100 episodes

The podcast for women in menopause and beyond who want to change the way they age. Fitness, wellness, and health research put into practical tips you can use today. You still got it, girl!

The Flipping 50 Show Debra Atkinson

    • Health & Fitness
    • 4.6 • 363 Ratings

The podcast for women in menopause and beyond who want to change the way they age. Fitness, wellness, and health research put into practical tips you can use today. You still got it, girl!

    10 Comprehensive Ways Resistance Training Revolutionizes Menopause Health

    10 Comprehensive Ways Resistance Training Revolutionizes Menopause Health

    Picture the headline: Resistance training revolutionizes menopause health. It’s that simple. 
    It’s 2024. We still hear both about the use of HRT or reasons (perhaps outdated) not to. We hear about both animal protein and the plant protein advocates. 
    With this simple method of – humor me – hormone enhancement – there is no argument. We all know we need to be doing it. We all understand the benefits of being strong and vibrant. But lest you confuse a need to lose fat with the need to gain lean muscle, this is for you. 
    Lifting already? Then you’ll love these reminders. After all, the placebo effect is in full swing at all times. It’s either working for or against us. So those things you’re doing that you know are good for you, amplify them with the scientific evidence and think your way to even better results. 
    This episode captures the broad spectrum of positive changes resistance training can bring to menopausal women, from physical improvements like visceral fat reduction and bone density increases to more general benefits like enhanced mood and sleep quality improvements. Each of these is directly tied to signs and symptoms of menopause. 
    Give a Woman a Weight and Change Not Only Menopause, But Her Health the Rest of Her Life
    Before we dig in, in the rhythmic play off the children’s story book, “When you Give a Mouse a Cookie”…
    When you give a woman a weight… (or when you pick one up yourself) 
    You: 
    Enhance her strength
    Improve her fat free mass
    Reduce her total fat
    Reduce that deadly visceral belly fat
    Support overall hormone balance
    Alleviate symptoms of anxiety and depression
    Enhance her sleep
    Improve skin health
    Increase bone density
    Enhance Gait and Stability 
    Women who lift, lift the world. Theirs and the world at large.


    How Resistance Training Revolutionizes Menopause Health

    1. Enhance muscle strength – directly tied to longevity (link to recent episode on testing your own longevity) supporting daily activities and reducing the risk of falls. Beyond that however, for bone density benefit, heavy lifting will require muscle strength. 
    2. Improve fat-free mass, aiding in a healthier body composition during menopausal transition. The combination of 1 and 2 together, notably known as “recomposition.” You’re not literally turning fat into muscle. But you are indeed able to lose fat and not just avoid loss of muscle, but add muscle. This does require some careful effort. For those without much consistent strength training, using a caloric deficit with a high protein intake make effective. The longer your consistent resistance training experience however, and the older you are, you may need a surplus of calories high in protein to overcome the anabolic resistance that occurs with aging. 
    3. Support total fat mass reduction, addressing weight gain concerns during menopause. Over 5600 postmenopausal women in one hundred studies reviewed showed exercise training effectively increased muscle mass and fat-free mass, and decreased fat mass, body fat percentage, waist circumference and visceral fat. (more on visceral fat coming up). Further this study in Frontiers in Endocrinology in 2023, found combining RE and aerobic exercise(not same session) helped increase muscle and decrease fat, while RE plus combined training – which includes doing aerobic activity and strength training in the same session – helped boost muscle mass most. The reason it likely didn’t impact fat as much I suspect is because intensity in the aerobic activity won’t be as high. You either won’t go as fast or against as much resistance even though it may “feel hard.” 
    4. Reduce Visceral Fat.  Resistance training has been shown to effectively promote decreases in visceral fat in the absence of caloric restriction. That is, no change other than adding resistance training. In still another study published 2023, reduction in visceral belly fat was significant comp

    • 40 min
    Weight Gain in Perimenopause and Menopause

    Weight Gain in Perimenopause and Menopause

    It’s no secret weight gain in perimenopause – or menopause transition and post menopause – is different. It doesn’t respond the way you would have predicted it should. It doesn’t come on at the same rate or in the same place as you think it should. 
    My guest today is an  MD and yet she’s first a woman who also entered midlife and experienced much of the same you may have. She also defaulted to many of the same tactics a woman with a heartbeat would. So this episode is just a simply basic discussion about what happens, and why and what to do about it and why your default effort may fall short.


