Fast to Faith: Weight Loss & Hormone Support for Women Over 35

270: Future You Starts Today

• Dr. Tabatha

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Picture three futures: one where you’re heavier and exhausted, one where you’re stuck in the same loop, and one where you feel strong, clear, and connected to God. We walk you to that third path with a plan that ditches shame, respects your biology, and leans into identity and community so your goals finally stick.

We start by naming the trap: resolutions fueled by guilt and raw willpower burn out fast, especially under stress and hormonal swings. Then we reframe health as worship, grounding change in Romans 8:1 and John 15:5. You’ll learn why self-talk matters, how to write a vision that aligns with who you are in Christ, and how to future-gaze with God so daily choices match the woman you’re becoming. We lay out a clear blueprint: track your cycle, plan around energy and cravings, prioritize protein and healthy fats, and use strategic fasting with circadian rhythms to restore energy. No more grind culture. Consistency and tiny wins beat intensity every time.

We also go practical on hormones and labs. From perimenopause to unexpected dips in testosterone, we share real stories, the role of simple testing, and how changing delivery methods can revive mood, focus, and drive. We talk sabotage—overreaching, isolation, Monday-only motivation—and show how sisterhood, accountability, and a deeper why protect your progress. By the end, you’ll have a Christ-centered framework, actionable steps, and the confidence to choose habits that feel doable, joyful, and sustainable.

Ready to step into the version of you God designed? Listen now, join our five-day Empowered By Faith challenge to build momentum with us live, and then subscribe, share this episode with a friend, and leave a quick five-star review to help more women find the support they deserve.

If you’re ready to move beyond trying harder and start living more aligned, you’re invited to join Empowered by Faith — LIVE, a guided 5-day reset led by Dr. Tabatha that helps women reset body, mind, and spirit through simple, faith-centered rhythms.

🎧 Learn more and join the reset here:
https://ftf.fasttofaith.com/empoweredbyfaithlive

SPEAKER_01:

There's multiple versions of you in the future. There's a version that's 30 pounds heavier and even more tired. There's a version of you kind of stuck and you're the same and you're just still in the pit. And there's a version that is like thriving it and loving life and super tone and fit and energized. And you get to decide which path you're going for the future. If you're tired of doing all the right things and still feeling exhausted, stuck in your body, and disconnected from God, this podcast is for you. I'm Dr. Tabitha, triple board certified functional medicine physician, and I help women stop fighting their bodies and start healing them God's way. This isn't about another diet or quick fix. This is about restoring your energy, your confidence, and your faith through fasting, functional medicine, and biblical truth. Welcome to Fast to Faith, where you don't just lose weight and feel great. You step into who God created you to be. So let's get into it. Welcome back to the Fast to Faith podcast. As you can see, oh my goodness, we have a new studio. It's beautiful. Hello, it's so amazing. But here's the better part. I have a co-host now, my girl Ashley. I am so excited to have you here. I'm really excited to be here. Oh, it's gonna be a good year. 2026 feels really promising, so I can't wait. Here's the deal. You know, every January you come into this new year full of hope, full of new plans, new promises. And then by mid-February, you're like, oh, what the heck happened? The plan goes out the window, right? If that has been your story, this episode is for you. Here's the deal, ladies. You're not lazy. I promise you, you're not weak and you're not broken. Today, Ashley and I are diving into everything New Year's resolution. Why you fail, why you self-sabotage unknowingly, and more important, how to finally create a plan that sets you up for success God's way. This is gonna be such a powerful episode and way to start your new year. So I'm proud of you for listening. Make sure you go through till the end, and that's the beauty of the podcast. You can pause and come back if you need to, but we need to dive into this because I am praying for your success this year.

SPEAKER_00:

So let's get into it, okay? Yeah, this is such a needed conversation for women right now, especially at the start of the new year. I also think that it's such an exciting time because everyone has the hustle and bustle behind them and they can just simply focus on themselves because they probably put themselves on the back burner the last couple months. 100%.

SPEAKER_01:

Yes. So let's dive into why resolutions fail.

