Why Women Feel Exhausted in Midlife (It’s Bigger Than Menopause) | Claudia Taboada

What if the reason you feel exhausted, disconnected, overwhelmed, or emotionally “off” isn’t because you’re failing… but because your body is going through a major transition no one prepared you for?

In this powerful episode of the Delay the Binge™ Podcast, Pam Dwyer sits down with Claudia Taboada — The Midlife Success Mentor™ — to discuss the hidden impact of menopause, muscle loss, burnout, brain fog, emotional depletion, and why so many women quietly stop recognizing themselves in midlife.

Together, they explore:

• Why menopause is much bigger than hot flashes • The silent symptoms women are rarely warned about • Why muscle is essential for metabolism, brain health, longevity, and strength • How chronic stress and caregiving create Quiet Depletion • The connection between movement, mindset, and mental clarity • Why women over 45 need more protein than they realize • Small “micro steps” that help women rebuild trust in themselves • Why it’s never too late to become strong again

Claudia also shares the deeply personal story of how her mother’s struggle with obesity, muscle loss, and poor health shaped her mission to help women reclaim their strength before it’s too late.

This conversation is about much more than appearance.

It’s about becoming strong enough to fully live the life you still have ahead of you.

🎁 FREE GIFT FROM CLAUDIA: Eat More Protein Guide 

🔗 CONNECT WITH CLAUDIA TABOADA 

Website: https://claudiataboada.com/ 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/themidlifesuccessmentor/ 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/claudia-taboada-216a901bb/ 

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@MidlifeRevolutionbyCla-nb6js

Transcript

Why Midlife Feels So Draining

SPEAKER_00 0:00

Welcome to the Delay the Binge podcast. I'm your host, Pam Dwyer, and today's conversation is such an important one. I think a lot of women reach midlife and quietly wonder why the heck don't I feel like myself anymore? And what makes it even harder is that so many women are trying to navigate that question while still managing careers, caregiving, responsibilities, relationships, all the things. And the pressure to keep holding everything together. Somewhere along the way, we stop focusing on ourselves. We push off the things we know are important. We delay nourishment, we delay rest, we delay movement, and we delay asking for help. And over time, that turns into what we talk about a lot: quiet depletion, where everything may look fine on the outside, but underneath you're exhausted, disconnected, overwhelmed, and running on empty. But here's the beautiful thing: frustration can create inspiration. Sometimes the very thing making you uncomfortable is actually trying to wake you up to the life, strength, and health you still have time to build. Today's

Meet Claudia And The Strong Method

SPEAKER_00 1:17

guest is Claudia Taboada. Claudia is the midlife success mentor, a holistic wellness coach specializing in menopause, metabolism, and sustainable fat loss for women over 45. At 56 years old, after struggling with hormonal changes and stubborn weight gain herself, she transformed her health by losing over 20 pounds while rebuilding lean muscle, strength, and energy without extreme dieting or excessive cardio. That transformation became the foundation for her strong method and the more muscle lifestyle, where she now helps women focus on preserving and building muscle with simple, sustainable habits that actually last. She's also the author of Burnout to Unstoppable and is passionate about helping women become strong, energized, and unstoppable in midlife and beyond. Claudia, welcome to the show.

SPEAKER_01 2:25

Thank you so much for having me. It's an honor to be here and to be sharing with your audience.

SPEAKER_00 2:32

Yes, I'm so excited. So you're here because I think so many women listening already know what they should be doing. But the deeper question is why do we struggle to do the things we know are necessary for a strong, healthy life as we age? Why? Why do we do it?

SPEAKER_01 2:54

Well, I believe that, especially for midlife women, as you mentioned at the beginning, is that we um neglect ourselves. I call it the midlife double whammy. On the one hand, we have the chronic stress that comes with careers, motherhood, caregiving for elderly parents. And on the other hand, we have to deal with all the silent side effects of menopause. And those two things uh make it extremely hard for us to maintain our health because there is, you know, there is the chronic stress plus all the hormonal changes that are happening during menopause. And, you know, as uh, you know, we are midlife women lose ourselves because we have so much responsibilities and we do not take care of ourselves. And we need to wake up to the reality that if we continue this way, we will not be able to age powerfully.

