The Fit Positive Podcast

In this week’s episode of The Fit Positive Podcast, we’re talking about one of the biggest — and most underestimated — reasons women gain weight over Christmas:👉 Mindless snacking and grazing.This episode was inspired by a reel I recorded this week, where I tracked what felt like “just a few snacks” across the day — a biscuit with tea, a handful of crisps, some cheese and crackers, a few chocolates and a glass of wine.📊 Total? 1,540 calories — just from snacks alone.No judgement. No guilt. Just awareness.In this episode, we cover:🎄 Why Christmas snacking feels harmless — but adds up fast• How grazing sneaks calories in without ever triggering fullness• Why snacks don’t register as “real food” in our brains• Why this happens even to very health-conscious women🍽️ The real problem: under-eating at main meals• Why “saving calories” at breakfast or lunch backfires• How low protein meals lead to blood sugar crashes and cravings• Why you can feel like you’re eating nothing — and still gain weight🥩 The solution: proper, balanced meals• How protein and fibre at meals reduce snack cravings naturally• What a Christmas-friendly balanced plate actually looks like• Why eating enough earlier in the day gives you more flexibility later🧠 Mindset matters• This is not about willpower or being “good”• It’s about giving your body what it needs so snacking doesn’t spiral• Progress over perfection — especially at this time of year🎯 Practical, realistic Christmas tips• How to enjoy festive foods without constant grazing• When to plan snacks vs when to avoid them• How to stay in control without tracking obsessively or restrictingKey takeaway:Eating less at meals rarely prevents weight gain at Christmas.Eating better meals usually does.Balanced meals > endless grazing.If you’ve been feeling frustrated, hungry, or confused about why things feel out of control at this time of year — this episode will bring clarity and relief.

This week on The Fit Positive Podcast, we’re talking about heart health in midlife — why our risk rises, what markers actually matter, and how the habits inside the Fit Positive Method directly protect your cardiovascular system.In this episode, we cover:1️⃣ Why women’s heart disease risk rises in perimenopause & menopause2️⃣ The biggest cardiovascular risk factors for women 3️⃣ The blood markers that matter for your heart — and my own recent results4️⃣ How the Fit Positive Method protects your heart5️⃣ A quick note on HRT and cardiovascular protection6️⃣ Sauna for heart health⭐ Resources & Links🔗 Sauna Episode 🔗 ⁠Sleep Episode🔗 Free Calorie & Macro Calculator🔗 Fit Positive Empowered Membership (nutrition, strength, tracking tools & recipes to support both fat loss and heart health)Scientific studies that support this episode...⭐ 1. Menopause & Increased Cardiovascular RiskDecline in oestrogen and increased heart disease risk🔗 ⁠https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4591897/⁠Oestrogen’s protective role on blood vessels⭐🔗⁠https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/full/10.1161/CIRCRESAHA.119.315400⁠⭐ 2. Strength Training & Cardiovascular HealthStrength training improves insulin sensitivity🔗 ⁠https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5485200/⁠Strength training reduces visceral fat🔗 ⁠https://academic.oup.com/jcem/article/92/4/1736/2597231⁠Strength training reduces cardiovascular risk in women🔗 ⁠https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/10.1161/JAHA.119.014567⁠⭐ 3. Steps / Physical Activity & Heart HealthEven simple walking reduces cardiovascular risk🔗 ⁠https://www.bmj.com/content/347/bmj.f5588⁠Daily step count & mortality🔗 ⁠https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/article-abstract/2763292⁠⭐ 4. Nutrition & Heart HealthFibre reduces LDL cholesterol and CVD risk🔗 ⁠https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3257631/⁠Diets high in ultra-processed foods increase CVD risk🔗 ⁠https://www.bmj.com/content/365/bmj.l1451⁠Protein, whole foods & cardio-metabolic health🔗 ⁠https://academic.oup.com/ajcn/article/101/6/1320/4564490⁠⭐ 5. Stress & Sleep as Cardiovascular DriversChronic stress increases heart disease risk🔗 ⁠https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5579396/⁠Poor sleep increases blood pressure & inflammation🔗⁠https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/10.1161/CIRCRESAHA.116.309356⁠⭐ 6. HRT & Cardiovascular Protection (when started early)The Timing Hypothesis (benefits when started within 10 years of menopause)🔗 ELITE Trial:⁠ https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/nejmoa1505241⁠WHI re-analysis — younger women had reduced CHD risk🔗 ⁠https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3986473/⁠⭐ 7. Sauna & Cardiovascular HealthFinnish sauna study — reduced cardiovascular mortality🔗⁠https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamainternalmedicine/fullarticle/2130724⁠Sauna improves blood pressure & arterial stiffness🔗 ⁠https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5941775/⁠⭐ If you enjoyed this episode…Please share it on your Instagram stories or with a friend who needs to hear it.Every share genuinely helps more midlife women access evidence-based support.And if you want to take the next step, join us inside Fit Positive Empowered — where we pair science-backed training and nutrition with daily support, coaching, and community so you can feel your strongest, healthiest, most confident self in midlife.