SPEAKER_00:

All right. So every January, we see women who are just fired up and they're motivated, but so many of them feel discouraged just weeks later. Why do you think resolutions fail often?

SPEAKER_01:

Okay, here's what I've seen taking care of thousands of women. Most of the time we build our goals and our plans based on shame, not vision. So, what does that mean? Like you talk to yourself and you say things like, I'm so fat, I hate my body, I need to fix this. This is a problem right here, right? You can relate to that. Yeah. And so we're not coming from a place of love. It's just like downright guilt or shame for being having the body that we have and how we got here. So there's a lot to unpack around that. But I think it's important to realize that you cannot heal a body that you're constantly criticizing. So we have to start with changing the narrative that's happening in our head and what we're saying to ourselves. And I would love for you to share Romans 8:1 because I think it's really important.

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah, there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. Shame is not a strategy for transformation. And I think you you said this, but I you always say it like this you cannot heal a body you hate. And I think it's so important to stop hating your body. And I I know for me personally, time hop sometimes gets me in such a good way because I see pictures of my past self. And there were times where I was smaller because I was a runner, and I look at those and I think about the fact that I hated my body. And so I can look at myself now and I love my body. And so I treat it in such a different way. So I think sometimes we have to change our mindset around that.

SPEAKER_01:

Oh my gosh. Thank you for sharing that. Because I just realized that this morning I had that thought. I have honestly gained five pounds. I have had to be unrest because I have a little tendinitis in my elbow. I'm overdoing the clicker, the little mouse. And so I haven't been doing my regular workouts and Pilates, and I have been indulging and enjoying. And I had the thought this morning that it's okay. I actually look okay with these five extra pounds, and I still love myself. Whereas my 40-year-old self would have beat the crap out of myself.

SPEAKER_00:

Exactly. When you walk past that mirror and you're just constantly talking negative to yourself, you have to start talking positive to yourself. What you say to yourself really does matter. Oh my gosh. Yes. Okay.

SPEAKER_01:

Can we talk about willpower?

SPEAKER_00:

Oh. So much. And you just can't rely on willpower, but that's what women do.

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah, and that's what I used to do before I had invited Jesus into this walk with me on this health journey. But here's the deal: what we've seen over and over with our patients and our clients, willpower is finite, right? Like how long does it last?

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah, about five minutes.

SPEAKER_01:

As soon as the cookie shows up, then your willpower is out the window. Especially when you're stressed, the willpower is gone. Or if you're going through a hormonal roller coaster, which I know you are, like you have told me you're on this perimenopausal roller coaster. That in and of itself is going to prevent you from having the willpower to get through. And here's the truth of it God did not design us to rely on willpower alone, right?

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah. And as coaches, we see so much of women blaming themselves when it's actually the system that's broken.

SPEAKER_01:

Did you hear that? I think I hope you heard that. And I just want to point out John 15.5, because ladies, when I need strength, I just stand on the power of the word. So like I look for scripture to back up to have receipts for everything I say and do at this point in my life. And so John 15, 5 says, Apart from me, you can do nothing. That's the truth of it, right? So when we try to muscle our way through and change without God, why are we surprised when we fail, right?

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01:

That's how it goes.

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah, we have to keep God at the forefront. And I think this is one of those scriptures that you should probably write down and have in your phone so that when you go to the workroom or someone brings you a treat and you're like, I know I should not have this right now because I've had no protein today. Pull out this little fingertip scripture and read to yourself John 15, 5, and remember that apart from me, you can do nothing.

SPEAKER_01:

Oh, I love that. Good tips. We always need tips. Like, how are we actually going to implement and do stuff? What else do we need to talk about?

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah, so we've got to talk about biology today and how it plays into this, especially for our perimenopausal women.

SPEAKER_01:

Okay. Yes, I actually was watching a recording of a male coach, and I was like, oh, you're the male version of me. He's literally talking about mindset and walking with Jesus and doing all the things, but he forgot the hormones.

SPEAKER_00:

I was gonna say, does he not have hormones?

