on the information provided in this Podcast is done at your own risk and Sarah Fechter Fitness LLC expressly disclaims any and all liability or responsibility for any direct, indirect, incidental, special, consequential or other damages arising out of any individual use of, reference to, reliance on, or inability to use, this Podcast or the information presented in this Podcast. All contents and design for this Podcast are owned by Sarah Fechter Fitness LLC. Always consult your professional team before beginning any exercise or nutrition program.

    35 min

  7. Jun 1

    Knowledge Won't Change Your Nervous System (Ep. 129)

    Today we are diving into a conversation that has very little to do with food, wine, scrolling, shopping, or any of these habits people typically think they're struggling with. This episode is really about the moment underneath the habit, the moment right before you reach for the thing. And after twenty five years of coaching women through fat loss phases, hormone challenges, perimenopause, emotional eating patterns, stress, lifestyle change, rebuilding, health, confidence and structure. I can tell you that one of the biggest things I continue to observe is that most people are trying to change behaviors without understanding what those behaviors are actually doing for them emotionally. This is a deeper conversation. Women will come to us wanting to lose weight, regulate blood sugar, improve their labs and digestion. They want more energy. They want to decrease the symptoms they're experiencing, and they always want to improve their body composition. I mean, who doesn't? They want to feel more confident. They want to get stronger and become more consistent. And yes, all of those things absolutely matter inside coaching. We care deeply about those outcomes. But sitting underneath many of those conversations is another pattern entirely. the constant need to escape discomfort as quickly as possible. And once you start seeing that pattern, you begin to realize that this is not always about willpower and discipline. It's not always about nutrition, knowledge or the next trending thing. It's not always about finding the perfect system or the perfect supplement or the perfect meal plan. Sometimes the real issue is that the nervous system has become deeply conditioned to avoid uncomfortable feelings immediately and that's exactly what we're discussing in today's episode.   Time Stamps:   (0:52) The Moment Underneath The Habit (5:13) The No Shame Zone (10:00) Atomic Habits and Sticky Habits (13:55) Feeling Uncomfortable (22:15) The Female Conditioned Nervous System (25:02) Where Your Freedom Exists (32:00) What Emotions Are You Avoiding? ----------  Apply for SF Coaching Method  https://sarahfechter.ac-page.com/sfhq-cc Complimentary Health Content  https://sarahfechter.ac-page.com/Health_Wellness_Community ----------  Follow Me On Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/sarahfechter.ifbbpro/   Check Out My Website - https://www.sarahfechter.com ----------  This Podcast is for general informational purposes only and does not constitute the practice of medicine, nursing, other professional health care services, or any professional practice of any kind. Any reliance on the information provided in this Podcast is done at your own risk and Sarah Fechter Fitness LLC expressly disclaims any and all liability or responsibility for any direct, indirect, incidental, special, consequential or other damages arising out of any individual use of, reference to, reliance on, or inability to use, this Podcast or the information presented in this Podcast. All contents and design for this Podcast are owned by Sarah Fechter Fitness LLC. Always consult your professional team before beginning any exercise or nutrition program.

    35 min

  8. May 25

    You Say You Want More Muscle But Your Training Says Otherwise (Ep. 128)

    If I asked you right now what your goal is with your body, I already know what most of you would answer. You'd say you want to build some muscle. You'd want to be a little bit leaner. You say you want to feel tighter, more toned, stronger, more defined. I want to feel good in my clothes. You'd say you want a body to reflect the work you feel like you're putting in. And here's where this conversation today is going to take us because what you say you want and how you're training are often not aligned. And I'm not just talking about beginners here. I'm talking about women who already go to the gym. They're consistent women who have been consistent for years, women who have routines, who feel experienced, who feel like they know what they're doing, and still their body hasn't changed in the way they expected or desire. And that's not because they're not trying. I mean, they're ahead of the majority of the world. They're showing up and they're making the effort, but the signal they're giving their body isn't strong enough, clear enough, or progressive enough to require change. And that's the part that often gets missed. There is a difference between working out and training. Working out is completing something. Training is creating a demand. Today, we'll breakdown the 5 inputs you need to focus on to go from amateur to pro with your training, nutrition, sleep, and recovery.   Time Stamps:   (1:30) The 5 Inputs (4:23) Inputs Are Information (7:10) #1: Meal Structure (12:12) #2: Protein Distribution (16:57) #3: Training Signal (22:13) #4: Sleep and Recovery (25:20) #5: Weekly Consistency (31:40) Thinking About Your Investments (33:05) Recapping ----------  Apply for SF Coaching Method  https://sarahfechter.ac-page.com/sfhq-cc Complimentary Health Content  https://sarahfechter.ac-page.com/Health_Wellness_Community ----------  Follow Me On Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/sarahfechter.ifbbpro/   Check Out My Website - https://www.sarahfechter.com ----------  This Podcast is for general informational purposes only and does not constitute the practice of medicine, nursing, other professional health care services, or any professional practice of any kind. Any reliance on the information provided in this Podcast is done at your own risk and Sarah Fechter Fitness LLC expressly disclaims any and all liability or responsibility for any direct, indirect, incidental, special, consequential or other damages arising out of any individual use of, reference to, reliance on, or inability to use, this Podcast or the information presented in this Podcast. All contents and design for this Podcast are owned by Sarah Fechter Fitness LLC. Always consult your professional team before beginning any exercise or nutrition program.

    19 min
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5
out of 5
98 Ratings

About

A podcast designed to help women better navigate common health, wellness, and work challenges they face in daily living and to help women explore becoming a better advocate for themselves in all things in life using a blend of evidence based research and personal experience. Your host, IFBB Pro Sarah Fechter, is the founder of SFHQ Hybrid Gym and the SF Coaching Method - an evidence based, individualized coaching company that places an emphasis on periodized training and nutrition protocols, lab interpretations, lifestyle and mindset. The SF Coaching Method prides itself on taking a comprehensive, whole body approach to one's personal health & fitness goals. Sarah has more than 2 decades of experience in the health and fitness industry as a women's health and nutrition coach. Her programs both online and in person help women and aspiring health professionals improve and deliver results. A popular online coach, mentor, and educator, she consistently offers simple, strategic methods for body and health transformations. Her workshops, coaching, and specialization protocols have served and delivered results for more than 10,000k women worldwide. She has been a leading force for women and many others in Michigan and has been recognized for her undeniable success in the health and fitness industry. Sarah is a certified nutritionist and functional womens health coach, who holds a Bachelor's degree from Saginaw Valley State University and has continued her education over the last two decades through elite private mentorships and functional health courses. If you're here, welcome to the community! We share the goal of learning all things pertaining to health, nutrition, women, workplace and wellness.You will find that many of our episodes integrate concepts and case studies on performance and physique optimization, along with workplace/entrepreneurship wisdom, and of course a few good laughs.

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