SPEAKER_00 3:55

Oh my goodness. You are just a welcome ray of sunshine right now, not only myself, but I have many, many people in my life that

Survival Mode And Caregiver Burnout

SPEAKER_00 4:05

that need this input. I notice you talk a lot about survival mode. You know, what does that really look like in women? What does it look like?

SPEAKER_01 4:15

Or completely depleted. Uh, you know, we're we're we're depleted, we are um uh exhausted, and uh we cannot even focus anymore. We cannot even focus on careers or our families. We are just uh going through the motions. And I know it in, you know, I because I have been in in my my life. I'm a I'm I'm a mother of a severely autistic uh young adult. And uh when my son was growing up, I had uh my first burnout. I I a caregiver burnout, and I I I lost my identity. I I I completely lost my identity. I didn't know who I was anymore. And I became, you know, I was the caregiver. And uh then eventually I I reclaimed my health. And then in 2024, my son had a big regression, and I had another burnout, but this time it was different. It was not only the chronic stress, but I was also dealing with the menopause, um, all the hormonal changes. But I was feeling the same, exhausted, I was um you know depleted, and on top of that, I was gaining weight uncontrollably, even if I was doing the same thing. I was a marathon runner, I was running, I don't know how many kilometers, and I was still gaining weight. So I told myself, something is not working here. Because, you know, I I'm also uh uh before I was uh I'm doing this, I was doing this, I was also a stress resilience uh coach for midlife women, but there there was something else, and that was that's menopause, and that's the all the hormonal changes that happen uh with menopause. So that's what led me to learn. I mean, I went on a on a on a journey to learn uh what was happening in the midlife body. And I healed myself eventually. I I I you know I I I I dropped the weight, but not only that, I healed myself. I became more resilient, I became stronger. And uh that has become my mission now, to help women now reclaim them their their themselves, but also their health, so that you know that they can make their next chapter their best.

SPEAKER_00 6:42

Oh, Claudia, thank you for that too, because we need you. Do you think that women and well, everyone, we all normalize the exhaustion. We think this is just the way it is. And or I like my doctor, for instance, I had a doctor once that just said, your labs look great, everything's perfect, um, you're tired and exhausted and not sleeping well. These are all just signs of menopause, Pam. And that's just the way it is. Yes, it's normalized by everyone. How much of this is emotional depletion versus physical depletion? I mean, which is is it just a con a lethal combination or is it one over the other?

SPEAKER_01 7:30

I believe

Menopause Beyond Hot Flashes

SPEAKER_01 7:31

that it starts with the body. It is the body. It is, you know, the the everything that happens. Well, menopause, what happens with menopause is that there is a drop in estrogen levels. Estrogen is an anti-inflammatory hormone, and there are receptors all over our body. So it impacts people think that menopause is just hot flashes, but menopause is a huge physiological transition. It's like uh, you know, like a uh an earthquake. But we don't know because a lot of the symptoms are silent. Like uh, for example, muscle loss is a huge uh symptom, but it's silent. Muscle loss, bone density loss, uh, increase in inflammation. We become more insulin resistant, and we become weaker overall and more prone to fractures and falls. And all this is related to menopause, but not no no one talks about it. Like doctors don't talk about it. When I went to see my doctor, that my weight was you know going up. I didn't know what was going on. It's just aging. Yes, it's just aging. So you just, you know, have to accept it. And uh no, and that's what that's what prompted me to say, hell no, I am actually going and I'm going to do my research and I'm gonna to to to to you know, I'm gonna do my research and see what I can do in order to save myself because uh there is no way I'm gonna go into that, you know, on that path. Because I've seen it before. I saw it with my mother.

SPEAKER_00 9:08

Yes, I'm gonna ask you about that in a moment. I I really want to hear that story because I think it's it's it was a pivotal moment in your life to bring you where you're at now. And we talk a lot about using pain for purpose and how important it is that we realize the tough stuff that happens is just preparing you to do something great. I was gonna ask, why do why do you think high-achieving women often disconnect from themselves? Because I even last night I had a an event that I spoke at, and usually my husband's with me to carry all my books in, and he wasn't with me. It's probably about 40, 50 pounds. I mean, it's a big crate, but I've never had trouble carrying it. But when I picked it up last night, I thought, whoa, I I don't know if I can carry this. You know, and I was just I'm just so disconnected from myself because of everything that I'm doing, checking off all the boxes. I don't pay attention. So I mean, do you think that's what happens to most high achieving women?