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah, so men's hormones, they're just stable all the time. They're chill. Whereas we ride the roller coaster, our hormones are very pulsatile, very cyclical, and we want to embrace that. It is time to be done with just ignoring the fact that we are female and that we are different. Let's start embracing the fact that we're female and we're different, right? Make it your superpower. Yes. Oh my gosh, there's so much superpower to knowing your hormonal cycles. And so that biology is really important to understand when you are crafting goals. So if you're still having cycles and they're regular, you intuitively know that you have more energy the week after your period. And you know you're gonna be craving sweets and rest the week before your period.

SPEAKER_00:

Like I feel another episode coming on. There's so much that we could unpack right there because tracking your cycle is huge and women don't do it.

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah. So I just want you to understand that there is so much power in understanding your body. And if you're new to us, this is what I always say. Your symptoms are a message from your body. Your body's trying to talk to you. Don't be mad at it if you have a migraine or a heavy period. Get curious. What are you trying to tell me, body, and become friends? If you guys can pair up and you can start to communicate and understand your body, that will be your superpower. You will go so far. So that is really important to consider when you're creating a plan for 2026, especially a New Year's resolution that has to do with your health, right? We got to think about the biology.

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah, we do. Um, and I think the next thing that we've got to talk about is sabotage. And so, when do you see women doing it without realizing that they're doing it?

SPEAKER_01:

Oh my gosh. Let's be honest, we all do it, and some of us are more aware than others, and you can become more aware. The Bible says take all thoughts captive, not some of your thoughts, like all of them. Every single one, evaluate it. Why am I thinking this? Why am I believing it? Is it serving me? Is it helping me? And that's where you start. But the truth of it is that a lot of our self-sabotage is we get grandiose plans. We all get excited about the idea of renewal and doing something where we can feel good again. And it's like hit the reset button, it's January 1st. Yep.

SPEAKER_00:

But we like bite off more than we can chew. Go harder, go bigger, and then you will finally succeed. And that's not the answer. No.

SPEAKER_01:

So, what do you, as you know, you are the fast faith director of the coaching academy. I love talking about habit stacking, but where would you start with like, don't bite off more than you can chew?

SPEAKER_00:

I so something that we say all the time is start with one thing and actually be successful with that one thing before you add anything else. So once, so if it's um walking, if if that's all you do for three weeks is add more steps to your day, you're going to see success. You're going to see results from that and then do the next thing. Um, I remember I shared this with you when we first started Fast of Faith several years ago, that I literally started just getting up five minutes early. That's it. Five minutes earlier, I knew if I could get up five minutes earlier this week, I would do seven next week. And then I just kept adding it until I finally got to the hour that I really wanted because I craved morning time with Jesus. And I had to get up so early, it was like 4 a.m. when I used to do this. And so I think it's just starting out really small and actually achieving the goal. So if your goal is just five minutes, I mean, I think we can all do five minutes, or I think we can all drink three glasses of water. Make the goal um manageable so that you actually get the goal. Because the more you succeed, the more you want to keep going. But if you start so big and you've got 14 things you're trying to do and you do one of them, you feel like you failed, but really you didn't fail. That's the that's the crazy part. We're not failing like we think we are. So right.

SPEAKER_01:

And let's just call it the spade of spade. We think we're not accomplishing anything if we don't feel the pain and the misery from it. Like if you didn't go and sweat through your clothes or you're so sore that you can't like get down on the toilet the next day, you didn't go hard enough. And we have got to let go of that mentality, that hustle, that grind. That is not how God created us to thrive. We have been caught up in a lie. That is a lie from the enemy. So just give that up as part of your New Year's resolution that you are gonna do things differently. Imagine how awesome it would be to have change and like accomplish goals without all of that struggle. Like it really is possible. That's why I love Pilates so much because you're in there, you know, doing your little weights in your machine and it feels like nothing. You don't even break a sweat half the time. But then, like a few weeks later, you're like, Man, I look toned, I look slim, I feel good. Like, what is happening? It's like a little trick almost.

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah, well, and you're enjoying it and you're being consistent. Because consistency is really where the magic happens.

