Landy Peek (00:35)
If you've been told your labs are normal, but you don't feel normal, you don't feel good, this is for you. Because a lot of women are walking around feeling exhausted, foggy, moody, gaining weight in new places, feeling so unlike themselves.
and getting brushed off every time they bring it up to their providers. Welcome back to the Landy Peak podcast. I'm Landy Peak. And today I'm talking to Jessica Osicki. She's a nurse practitioner, double certified nutrition coach and a mom who shares what it's like to get dismissed
over and over
she's clearly struggling inside her body.
This episode is for the woman who's tired of second-guessing herself, tired of arguing with every provider. Let me tell you, you know your body and you know something has changed.
And if you've ever left an appointment feeling dismissed, confused, or like you need to prove your experience, this episode is just for you. So let's get to it.
speaker-0 (01:32)
I want to welcome Jessica Osicki to the Landy Peak podcast. am so thrilled you are here. Jessica, can you share a little bit about yourself so the listener can get to know you?
speaker-1 (01:41)
Thank you so much for having me. I am Jessica Sicki. am 44. I am a nurse practitioner and double certified nutrition coach. And I'm also a mom to a three and five year old.
speaker-0 (01:54)
One of the things as we connected that I was so excited to have you share was, well, number one, your journey, but a huge part of your journey was being gaslit even though you're a healthcare professional. Can you speak just first off, kind of share your journey and then we'll kind of dive in from there.
speaker-1 (02:09)
Yes.
Sure, so let's see, I'm trying to think, I wanna say this March will be like two years, I think, since I started this journey process, whatever. And so my son is three now, so he was probably, what, like a year-ish, a year and a half? So honestly, looking back, it's
probably was like hormonal shifts, both postpartum, but probably starting perimenopause. And for those that don't know, like you can be having perimenopausal symptoms as early as 35, and a lot of people will not be recognizing that. Like you can still be, you still have the ability to get pregnant. So you could be, as we're having, so many women are having children later in life, you could be experiencing both. ⁓ So I was extremely fatigued, like tired out of proportion. My son was sleeping through the night.
So was like, this is not like newborn phase. This is something more than that. Some other symptoms, loss of libido, ⁓ mood swings where it was like at the drop of a dime, you know, like rage. And I have young kids and that just does not go well either. Let's see, night sweats, brain fog. I'm sure there's more that I'm forgetting. Skin changes, really heavy periods, so changes in cycle.
So I went to my primary care. I suspected perimenopause. My background in healthcare is critical care, but I mean, obviously even critical care trained, I've almost 20 years of experience in healthcare. I've seen a lot of things. I suspected it was that. I went to my primary care. ⁓ and weight gain, like in my midsection. Like I had lost almost all the baby weight and...
Like the scale was kind of creeping up despite eating healthy and doing the things I thought I needed to do, exercise. But it seemed like it was definitely just midsection. And she, I asked her about tracking hormone levels and she was like kind of reluctant for that. I did talk her into that and then she told me I was too young for perimenopause and that was kind of like the end of that.
She scheduled a follow-up. did my thyroid was a little bit enlarged like on physical exams. So she gave me a referral for that. She ordered a vaginal ultrasound to make sure like bleeding wasn't due to something like fibroid. So like at least she did, you know, appropriate workup in my mind, but definitely just brushed right off the perimenopause. So she scheduled follow-up, you know, to see how things were going a couple of months after probably and
she still like there was no hormone levels. All labs came back within normal limits, right? Which is why I think a lot of providers don't check lab levels and they will face, you know, or face treatment on symptoms. She did not do that. So I think I went back a second or third time and still like wasn't feeling great despite doing all of these other healthy habits, right?
speaker-0 (05:00)
Yes.
speaker-1 (05:21)
walking so many, 10,000 steps a day, drinking a bunch of water, eating protein, fiber, exercising. And I didn't feel like I was getting anywhere with that. I don't know if it was at that point because I feel like I had like three separate visits with her. At one point she offered me a prescription for Wolbutrin and I was like, I am not depressed and I'm not anxious. And if I am feeling either of those things, it's very cyclical in nature. Like I wear an aura ring, I track my cycle.
I can tell you when my cycle's coming, probably five to seven days before, based on how I'm feeling and symptoms. ⁓ And so like if I am feeling down or comparison game or any of those things, it's always cycle dependent or anxiety. So I was like, I don't want to take a medication that has its own host of side effects or potential side effects if I don't have to.
