​Are you taking Ozempic, Wegovy, or another form of Semaglutide for weight loss?  Well, I’m not here to shame you.  Weight loss is HARD.  These drugs are making it possible for people who feel like they have tried EVERYTHING ELSE to finally lose weight.  I do have some advice for you, though:

Am I encouraging everyone to take these meds?  Absolutely not.  First and foremost, I’m not a doctor.   Plus, these drugs have side effects and come with risks, just like all treatments do.  They can be expensive.  And for some people, they don't work at all.  But I don’t think there’s any shame in getting help with something that you have struggled with for so long, especially if your doctor agrees.   Just don't wait to start lifting weights.

​Summer in Texas is not my season.  My goal is simply to survive it.  I do that by continually telling myself that fall will be here eventually.   This can’t last forever.  And I have a few tools that save me from complete misery.

This is the best fan I have come across.  It was one of many fans on display several years ago when I was shopping for one.  I turned all of the fans on, and this was the strongest.  SOLD.  I use this fan whether I'm exercising indoors or in my garage.  I even bring it with me when I’m training clients in their garages.   It is currently my most prized possession.  I love it dearly.  If you, too, are suffering in this heat, get yourself a strong, powerful fan.  

​While the fan helps immensely, some days I need more armor.  I use this cooling towel when it's so hot that the fan feels more like a hair dryer.  You just get it wet and wrap it around your neck.  I like to take it a step further and put a few ice cubes in the center, wrap them up, then place it around my neck.  It feels great!  You can also place the ends of your towel down into your bra, then put ice on top!  The bra holds the ice in place and the towel protects your skin from freezer-burn.  Keep a cup of ice handy so you can replenish your bra ice once it melts. 

When I’m planning workouts, writing blog posts, cooking, eating, or just sitting, I use this small desk fan.  This one has 3 speeds and doesn’t need to be plugged in (although I keep mine plugged in at all times for fear of it running out of battery when I need It most.  Texas problems.)

I love a cup of hot coffee in the winter, but in the summer it makes me feel like I’m going to spontaneously combust when I step outside.  In these temps, I drink cold brew coffee.  This allows me to get my caffeine fix without overheating.  This brand is sold at HEB and is the best tasting one I have found that doesn't have any additives.  It’s concentrated, so add water (I use a ¼ to ¾ ratio of concentrate to water, but you figure out what works best for you).  I top it off with some soy milk and add a few ice cubes.  Delicious!

​Hot food doesn’t even sound good right now, so I’m eating a lot of cold food.  Salmon salad, cold chicken, raw veggies and fruit.  This recipe for watermelon soup from Bon Appetit is one of my favorites.  For simplicity’s sake, I don’t bother with the toppings, with the exception of the feta crema and sliced almonds.  Those two additions elevate it to a whole new level.  

​How are you coping with this heat?  Have any tips to share?

Looking for a fun beach read this summer?  Well, I have something better for you.  It will give you useful tips as well as make you laugh out loud.  Personal Trainer Amanda Thebe recounts her horrific perimenopause experience in Menopocalypse: How I Learned to Thrive During Menopause and How You Can Too.  Amanda does not hold back in this book.  She is brutally honest about her lived experience and also her very real feelings about it.  If you haven’t yet gone through the menopause transition, this book might scare the hell out of you.  Amanda’s symptoms were quite terrible.  If you have already gone through the transition, then you might be relieved that yours wasn’t so bad, at least in comparison.

​In the first half of the book, she defines the different stages of menopause and lists the common symptoms one might have.  These range from the well-known hot flash to the lesser-known burning tongue. (Why must so many things in menopause make us feel like we're on fire?)  She also discusses Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT), both her personal experience with it and what to watch out for, like compounded hormones and pellets.  This was refreshing to read since there is so much misinformation out there directed at women in menopause.  It made me happy to know that she takes a science-based approach in her menopause management.

​By this point in the book, I hadn’t really learned much that I didn’t already know about menopause, but I’ve been studying this in depth for the past several years.  It was, however, quite validating to read her first-hand account to make me feel like I wasn’t the only one experiencing these less common issues.  She reveals some very personal details of her life, and in doing so, makes you feel like you can trust her.  This is important, especially because the second half of the book consists of her advice.  We don't usually take advice from those we don't trust.

​In the second half of the book, she outlines what she calls her menopause “hacks.”  Her chapter about how to eat wasn’t revolutionary, but that’s what made it so great.  It was solid, reasonable advice.  It’s what I recommend to my clients when asked.  She doesn’t promote low calorie diets or intermittent fasting or avoiding carbs.  She does suggest prioritizing protein, complex carbs, healthy fats and limiting alcohol.  She seems to subscribe to my philosophy:  Live the healthiest life you can enjoy!  I can respect that.

She has several pages of workouts that she calls “Menopause Metabolic Resistance workouts.”  There are pictures of each exercise, as well as a prescribed set and repetition range.  Her workouts  incorporate the basic movement patterns that I outlined in my blog post “The 6 Most Important Exercises.”  If you’re in need of a strength training starter workout, this is excellent.  If you’re a client of mine, these moves will look very familiar to you.  

No self-respecting book about how to take care of yourself during menopause would be complete without a chapter on sleep and stress-reduction.  Sleep is just as important as nutrition and exercise.  61% of postmenopausal women suffer from insomnia, which is a damn shame.  Estrogen and progesterone play a huge part in helping us fall asleep and stay asleep, so without them, we struggle.  

Will this book cure your insomnia?  You might find some helpful advice in there, but it won’t do so by putting you to sleep.  It’s quite entertaining, actually.  Amanda is funny, irreverent and doesn’t hold back.  If you need a good read to know what’s coming or to learn more about what you’re in the thick of, I recommend Menopocalypse.