SPEAKER_01:

Consistency creates change, ladies. That is where the magic is. So let's get rid of the hustle and grind. Yes, because it leads straight to burnout. Yes. And how else do we sabotage ourselves?

SPEAKER_00:

Um, so something else that I see all too often is women trying to do it alone.

unknown:

I'm guilty.

SPEAKER_01:

I'm guilty.

SPEAKER_00:

Your past self is guilty. But you have you have people in your life like me, um, and your best friend who will call you out, and that's what you need is to find those women and to find that community.

SPEAKER_01:

Yes. And I'm so grateful for my bestie and for you, but I had to say, you know, like, hey, if you stop hearing from me, if I stop responding, if I'm acting a little funky, then call me out on it. And usually the number one reason is I'm not moving my body regularly, I'm not eating the right foods, I'm not meal prepping, I'm not doing those basic foundational things. And then you just spiral from there. And then you can't manage your stress and control your calendar and all the little hiccups that come in, like, mom, I forgot this. You got to take me here. We got this to do. Like it all comes pouring down. And if you don't have that foundation set, because you're trying to do it all alone without help, like please talk to the woman listening right now who is planning on losing 30 pounds and feeling amazing and changing everything for 2026, but she doesn't have someone to help her.

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah, and doesn't have support. Like, I feel sorry for her. I was actually just coaching someone yesterday, and I told her that one of the best things that I did for myself and for my family was I had a conversation where I sat them down at the table and I said, What is it? What is one thing that I do for you consistently that you really like? And for my family, it was make dinner. And so I said, Okay, that is awesome. I actually love making dinner for my family. But in order to do that, X, Y, and Z from you has to happen. Um, because I need the support. Like if you want me to make the dinner, I need you to support me. So it goes back to communication and having that. So whether it's communication with your friends, communication with your family, or wherever you are in whatever season that is, you have to communicate and be honest. Like, I want to have an hour to myself every day to work out, to spend time with Jesus, and I want to make you dinner. So I'm gonna need this from you guys as well.

SPEAKER_01:

So I love that. Yeah, you are so good at the tips. Yes. Well, I just I can't highlight this enough. Isolation is where resolutions go to die. So if if you want your New Year's resolution to fail, do it alone. Yeah. That's just the harsh truth of it. Because God did create us to be in community.

SPEAKER_00:

Well, and if it's only, if you only know about that 30-pound goal and you don't tell your best friend or your spouse, um, then you're not speaking into it. It it doesn't feel like it has to happen because then you can fail and you can let it go, and no one's gonna be like, hey, I thought you had this like weight loss goal. And so you've gotta be able to have people around you who can call you out and support you and say, Hey, I thought you were gonna go to the gym every day. Like, I haven't seen you in a week. Like, where are you? Are you sick? Yes, absolutely. It makes get a support system, a sisterhood. Makes a huge difference.

SPEAKER_01:

Yes, we are gonna talk about the Fast of Faith sisterhood here after we're done talking about why you self-sabotage and more importantly, how to set yourself up for success. So stay to the end because the Fast of Faith sisterhood is like the most powerful thing I've ever been a part of. And I I just I need every woman in the world to know about it because it's so transformative.

SPEAKER_00:

Well, I think you said it best just today on the coaching call was we've probably all been through almost everything. So if you need something, you reach out and someone's got an answer for you. That's what's so cool about the sisterhood. And I think the doing it alone ties right in with the next thing and it's motivation. It's a huge sabotage. Like women aren't motivated.

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah, or they're motivated on Monday and not on Wednesday. That's my jam. Like I'm motivated for a few days, and then when the roller coaster starts to go down, then the motivation is gone. So you have to have a deeper why. Why do you want to feel better? Why do you want to fit differently in your clothes? Why do you want to get off your diabetes medications or whatever your goal is? You have to be anchored to a deep, deep why. You do. And you gotta have it written down. Oh my gosh. The power of writing things down. I mean, that's a whole nother episode. I can go into like energy and frequency and like how God created the principles of the universe. But when you speak it into life, like you mentioned, you write it down, you solidify it. It says in Habakkuk, write it on the tablets, solidify it for the heavens to know your plan so that they can help you get there. Yep. Right? So what is your deeper why? Is it, you know, for me, part of it is I want to keep up with my grandson and my two teenagers that I have.

