Catch Up with Coach M - Edition 44 - Hormone Balance & Muscle as You Age, Fitness Is a Lifelong Journey, Not a 6-Week Fix
- Active Living Active Living
- Jun 8
- 9 min read
Let me be honest with you—this week, I could’ve written the same training summary as last week.
I could tell you about the sets, the reps, the mileage, the mobility drills. I could list the wins and the wobbles, maybe throw in a video clip or a perfectly lit post-workout selfie. But the truth is? That’s not the point.
Because right now, in this season of life, my training isn’t changing much. And that’s not a bad thing. In fact, it’s a reflection of everything I’ve spent years working towards—consistency, structure, and sustainability.
Sure, the intensity fluctuates. Some days I move with power, others with patience. But the foundation? That’s steady. I tick the boxes. I do the work, even when I don’t feel like it. Not because I’m chasing a deadline or a body comp goal—but because movement has become a non-negotiable part of my life.
But here’s the thing I’m learning—again and again:
It’s not the training that’s teaching me the most. It’s what’s happening beneath it.
The Deeper Journey Has Nothing to Do With Reps
The real work of fitness—the lasting, transformational kind—doesn’t happen in a 6-week challenge. It doesn’t live in progressive overload spreadsheets or protein macro calculators (though those can absolutely serve a purpose). The true shift happens when you stop seeing your body as a project, and start seeing it as a partner.
It took me years to learn that.
Years of performing.
Years of pushing.
Years of under-eating and over-delivering.
Years of treating rest as weakness and stress as a badge of honour.
And then came the years of unlearning all of that.
Now, the biggest “training wins” for me don’t show up on a stopwatch.
They show up in how I speak to myself.
In how I fuel.
In how I recover.
In how I trust the process even when progress isn’t loud or visible.
This Is What I Want to Bring Into My Coaching
Because this—this depth—is what I want the people I coach to experience.
Fitness is not just about the program I write or the check-ins we do about nutrition.
It’s not just about hitting a PB or seeing changes in the mirror.
It’s about growth. Real, holistic, often quiet growth.
Growth that shows up in how you show up for yourself when life is messy.
When progress is slow.
When motivation is low.
Yes, I care about your training blocks.
Yes, I’ll hold you accountable to your goals.
But more than that,
I want you to build trust in your body.
To learn how to listen to it.
To treat it with the fuel, movement, rest, and respect it deserves.
Because that’s where the real transformation happens.
And just like my own journey—it won’t happen in a few weeks. But it will happen, if you stay in it long enough to truly grow.
Let’s talk about something that doesn’t get said enough: Shaping up isn’t about eating less. It’s about eating right.
I know it’s tempting to start cutting calories when you want to feel better, lose a bit of weight, or get back in shape. Trust me, I’ve been there too. But here’s what I’ve learned — and what changed everything for me:
👉 Your body needs fuel — not fewer calories — to thrive. And that fuel is what keeps your hormones balanced, your muscles strong, and your energy stable as you age.
⚡ Why "Just Eat Less" Doesn’t Work Long-Term
The old diet advice of “eat less, move more” is seriously outdated. When we drastically cut calories or skip meals, it might feel like we’re being “disciplined,” but here’s what’s really happening:
Your energy crashes ☕
Your hormones (like cortisol and insulin) go haywire
Your body starts breaking down muscle, not just fat
Your metabolism slows down 🐌
This is especially true as we get older — your body doesn’t bounce back the way it used to in your 20s. It needs support, not stress.
💖 Hormones, Aging & Eating Well: What’s Really Going On?
As we age, hormone levels naturally shift. For women, that might mean navigating perimenopause or menopause. For men, it’s a gradual drop in testosterone. Either way, hormones are closely tied to:
Your energy
Your mood
Your metabolism
Your ability to build or maintain muscle
And guess what helps balance those hormones?
👉 Real food. Regular meals. Enough protein. Healthy fats.
Eating well isn’t just about fitting into jeans — it’s about feeling like yourself again.
🥗 What “Eating More of the Right Stuff” Looks Like
Let’s keep this simple. You don’t need a fancy diet or meal plan — just a few real changes that fuel your body daily.
