Midlife Mayhem

By: joanne lee cornish
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  • Summary

  • Welcome to Midlife Mayhem, where we embark on an empowering journey through the world of midlife body composition transformation. In this space, we challenge the misconceptions surrounding aging and redefine what’s possible for those navigating the exhilarating terrain of midlife and beyond. Join me as we explore the science, mindset shifts, and practical strategies that can help you sculpt the body of your dreams, proving that age is no barrier to achieving peak vitality and confidence. Whether you’re seeking to shed excess weight, gain lean muscle, or simply feel more vibrant, this podcast is your trusted companion in the pursuit of a healthier, stronger, and more resilient you. Welcome to a new era of limitless possibilities in midlife body transformation. ”Hi I’m Joanne, and I have been coaching body composition for over 30 years. I’ve worked with household names that you know, and I have worked with thousands of people in my group coaching programs. I was a pro bodybuilder in the 90’s with a top 10 physique in the world, but I only knew how to be in shape and out of shape. That frustration led me on a fascinating path of self-study where I found all the answers I could have asked for and more. But I had to dig for the answers, and I have my own ideas on why those answers are not mainstream and why the weight loss industry fails you, but I will save that for a Midlife Mayhem episode. Author of ”When Calories & Cardio Don’t Cut It”New podcast weblog
    Copyright 2023 All rights reserved.
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Exercise & Fitness Fitness, Diet & Nutrition Hygiene & Healthy Living Personal Development Personal Success
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Episodes
  • PROTEIN & BODY FAT

    PROTEIN & BODY FAT
    May 2 2025

    🎉 ONE WEEK LEFT! Registration closes in just 7 days for the 2025 21-Day Signature Weight Loss Program — and this year, it's better than ever. New topics, an entire content library (don’t ask me how long that took 😅), and a deeper focus on sustaining results — because the real fear isn’t losing weight… it’s wondering if it’s all going to come back.

    👉 www.21daysignature.com — join us before the doors close!

    🎙️ Midlife Mayhem Podcast – NEW EPISODE OUT NOW! 💥 "Will Too Much Protein Make You Fat? NOPE. Here’s Why." Click to listen on your favorite platform: MIDLIFE MAYHEM

    🎙️ Midlife Mayhem Podcast – NEW EPISODE 🔬 “Will Too Much Protein Make You Fat? The Science Says No (and Here’s Why)” 🎧 Listen on your favorite platform → www.joanneleecornish.podbean.com

    This episode is a deep dive into one of the most persistent myths in fat loss: “If I eat too much protein, won’t it just turn into fat?” Short answer: No. Long answer? Buckle up.

    🧱 The Brick Fire Analogy (and Why It Matters) Protein is not like carbs or fat. It’s not a fuel.

    • Carbs = Paper: Quick-burning energy.

    • Fat = Wood: Slower-burning, steady energy.

    • Protein = Bricks: You don’t light bricks on fire. You build with them.

    🧪 Why Lean Protein Doesn’t Become Body Fat Let’s break down the impossible obstacle course your body would have to run just to store lean protein as fat:

    1. Deamination – Strip off the nitrogen from amino acids

    2. Gluconeogenesis – Convert the remaining carbon skeleton into glucose

    3. Lipogenesis – Turn that glucose into triglycerides

    4. Fat Storage – Shove it into adipose tissue

    That’s four major metabolic hurdles—none of which your body wants to do unless it’s in a massively overfed state with full glycogen stores, low energy output, and absolutely nothing else to burn.

    🔥 Gluconeogenesis Explained (Finally) Gluconeogenesis = “creating new glucose” from non-carb sources like amino acids. This only happens when:

    • You’re not eating carbs

    • Liver and muscle glycogen are depleted

    • You’re in fasting, ketosis, or intense prolonged exercise

    Even then? It’s just making enough glucose to keep red blood cells and your brain alive — not store as fat. You’re running on backup fuel, not excess.

    💥 Thermic Effect of Protein Protein has a 20–30% thermic effect, meaning up to 30% of its calories are used just to digest it. Compare that to fat (3%) and carbs (5–10%). So your 100-calorie chicken breast? Only 70–80 of those calories are actually available to the body.

    🍽️ Protein, Appetite, and Hunger Signals

    • Amino acids from protein stimulate satiety hormones like GLP-1, leptin, and suppress ghrelin.

    • That “I’m starving at night” feeling? Often due to low daytime protein intake.

    • One client dropped her protein slightly — boom, evening cravings returned. She brought it back up — hunger disappeared.

    📉 Real Story, Real Results A client "stuck for months" dropped 10 pounds in 5 days in my Peak Week program. No supplements. No starvation. Just food used correctly — and yes, high protein was key. Her body wasn’t broken. It was just operating in the wrong environment.

