Скачать или смотреть Episode 161: When Weight Gain Has Become Your Identity

Episode Summary
If weight gain has quietly become the loudest thing in your head, this episode is for you.

In today’s conversation, Melissa breaks down why weight gain during midlife, perimenopause, and active healing is not a failure — but often a sign that your body is trying to protect you.

You’ll learn why obsessing over weight keeps your body stuck, how diet culture trains women to tie worth to size, and what actually needs to happen before sustainable fat loss can occur.

This episode reframes weight gain through a physiological and nervous-system lens, helping you step out of shame and back into partnership with your body.


In This Episode, We Cover


Why weight gain is incredibly common during perimenopause and healing phases


How weight gain often reflects your body creating safety and stored energy


The real reason restriction and “starting over” backfire during midlife


How hormonal imbalance, gut dysfunction, and chronic stress affect fat storage


Why weight gain becomes an identity — and how that keeps healing stuck


What “mean girl” self-talk does to your nervous system and metabolism


Why the scale often blocks healing instead of supporting it


When it actually is appropriate to focus on weight loss


Why your body’s ideal weight may differ from what your mind expects


How letting go of forcing your body creates true capacity, clarity, and energy



Key Takeaways


Weight gain is often part of the healing process, not proof something is wrong


Your body prioritizes safety and energy before fat loss


Overworking, under-fueling, and chronic stress create an energy deficit that drives weight gain


Healing happens when the nervous system feels safe, not when the body is forced


Your weight is not your identity — and it was never meant to be



Who This Episode Is For


High-achieving women in midlife who feel stuck, frustrated, or confused by their bodies


Women doing “everything right” but still gaining weight or feeling depleted


Anyone in perimenopause or a healing phase who feels betrayed by her body


Women ready to stop fighting their body and start understanding it



Mentioned in This Episode


Free Masterclass:
The Midlife Shift: When Doing Everything Right Stops Working

📅 January 20 or January 22
🎓 Free training on nervous system safety, hormones, energy, and capacity

👉 Register here:
mindfullywell.com/midlife