2024 was the year I found myself in a body I no longer recognized. Hint: it included perimenopause symptoms and it was the most challenging year of my life to date.
After feeling “off” for the past 7 years … at the beginning of 2024 I completely crashed. I was 48.
This is the story of how I got my life back after perimenopause
For some context …
I was a competitive gymnast growing up, a group fitness instructor throughout high school and college, and I’ve worked as a health coach for the past 16 years. I monitor my food intake closely, do pilates and/or strength train 5+ days a week, walk 3 miles nightly with my dog and don’t drink alcohol. Over the years I’ve walked alongside thousands of clients as they have overcame numerous health challenges.
But despite my vast depth of knowledge in holistic health protocols and supplementation, I was still completely unprepared for what perimenopause, and now menopause, had in store for me …
My Menopause Symptoms (the crash)
- Debilitating insomnia – which had a ripple effect on all other areas of my life
- Cognitive impairment – I could barley form a thought or sentence
- Memory loss – I couldn’t recall conversations with my husband from the day before
- Sudden weight gain – I gained 18lbs overnight around my stomach and my inner thighs
- Loss of muscle mass – my muscles started to dissolve into cellulite
- Hot flashes – which disrupted my sleep and ability to handle stress even more
- Loss of drive and motivation – I had zero capacity to lean into life or work at any meaningful level
Did you know that during menopause brain energy dims by 30%? Completing the smallest of tasks became a feat in of itself. It got to the point where I didn’t want to leave the house. I could barely pull myself together to show up for my clients and seriously considered what it would look like to go on disability.
And then the uncontrollable weight gain started.
Despite being 120 lbs. all of my adult life (+/- 5lbs), I gained 18 pounds seemingly overnight, mostly around my stomach and inner thighs at which point they started to touch (apparently that’s called chaffing). I watched in slow motion as my biceps and quads turned to mush and cellulite started to appear in its place.
When I stepped on the scale, 138.8lbs (to my horror) appeared on the screen. My clothes no longer fit and I no longer recognized the person in the mirror. I wanted to crawl out of my skin.
No amount of disciplined eating, exercising or reset protocols made the scale budge.
What I describe above was “the crash” but the perimenopause symptoms started to a lesser extent 7 years ago when I was 41 aka “the crash before the crash” …
My Perimenopause Symptoms (the crash before the crash)
- Disrupted sleep
- Brain fog
- Hair loss
- Fatigue
- Irregular periods
- Itchy hands, rashes & joint pain
But because my lab numbers kept coming back in “NORMAL” ranges no one had any concrete answers for me.
I will never forget, one doctor told me back in 2018 at the age of 43, “if its not metabolic then it must be psychiatric and that I should prepare myself to go down the anti-anxiety/depressant route.”
So I switched to a more “holistic” doctor. I asked her numerous times over years if all of these mystery symptoms could be menopause related and she said “you are way to young to be going through menopause.”
Despite my doctor saying I was too young to be going through menopause, I now know sometime between 2022 (age 47) and 2023 (age 48) my estrogen levels dropped to below detectable levels.
So instead of just simply addressing my hormone levels, over the past 7 years I became my own health detective which sent me down endless Google rabbit holes … lighting thousands of dollars on fire in the process.
I did multiple GI Maps & Doctors Data poop tests, mold and food sensitivity testing, genetics & DNA testing.
I did multiple rounds of candida antifungals and restrictive candida diets, endured months of homeopathic tinctures for Epstein Barr which included following the AIP Diet (aka the Autoimmune Protocol) and even did a round of antibiotics and Ivermectin thinking it might help to clear out anything I might have missed bacterial, viral or parasitic wise.
ALL BECAUSE NO ONE EDUCATED me on what to expect or how to prepare for the perimenopause symptoms I was experiencing.
My GOD, the medical system has failed women.
In the end, I resorted to getting on sleep meds and settled into the idea that this was my new normal until everything came crashing down at the beginning of 2024.
It took a family vacation to the beach to push me to my breaking point.
I felt mortified in my bathing suit …
I put a full set of clothing on to walk on the beach …
I had the photographer edit the final images of our family photos of me to make my stomach look smaller.