This week’s episode is a midlife health & fitness Q&A — answering the questions you submitted on Instagram.We cover everything from calorie ranges and weight fluctuations to sauna and sleep to alcohol and protein… all through the lens of what's proven by science to work for women in midlife.Covered in this episodeHow to know if you’re really in a calorie deficitThe calorie range approach — and why it works better in midlifeHow to calculate your own range (10% either side of your target)How long sauna sessions really need to beWhy motivation isn’t the thing that gets you resultsHow to build systems that automate habitsWhy 3–5lbs weight fluctuations are normalEasy ways to hit 90g protein per dayHow to navigate Christmas without spirallingBetter and not-so-good alcoholic drink optionsMy top 3 game changers for better sleepResources Mentioned in the EpisodeFree Calorie & Macro CalculatorMacros Mastered GuideAlcoholic Drinks ComparedPodcast Episode on SleepHelp us spread the word! If you enjoyed this episode, it would mean the world if you reviewed it on Spotify or Apple podcasts, and share with a friend who might find it helpful! Get in touch!If you have questions for next week’s Q&A, you can always drop us an email at [email protected] Fit PositiveGet your personalised calorie & macro targets, strength training program, 150+ high-protein recipes, tracking tools, coaching support, and our wonderful community: www.fitpositive.ie

In this short, practical episode, I’m sharing the three habits I’m focusing on this week to support my health in midlife — especially as we move into colder, darker days where routines naturally shift.We talk about:✨ Adjusting your step goals seasonally so movement stays sustainable✨ Using tracking as a tool for awareness, not perfection✨ Why sauna is a midlife superpower for recovery, inflammation, stress, metabolism & longevityI’ve included the scientific references below, plus details of an event I’m hosting this Sunday where you can explore hot and cold therapy with me in person.🔥 JOIN US THIS SUNDAY — The Balance WithinIf you’d like to learn how to use sauna and cold therapy safely and effectively — for stress, recovery, hormone balance, metabolism and inflammation — come join our in-person event:👉 Learn more and grab your ticket here:https://www.eventbrite.ie/e/the-balance-within-hot-cold-for-your-wellbeing-tickets-1968545173606?aff=oddtdtcreatorSauna Studies Referenced in This EpisodeHere are the research papers and summaries I mentioned:1. Finnish Sauna + Cardiovascular & All-Cause Mortality (men & women) Kunutsor SK, Laukkanen T, Laukkanen JA.“Sauna bathing reduces the risk of cardiovascular and all-cause mortality in a prospective cohort of middle-aged and older women and men.” BMC Medicine, 2018.🔗https://bmcmedicine.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12916-018-1198-02. Heat Therapy, Healthspan & Longevity (mixed-gender data) Laukkanen et al.“Sauna use as a lifestyle practice to extend healthspan.” Experimental Gerontology, 2021.🔗https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S05315565210029163. Infrared Sauna, CRP & Inflammation ReductionComplementary Therapies in Medicine, 2018.Summary of findings (CRP reduction & recovery benefits):🔗 https://radianceinfrared.com/infrared-sauna-inflammation-recovery4. Heat Shock Proteins & Muscle ProtectionDr Rhonda Patrick – FoundMyFitness review of sauna science🔗 https://www.foundmyfitness.com/topics/sauna5. Sauna, Brain Health & Stress Resilience (includes women)SaunaRealm summary of mixed-gender research on:– reduced dementia risk– autonomic nervous system balance– sleep benefits🔗 https://saunarealm.com/blogs/sauna-realm-blog/the-science-of-sauna-how-heat-therapy-boosts-recovery-immunity-and-longevity🕒 Episode Timestamps00:00 — Intro02:10 — Why you must tweak your habits seasonally in midlife04:20 — Habit 1: Adjusting step goals for winter08:00 — Habit 2: Tracking for awareness, not judgement12:15 — Habit 3: Sauna + recovery for inflammation, metabolism & resilience21:40 — Key sauna studies explained26:00 — Invitation to this Sunday’s hot/cold therapy event28:00 — Final thoughts⭐ If you’d like more support✨ Join Fit Positive Empowered (nutrition coaching, live & on-demand workouts, personalised calorie and macro targets, 150+ high-protein recipes, community):www.fitpositive.ie/empowered

In this episode, I’m joined by my lovely friend and fellow health coach, Vicky Chisholm, who lives in Yorkshire in the UK. We chat about how we first met through our health coaching course, bonded over hikes in the Yorkshire Dales, and how online friendships can be a real lifeline when you work for yourself.Vicky shares her own health and career journey – from massage therapist and PT in her 20s, to working as a PA for 25 years, to retraining as a naturopathic health coach during lockdown. She talks openly about living with a lifelong iron-related fatigue condition, watching her mum struggle with ulcerative colitis, and how those experiences shaped her interest in truly holistic health – looking at the whole person, not just symptoms.We dive into why strength training can feel intimidating for midlife women, how to make it feel safe and doable, and Vicky’s brilliant “Strong & Centred 50” series on Instagram – 50 days of one-minute foundational strength moves to help women build confidence, form, and consistency without overwhelm. We also talk about boundaries, burnout, perimenopausal fatigue, and the small non-negotiable habits that keep us both grounded.We talk about:Vicki’s path from massage therapist and PA to health coach, PT, and online membership ownerWhat “holistic” really means in practice – looking at the whole person, not just one systemLiving with chronic fatigue and why burnout is so common for midlife womenWhy strength training feels scary for many women – and how to make it approachableVicky’s one-minute-a-day strength series and why tiny daily actions matter more than perfectionHow shifting your macros (especially protein) can transform energy levels in midlifeBoundaries, saying no, and protecting your “energy budget” as life gets busierSwapping Netflix and extra drinks for sleep, recovery, and feeling genuinely wellVicky’s 3 simple daily habits for midlife women:Drink water before your tea or coffee.Get outside every day – even 10 minutes of fresh air and walking helps.Do at least one minute of movement every day – to reinforce the identity of “I am someone who moves”.Connect with VickyInstagram: @strongandcentred.coach Website: https://www.centred.coach/