SPEAKER_00:

I love when you say that. I think it's it's so powerful. And there's something else that you always say too, is that you don't want your kids. What do you always say it about your kids taking care of you?

SPEAKER_01:

Oh, I mentioned my mother. Yes. My beautiful mother. I need to mention this. I think it was on the coaching call that I shared that. Um, my mom has always taken care of herself and not drank alcohol and not ate, you know, she didn't eat poorly and she moves her body. She does Tai Chi and she walks and she does all these things. And I'm like watching all of her friends either pass away or be in and out of the hospital with medical conditions and surgeries. And here she is, like doing awesome. And I'm like, mom, what motivates you to keep going? And she says, I don't want to be a burden to you and your siblings. So this is my gift to you. I take care of myself so that you don't have to drive me around to appointments and worry about me, you know, dying and all of these things. And it's just the greatest gift. Like if I can do that for my children, that's the most amazing legacy. That's the kind of why you need to figure out and write down and solidify and share with people because that will last way longer than any motivation plan or any willpower or any of that crap, right? Yeah, absolutely.

SPEAKER_00:

Oh my gosh. All right, so we have all these things, but women still feel guilty prioritizing their health. So what would you say to them? Yeah. Self-care is not selfish. I know it's so cliche to say that, but it's so true.

SPEAKER_01:

It is. And when I study the Bible, this kind of stuff comes out at me. And when I first read, you know, 1 Corinthians 6, 19, and 20, your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit. You were bought at a price. Like Jesus paid for you to have this body. You are not your own. So therefore, honor God by honoring your body. And to me, that was a slap in the face because I was treating my body like a garbage can, like throwing in the Mountain Dew and the Taco Bell and the MMs and all the things. The donuts. The donuts, yeah. Keep rubbing it in. And I got away with it because I have a smaller frame and my weight, like I was 30 pounds heavier, but I kind of just hung out at that extra 30 pounds. I didn't continue to gain. So I got away with a lot of bad habits and a lot of different things. But the truth of it was I just started envisioning a better version of myself, the self that God showed me that I was supposed to be. And I stopped focusing on goals. I never said I need to lose 30 pounds. I said, I need to be a woman who sleeps at night and respects her body and eats clean and moves and processes her trauma. And the weight came off as a side benefit because weight, excess weight is a symptom. It's not the problem. It's a symptom of the problem.

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah. It should be second. There has to be something else that is first because it's more obtainable. But I also think you have to remember that your health and your faith are not separate items, they go together. Um, because when women are exhausted and inflamed and discouraged, the very first thing that they do is they pull away from God. It's not intentional, um, but they do it.

SPEAKER_01:

A hundred percent.

SPEAKER_00:

Most of the time I think it's because they don't want to hear what God has to say. Ouch. Yeah. I mean, how many times have I done it? I'm not I'm guilty of it. Because I don't want them to tell me, you know, that I can't do these things because that's what the world is saying I should do.

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah. Sometimes I literally will not ask God a question because I know I don't want to hear the answer. Because then I'm gonna have to submit and do it. Exactly. So I just la.

SPEAKER_00:

Like, not right now. Thank you. Like, don't even think it.

SPEAKER_01:

Like, do not think it.

SPEAKER_00:

No, I always do end up doing it. Absolutely. But yeah.

SPEAKER_01:

It's like I'm a little bit stubborn, I'm a wild stallion. Um and he told me once, you're a wild stallion. I had to break you. So um, I just that's how he created me to be, and that's okay. And I don't have any guilt about that, but I know that about myself, and so I know that I need to submit. And you just you have to really what is the word I'm looking for? You have to honor the way God created us, especially as women. Yeah, he created us, created us to be cyclical, to have rhythms, and I was not honoring the rhythm of my body as an OBGYN. I was not sleeping properly, I wasn't waking up with the sunlight and like getting rid of the blue lights in the evenings or doing any of those rhythmical things. And so I had to go back to how I was created in order to heal. So that's what I would say. Like, let's focus on these rhythms, how God created us to be, and not so specifically on superficial goals. I think you're gonna get there with working on all of that, wouldn't you say?

