About
My labs came back "normal." So why do I feel like I'm falling apart and gaining weight?
If you've heard that from your doctor, this one's for you. Andrea sits down with her friend (and her own doctor), Dr. Sarah Wilson, ND, founder and clinical director of Advanced Women's Health. They recorded this with no script, for both of their podcasts, and it shows. They laugh a lot, and they still get into the stuff most doctors skip.
Sarah explains why she tests insulin and inflammation, not just FSH and LH, and why you can feel off for years before your labs show perimenopause. She uses a bank account analogy for insulin and fat storage that finally makes it click. Then they talk honestly about GLP-1 medications, what the big weight loss trials actually did, and why food, supplements, and medication don't have to be an either/or choice.
Sarah also shares something personal. She used to weigh 100 pounds more than she does now, while eating well and working out, and it took years to find out why.
WHAT YOU'LL LEARN
- Why your labs can look normal when you feel anything but, and what "late reproductive" means
- Which blood tests to ask about in perimenopause, including fasting insulin and inflammation markers
- How insulin affects where your body stores fat, and why eating less often backfires
- What the GLP-1 studies don't put in the headlines
- 3 surprising things that can add to perimenopause weight gain
CHAPTERS
2:00 Why a Doctor Who Won't Budge Is a Red Flag
2:31 Meet Dr. Sarah Wilson, ND
5:36 "I Don't Know Where to Start" and How Your Feed Shapes What You Know
8:06 Normal Labs but You Don't Feel Like Yourself? The Stage Before Perimenopause
11:25 Blood Tests to Ask for in Perimenopause: Insulin and Inflammation
15:08 How Insulin Drives Menopause Belly Fat (the Bank Account Analogy)
19:46 Food First, and When You Need Extra Help
24:20 GLP-1s in Menopause: What the Weight Loss Studies Don't Tell You
27:47 Why Doing Everything at Once Backfires
32:18 "When Did You Last Feel Like Yourself?" Weight, Confidence and Real Goals
38:27 3 Surprising Causes of Perimenopause Weight Gain
40:34 Menopause as Your "Done Caring" Era, and Why Laughing Helps
50:56 How to Find a Doctor Who Actually Listens
MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE
Advanced Women's Health (Dr. Sarah Wilson's clinics in Ontario and BC): https://www.advancedwomenshealth.ca/
Finally Lose It by Dr. Sarah Wilson, ND: https://amzn.to/4jpTM9e
The Advanced Women's Health Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-advanced-womens-health-podcast/id1772009349
Dr. Sarah Wilson on Instagram: @drsarah_nd
Sarah's first visit to the show, Perimenopause Decoded: 7 Root Causes of Hot Flashes, Weight Gain & Brain Fog: https://youtu.be/u_otR4Oy-70
Ep #195, GLP-1 and Muscle Loss with Natalie Bean: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1374700/episodes/19287911-ep-195-glp-1-and-muscle-loss-in-perimenopause-what-to-eat-to-protect-it-with-natalie-bean
Ep #203, Perimenopause Weight Gain and the 17 Reasons Why: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1374700/episodes/19670683-ep-203-perimenopause-weight-gain-and-the-17-reasons-why
This episode is not medical advice. Talk to your own provider before starting or stopping any medication or supplement.
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