    My Guest:

    Heather Awad, MD is a Family Medicine and the founder and CEO of Vibrant Weight Loss Age 50+ where she helps professional women over age 50 lose weight for the last time through a virtual platform. She offers a simple system that saves them time and helps them achieve their health and weight loss goals. They discover how to say no to foods they don’t want without using willpower, and create an eating protocol that they will enjoy going forward so that their weight loss is permanent. Dr. Awad is also the host of the Vibrant-MD podcast where she talks about weight loss, women’s health, and food.


    Questions We Answer in This Episode:

    Why do women so often gain weight with perimenopause and menopause? Are there hormonal factors? Are there cultural factors in play here too? What’s dangerous about menopause belly fat? Many women describe that the methods they used in the past don’t work anymore. Why is that? What about eat less and move more?  How do you find people most easily lose weight at midlife? Many women feel stuck with their weight gain starting at midlife. What would you tell them? Many people are so hard on themselves about their weight–is this a good motivator? What else gets in the way of people losing weight at midlife?

    Connect with Heather:

    Website: https://www.vibrant-md.com
    On Social:
    Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/heathervibrantmd/
    Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/heatherawadmd/
    LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/heatherawadmd?trk=public_post_feed-actor-name
    Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/vibrant-md-podcast/id1583628433
    YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@heatherawadmd7858


    Resources: 


    Exercise Planning Guide
    https://www.flippingfifty.com/5-part-exercise-planning-guide/
    Home Gym 
    https://www.flippingfifty.com/perfect-home-gym-how-to/


    Other Episodes You Might Like: 


    WHY YOU MAY BE EATING TOO LITTLE To LOSE WEIGHT | women over 50
    https://www.flippingfifty.com/eating-too-little/
    How to Boost Your Metabolism in Midlife the Non-Dieting Way
    https://www.flippingfifty.com/boost-your-metabolism-in-midlife/
    Easy Healthy Habits Start Here: Effortless Kitchen Hacks
    https://www.flippingfifty.com/healthy-habits/

    • 27 min
    Low Energy Availability in Menopause? Eating Too Little to Feel Good or Age Well

    Low Energy Availability in Menopause? Eating Too Little to Feel Good or Age Well

    Low energy availability in menopause is a key concern, especially if you’re both trying to exercise and combine that with fasting and you could easily be there.
    In this episode I’ll help you answer whether you’re in a state of low energy availability leaving you with too little energy to feel good during or after menopause.
    Exercising too much without results? Try a reset. The 5 Day Flip is free. https://www.flippingfifty.com/5dayflip
    Low energy availability or LEA, is defined as having limited energy available to support your normal body functions once your energy expended through exercise is subtracted from your total dietary energy intake. 
    Living too long or too often in LEA will  negatively impact your skeletal muscle as well as your bone because osteoblasts and osteoclasts can’t properly do their job. More injury in connective tissue, stress fractures, and increased risk for osteoporosis or accelerated bone loss and inability to reverse losses. 
    LEA also can lead to other health disruptions that are commonly blamed on the umbrella of “menopause” or hormones. They include irritability, depression, brain fog, poor immune function, low libido, and GI issues like constipation and diarrhea.


    How do you know if you have low energy availability in menopause? 