I ended up going and seeing my GYN, think for my annual exam and she delivered my kids. So she knew I had young kids and she told me that I was just tired because I had young kids and brushed off all of their symptoms. didn't even almost folderized. Didn't even entertain any of that. I eventually at one point saw an endocrinologist because I had to have the thyroid ultrasound, which all of that came back normal.
⁓ I brought it up to her because it was like endocrinologist and hormones and she definitely just like completely brushed it off. So that's like, let's see, three, four, I think that's five visits between my primary care and just completely getting brushed off. Like nobody would even entertain this idea. So I had at this point, I already had my own business, nutrition coaching business and
Then I was getting a second nutrition certification in functional nutrition and I learned about Dutch test because that was in our education. And I was like, I am getting this done. And this was probably somewhere in the midst of, you know, all of this happening. And so do the Dutch test, which is an at-home test that you can take. It's measured, you know, it's on based, you actually just pee on like paper essentially, which is really nice because it's not invasive. And like, I think that's.
people that don't like blood and needles and all that stuff, you can handle that. It came back and the amount of validation that this provided for me, finding out A, I was in perimenopause, B, I was estrogen dominant. So so many of my symptoms were related to like what indeed was going on after being brushed off by so many like medical experts, right? ⁓ So that was huge for me. I mean, that just was such a game changer.
to have that and just have some answers and then be like, I knew something was wrong, right? And continued to listen to my body and kept pushing to try to find answers there.
speaker-0 (08:11)
highlight a couple of things because number one, you're a provider. Yes. You have medical knowledge where a lot of us are struggling in perimenopause. We have the symptoms, but we don't necessarily have the background to do, my gosh, this is where I think I am. Yeah. And the knowledge when somebody says, okay, let's try well buterin, they're like, no, wait, this is not what I mean. And we intuitively know that. So there's two parts.
Number one, when we're being dismissed, it happens to providers who have met with knowledge. Number two, keep following your intuition because you did. You knew there was something different. You had some ideas because you had knowledge and then you had a resource with the Dutch test that tests your hormones to see where everything is. Looking at, and correct me if I'm wrong, looking at progesterone, estrogen, testosterone, and androgens.
speaker-1 (09:04)
Yes. And yep, you can also look at cortisol on it as well. ⁓ And yeah, there's some others that I'm going to blank on at the moment, but yes, it is pretty comprehensive. And if you still have a cycle, it is dependent on where you are at in your cycle. So it's timed a little bit more appropriately than just like going and getting random blood work that. And then also to mention while we're on this, that just because like your labs come back normal, that also doesn't mean optimal.
there's a difference between normal and optimal. So you could always be within normal range, but maybe that normal range is based on, I can't remember the number off the top of my head, how many people count as that normal range, right? So like maybe you fall in that, but maybe that's not optimal or your normal range too. So again, yes, if you are feeling something and I think us as women, we have intuition on a lot of things to keep pushing for that and not let one person who just because
maybe they have more medical knowledge than you, you know your own body, right? And you know how you feel and nobody can tell you differently on.
speaker-0 (10:11)
Yes, and I think that's such a huge take. I like you. Experienced. What I didn't understand is or didn't recognize is perimenopause or the extreme fatigue. I was feeling so different and Dutch test was the very first test that I took that was like, wait, this is what's going on. And it is nice because it's not invasive. It is time to recycle and it gives you a lot of information. And then
You know, I did also blood work time to my cycle so that I can get, you know, just varied information, seeing what's going on and your provider that really supports is, okay, this is the thought process. But like you working with different providers, different providers have different ideas and my blood test levels were in the normal range.
And if we think about normal for, I'm 45, so normal going down, our hormones are naturally dropping in the normal, quote unquote, normal time period. But optimal is so different because normal might be, yes, we're getting lower, but optimal is making us feel good.
speaker-1 (11:23)
Right, I was gonna say and just because you're in normal range and like all of us are losing estrogen at this point, some of us are losing it faster than others and it doesn't mean it makes you feel good if they're within normal range. Like our bodies love estrogen, all systems.
speaker-0 (11:38)
Yes.