SPEAKER_01 10:07

Absolutely. Absolutely. We put ourselves at the you know, we're we're at the bottom of the list. Yeah. And we should be putting ourselves at the big at the top of the priority list because of what all the things that are going on. The the chronic stress plus the hormonal changes that can, you know, can create if we go on like this. Uh, we are, as I said, we are prone to falls and fractures. We are are we destroying our metabolism if we're not feeding ourselves properly or exercising uh properly. And uh we are on a on a trajectory of becoming diabetic or you know, uh so all these things we need to, I think it's a it's a mindset shift that we need to make in order to say, well, you know what? I have given to everyone, you know, my career, to the family, to everyone now, as I get into the menopause transition, I need to take care of myself. I need to become the, you know, I need to be at the top of that priority list so that I can show up powerfully, not only for my family, but also for my, you know, for my career.

SPEAKER_00 11:22

You've worked so hard all these years to be where you're at. And I think a lot of women are functioning, but they're not truly feeling alive inside and energetic and passionate anymore. They're just feeling blah. And that's what we deal with a lot too in our program, is is just women that that feel ashamed because they have every reason to be joyful, but they just don't feel it inside. And there there are many reasons, but everything is connected. Like even to exercise in the manner that we need to. Well, if you don't feel good, if you're not feeding yourself properly, if you're not having enough protein or whatever, you're not gonna feel like doing that.

SPEAKER_01 12:03

No, exactly. You're gonna be feel exhausted.

SPEAKER_00 12:05

Yes.

SPEAKER_01 12:06

Yeah. Absolutely.

unknown 12:08

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 12:08

So what do you think most women misunderstand about menopause? What you you know, you say menopause is much bigger than hot flashes. Can you just go into a little more detail about that with the muscle preservation and all that?

Muscle As The Longevity Organ

SPEAKER_01 12:20

So I think what they they misunderstand is the severity of the symptoms. And there's a lot of silent symptoms that we don't know about because nobody talks about the symptoms. And as I was saying, one of the biggest ones is the loss of muscle, because we start losing muscle just normally after 30. But menopause accelerates this muscle loss, and that is why we need to uh you know take charge, become the CEOs of our health so that we can build this muscle. So, why muscle is so important? Because muscle, it's uh the organ of longevity. Muscle is it's an organ and it allows us more muscle, it will allow us to boost our metabolism, it will allow us to decrease inflammation, uh, it will also allow us to um decrease the blood sugar levels because muscle is kind of it absorbs the sugar from the blood. So it and uh muscle also helps us become stronger and more physically resilient. So no one talks about the importance of muscle. Doctors never talk about the importance of muscle, and muscle, it's kind of like metabolic magic. So that is why it's so important for us women to realize that we need to build this muscle. But there's misconceptions because we think that if we start strength training, we're gonna look like the Hulk. But that's not what's gonna happen because we do not have the testosterone to look like the Hulk. It is extremely hard to build muscle. So that is why we need not only the strength, but we also need to feed ourselves properly with enough protein so that we can build that muscle. Uh, it's because it's what's gonna make us um age with power.

SPEAKER_00 14:18

Yes, and I hope you can explain to everyone listening that protein intake is not the same for men as it is for women, even in the time of day you consume it. Is that correct?

SPEAKER_01 14:32

Yeah, protein is uh

Protein Timing That Actually Works

SPEAKER_01 14:34

I mean, protein is essential for men and women, but women have to be even more careful about making sure that they're getting their protein intake and timing. Timing matters. Timing matters. Um, you know, we've seen, and I mean, I got away with doing um intermittent fasting or all those things. Uh, I got away with it when I was even 45. At 45, it was, but now uh I I just could not do it. I need to get when we need to eat that protein at 60 to 90 minutes after waking. And all our meals, breakfast, lunch, and dinner, we need to have at least 30 grams of protein, if not more, and two high protein snacks. Because ideally, what we want is what we want to eat um uh the ideal or um um the grams of protein of our ideal body weight. So let's say my ideal body weight is 150. I want I I want I have to eat 150 grams of protein. Wow. And it needs yeah, and it needs to be uh it needs to be uh spread out through the through the day. Because some of us, even myself, I got away with that before, is that I would, you know, I I always just have a a coffee or a smoothie or something, and then I sometimes I would skip lunch and I will have my you know, at dinner, I will have all my protein, but that doesn't work anymore. We have to have breakfast, lunch, and dinner with at least 30 grams of protein and two snacks. And why protein is so important? Because protein makes us feel full. And uh, you know, it's the natural of Zempic. So it and it builds it, it's it's the foundation uh to build that muscle. So we need that. Uh it's essential uh to to have that that that that that protein so that it allows us to build the muscle that we need.