    Here’s a simple equation for figuring EA. 
    EA = (EI − EEE)/FFM
    Dietary energy intake (kcal) minus your exercise energy expenditure (kcal) divided by your fat free mass (FFM) in kilograms (kg)
    Suggestions are for total to be 45 calorie/kilogram ffm
    Anything less than 30 calories/kilogram ffm is considered LEA and putting you at risk for real health concerns within days. 
    Track your calorie intake for 3-5 days to get an average. I don’t recommend doing this excessively. But it can be valuable periodically. Find that average by adding all the days total calorie intake and dividing by the number of days you tracked. 
    Plug your calories burned into an app to determine for a female with your weight the calories expended for activities beyond daily activity of life. Play pickle ball 2 hours? Count it. Worked out 45 minutes? Count it. Walked 30 minutes at 3mph? Count it. Get a total calories expended in exercise for the day. 


    It’s easier than you think to check for Low Energy Availability:

    Use that average total calories.  Subtract your daily caloric expenditure from exercise.  Divide that number by your fat free mass in kilograms. (remember kilograms is weight in pounds divided by 2.2)  Calculate fat free mass. Take Body fat % x body weight. If your body fat percent is 25%, then .25 times your body weight.
    So 130 lbs with 22% body fat. Fat mass is 28.6 lbs. 130-28.6 = 101.4 lbs ffm
    101.4 divided by 2.2 = 46.2 kg ffm
    If average daily calories consumed 2100 kcals. 
    Energy expended with a 45 minute walk + weight training + 10 minutes intervals = 108+ 159 + 120 = 387 kcals expended (rounding up to 400kcals)
    2100- 400= 1700 kcals divided by 46.2= 36.7
    So based on this, I’m not in an alarmingly low state but low enough to be aware I should consciously start adding quality calories especially around workouts. When you do the calculation, about 45 is a good number to aim for or 50 if you’re training hard regularly. I’m not and some days much less than I’d like to but we all have to remember we may be slowing our metabolism by eating too little and compromising our body’s ability to regulate thyroid, proper immune function, metabolic function, mood or more. 
    Your exercise may or may not be affected. At first. If you’re an athlete, performance most likely will be negatively impacted. The rest of your life and physical function will suffer first. It might be happening at such a low level you don’t notice it, until cumulative effects set in. 
    Helpful? Share this with a friend. Low energy availability isn’t something talked about openly often enough. Instead we’re bragging about ho

    • 25 min
    The ABCs of Metabolic Mastery for Midlife Women

    The ABCs of Metabolic Mastery for Midlife Women

    In this episode we break down the levers for metabolic mastery for midlife women in such easy terms that it is my prediction you will want to listen again. My guest smoothly coaches us through unique messages with examples and specifics. No platitudes or lists in this episode.
    This will stick. 
    We talk about habit formation and why we fail at it. 


    My Guest:

    Ellie Kempton, founder of Simply Nourished, is at her very core a lifestyle architect empowering women to reclaim their wellness. As a Registered Dietitian with a master’s degree in Functional Nutrition from Bastyr University and a biochemistry degree from the University of Virginia, Ellie curates simplicity out of complex health information and provides care calibrated to support transformation. Ellie’s care is underpinned by functional medicine and catalyzed by behavior design.


    Questions We Answer in This Episode:

    What IS metabolic mastery and how do you approach it as a functionally trained dietitian? What elements of metabolic mastery should we prioritize as women when we go through our various “software upgrades” [aging through the decades]? What are the ABCs of sustaining metabolic mastery? What is so powerful about failure along the way? What is the #1 secret to aligned wellness through the life cycles?

    Connect with Ellie:

    Website: https://www.simplynourishednutrition.com/https://elliekempton.com/
    On Social:
    Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/simplynourishednutrition
    Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/simplynourishednutrition/
    LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ellie-kempton-msn-rdn-561436a0/
    The Table Membership: https://www.simplynourishednutrition.com/the-table
     


    Resources: 


    Exercise Planning Guide
    https://www.flippingfifty.com/5-part-exercise-planning-guide/
    Home Gym 
    https://www.flippingfifty.com/perfect-home-gym-how-to/


    Other Episodes You Might Like: 


