01/28/2026
My friend and client Karen recommended I listen to Mel Robbins’ podcast featuring Dr. Stacy Sims, PhD, and I'm so glad I did.
Dr. Sims is an exercise physiologist, nutrition scientist, author, and women's health and fitness advocate.
It confirmed so much of what I see every day with women at Relentless Positivity Fitness and why we do what we do.
Here’s the big picture takeaway:
If you’re over 40 and frustrated that your old fitness and nutrition strategies no longer work, it’s not because you’re doing something wrong.
It’s because your body has changed and the strategy needs to change with it.
One of Dr. Sims’ most well-known statements sums this up perfectly:
“Women are not small men.” — Dr. Stacy Sims, PhD
That single sentence explains why so many women are stuck right now.
For decades, most fitness and nutrition research was conducted on men, then scaled down and handed to women with the assumption that “less intensity, fewer calories” would work the same way.
Anyone ever been told, "Just eat less and move more."?
When women follow plans designed around male biology, the results often look like this:
-More fatigue
-Slower fat loss (especially belly fat)
-Increased aches and injuries
-Higher stress and burnout
-Feeling like willpower is the problem
Here are the most important takeaways I got from the conversation, translated into a takeaway that actually matters for real life:
1. Muscle becomes more important, not less, as we age
Dr. Sims explained that during perimenopause and menopause, women lose muscle more easily if they are not strength training.
Less muscle means a slower metabolism, lower energy, and a harder time managing body fat.
Takeaway: Strength training isn’t optional anymore, it’s a must.
2. Chronic cardio and under-eating increase stress on the body
She emphasized that when women rely on long cardio sessions and eating very little, the body interprets that as stress.
Elevated stress hormones make it harder to recover, regulate energy, and lose fat, especially around the midsection.
Takeaway: Doing “more” can actually push results further away.
3. Protein needs increase during this stage of life
Dr. Sims shared that women need more protein as estrogen declines in order to maintain muscle, stabilize blood sugar, and recover from workouts.
Takeaway: Eating too little protein is one of the biggest reasons women feel tired, weak, and stalled.
4. Recovery is now a requirement, not a reward
A consistent theme throughout the episode was that sleep, stress management, and recovery directly affect body composition and performance for women in this stage of life.
Takeaway: If your body doesn’t feel supported, it won’t respond the way you want it to.
5. Consistency beats intensity
Dr. Sims reinforced that women don’t need extreme plans: they need smart, repeatable habits that work with their physiology.
Takeaway: Sustainable progress comes from alignment, not willpower.
This podcast reinforced something I say often at RPF:
-Your body isn’t broken.
-You’re not lazy.
-You’re not failing.
You’re just using rules that were never designed for this season of life..
And the good news?
When the strategy changes, results can change too.
If you have questions or ever need help, I'm ready when you are.
