A woman in one of our group calls said something a few weeks ago that I still think about…

"I can't get the fire lit again. I used to be so motivated. I don't know if it's age or hormones."

And every other woman on Zoom nodded along with her…like she’d just read their mind.

Maybe you've said a version of it too.

The tiredness, the foggy afternoons, the achy knees, the weight settling in your midsection no matter what you do.

And somewhere along the way, someone told you that hormones are to blame.

Your estrogen dropped, your body changed, and now you're just along for the ride.

Here's the thing…

Your hormones really did change and your estrogen really did drop. That's real and I'd never tell you it isn't.

But somewhere along the way, the story went from hormones being one piece of the puzzle to the whole reason for everything you feel.

And that's the part I want to push back on.

Because there's something in your body that has more to do with how you feel today than your hormone levels do.

And this also has to do with:

And that’s muscle.

Pretty crazy, right?

The thing everyone thinks of as just "the stuff that makes you toned" is actually one of the most important parts of your health.

I know it sounds like a stretch but go with me for a second.

Think of your hormones like a road. After 40, that road got a little bumpy.

This isn’t something you asked for. Even worse, you can't really repave it and as frustrating as it is, the frustration doesn’t help anything.

Now think of your muscle as the shocks on your car.

I don’t know a lot about cars but I’ll do my best to make this make sense 😆

When you've got strong shocks, you can drive that exact same bumpy road and barely feel it. But when your shocks are worn down, you feel every little bump.

After 40, most women have been slowly losing muscle for years without knowing it.

So the road got bumpier at the exact moment the shocks wore thin. That's why you feel every single bump and pothole now.

You can't really change the road.

But you can absolutely rebuild your shocks. And when you do, the same hormones that felt like they were ruining your life quietly stop feeling the blame for everything.

I’m going to share something with you I’ve never shared before. I think only Maria and my closest friends know about this.

From my late teens through my twenties, my testosterone was clinically low.

I looked like I was in shape, I had the knowledge from my bachelor’s degree, but I felt awful. Like a shell of myself. And not what I expected a guy in his 20s to feel like.

I had no energy, no motivation, I was anxious, and wanting to sleep all the time. To make matters worse, when I’d go to the doctor for this, they’d tell me everything looks normal and that I look healthy.

I felt stuck. But I also felt embarrassed to admit this to others. Leaving me feeling more trapped.

This might sound a little familiar…

Told everything's fine while your body screams otherwise.

Now I’m not going to say I understand exactly what you're going through and feeling because I don’t. But I have an idea of what it feels like to not feel like yourself and it doesn’t feel good.

What changed things for me wasn't a magic hormone fix. It was getting serious about building strength and actually fueling my body. While my hormones are still technically lower than they should be, I feel so much better because I focused on building the thing to handle it.

The good news is this is simpler than the internet makes it sound…

You don’t need any supplements, shots, or another diet.

1. Build your strength/muscle back.

I know you’re worried about getting bulky…not that much muscle. Just enough to feel stronger and have your clothes fit a bit better is all you need.

All you need is only 15-minutes, three times a week, all at-home.

I know it sounds crazy and you probably don’t believe it so try these 3 workouts next week and let me know what you think after ◡̈

Workout 1

Workout 2

Workout 3

2. Fuel it with the right foods.

Strength and muscle is built from eating enough protein. And 99% of women aren’t eating enough.

Your goal is to eat 30 to 40+ grams at each meal.

The easiest place to start is breakfast. Add Greek yogurt, cottage cheese, or a protein shake to your morning tomorrow and you've already fixed the hardest meal of the day.

Those two things will let your body do what it's been waiting to do. Allowing you to catch a glimpse of how you used to feel.

Remember the woman who couldn't get the fire lit again?

I've watched that exact story turn around more times than I can count.

Kim came to me a yo-yo dieter her whole life, worn down and convinced her body had stopped listening.

After a few months working together, she texted me, "My sleep and energy have improved, my resting heart rate is down, and I'm dancing around the house again."

But nothing about her hormones changed overnight.

She just gave her body what it had been missing and her body remembered how to feel good.

So while you might’ve been told your hormones are out of your control…

You still have a few things in your control that can totally change how you feel.

Your friend and coach,

Ben Miknis
Revitalized

P.S. If you've been blaming "age or hormones" for how you've been feeling, hit reply and tell me the one thing you'd most want to feel again.

Energy? Strength? Your old motivation back?