And there's such a huge thing. as I started on my, because I am doing hormone replacement therapy, as I started on my hormone journey, the way that I felt and how I showed up in the world changed dramatically. Yeah. From being so exhausted. I've never been even new, even newborn stage. have never been that exhausted in entire life where it's like, okay, I'm getting my kids to school and then
I just want to lay on the couch. Totally having to function at anything else was such a push.
speaker-1 (12:13)
And
I'm guessing from the brief time that I've known you, it does not seem like your personality type where you're like, I'm going to lay down and take a nap.
speaker-0 (12:21)
I'm doing everything and usually multiple things at the same time. No, and it was such a huge thing. And enough that it's like my husband's like, what's wrong? I'm trying to figure out what's wrong. Not once was I thinking perimenopause. a lot of that kind of tying in is looking at there's so many different things it could be. I, like you, had kids later in life. And so I probably butted up and I wasn't recognizing.
my postpartum period with my son and perimenopause, because it kind of coincided in age when it could be happening. And some of the symptoms, you know, like rage. And I'm glad you brought that up because it's one I think we're afraid to talk about.
speaker-1 (13:06)
Yes, for sure.
It's almost like, I don't know for you, but I've had moments before where when you just completely lose it or something that typically in the past would not set you off, and especially if it's related to your kids, right? And then you have a moment after where it's almost like that was an out-of-body experience where I'm like, how did I just act like that and then feel like a terrible mom because of that?
And that was obviously never your intention, or maybe it's with your husband or somebody else, but like where you're just like, you know, completely lose it out of proportion to what you would normally, you know?
speaker-0 (13:44)
And trying to reconcile this is who I was and I used to be able to handle stressful things and all of sudden I can't handle stressful things. And then flying off the handle. It can be really scary as a human. Embarrassing because we don't want to call out and say, my gosh, I completely lost it on my kiddo or my husband. Because that's not who we typically are and how we grow up in the world. And so it's trying to reconcile this new flash of rage.
speaker-1 (13:54)
Yeah.
speaker-0 (14:14)
Right. I wasn't recognizing as anything tied perhaps postpartum, but it wasn't until I started getting the hormone replacement that I started feeling different.
Can you talk about as we're hitting perimenopause and perhaps feeling symptoms, perhaps we get a Dutch test and now we have some answers. What's kind of the next steps?
speaker-1 (14:39)
for me, after I got the Dutch test, it at least gave me A, answers and validation to why I was feeling the way I was feeling, what was actually going on, and that it wasn't just me, right? There's a reason, biggest thing being that there's a reason behind what was happening.
which I think is also why when I was offered Wellbutrin, was like, that to me is a bandaid and we're not figuring out why any of this is happening, right? ⁓ Which, I'm not, and I want to put this out there, like I'm not opposed to taking medication when it's needed. I'm not opposed to anything for mental health, right? ⁓ But I just didn't want to jump into starting a medication that I didn't necessarily feel like I needed. ⁓ So touch test.
A, like cortisol, that helps me a little bit because I'm somebody who would get up at 4.35 o'clock in the morning and either work out or get work done or... And as I'm like learning about some of this stuff, I was like, yeah, that's not best for me right now, right?
So that was something that I changed with that, where I was like, let's just dial it back a little bit, ⁓ recognize that like maybe sleep is actually, sleep and rest and recovery are actually a little bit more important than like maybe getting that workout in or trying to get work done that maybe I'm like getting up that early, but then I'm not actually getting things done. ⁓ So that was something, directed supplements, like.
What are some nutritional changes I could actually make ⁓ to add more to my diet? What are some things that I could like have less of, like less processed foods and adding in certain vegetables, food groups that are good for detoxifying estrogen? And as far as supplements, things that weren't, know, what every influencer on Instagram is telling you to take, but things that like would actually help make me feel better. What else from the Dutch test?
Those were big ones. I was already doing dry January when I got results from my Dutch test and that alone made me realize like alcohol maybe doesn't make me feel my best and I didn't miss it that much. I will still have an occasional drink but that was something I caught out. That's definitely something that in perimenopause is probably not actually doing a whole lot of help for you. ⁓ Those were like some big things from Dutch test for me. And then
after doing some of those things, then I had like a directed diet phase or weight loss phase. ⁓ Once I kind of did all of that, I had success then with losing that weight, doing like things naturally. ⁓ So did feel better overall with doing all of those things.