✅ Prioritize Protein - non negotiable
Protein is your hormone helper and muscle preserver.
Aim for 20–30g per meal. (woman) 30–50g per meal (Men)
Think: chicken, eggs, Greek yogurt, tofu, beans, or fish.
✅ Include Healthy Fats
Hormones need fat to function.
Add things like:
🥑 Avocado
🌰 Nuts & seeds
🫒 Olive oil
🐟 Fatty fish
✅ Don’t Fear Carbs
Your brain and muscles run on carbs — especially whole-food ones.
Choose:
🍠 Potatoes and Sweet potatoes, butternut
🍚 Basmati, Japanese steamed rice, Brown rice or quinoa
🍓 Fruit (2 pieces a day the size of your fist)
🌾 Oats or whole grains
✅ Stay Hydrated
Even mild dehydration can mess with energy and hormone balance.
Water is essential — and so underrated. 💧
✅ Eat Consistently - MOST IMPORTANT!
Skipping meals leads to blood sugar crashes, cravings, and stress on your system. Fuel up regularly. 🙌
🔥 Shaping Up Isn’t About Eating Less — It’s About Building More
Let’s flip the script.
Eat to fuel your workouts, not recover from them.
Eat to balance your hormones, not restrict them.
Eat to preserve your strength, not shrink yourself.
When you eat more of the right foods — protein, healthy fats, complex carbs — you give your body what it needs to thrive, not just survive.
You don’t need to earn your food. You need to honour your body with it. 🫶
💬 Finally - Start Where You Are
If you're tired of dieting and ready to feel strong, energetic, and balanced again — start by nourishing, not depriving.
🍽️ Every meal is a chance to show your body respect.💪 Every bite of real, nourishing food is an act of strength.
And remember: You don’t have to be perfect — you just have to start.
Muscle, Mindset, and Milestones - a Lifelong Journey, Not a 6-Week Fix
You’ve probably heard it before: “Fitness is a journey, not a destination.” It sounds cliché until you actually live it. Until you train for something, get injured, start again. Until life throws a curveball, and you’re forced to pause, pivot, or completely change direction.
So many people think strength or fitness is something you achieve in a few weeks with a challenge or a new program. But here’s what I’ve learned: real fitness—true, functional, resilient health—is built over years, through seasons, setbacks, and self-discovery.
That’s why I chose these five photos. Each one represents a chapter in my journey—an imperfect, non-linear, deeply personal road to understanding that strength is more than muscle. It’s about showing up, rebuilding, and redefining what success looks like again and again.
There was a quite a few chapters in between and while I get the words to tell you about them all I chose this 5 to start with.
📸 Top Left: 2003 – From Stage to Survival Mode
This was taken not long after I stepped away from years of semi-professional dance—teaching, performing on stage, and living life in motion. Dance and gymnastics had been my world: rehearsals, shows, and countless hours of movement. I’d pushed my body hard, often on minimal fuel, and kept going because that’s what performing demands.
Then came a major shift: I transitioned into full-time work in the events industry.
Long hours.
Late nights.
Sleep became a luxury, and food became whatever was available.
My body, once expressive and conditioned, crashed. I wasn’t fuelling, resting, or moving in a way that supported me anymore—and it showed.
This photo reminds me what happens when your body finally says, “I’m done.” After years of under-eating and overtraining, everything caught up with me. Fitness isn’t something you can store away and return to untouched. It requires ongoing care and adaptation.
📸 Bottom Left: 2012 – Running Strong (Until I Couldn't)
By this time, I had found something new: running. It started casually, but like most things I love, I leaned into it hard. I averaged 100–150km per month and had just run one of my 10km personal bests when this picture was taken.
It was a moment of accomplishment—but also the beginning of an important realization. The strength and endurance I’d built during my dance years weren’t going to sustain me in this new phase. The niggles started. My body began whispering warnings. Muscles built for stage don’t always translate to longevity on the road.
I started to see the cracks—not because I wasn’t trying, but because I was missing something foundational: strength.