SPEAKER_00 16:43

Well, quick question, and I've heard several different things. I'm not educated about it at all, so maybe you know, but does muscle have anything to do with bone density?

SPEAKER_01 16:53

Yes. Well, actually, bone um str uh strength training. Strength training helps uh um tearing loads uh helps uh build bone density. Okay, for sure. And and uh again, uh menopause accelerates the loss of bone. So that is why it's so important that we we be uh uh mindful of building this muscle and to to incorporate the habits that are going to allow us to reverse what's happening with menopause.

SPEAKER_00 17:32

And the awesome thing is is you you can reverse it. You don't have to start over. You start where you left off because we are intelligent women, we do the research, we educate ourselves, we know what we should do. It's just for some reason we keep putting it off until, of course, your appearance starts becoming an issue because you're not moving your body. I've noticed like women like you that that exercise and do well with their their nutrition and exercise, you glow. You literally look years younger. And I just I want that, but then we I have to put in the work. But it's not just about appearance. What I'm trying to point out is the body is like a well-oiled machine. Your muscles and your bone are all doing well and thriving. It's going to show in your appearance.

SPEAKER_01 18:26

And and again, like we have to, you know, the muscles, if we do not work them, they are going to be depleting. So that is that it's it is essential that we keep that because and and it is never too late. That's the other thing. It is never too late to start. I have seen, I mean, I see at the gym, uh the uh there's a lady there that reminds me of my mom. She's 75 and she's lifting. So it is never too late. It is never too late to start. And this is what I want to transmit to all the ladies listening to us. Is it it is never too late to start, it's just a matter of doing it. Doing it because and and again, um we need this mindset shift when where we're saying it is not even about appearance or or or or looking great in a bikini, it's about survival. It's about having uh our, you know, as I said, their uh making our next chapter our best and doing all the things that we want to do. Travel, take care of our, you know, uh lift our our grandchildren, because otherwise we won't.

SPEAKER_00 19:40

Exactly, exactly.

Strength Training For Brain Clarity

SPEAKER_00 19:42

So can you talk about how exercise, muscle, and overall health impact brain function, mood, memory, confidence, and even mental clarity as we age? I mean, that affects brain fog is the biggest.

SPEAKER_01 19:57

Absolutely, absolutely. I can tell you that since I started lifting weights, my mind is sharper. My mind is sharper because I I I suffered from from brain fog for sure. But there is research, and there's a lot of research now that are that is saying that um contracting the muscles helps, especially when we strength train, helps with the brain, especially when we contract the muscles in the legs, because that they're the biggest muscles. So uh contracting the muscles when we strength train helps the brain. Um, because when we contra the the muscles contract, there is um some substances called the myokines, we are which are like fertilizers for our brain, and that helps with uh brain clarity and and you know just overall brain function. So it is essential, and and and it's there's also research that tells us that women have have more incidence of Alzheimer's and dementia, and that this goes back to again menopause, the menopausation, because there they are um uh receptors, estrogen receptors in the brain as well. And when estrogen goes down, there is more inflammation in the brain. So all this goes together. We have to, you know, we have to uh when when we strength train, we are also uh fortifying our brains.

SPEAKER_00 21:29

Wow, that's incredible. And I did try that out by the way today. You know, like because when we get when before we started recording, I told you I just got back from the gym. Because usually before every uh interview on my podcast, I'll walk around the block once. You know, not my long walk, but I go around the block once just to get some oxygen and into my brain so that I can think clearly. But today I went to the gym because I'm because I wanted to compare the clarity. But I don't think that it happens that. That quickly, but I do notice that I am more uh aware. Working out before doing something that requires a lot of thought, you know, your mind.