Here is what the before (left) and after (right) edited photos looked like:
It was at that moment I decided I was going to do whatever it took to get my health and life back after perimenopause and get into the best shape of my life before turning 50.
How I got my Health & Life Back After Perimenopause and Lost 20lbs (+Real Before & After Pictures at End)
1. Learned how to Interpret Normal vs Optimal Lab Ranges
At the beginning of 2025, I spent 5 months in a mastermind learning how to read labs to detect suboptimal female hormones, thyroid and nutrient deficiencies.
Understanding the difference between “Normal/Standard” and “Optimal” lab ranges changed everything for me. Did you know that the standard ranges noted on your bloodwork results are just the average ranges of everyone who’s taken that test, not the optimal ranges you actually need to be in to thrive in your body? Light bulb moment.
Pulling together all of my prior and current labs into one coherent spreadsheet revealed that I had been in perimenopause for years and now, and according to my 2024 hormone levels, I was officially going through menopause.
Knowing how to interpret each line item of every lab panel and what action to take if something is out of “optimal range” has been SO empowering during this phase of my life that no one seemingly had answers for.
For example, did you know that elevated Neutrophils %, Lymphs %, Monocytes %, EOS %, and Baso % values on a simple $20 Complete Blood Count panel can detect the presence of bacterial, viral and parasitic infections in the bloodstream?
Your welcome, I just saved you hundreds if not thousands of dollars in scam parasite cleanses.
2. Optimized My Females Hormones by Getting on Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT)
Did you know that female hormone levels can start to fluctuate in your early 30’s? For me, I now know my hormones started to drop in my early 40’s. And looking back at the first time my hormone labs were actually run, my testosterone levels had been low since 2016 (age 41).
My female hormone labs were:
- FSH = 26 (optimal level < 25)
- Pregnenolone = 39 (optimal level > 100)
- Estradiol < 15 (optimal levels 80 – 150)
- Progesterone < .5 (optimal level > 10)
- Testosterone = 13 (optimal level 50+)
After the hot flashes kicked in and realizing that my estradiol and progesterone has dropped to below detectable levels, I immediately asked my doctor to get on hormone replacement therapy as outlined below:
- Estradiol Patch (prescription, covered by insurance) – I started at .025 and worked my way up to .05
- Progesterone (prescription, covered by insurance) – Prometrium, micronized progesterone, I started at 100mg and upped it to 200mg
- Testosterone cream (prescription through PD Labs compounded pharmacy, not covered through insurance)
- Pregnenolone supplementation
10/18/2025 Update – I have since increased my estradiol patch to .075. and added in Vaginal Estrogen Cream (prescription) – adding this in has been is a game changer for vaginal dryness. Also try adding a dab to your facial cream – like OMG my skin has never felt smoother. You can have your doctor send in a 90 day prescription of vaginal estrogen cream to Cost Plus Drugs for just $29.60 which turns out to be cheaper than running it through my health insurance.
RESULT: my sleep has drastically improved, my lean muscle has started to come back, I no longer feel like the world is ending and I feel more connected to my husband than ever after 21 years.
** Note when testing female hormones – estradiol, progesterone, LH, and FSH – its important to test between days 19-22 of the menstrual cycle because its when progesterone should be at its peak for the month and when estrogen should be at the height of its luteal plateau. See graph below:
3. Optimized My Thyroid aka “Thyroidpause“
Fluctuating levels of estrogen and progesterone during perimenopause can negatively impact the body’s ability to produce and regulate thyroid hormones. This was most definitely my experience. This is commonly referred to as “Thyroidpause.”
My thyroid labs were:
- TSH = 4.19 (optimal level < 2)
- Free T3 = 2.8 (optimal level middle of the upper quadrant, 3.5 and up)
- Reverse T3 = 16 (optimal level < 12 – indicates your body’s ability to convert T4 to T3)
- TPO & Antibodies < 1 (optimal level 0 – indicates Hashimoto thyroiditis (autoimmune condition)
I slowly started to titrate the right combination of T4 (Tirosint) & T3 (liothyronine) thyroid medications and retested every 6 weeks until I got my levels optimized.