Not shown in pictures -
📸 2015–2017: Building a Base, Then Learning to Apply It
This was when I took my first real steps into strength training. What began as a way to complement my running grew into a deeper passion. I pursued education in fitness and movement, earning formal qualifications, and soaking up as much as I could.
But knowledge doesn’t always equal action. Despite knowing what to do, I still had to work through my own habits, my own inconsistencies. Learning the science of strength is one thing. Living it—daily, through highs and lows—is another.
This phase was about building not just muscle, but a mindset: consistency, patience, humility.
📸 Top Right: 2020 – The Covid Marathon and a Body on the Brink
Ah, 2020. The year of lockdowns and chaos. Everyone was trying to hold onto some version of normalcy. For me? That meant running a virtual marathon—42.2km—solo, no crowd, no medals, just me against myself.
It would’ve been hard enough in normal health. But I was running on 40–80mg of cortisone daily, taking handfuls of medications, and receiving 4 weekly biologic infusions for an IBD that was ravaging my body.
My hair was falling out, my iron levels were critically low, and my muscle mass had all but disappeared.
Looking back, it probably wasn’t the smartest move—but during that lockdown haze, it felt necessary. It was about proving that I still had some control, some power over my own body, even when everything else felt like it was slipping away. Slipping at a speed I had no control over.
And yet, soon after, the inevitable came:
my body forced a full stop.
I broke my ankle on a run, and the shutdown was complete.
In early 2021, I underwent GI rerouting surgery to remove the dying organ and keep my body functioning —major, invasive, and absolutely necessary.
📸 Bottom Right: The Most Meaningful Race of the Decade
So much happened between the 2020 crash and this moment.
Recovery. Pain. Rebuilding...Again. Crashing again and Rebuilding again.
This race meant everything.
It wasn’t my fastest. But it was, without a doubt, my most emotional. From elation to exhaustion, from deep tears to inner triumph, it held everything I’d been through in the past decade. I’d come back—not to where I was, but to a new place: a version of me that understood what real resilience looked like.
This race also has significant meaning because I have felt every possible emotion and pain in this race over the past decade of running it.
This is also where my coaching came full circle — I finally began to fully apply the same principles I share with others to myself. No more rushing, no shortcuts, no ego lifting. Just steady, structured progress.
Slow wins the race.
Move daily in a way that supports your body, not punishes it.
Fuel like someone who respects what their body is trying to do.
It worked. Not overnight—but over time. As always.
📸 Middle: 2025 – Stronger Than I’ve Ever Been
And now, here I am. This year. On a training run. Not chasing a PB or racing anyone. Just running because I can. Because I get to. Because movement is a joy, not a punishment.
Those shoulder muscles? I earned them. With reps. With patience. With years of building and rebuilding. That focus in my eyes? That’s lived experience.
Fitness, for me, is no longer a phase. It’s a lifestyle. It’s part of how I live, heal, and thrive.
The Real Takeaway: You Don’t “Arrive” at Fitness—You Live It
So why am I sharing this?
Because I want to remind you that:
Fitness is not linear.
Health is not just how you look—it’s how you live.
Muscle isn’t just physical—it’s mental, emotional, and earned over time.
Your path won’t be perfect. But it will be yours.
Forget the “before and after” narratives.
This isn’t that. This is the story of during and continuing.
Through dance stages, finish lines, hospital beds, and comeback runs.
If you're on your own journey—wherever that may be—I hope this reminds you: you are not behind.
You are building something real. And every rep, every pause, every step forward matters.
Keep showing up. Your story’s still being written.
So this week, I’m closing with this: If you’re just looking for a babysitter to keep you in line, sure—I can do that.
But what I’d much rather be is your road map and your biggest cheerleader as you take the wheel.
As you step into the journey of learning, growing, and truly understanding how your body works—how it moves, heals, thrives, and loves to be supported.
This isn’t about quick fixes or rigid rules.
It’s about balancing hormones,
fuelling wisely,
Living with purpose, and building a life that supports your health in and out of the gym.
That is the heart of Activeliving4All Coaching.
Because nutrition and movement aren’t just habits—they’re life.
And I’m here to walk that life with you.
All My Love
Coach M
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