651: Perimenopause: What's Actually Happening, What It Does to Your Fitness + What Will Help the Most
Release Date: 06/22/2026
Embrace Your Real
Hey hey beautiful human! So many of us have made a quiet deal with ourselves. Once I lose the weight, then I will feel confident. Then I will wear the dress. Then I will book the trip. Then I will stop hiding in photos. Then I will finally feel comfortable in my own skin. Well, I get why that feels true. When the discomfort feels tied to your body, it makes sense to think changing your body will fix it. But here is the part that so many women do not realize: losing the weight can change your body, but it does not automatically change the way you see yourself. In this bonus episode of Embrace...
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Food can start to feel really heavy when every choice turns into a rule. Should I track this forever? Did I overdo it this weekend? Can I eat out without starting over tomorrow? Is this nutrition advice actually true, or just another thing someone on social media made sound convincing? If food has started to feel like something you need to control perfectly, this conversation is for you. In this episode of Embrace Your Real, we are answering your nutrition questions about tracking macros, weekday restriction, weekend overindulgence, confusing advice online, and how to eat out without mentally...
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If you have ever walked into a workout and thought, “Wait… what weight did I use last time?” this episode is for you. Because here is the thing. A lot of women think better results come from finding a harder workout, adding more exercises, or switching up the plan again. But sometimes the thing holding you back is way more simple. You are guessing. In this bonus episode of Embrace Your Real, we are talking about why tracking your weights matters if you want to actually see progress from the workouts you are already doing. It may not feel exciting, but knowing what you lifted last time is...
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Hey hey beautiful human! The halfway point of the year can hit a little harder than expected. You think back to January, the goals you set, the promises you made to yourself, and the version of you that said, “This year is going to be different.” And now you are looking at where you are today wondering if what you have been doing is actually getting you there. Not to shame yourself. Not to spiral. Not to decide the year is already wasted. But to get honest while there is still time to do something with that honesty. In this bonus episode of Embrace Your Real, we are doing a mid-year...
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Hey hey beautiful human! If realizing we are already past the halfway point of the year makes your stomach drop a little, this episode is for you. Maybe January was supposed to be the start of the year you finally got consistent, stopped starting over, built the body you wanted, or followed through on the goals you kept pushing off. And now you are looking up wondering where the time went. But girl, this check-in is not here to make you feel bad. It is here to help you stop waiting until December 31st to ask the question that actually matters: Is what you are doing right now getting you where...
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This episode is dedicated to every mom who has ever cooked a full meal for her family and then stood over the sink eating crackers because she ran out of steam before she got to her own plate. Because that is just reality sometimes, right?! In this episode of Embrace Your Real, I am getting into the real reason this keeps happening, how to cope when you are in full survival mode and you are the one running the kitchen, and how to start fueling yourself well without treating it like a completely separate project on top of everything else you are already doing. What I discuss: Why feeding...
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Have you ever looked at your life and felt like you should be doing better in every single area? You want to stay consistent with your workouts, eat well, be present with your family, show up at work, keep your home together, grow as a person, take care of your relationships, and somehow not feel completely drained by all of it. And when one area starts slipping, it can feel like you are the problem. But what if the problem is not your discipline? In this bonus episode of Embrace Your Real, we are talking about the pressure to chase too many goals at once and why it can make you feel like you...
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If you want stronger legs, more glute growth, or that lean, defined look, it makes sense to wonder if one leg day is really enough. And if you are already putting in the work, it can be frustrating when your lower body still does not look as defined as you want it to. So naturally, your brain goes to the next question: do I need more leg days? In this episode of Embrace Your Real, we are answering a question from the Movement With Julie community about training legs multiple times a week, repeating muscle groups, and what actually helps your body build definition without burning you out....
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Summer can make it feel like fitness has to wait. The schedule is looser, the kids are home, trips are happening, weekends are fuller, and suddenly your normal routine feels harder to hold onto. So you tell yourself you are being flexible, you are enjoying the season, you will get back to it later. But then later keeps getting pushed back. And instead of feeling free, you start feeling off, tired, frustrated, and disconnected from yourself. In this bonus episode of Embrace Your Real, I’m sharing the simple summer fitness commitment that is helping me stay consistent without making the season...
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Hey hey beautiful human! Most women are taught to think about food in terms of what it will do to their body. Will this make me gain weight? Will this set me back? Did I stay on track? Did I mess it up? But, what if that is the question keeping you stuck? In this episode of Embrace Your Real, we are talking about food in a completely different way. Not from a place of rules, guilt, or restriction, but from the question so many women forget to ask: how do I actually want to feel? Because the way you eat can affect your energy, mood, focus, digestion, cravings, sleep, workouts, and the way you...
info_outlineHey hey beautiful human!
Perimenopause is one of those things every woman will experience, yet so many of us are completely unprepared for it. Maybe you are in your 30s and starting to notice that your body feels different. Maybe you are in your 40s and quietly wondering why the workouts, meals, and routines that used to work suddenly are not working the same way anymore.
And sister, this is not a discipline problem.
Perimenopause is a hormonal transition, and it can affect your muscle, metabolism, sleep, mood, energy, recovery, cravings, and body composition. So in this episode of Embrace Your Real, I’m breaking down what perimenopause actually is, what is happening hormonally, why your old approach may stop working, and what will help your body the most in this season.
What’s Discussed:
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What perimenopause actually is and why you can still be in it even if you are getting your period
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Why perimenopause can begin earlier than many women expect and last for years
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How estrogen and progesterone shifts can affect muscle, metabolism, sleep, mood, and recovery
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Why the same workouts and eating habits that worked in your 30s may stop giving you the same results
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Why strength training becomes even more important for your muscle, metabolism, blood sugar, bones, and body composition
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Why doing more cardio and eating less can backfire during perimenopause
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How protein, carbs, and healthy fats support your body through this hormonal transition
The Movement With Julie app is there when you need a workout that is already planned for you. You’ll get new workouts every week, 30-minute and 60-minute options, and exercise swaps for limited equipment so you can stay consistent at home, at the gym, or while traveling. Head to movementwithjulie.com to get started.
And when food starts feeling all over the place, Macro Counting Made Simple will help you understand your protein, carbs, and fats so you can stop guessing.
If you want more from me, be sure to check out…
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Follow me on Instagram: @juliealedbetter | @embraceyourreal | @movementwithjulie
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Movement With Julie | App: https://sale.movementwithjulie.com/
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Macro Counting Made Simple Online Academy: https://www.macrocountingmadesimple.com/
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Website: www.juliealedbetter.com