    🙅‍♀️ “But I Can’t Eat That Much Protein…” That’s fine — but don’t expect the body composition or results of someone who does.

    • This isn’t about what you “like” to eat.

    • It’s about what your body needs for change.

    • Want the results? Meet the requirements.

    📚 Inside the 21-Day Signature Program We go deeper into all of this:

    • How much protein you actually need (based on body comp goals)

    • Why aging increases your protein requirements

    • The real science behind hunger and metabolism

    • Why protein changes everything — from energy to cravings to mood to muscle

    🗓️ We begin May 11th. Doors close May 8th. 👉 www.21daysignature.com

    💬 Final reminder: Protein isn’t the problem. It’s usually the missing solution.
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    30 mins
  • TESTOSTERONE FOR WOMEN - THE NEED TO KNOW

    TESTOSTERONE FOR WOMEN - THE NEED TO KNOW
    Apr 30 2025
    MIDLIFE MAYHEM is available on all podcast platforms - click this link and choose yours CLICK HERE Today we’re diving into a topic that hardly anyone talks about — and when they do, they often get it wrong: testosterone for women. Most people think testosterone is a ‘male hormone,’ but the truth is, women absolutely need it too — for your brain, your bones, your energy, your mood, even your body composition. We’re going to break down why testosterone is critical at every age, how to know if you’re low, the different ways you can take it, why some doctors avoid prescribing it, what happens if you take too much, how it affects everything from your bones to your brain — and I’ll also touch on some fascinating new research that’s flipping the old myths upside down." If you have any body composition concerns, the place to start with me is the 21 Day Signature Weight Loss Program, which is offered once a year and is starting very soon May 11 - 31 What often happens in my coaching is People just do the 5 Day Peak Week Shred - great results but don't know how to continuePeople jump into Muscle Month - but don't fully understand fat loss People only do Mastering Midlife - a big program and a lot to take in if they haven't done the foundational Signature Program I strongly encourage you to click this link to at least see what we are going to cover in the Signature Program www.21daysignature.com OK - back to testosterone! Segment 1: Testosterone Through the Ages "Let’s start with how testosterone changes across a woman’s life. In your late teens and early 20s, your testosterone is at its peak — somewhere around 30 to 50 ng/dL. And honestly, you probably never thought about it because estrogen and progesterone were also sky-high, giving you energy, confidence, muscle tone, and drive. But here’s the kicker: testosterone starts to decline in your late 20s to early 30s, silently. By the time you hit your 40s, you could be down to half of what you had in your 20s. And after menopause? Many women’s testosterone drops so low it’s barely measurable. Why does that matter? Because when estrogen and progesterone also fall, testosterone has to do extra work. It becomes one of the last hormones keeping you sharp, resilient, and metabolically active. So yes — you may actually need more testosterone in your 50s than you did in your 20s — not less." Segment 2: Symptoms of Low Testosterone "Wondering if your testosterone might be low? Here are the big symptoms I look for in clients: Unexplained fatigue — even if you’re sleeping. Loss of muscle tone or difficulty building muscle. Brain fog, forgetfulness, or that 'what did I come in here for?' moment. Low libido, painful sex, or emotional detachment. Increased belly fat, even with no big diet changes. Mood swings, irritability, or loss of drive and motivation. And the sneaky thing is — these symptoms often get brushed off as ‘just aging’ or ‘just perimenopause.’ But low testosterone might be the missing link." Segment 2.5: Total vs. Free Testosterone + Lab Ranges "Let’s talk labs — because the numbers matter. When you get bloodwork done, you’ll usually see two testosterone values: ✅ Total Testosterone ✅ Free Testosterone Total testosterone measures all the testosterone in your blood — including what's bound to proteins like SHBG. Most of it is inactive. Free testosterone is the small percentage that’s actually usable by your body — the active form. Most women feel best when: Total testosterone is between 50 and 100 ng/dL Free testosterone is between 2 to 5 pg/mL Now here’s the problem: Many women get told they're ‘normal’ at 10 or 12 ng/dL total, but they feel awful — zero energy, low sex drive, brain fog. And their doctors say, “You’re fine.” Wrong. That might be technically normal — but it’s not optimal. You need to look at both total AND free levels, plus SHBG, which can trap your testosterone and make it unusable. In short: Total T shows what’s in the tank. Free T shows what your engine actually gets to use." Segment 3: How Women Take Testosterone (Cream, Injection, Pellet) "There are three main delivery options for women: 1. Creams or Gels Compounded for women, applied to thin skin like inner arms or thighs. Absorbed through the skin, bypasses the liver. Easy to adjust dose — very smooth and consistent. This is my top choice for most women. 2. Injections Tiny doses, like 2 to 5 mg once or twice a week. Absorbed quickly. May cause a “peak and trough” feeling — high energy then a crash if the dose isn’t balanced. Some women love it, others feel a bit up and down. 3. Pellets Implanted under the skin every 3–6 months. Sounds convenient… but if the dose is too high, you’re stuck with it. Can cause acne, mood changes, and unwanted hair if overdone. Best for women who have already dialed in their ideal dose with cream or injections. Also — ...
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    37 mins
  • It’s Not You, It’s Your Bacteria: The Truth About Weight Struggles