SPEAKER_01 22:10

Oh, yeah, absolutely.

SPEAKER_00 22:11

Oh, I interviewed a woman once and she has a program that is about m mind fitness.

SPEAKER_01 22:18

Ah, uh-huh.

SPEAKER_00 22:19

Because that's so important. Because if your mind's not sharp, well, guess what? Nothing else is gonna come into play.

SPEAKER_01 22:26

No, exactly. Exactly. So uh yeah, but yeah, contracting our muscles, especially the legs. So, ladies, don't skip leg day. Uh, it's one of the best ways to uh you know work on our brain health.

SPEAKER_00 22:42

Wow. And so why? Why can you explain why the legs are are important in that area?

SPEAKER_01 22:47

Because the legs have the biggest muscles. So the more muscle, the more muscle we're contracting, the more myocines that go to our brains and they fertilize our brain.

SPEAKER_00 22:58

I kind of skip that, the legs. I don't, that's not my least favorite.

SPEAKER_01 23:03

Don't skip like that.

SPEAKER_00 23:06

Women sometimes believe failure is not the word, but I think they they they tell themselves lies, that they're lazy, uh unmotivated, when in reality they

Motivation Comes After The Action

SPEAKER_00 23:19

may just be physically and emotionally stuck in that depletion. So my question to you is I'm a firm believer that motivation is after the action. A lot of people think they have to wait to be motivated. If you wait, I mean, I know it's true for me. If I wait for motivation, it's never gonna happen. I just have to make myself do it. And then for some reason, while or after I'm doing it, I feel so motivated and inspired.

SPEAKER_03 23:49

Yep.

SPEAKER_00 23:50

How does a person that knows what they need to do, they even have the gym membership, okay? That but they don't do it. Every day they say, Monday I'm gonna start doing it, but they don't. So what what's your advice for people like that?

SPEAKER_01 24:03

Yeah. Oh, I I completely agree with you. Motivation, it's all about emotion, and we need to make ourselves do it. Just do it like Nike says Nike says. But um, I think that the you know what I tell my clients is that we start with a small action. Something small. If you want to go to the gym, maybe the first day, go and park at the gym. Second day, open the door and go and check out the machines. Maybe the third day, you can start, you know, pick up a dumbbell and do some bicep curls or something. But I think it's really a a matter of starting small. Starting small and then start building from it. Start building. I my myself, um when I had my first burnout, the the way that I came back to myself was we were gifted a guide dog for my son, my autistic son, and I started taking the dog out for walks five minutes, five minute walks. And then these walks became 10 minutes and then 15 minutes, and then I became a jogger, and then I did a 5K and then you know, half marathon, and then a marathon. So that's how you build like small, start small so that you don't feel overwhelmed, and then start stacking. So let's say we want to build a habit, the habit of going to the gym. Let's start with just that habit. Going to the gym and start string. So, as I said, we start small, then once that habit becomes a habit, then we can start maybe another habit, which is to make sure that you're getting your protein intake, you know, like as as you should, so that you can build that muscle. And then yeah.

SPEAKER_00 25:57

Yes, I love that. And I think I've heard you reference my you call them micro steps. Yeah, you know, the small steps is so critical. And I love that idea of just going to the gym and sitting in your car at the same time every day that you normally would try to work out and just work your way up in the little baby steps.

SPEAKER_01 26:17

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 26:17

And also, how do you help women rebuild trust in themselves? Like if they're gonna commit to doing that, they because what happens is the brain loves patterns, good and bad. The brain is used to us not going or reasoning ourselves out of not exercising, and we have to create those new patterns so that the old ones go, well, they're never gonna go away. You're always gonna have to resist that because the brain remembers.

SPEAKER_01 26:46

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 26:46

But if you create a new enough pattern over and over with, you know, repeat, I think that it you could be successful with that. But if not, I just want to encourage women, don't give up, don't beat yourself up. Just try again the next day. That's all you can do. And just try to figure out what is stopping you. What's one thing you think women listening today could start doing immediately?