speaker-0 (17:26)
Nice. So there's a couple of things I want to circle back to that I'm really curious as you talk. So you got your Dutch test results and used a lot of functional based strategies to help support you with that knowledge. I want to cue into the getting up early and the cortisol. Yeah. Because this was something I experienced as well, where I've always been an early bird. I've always gotten up
exercising at five o'clock in the morning, even pre-kids, like this was me, my entire existence. Like I have always been that early bird. And then I hit this space and time and it's not making me feel as good. I'm learning I have that sleep and rest are more important than working out, which was a hard pill for me to swallow. Cause I was definitely like the push harder. I'm going to work out.
speaker-1 (18:22)
as I think so many women are. Right? They're like, I just need more discipline. And maybe it's not. Maybe you need a different strategy.
speaker-0 (18:29)
Let's talk about that different strategy.
speaker-1 (18:33)
I think, I mean, in general, think so many of us are like, be it weight loss or exercise or whatever it is, we just put so much pressure on ourselves and we're like, well, I could do this when I was in my 20s, right? I could do this when I was in my 30s, even if maybe it's right after you had your kids. But like things shift and like...
life changes and I think we need to give ourselves a little bit of grace on that one and recognize that like maybe the answer isn't pushing harder. Maybe it's something different. Maybe it's not cutting out entire food groups to follow some diet. Maybe it's not doing HIIT training, you know? It's saying no to a dinner date or happy hour that you don't actually really want to go to.
speaker-0 (19:09)
Really?
Such a huge thing. I think a lot of this was giving in this perimenopause space in the last five years, really where I've been focused on it is giving myself that permission to make different choices than I used to make where I could push through before. And now it's like, okay, so tuning in, I do need the extra sleep versus the extra exercise. Right. I also, alcohol hits me in a different way where I
would have a glass of red wine and I'd be fine. I now have a glass of red wine. And I'm like, ah, I do not feel as good as I thought, just to just be able to buzz through. So there really is that highlighting that it's like the rule book changed. We have to play the game in a different way because the rules have now changed. And so highlighting, if it's not feeling good for you now, even though it used to, I know it used to be your way. I used to be
you know, get up, do intermittent fasting. You get up at five, I'd eat breakfast at maybe nine or ten.
speaker-1 (20:21)
that's a good one to bring up because I think intermittent fasting is still pushed a lot or you know and sometimes it's not the best and especially during perimenopause like blood sugar changes happen and doing something to keep that more balanced versus you know.
speaker-0 (20:38)
I wear them hot, Okay. You're the best for my body.
speaker-1 (20:43)
Just accepting that maybe that's not what used to work might not anymore, and that's okay.
speaker-0 (20:48)
And I think that's big. What used to work might not anymore, and that's okay. And I had to really rewrite how I was living life and tuning into the intuition where it's like, okay, this isn't making me feel good, but it's what I thought I should do and letting go of the should and starting to lean in that. You talked a little bit about vegetables that help you detox estrogen. Can you speak more to that?
speaker-1 (21:14)
Cruciferous vegetables are a really good one for that. ⁓ Unfortunately, you need a lot of them, but I mean, a little bit helps, right? I like to look at things that, this is kind of how my viewpoint, and I did not used to be like this. I used to be completely all or nothing. But something is better than nothing. So if you can have broccoli once a day, if you could have cauliflower or something from that group,
that could be helpful. For me, since I knew that, I did a Dutch test and I added in some supplements like DIMM that were helpful to, you know, kind of pair up with that.
so I just caution on supplements because I feel like people hear something and they like onto it versus like that's not necessarily medical advice and it may not be the best thing for you, right?
even after I like made all of those changes and some women, that is enough, ⁓ I still was like, I think I can feel better. ⁓ So I did end up, I actually went to a menopause, like a local menopause retreat that was with a GYN, a...
and a couple of women's health NPs. And it was a really small group. Like I'm talking like 10 women or less, so intimate. So we could speak openly. And one of them I talked about with my symptoms and I was like, you know, I've been brushed off by every other provider. She's like, an appointment with me. I did go and see her. I did start hormone replacement therapy. Finding somebody, and I don't know if this has been your experience, ⁓ finding somebody who...
will look at functional testing as well as like some traditional is very hard to find, at least in my experience. So like, felt like she, I did end up seeing her waited a long time. ⁓ She didn't really take much of Dutch test into consideration. She definitely treats based on symptoms, which is amazing. I cried in her office because I felt so much validation of, she's like, you're absolutely in perimonopause. I think hormone replacement could be a good choice for you. And I'm like, okay.
