By AshleyEpisode Description
Perimenopause didn’t quietly tap me on the shoulder. It arrived during a time when burnout, weight gain, emotional eating, and years of pushing myself had already taken a toll.
I recently joined Carmen Hecox on Create The Best Me to talk about that wake-up call and how it changed the way I approached food, movement, and my health.
For years, I tried diet after diet, believing that temporary restriction would eventually lead to lasting change. But I realized I wasn’t learning how to live differently—I was simply trying to reach another short-term goal.
That realization led me to learn more about nutrition, prioritize strength training, and build habits I could actually sustain.
I ultimately lost more than 80 pounds, but some of the biggest changes had nothing to do with the number on the scale.
When Healthy Habits Become Part of Who You Are
One of the things we discuss is what happens when healthy choices stop feeling like something you constantly have to force yourself to do.
Over time, those choices can become part of your identity.
I also share what I noticed as the burnout began to lift. It wasn’t one dramatic moment. Instead, I started recognizing little changes—more energy, greater awareness, and a different relationship with my own wellbeing.
We also talk about making nutrition realistic for busy women. Eating well doesn’t have to mean spending hours in the kitchen every day. Simple, protein-forward meals built around foods you actually enjoy can go a long way.
In This Conversation, We Discuss:
- My perimenopause and burnout wake-up call
- Why repeatedly dieting wasn’t creating lasting change
- Learning nutrition differently in midlife
- Why strength training became an important part of my routine
- Building meals around protein, fiber, and foods you enjoy
- Giving yourself time while new habits are still difficult
- When healthy behaviors begin to feel more automatic
- Recognizing when burnout is finally beginning to lift
- How my personal transformation became a new professional purpose
- Simple meal ideas for women who don’t have hours to spend in the kitchen
My journey taught me that transformation isn’t always about one dramatic breakthrough. Sometimes it’s about making small changes, staying with them, and eventually realizing that the way you live has changed.
That’s when healthy choices stop feeling like a chore—and start becoming part of who you are.
Links:
Host: Carmen Hecox from Create The Best Me
Terry Tateossian is a Menopause Lifestyle Medicine Coach, Certified Personal Trainer & Nutritionist and the Founder of THOR: The House of Rose, a wellness brand serving women over 40 through retreats, coaching, macro-nutrition and community. As 25-year founder and entrepreneur, Terry spent two and a half decades building and running successful start-up businesses, an experience that put her on the front line of founder burnout long before she could name it. After facing serious health challenges, early onset menopause, and emotional eating while running her agency and raising two children, Terry rebuilt her health in her 40s and lost more than 80 pounds through evidence-based nutrition, training, and mindset work. Today, she helps women get strong, improve confidence, support hormone health, and create a stronger second half of life. Terry has been featured in major media outlets and is available for podcasts, expert commentary, brand collaborations, and speaking engagements on midlife health, reinvention, emotional eating, menopause wellness, and strength training for longevity. Get her free macro calculator (her cookbook companion) to start your journey to back to health.