SPEAKER_01 27:18

Well, first, I think one of the things in order to help with that consistency and motivation is to figure out your why. A why something that makes you cry. Like you something that is going to make you like a why is you know, like a a reason, the reason that is gonna inspire you to keep going. So in my case, my why are my sons, my two sons, one who's severely autistic, I'm a single mom, I'm the only one he has. So I need to be there for my my autistic son, and I need to be there for my grandchildren. So, and I, if I would have continued like doing nothing, I would not be there for so I want to be there for them. Uh, so that's my why. That's my why. That's why I show up for myself at the gym because I want to be there as much as I can, and I want to be strong. I want to be strong to be able to do all the things that I want to do. So I think it's figuring out a why something is going to make you cry that when when you're thinking, oh no, I don't want to go. Well, think about your why. So that's one. And then the other, as we said, you know, uh the other thing is to to to realize that, you know, the the strategies that worked in our 30s do not work anymore. So it's not your fault, it's not a willpower problem, it is not a discipline problem, is the fact that you had the wrong strategy. So yes, it's not about you, it's about the new strategy, which the new strategy is about building that body that is going to be strong. And that means strength training, that means eating your protein, that means walking, because walking is good for you. And uh yeah, that's how we we do, and then we we go with the little steps, meaning steps, so that it's not overwhelming.

SPEAKER_00 29:12

Gosh, I think women underestimate how powerful momentum can become when they stop trying to change everything overnight. I mean, women tend to be perfectionists, yeah, most of them that I've ever known.

SPEAKER_02 29:28

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 29:28

And we don't mean to, it's just we want to do so well, especially for our children. And so I personally, what what inspires me to go out and take care of my body is it are my children. Because I'm thinking, what if they were in the same boat as me one day? What if they didn't want to exercise and make their bodies strong? That affects me differently as a mom than it would if I just think of myself. And uh we're living walking examples. They're going to do what we do. And so that helps me think, okay, they're watching me do this thing that is very good for my body, keeps me strong.

SPEAKER_01 30:10

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 30:11

So hopefully they will do it too.

SPEAKER_01 30:13

Yeah. Well, we we are their role models.

SPEAKER_00 30:15

Yes, the role models. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. So, but also a lot of us do, I do, I had to help myself with this a hundred percent or nothing. That's the mental attitude of me. If I cannot do it a hundred percent, I'm just not gonna look at it.

SPEAKER_01 30:30

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 30:31

And that's the worst attitude. That's the worst thing you can do because of the micro steps. Give it 10% today, 20% tomorrow. I mean, do you agree with that?

SPEAKER_01 30:43

Oh, yeah, absolutely. You cannot start. I mean, you you're not gonna have a six-pack in a day. Like it has to be uh, yeah, it has to be gradual. Uh you have to, yeah. And of course, I mean, me too, I'm a perfectionist.

SPEAKER_00 30:58

Yes.

SPEAKER_01 30:59

And uh you we you know, we have to learn to relax and say, you know what, I'm gonna start, even if it's five minutes, you can do it. Like, I mean, before, because before I was a runner, and before I would say to myself, oh, if I cannot run 10K, I'm not even gonna do it. So now it's like, what the what was that? What was that all about? Yeah you know, I we need to, even if it's five minutes, because I get that's what I see a lot with my clients as well. Like, oh my God, if I don't have an hour to work out, it's not worth it. Well, ladies, everything counts. Yes, even five minutes, even 15 minutes counts.

SPEAKER_00 31:41

Yeah, because you're re rewire rewiring your brain for a new pattern.

SPEAKER_01 31:47

Exactly.

SPEAKER_00 31:48

And repetition and small micro steps is what does that. Now, I do want to move on to uh your mother's experience, which deeply shaped the mission you're on right now and your message. Are you

Her Mom’s Yo-Yo Diet Warning

SPEAKER_00 32:01

willing to share that with us a little bit?