    How to Boost Your Metabolism in Midlife the Non-Dieting Way
    https://www.flippingfifty.com/boost-your-metabolism-in-midlife/
    Easy Healthy Habits Start Here: Effortless Kitchen Hacks
    https://www.flippingfifty.com/healthy-habits/
    6 Commonsense Steps for Health from Uncommon Motivation #501
    https://www.flippingfifty.com/commonsense/

    • 32 min
    Meet the Team Flipping 50 Behind the Scenes

    Meet the Team Flipping 50 Behind the Scenes

    This is absolutely the first time I’ve done a greet and meet the team here at Flipping 50. [ Not completely true though – We’ve had one community coach on the show to talk about her 60th birthday and her perspective on it.] In the She Means Fitness Business podcast (for you fitness and health pros) I’ve introduced the positions I have hired and the order I hired them in, how I create job responsibilities… all things to help pros start a business, grow it, or scale it. 
    I’ll link to that in the show notes. Of course it too is everywhere you listen to podcasts and if you’re a midlife woman serving midlife women or who wants to… this is produced just for you! (and it’s been around longer than Flipping 50 in fact). 
    Today you’ll meet our team from the way behind the scenes to the front lines for the first time. I’m grateful for each and every one of them. I’ve been accidentally lucky to find them. 
    Starting out as in many businesses, I wore all the hats. I’ve always treated positions where I’ve had another boss as if they were my own. So this wasn’t a new feeling. I was allowed a lot of autonomy in positions I’ve held. I appreciate knowing my goals and exceeding them in the way I work best, which may not be the traditional or conventional way. 
    I try to remember that with my team too. Everyone has good ideas. Leaning on others and finding their zone of genius so everyone loves their job is a goal we can all relate to. 


    Meet the Flipping 50 Team!

    To make this far more fun than just sharing day-to-day activities which btw can be too numerous to mention – we’re asking some super fun questions to let their personalities shine. 
    I asked everyone behind the scenes a few rapid fire questions you may love hearing the answers to. 


    Resources: 


    Want the Top 10 episodes in a specific category? 
    https://www.flippingfifty.com/podcast 
    AnnMarie Skincare:
    https://www.flippingfifty.com/skincare


    Other Episodes You Might Like: 


    Choose your top 10 List here: https://www.flippingfifty.com/flipping-fifty-podcast/
    She Means Fitness Business podcast – 
    https://www.fitnessmarketingmastery.com/the-voice-for-fitness-professionals-podcast/
    Tim Ferriss – https://tim.blog/podcast/
    No Such Thing As a Fish – https://www.nosuchthingasafish.com/
    RadioLab – https://radiolab.org/podcast
    Matthew Ferry – https://matthewferry.com/home
    She Means Fitness Business Podcast: 
    Show Notes site: https://www.fitnessmarketingmastery.com/the-voice-for-fitness-professionals-podcast/
    Itunes- Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/she-means-fitness-business/id731652575
    Spotify: 
    https://open.spotify.com/show/2hAs64rdXtPhEZXbHNnZYi 
    iHeart Radio: 
    https://www.iheart.com/podcast/256-she-means-fitness-business-43068893/

    • 1 hr 8 min
    Mothers and Daughters Hormones and Health Literacy

    Mothers and Daughters Hormones and Health Literacy

    This episode is for mothers and daughters so it’s definitely not one to keep to yourself. There are numerous resources mentioned within this episode as well. Those include reference to Judy Blume’s Are You There God, It’s Me Margaret?, Flow and the wisdom of What, When and Why to Exercise for Women 40+ guest expert Alissa Vitti.