Getting my thyroid and hormone levels optimized also unexpectedly normalized my cholesterol levels after years of thinking that my high cholesterol was due to “genetics.”
News flash, it was not.
- Total Cholesterol went from 209 down to 147
- Triglycerides went from 69 down to 64
- LDL went from 30 down to 94
RESULT: my energy and motivation levels are through the roof, my metabolism is firing on all cylinders again, my brain fog has dissipated, I lost 20lbs, my sensitivity to cold is gone and my cholesterol levels are now normal.
4. Added in a GLP-1 Microdose to Address the Menopause Weight Gain
After learning more about the benefits of glp-1 microdosing through the mastermind I was in and on the numerous menopause and longevity podcasts I listened to, I decided to add a glp1 microdose (tirzepatide) to my perimenopause stack at the end of March 2025.
I get my glp1 microdose (tirzepatide) prescribed to me by a licensed medical professional through a telehealth company that partners with 503a certified pharmacies. Click button below for more info.
A glp-1 (short for glucagon-like peptide-1) is a type of hormone your body naturally makes that helps regulate blood sugar, appetite, and digestion. Think of peptides like natural signaling molecules that start to fade with age. Peptides simply help your body restore that signaling.
In addition to the weight loss / blood sugar regulation benefits, glp-1s have also been shown to reduce inflammation, improve cellular and heart health, protect bone density and contain neuroprotective benefits.
Did you know that high blood sugar and insulin resistance are key drivers of neurodegenerative conditions such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease? As a result Alzheimer’s disease is now considered type 3 diabetes.
Over the past 15 years, I have watched my dads quality of life dissipate as a result of Parkinson’s disease to the point where he is barely able to talk, walk and eat now. Its been a slow, horrible disease to witness. With that said, any proactive step I can take to protect my brain from neurodegenerative diseases … I am ALL FOR.
Prior to starting the glp1 microdose, I massively upped my protein, fiber and electrolyte intake so I wouldn’t lose lean muscle mass.
In just under 14 weeks, 38 years of disordered eating including 20lbs was released from my body. An my blood sugar markers improved greatly as shown below:
- Glucose went from 87 -> 76
- A1C went from 5.2 -> 4.9
- Insulin went from 4.5 -> 2.7
- Leptin went from 9.7 -> 3.7
I have always been envious of my husbands ability to only “eat for fuel” … sometime he forgets to eat all together … like WTAF?
So much of my life has been spent thinking about food, craving sugar and carbs, resisting those cravings with will power and using food as soothing mechanism – the glp1 microdose completely stopped all of that ruminating thinking.
I have never experienced so much mental freedom in my life.
The studies that continue to come out around the benefits of glp-1s are mind blowing. Its a category worth familiarizing yourself with as its on track to change the trajectory of human health.
RESULT: all of the inflammation has completely left my body, I have lost 20lbs and its allowed me to completely dial in (and stick to) my eating and exercise plan with ease.
5. Simplified My Supplement Routine
Learning how to interpret my own labs / bloodwork has allowed me to reduce my once cereal bowl full of supplement down to just a few things.
Amare Happy Juice has been my go to “brain fuel” for the past 7 years to counteract the dimming brain energy I experienced during perimenopause. It contains the probiotic strains shown to improve focus and stress resilience along with the nootropics for motivation and mental energy. Its a game changer. I bundle my happy juice with Amare’s MentaFocus and MentaHeart for additional gut brain heart axis support.
I also take:
- Xymogen vitamin d (for low vitamin d)
- Designs for Health Ferrochel (for low ferritin)
- Pure Encapsulations magnesium glycinate (for low magnesium and for sleep)
RESULT: I was finally able to get my nutrient levels up into optimal ranges. Low iron/ferritin symptoms can mimic hypothyroid and menopause symptoms (fatigue, hair loss etc.) so be sure to check your iron and ferritin labs because its an easy fix if you are low in either.
The goal of this blog post is to empower you to use ALL of the tools at your disposal to support you through your menopause transition. There is no need to suffer when we are living in an age of remarkable medical advancements.
If you have any questions on any of these please don’t hesitate to reach out.
xo