SPEAKER_01 32:03

Absolutely, yes. So so my mom, my beautiful mom Letitia, she gained over 40 pounds during the menopause transition. She was never, you know, like she she uh before like she she used to dance and she was, you know, uh uh she had a she was in great shape before, but then she she she gained all those the the pounds, and she went on a cycle of yo-yo dieting. Yo-yo dieting, so she she tried everything. She tried Weight Watcher, she tried um, I don't know, I don't even know what the names, but anyways, she tried everything, and no doctor told her that she needed to build muscle or eat more protein. So she went on a cycle of yo-yo dieting that and she ended up becoming obese, morbidly obese, and she became sarcopenic, which means she lost her muscle. And uh, when she was 65, she had two knee operations, and the knee operations turned out badly, so she lost her mobility. And at 74, she passed away from a massive heart attack. But, you know, I come back again to the fact that no doctor told her that she needed to strength train or eat her protein so that she can build muscle because all this yo-yo dieting destroyed her metabolism, destroyed her muscle. And that's why, you know, every time that she did another diet, she gained it all back. So it was harder for her. So that's and you know, I I witnessed, I witnessed how my mother, and I mean, it was not that she wasn't trying. I mean, she was trying, but she had the wrong strategy because no one told her that she needed to build this muscle. So I witnessed, you know, every Monday she was trying something else. Every Monday she was trying a diet or a detox or something. And uh, you know, every time that she she would gain it back and more. And that's how I, you know, I I I saw it in my own eyes. And when that was happening to me in 2024, I got scared. I got terrified because I thought, okay, it's the same genes. So the same thing is gonna happen to me. And I do not want this to happen to me. So that's why I went on a on a you know, on a mission to find out what was happening to my body and how to, you know, reclaim my health back.

SPEAKER_00 34:35

You were curious, you stayed curious so that you could educate yourself on the best way to to deal with that fear you had. And it it's a legitimate concern. My mom too, but I did it as well, just like you. I was over 300 pounds at one point in my life. Yeah, and I didn't know it. I didn't realize it until I was on an airplane and I tried to put the seatbelt on and it wouldn't fasten. And I thought that the seatbelt was broken. So I asked the the stewardess, I said, Can you can you tell me how to fix this? And she's like, ma'am, you need an extender. I thought, what is that? I didn't even know what an extender was, but it's an additional piece of seatbelt that you put on. And that's when I realized that was the moment. I thought, oh my gosh. That's what what motivated me to create delay the binge is because I had all the tools. I've done all the tools and the diets and everything. And I still would gain it back. If I'd lose 10, I'd gain 20. And I just thought, I'm broken, something's wrong with me. But really, I wasn't addressing the real problem that put me there in the first place. I was relying on that tool to to do it for me. And that's what many of us do. We think we're gonna get this tool and it's gonna all go away. Exactly. And it doesn't. No.

SPEAKER_01 36:01

We need a lifestyle that is going to maintain. That's what we need.

SPEAKER_00 36:07

You what do you wish women understood

Advocate For Your Midlife Health

SPEAKER_00 36:09

earlier than than our moms did?

SPEAKER_01 36:12

Well, again, you know, they that that you know, menopause is a huge transition and that it affects everything from our metabolism to the inflammation to the blood sugar levels, and that we need to take control. We need to to become the CEO of our health uh, you know, uh in our 40s, like and and and implement the right strategies that are going to help us build that foundation, which is the muscle.

SPEAKER_00 36:42

And get curious for more clarity. If the doctors don't know or saying nothing's wrong with you, that's that for me, that means okay, I'm gonna have to figure this out on my own.

SPEAKER_01 36:54

Yeah. We have to become our own advocates. Yes. That's the thing. Or advocates and and ask and request because there is a lot of gaslighting in a medical profession. So we really need to become our own advocates and we need to take charge.

SPEAKER_00 37:12

And be teachable.

SPEAKER_01 37:14

Yes.

SPEAKER_00 37:15

Be willing to hear what people are trying to say to you. You know, don't don't ignore it, don't push it out. Try it. That's what I tell tell my clients about journaling. They all roll their eyes when I tell them how important that is to find patterns. And they're like, I just don't, I'm not gonna add another thing to my day.

SPEAKER_01 37:38

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 37:39

And I'm like, it's one sentence, people. It takes you longer to go to the bathroom than it did than it does. And that's if you do it just for two weeks, all I ask is you try it every day for two weeks, and then go back and look at what you journaled, because you're not gonna remember what you felt two weeks ago.

SPEAKER_01 37:55

Yes, true.