    My Guests:

    Candace Burch is a Hormone Health Educator with a Masters in Health Education and over 30 years of experience in the field. In 2017, she founded ‘Your Hormone Balance’ as a consulting practice, and was later joined by her younger daughter, Ryan Burch to expand YHB’s reach to women and men around the world! Candace’s background includes working as a health editor, writer and investigative journalist in London, leading educational patient and provider initiatives for ZRT Hormone Laboratory (as their Director of Education for 12+ years), as well as spearheading “Body in Balance,” a hormone testing and rebalancing weight loss program at Metabolic Research Center (a nationwide weight loss company). She also hosts the Women Talking Frankly Podcast with her friend N.P., Kyle McAvoy.
    Jess Suchan is a board certified Holistic Health Coach via the Institute for Integrative Nutrition and takes a 360 approach to wellness, supporting clients in sustainable weight loss strategies, mindset tools and symptom relief via cycle syncing, lifestyle strategies and smart supplementation. As a recovered yoyo dieter with her own 45LB weight loss story, she understands the importance of a balanced approach, free from restriction and fad diets. She has been coaching clients in partnership with YHB for the last 5 years and also offers 1:1 coaching through her custom app. She co-hosts the Solo 2.0 Podcast, alongside her sister, YHB’s co-founder, Ryan Burch. 





    Questions We Answer in This Episode:

    How to navigate rollercoaster symptoms during perimenopause? How to optimize hormones naturally and relieves symptoms like weight gain, sleep issues like anxiety, irregular/missing periods, vaginal dryness / skin issues, headaches, fatigue, etc? How to manage health scares and traumatic experiences as a family? How to support teens in understanding how to track their cycles and symptoms at pivotal times in their cycle?

    Connect with Jess and Candace:

    Website: https://www.Yourhormonebalance.com https://www.bodyblissbyjess.com
    On Social:
    Instagram: 
    https://www.instagram.com/yourhormonebalance/
     https://www.instagram.com/bodyblissbyjess/


    Resources: 


     Use code FLIPPING50 for $50 off of the build-your-own testing and rebalancing packages here: https://www.yourhormonebalance.com/b-y-o-rebalancing-package#simplero-section-1655471171980
    Books:
    Are You There God, It’s Me Margaret? by Judy Blume
    https://www.amazon.com/Are-You-There-God-Margaret/dp/148140993X
    In the Flo by Alissa Vitti
    https://www.amazon.com/Female-Advantage-Biochemistry-Productivity-Happiness-ebook/dp/B07CRKXNQC/ref=sr_1_1?hvadid=580743541400&hvdev=c&hvlocphy=9008459&hvnetw=g&hvqmt=e&hvrand=4161679724158086185&hvtargid=kwd-1264597133183&hydadcr=15526_13517424&keywords=in+the+flow+by+alisa+vitti&qid=1707592530&sr=8-1 


    Other Episodes You Might Like: 


    Midlife Weight Loss: Burn Body Fat, Balance Your Hormones
    https://www.flippingfifty.com/midlife-weight-loss/
    It Takes MORE Than Hormones To Fix Your Hormones
    https://www.flippingfifty.com/fix-your-hormones/
    A Hormone Therapy Roadmap: What, When & Why
    https://www.flippingfifty.com/hormone-therapy-roadmap/

    • 49 min

Customer Reviews

4.6 out of 5
363 Ratings

363 Ratings

Taikorhythm ,

Nov 3 show

I love the show but I get so confused about conflicting POV from experts. Dr. Nasha Winters is not so encouraging of HRT and thinks it contributes to cancer risks. I wish there is a public platform to bring all these experts together to hash this out.

Laura Tolosi ,

A must listen to for inspiration for the next best years of our life!

Thank you so much for your podcast and sharing inspiration for women who are approaching and going through what has unfortunately been such a stigmatized time of life. Women have the opportunity to embrace their body and give it what it needs to thrive at any stage for amazing vitality, and you hit this message home through your brilliant line up of guests, insightful conversations, and value-packed information. Grateful for your refreshing and empowering approach to health and wellness for women!!

Debbie Waidl ,

"Must-Listen for Menopause Wellness!"

Loved your episode: "Changes That Improve Menopause Transition Fitness!" It's a fantastic podcast on exercise, nutrition, and wellness during menopause. As a functional health coach supporting women with migraines during menopause, I found it invaluable. A must-listen for anyone seeking answers to menopausal symptoms! Keep up the great work!

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