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah, I I agree. And I think what women, when they're listening to this, whatever they're doing right now, they're like, okay, how do we do this? Like, how do we create a plan that we can actually stick with? Um, because resolutions sometimes don't work. What does?

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah. So I hinted at this earlier. You really do have to do an activity that I call future gazing with God. This is so powerful, and this is what we teach women in fast of faith in the sisterhood. Sometimes we do challenges and we teach this because there's multiple versions of you in the future. There's a version that's 30 pounds heavier and even more tired. There's a version of you kind of stuck and you're the same and you're just still in the pit. And there's a version that is like thriving it and loving life and super tone and fit and energized. And you get to decide which path you're going for the future. And so you just decide what does my future self look like? What is she doing every day? I told myself when I was in OBGYN burnt out, I want to have a cup of coffee when I see my patients. I want to drink my coffee and have enough time to listen to them and not rush to the next person every 15 minutes. And lo and behold, I created that life. But I first had to envision it to know how to get there. And so you work backward, you figure out what is she doing every day? What kind of choices does she make? If you want to be this woman, which food is she picking at the restaurant when she goes out? All these tiny little choices stack up, they make a huge difference. So I don't care what your new use resolution is or your goal or whatever. I care about your identity. Yeah. And if you center it in Christ, you're gonna succeed.

SPEAKER_00:

Am I right? Absolutely. And this is the very first thing that we do with our coaching clients is we have them future gays and we have them identify before they do any action because it they seem to get such better results when you're doing a check-in with them and they're like, Oh, X, Y, and Z this week. And you're like, Okay, but remember who you want to be in three months. What was she doing? And they're like, Oh, shoot, yeah, she wouldn't have done those things.

SPEAKER_01:

Yes. And and the Bible is very clear about this. Proverbs says, What you think you are is what you will be. So you have to believe it before you receive it. You have to envision it and be in alignment with who God created you to be and how He created you to function. All of these things are a necessary part of being successful.

SPEAKER_00:

So walk, talk, and act like it's already done. Until it's done.

SPEAKER_01:

I love that. What else we got?

SPEAKER_00:

All right. So the next thing that we've got is your hormones because we've got to support them. Um, and like what does this look like practically?

SPEAKER_01:

Oh my goodness. Yeah, that totally depends on what season of your life that you're in. If you're on the roller coaster like you and I, yay! One might be different every day, but trust that there is some pattern to the irregular pattern. Like you can start to understand your body even through the chaos and the changes that are happening. And I love to do some basic foundational testing, it's so easy now. You you don't even need a doctor to get lab tests at this point. You can go to ultalab test.com. It is like get an idea of what's going on. And if your provider says they don't know how to interpret it, that's because they haven't had the training. It's not that it can't be done, it's just not they're they're not the right ones to do it. So if you want to support your hormones strategically, we just got to get back to the foundational things of getting in your circadian rhythms, get those dialed in. Um, start to think about incorporating a fasting lifestyle. And if you're like, I'm already doing 16.8, I've been doing it for two years, I plateaued. There's a reason you plateaued. We have to do it differently as women, do we not?

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah, I'm just cringing hearing you say that only because like women just get so stuck. I mean, myself, I remember when we launched Fast of Faith, I just really thought I could do 16.8 for the rest of my life and never change anything. And that's so not true. I was so under-eating. And that's really where it comes from is women have to eat more protein and fat and do it consistently.

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah. So I'm hearing strategic and intention. Like we need to have some strategies and some intention behind our decisions. Would you mind sharing what happened two weeks ago when you got your lab work back? She's like, Can we order some lamps? I don't feel right.