    It’s Not You, It’s Your Bacteria: The Truth About Weight Struggles
    Apr 28 2025
    2 weeks until the Signature Weight Loss Program kicks off! 🏁 Check it out at www.21DaySignature.com — doors are closing soon! May 11- 31 Whats new for 2025 Content Library - over 50 pieces of pre recorded content, full access for 6 months New topics for 2025 How to read your own blood workMitochondria - how it impacts your energy and body compositionBacteria and your "fat memory" MAY 11 - 31 - full details MIDLIFE MAYHEM - available on all podcast platforms, click the link to find the one you use 🎙️ Today's Episode: The Gut-Weight Connection — How Your Bacteria Control Your Fat Storage (and How to Rewire Them) Hey everyone, welcome back to Midlife Mayhem! I'm Joanne, and today, we're diving into something that could completely change the way you think about weight loss. 👉 It's your gut microbiome. 👉 And more specifically — how the balance of bacteria living inside you can either keep you lean or lock you into fat storage, no matter how disciplined you are with your diet. We all know weight loss isn’t just about calories. One of the biggest missing pieces for most people is gut health — and it’s critical. Inside your intestines, there are trillions of bacteria working all the time. And these bacteria fall into two important groups: Some bacteria promote fat storage Some bacteria promote fat burning In people who are overweight, there's often a dominance of bacteria like Firmicutes (FIRM-ih-cue-tees), which are incredibly good at extracting more calories from the food you eat and storing that energy as body fat. In leaner individuals, there's usually a higher presence of bacteria like Bacteroidetes (back-tear-ROY-deh-tees), which support better energy usage, lower inflammation, and easier fat loss. 👉 Simply put: More Firmicutes = more fat storage. More Bacteroidetes = better fat burning. This is not a theory. In a landmark study (PLOS Genetics 2016, Zhernakova et al.), researchers could predict who would gain or lose weight just based on gut bacteria — even before the participants started changing their diet. It wasn't calories. It wasn't cardio. It was the internal environment that mattered most. How does the gut become a fat-storing machine? When you eat a highly processed diet — low in fiber, low in real foods — you feed the wrong bacteria and starve the good ones. Over time, this environment programs you to: Crave more junk Absorb more calories from food Store more fat Struggle with low energy, inflammation, and even insulin resistance And even if you start “dieting,” if the gut is still dominated by the fat-storing bacteria, results are slower, harder, and often temporary. Here's the great news: 👉 Your gut environment can change — and it can change fast. You can tip the balance back toward fat-burning bacteria with simple strategies like: ✅ Eating more prebiotic fibers (FOS, inulin, green banana resistant starch) ✅ Eating a greater diversity of plant foods ✅ Reducing processed food and sugar intake ✅ Staying consistent long enough for the microbiome to reset -THE KEY! You are literally training your gut bacteria — like a garden. Feed the good, starve the bad, and they will multiply or disappear accordingly. But what if you don’t like high-fiber foods right now? Let me reassure you — food preferences change very quickly with exposure. Think about coffee. First time you tasted it? Probably hated it. First sip of wine? Probably wanted to spit it out. First bite of dark chocolate? Probably thought it was awful. And yet today, many of us love these things — because exposure changes preferences. You didn’t need to choke down coffee for two years to start liking it. You just needed small, repeated exposures — and your brain adapted. Healthy foods are no different. Quick story about Kevin: When I met my husband, Kevin, he didn’t eat vegetables. He certainly didn’t eat fish. For years he said, "I don’t like fish, I don’t like fish." Then one day he tried salmon — and it wasn’t bad. He had it again. Now? He eats salmon every single day without hesitation. It didn’t take years — it took a few exposures. The same thing can happen for you — or for your kids — even if healthy food feels unappealing at first. You’re not broken. You just need to trust the process. Why gut health is EVERYTHING for lasting fat loss: If you don't rebuild your gut microbiome, you're fighting an uphill battle — no matter how good your diet looks on paper. You can’t supplement your way out of a damaged gut. You can’t macro-count your way out of inflammation and dysfunction. You have to change the environment inside you — permanently. When you fix the gut: Cravings get easier Fat storage slows down Energy improves Your metabolism becomes your ally, not your enemy This is exactly what we're tackling in the 21-Day Signature Program. This updated 2025 version includes: 🔥 Gut health protocols to shift your microbiome toward ...
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    50 mins
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