SPEAKER_00 37:56

And every time, Claudia, they they find a pattern that they need to work on. So what I'm I like to repeat what I've learned so that everyone else, we can all be sure what we're understanding from your amazing message and program is that sometimes it's not about changing everything overnight and it's simply being honest long enough to ask yourself what's really keeping me from caring for myself the way I know I deserve, and to just do it. Because most women already know that it matters, they know movement matters, nourishment, strength. But when you spend years in survival mode, like you explained to us, disconnected from yourself, exhausted from carrying everything, sometimes what's missing isn't information, it's connection. And maybe healing begins the moment we well, we pause long enough to truly see what's underneath the pattern.

SPEAKER_01 38:55

Yeah.

unknown 38:56

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 38:57

Is there anything else, Claudia, you can share with our listeners that you'd like to share?

SPEAKER_01 39:03

I think it I will repeat my message. Ladies, it's time to take charge, and it is never too late. It is never too late to build to build strength and to reclaim your health uh by building more muscle. And for that, you need two things. You need to eat your protein, you need to eat enough, and you need to strengthen, you need to pick up the those dumbbells and start building that muscle for you.

SPEAKER_00 39:36

One thing I want to say, this is so important, and I know you're gonna agree, Claudia, before we wrap up, is that I think conversations like this remind us how much women truly need one another. We are wired for connection, and sometimes the very thing that helps us move forward isn't another diet or another program, or you trying to figure it out on your own. It's finally feeling understood, supported, encouraged, seen by someone who gets it. And honestly, Claudia, your energy and passion are contagious. It's so uplifting. You have this way of making women feel hopeful instead of ashamed. And I think that matters so much because healing and change happen faster when we stop trying to do everything alone. So having the right people in your circle for like Claudia, like for understanding, accountability, encouragement, and just honest, real, genuine conversations can completely change your journey. Because there's no one size fits all approach.

SPEAKER_01 40:52

Exactly.

SPEAKER_00 40:52

And together you can figure out what actually works for you, your body, your season, stress, goals, lifestyle, all those things. And that kind of personalized support is incredibly powerful.

Find Claudia Plus Free Protein Guide

SPEAKER_00 41:05

So, Claudia, tell us. Tell us how we can find you and and take advantage of your wonderful expertise.

SPEAKER_01 41:12

Yes, you can go to my my uh website, claudiataboada.com. Uh, and I'm uh almost all social media. I'm on Instagram as the Midlife Success Mentor. I'm on YouTube. Uh, and it the channel is called uh Midlife Success Revolution. Uh and I'm on uh Facebook, LinkedIn as well, um under my name. And uh yeah, that's uh you can find me anywhere now.

SPEAKER_00 41:41

Well, and we're gonna put all that in the show notes, y'all. But also, Claudia, there's I I read that that you can get a free protein guide.

SPEAKER_01 41:50

You meant yes, you can get it, yes. Uh I have a protein guide that I'm giving to all of the listeners, and that's going to tell you exactly what you need uh as your protein base, and also I've got recipes in there as well. So uh yeah, so take advantage.

SPEAKER_00 42:12

She's not a bunch of talk, she is about walking the walk. She gives you solutions and micro step actions that you can start taking today. It's never too so I mean, it's never too late. And that's that's her message, and and I'm gonna take advantage of that for sure. I love I love free things. Thank you so much for being here today, Claudia, and to

Final Mindset Shift And Next Steps

SPEAKER_00 42:38

everyone listening, remember your past does not define you, it's preparing you. And sometimes the strongest thing you can do is pause long enough to truly ask yourself, what's underneath the pattern? Because most people already know what matters, they know movement matters, and they know nourishment matters. And more importantly, as Claudia has taught us, strength matters. So when you've spent years in survival mode, disconnected from yourself, exhausted from carrying everything, sometimes what's missing isn't information, it's connection, it's support, it's giving yourself permission to stop pushing your needs to the bottom of the list. And remember, you don't need to start over. You need to pick up where you left off. Keep the lessons, keep the wisdom, keep the resilience you've built along the way, and use that pain as fuel because this journey isn't about becoming perfect, it's about becoming stronger, wiser, more connected, and more intentional with the life you still have ahead of you. We don't complete our goals, we outlive them. So pause, choose, build momentum. And finish stronger than you started. Thanks for joining us and be sure to share this episode with anyone you know could use it. And we'll see you next time. Oh, I forgot. Be sure to follow and review this podcast because it helps us reach more people that need this message. See y'all next week. Thanks, Claudia.

SPEAKER_01 44:22

Thank you for having me.