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah, this is the power of um figuring out who you want to be in community with. And so we were having a team meeting like we always do, and we were so blessed to be in person this particular week. And I was sharing with you guys, I was having some struggles and I just wasn't really feeling like myself. And I um got, I said, you know, can you please get labs? And I kind of walked away from the conversation. And because we are who we are, like, you know, I thought I had mold and all this like other random stuff. And I'm like, okay, I'm not actually dying once I got my labs. I don't need to like tear my house apart and all the drywall because I went home and told my husband he was just like, what the heck, Ashley? So um we ran labs, and my biggest struggle was my testosterone again. So um, man, it's been three or four years now, but it completely tanked. And when that happened, I hit rock bottom in a way that I hoped a god no one ever has to experience because it was deep and dark and I was depressed and I couldn't get out of bed and I didn't want to shower. And I remember um when uh we figured out, so I got in labs back and I was working for you at the time, but I was also still at school. And I text you and I was like, it's my testosterone, and you're like, okay, let's call something in. And it came in and I left school to go and get it. And I had to text my partners at school, and I was like, I can't, I cannot physically come back. Like, and I won't be back until this testosterone kicks in. And like, I have to go home and I have to figure this out.

SPEAKER_01:

And can you share how old you were?

SPEAKER_00:

Um, maybe I was like 34.

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah. Because that's an important point.

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah. And it was it was, I I honestly I have no words to even describe it. So I can like picture myself in bed still. But um, so when I guess when I we were talking, because I wasn't at that dark, deep depression, I didn't think anything wrong was wrong with my test room, testosterone. And I looked at my results from last year, a year ago, and it was, it was nor it really was like good normal, like our normal. And so that wasn't that never even crossed my mind. So I'm so grateful that we did that. And I got testosterone again. Um, when was that Monday? Yeah. So we called it in and we were leaving Tuesday. And the very nice lady at the pharmacy, I was like, Can I please get this like as soon as possible?

SPEAKER_01:

We're leaving for me. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00:

So she was like, I'll put a rush on it for you. I was like, thank you. And I just like I said, I said, you know what, God, I need this. And if if this is really what I need, I know you'll get it for me. And so Monday she called me and I was like, I am there. Like, I am stopping whatever I'm doing, and I'm getting there. So I got there and I got that testosterone. And I, I honestly, I told, I mean, I told you, I was like, I don't know if it was a placebo or what, but I just felt better. Like, I just I think it was I needed it. And here we are, a week later now, and really going into two weeks, and I feel human again. And I just feel like myself. So I'll probably be on testosterone for a while, and I'm okay with that. And I it's I think it's just so important that you do ask those questions and you do get those data points. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01:

Oh my gosh. So much to unpack right there because I know you maybe only needed it for a while, and that's why you went off of it and then you needed it again. But sometimes you need it long-term, ongoing, and when your labs look normal, it's because you're on it and you're getting that replacement. So this is a misconception I hear from women often is oh, my progesterone's good, so I don't need it anymore. No, it's good because you're on it. So I love that we figured this out before you hit rock bottom again. Yeah, because it's really important. And there's no, you know, defined age or timing in your life that your hormones do what they do. So that is why testing can be so powerful and intervention can be so powerful. And I wanted to share that you had done the cream before, you didn't love it, and maybe that's kind of why you quit using it.

SPEAKER_00:

That's exactly why I quit using it.

SPEAKER_01:

You said it was messy, you didn't like it. No, okay, and now we're doing the troche, which is a little lozenge that you suck up.

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah, you guys, it's mint, it's amazing.

SPEAKER_01:

Just like this is like uh outside.

SPEAKER_00:

It's like a little afternoon delight.

SPEAKER_01:

Oh my gosh. Well, I'm glad to have you back. Yeah, you're live again, you're doing it.

SPEAKER_00:

I really, I really am. So it's really quite wild what it did for me in like three days. So thank you for listening and thank you. Because even you, you were like, I don't know, do we need to run labs? I'm like, yeah, let's let's just do it. And we did some testing too, and that's a whole nother episode, but we and that's not back yet. So we're doing we did a gut test and another test. I can't quite remember what it was, but um, so that those are important, and I'm excited to get those results too. But just having relief now, just yeah, yeah. I probably wouldn't have been doing this episode a week ago, in all honesty.

SPEAKER_01:

I know, yeah. You were struggling to think the same with me when I'm not on estrogen. So it's the power of little things that can make such a huge difference, you guys.

SPEAKER_00:

It's so everything and being okay with change because what worked six months ago or even six weeks ago might not work now. Absolutely.

SPEAKER_01:

So, because of all of this, and New Year's is coming, we wanted to share what we're doing for the new year because honestly, we don't want you to run out and join 75 hard. We don't want you to join Weight Watchers or whatever fad diet or do something drastic. We want you to do something for your New Year's resolution that is sustainable, that is Christ-centered, and that will make you feel empowered and actually give you the results you're looking for. I want you to understand your body better than any doctor. You own this body. And I want you to get your spirit alive again, nourish that spirit, awaken it, bring it back to life, resuscitate it if you need to do some CPR on it, right? Exactly. So, what are we doing for the new year?

SPEAKER_00:

All right, so we are gonna start with a five-day challenge, but this is not about weight loss. This is about something completely different. Why don't you tell them what it is?

SPEAKER_01:

Yes. Weight loss is a side benefit. You're gonna lose weight if you have weight to lose, and you're gonna get more energized, and you're just gonna feel better in your body. So this is about being empowered by scripture, by by activating your faith, actually hearing from God and getting in tune with the Holy Spirit who lives inside of you, who wants to help you out.

SPEAKER_00:

It's not another resolution, it's about surrender, and we have to surrender.

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah, we're gonna surrender, we're gonna figure out our Christ-centered identity so that you can lead in, step into that future woman that you envision that you want. Like she can be a reality. I promise you. I promise you, at 50, I feel better, and my life is so much better than it ever has been. Like when I was in my 20s, I felt like I was 80. I was miserable. And so there's a different way to do things. The the purpose of the five-day challenge is so that you can connect with me live on calls and do some activities and really get engaged and get some momentum going and feel our sisterhood out. Get to know the women, let us pray over you and speak life over your brain, and so that you can really step into what God has for you. And if you're new to us, you're not gonna want to leave. So it's just like putting your pinky toe in the water just to get an idea. Like five days, really, you can't do that. I promise you, it will be the start of something incredible.

SPEAKER_00:

And it's very simply called empowered by faith because that is what we want to do is empower your faith. And we do that in the start of it, is in five days. And it's always really exciting to see what the women get out of those five days. Um, because we have the three live calls with you where you're gonna be teaching different things. But it's also this is something the five-day challenge is something that runs. You can join the five-day challenge at any time. So if you're listening to this podcast in March and you're like, hey, I want to do the five-day challenge, it just might not be live right now. But this is something that we really only do at the beginning of the year where we do it live together. And it's usually a huge group and it's really powerful.

SPEAKER_01:

I'm so excited. Okay. I want to close with Isaiah 43, 18 and 19, because the more that you have scripture to back you up, the stronger and more empowered you're going to feel. Forget the former things. Like literally, that's a commandment in the Bible. Forget it. Forget your past. Do not dwell on it. See, I am doing a new thing. It springs up like springs of water. Like God has new plans for you. He says it in Jeremiah as well. Like, he has plans to give you a hope and a future. You just have to trust. Dive in. Like, let's do this God's way and make 2026 the best yet. I can't wait to see you. So I hope this episode blessed you. I'm so excited to be on my new set with my girl Ashley. Thank you for showing up and taking your testosterone. Yeah. Yes. So go out, be Christ's hands to serve. I would love it if you would take 30 seconds to give us a five-star review. That lets Apple and iTunes and everybody know that this kind of stuff is important to you and that other women need to hear it. Like, send this to a girlfriend, send this to your sister, to your mom, to your daughter. Don't hog it for yourself. Share it. I want to see everybody in the five day challenge. I cannot wait. Me either. Bye, ladies. Bye.