I'm not opposed, but I did not want to jump right to estrogen because in my mind, if I'm estrogen dominant, then adding more estrogen, maybe I'm not getting rid of it like I need to. So am I going to have that build up and then have worse symptoms because of that? let's start with progesterone. I'm okay with that. And again, I don't provide, or I don't prescribe HRT. So.
Unfortunately, she was leaving her practice or like leaving the health system she was at like a week after I saw her. So I started progesterone and fast forward like three weeks and it was close to the time of my cycle. And my symptoms were like amplified of like what I would normally feel. I don't know for you, but I'm sure other women experience this where like comparison game is like so up there for me. I don't know why that's one of my things, but like just like negative self talk is more present than usual.
⁓ I wanted to crawl out of my skin. was like, something is not right. Like, why am I so like almost like amplified of like my normal symptoms? And I was sitting there thinking and I was like, what is different? Like what is going on in my life? Is there anything that's different? And I was like, I started to protest around three weeks ago. So I started down a rabbit hole and looking into that. And I think that the dose was too high. So I was having almost like the opposite effect of what I should have.
I tried to reach back out to her and obviously she was not with the health system anymore. I reached out to my primary care, the one who had brushed me off and was just like, hey, would you mind writing for a lower dose while I figure out like somebody to get into? She actually gave me a referral to a menopause clinic, which I didn't even know our health system had, which I was like, great. And probably my fault because at the time I did not look.
to see who my appointment was with when I scheduled it. It was just, you know, a scheduler and I hear clinic and I assume that it's just like whoever the provider is on that day, right? So it's a couple of days before, now I've waited a few months to get into this appointment. It's a couple of days before I go to do my pre-check-in and I was like, why is this appointment with my old GYN who told me that I was, that I was tired from young kids and I had stopped making appointments with her because I thought about it and I was like, not only did she tell me I was too tired,
or that I was just tired because I had young kids and brushed everything else off. But I thought back to my postpartum period and I had two C-sections. And after my second with my son, I asked for a referral to pelvic floor therapy. And she literally pressed on my abdomen like twice. And she's like, you don't have diastasis. You don't need a referral. And I didn't know that I could see a pelvic floor PT without a referral at the time either. So I was like, I'm not seeing her anymore. And I was like, why is this appointment with her?
So it must have been a scheduler error. So I canceled that. I called to try to get in or like to reschedule. And this I think was in just this past December. They were like February, March, they could get me in. And I was like, I'm not waiting three more months. So I ended up making an appointment through MIDI health, which is just like all online.
⁓ and again, that provider listened to me and she too was like, I think probably the dose was too high. So in my own journey, I am still like trying to navigate the whole HRT thing. But again, it's just another testament to like trusting your body, thinking about like what things that you are putting in your body, right? Like just because it's a medication, like there's still side effects, even supplements, which is why I mentioned earlier, like you have to be cautious of all of these things. Like they can all have some
kind of implication and so I don't know if that's helpful.
speaker-0 (27:12)
with my own HRT journey, and I'm a couple of years ahead of you, and I have a phenomenal provider. And I think lucked into her. But it is playing with dosage. It's looking at your labs. It's looking at your symptoms. It's adding in. I, like you, did not jump into estrogen. I started with progesterone and then changed to testosterone. And then finally, last, maybe three months, I've added in estrogen.
So it's taken time, but I use supplements to help ⁓ kind of boost that estrogen that needed where it didn't need to go on her own replacement. But it is fine tuning dosage. It's playing with it. It's saying, okay, I'm taking this. How is this feeling inside me? And then having that conversation back and forth. And I think really highlighting that our journey can be a struggle. ⁓
continuing with that intuition in this is what I'm feeling in my body, continuing until we find somebody that resonates and is willing to listen, is willing to validate. ⁓ I think a lot of us have had that crying in the office moment. Gosh, you see me, thank you, I'm amazing. ⁓ And I think the message really is pushing and it's exhausting. Going to push until you get
speaker-1 (28:30)
It's exhausting.
speaker-0 (28:33)
your needs met and it's not like very much. It's all things and I don't know why it seems to be this is maybe it's where I'm attracting, but there's a lot of things in life that we have to keep pushing even though you know we might not be listened to in the first time we still have to advocate. I want to really highlight and focus kind of what you do. Can you share a little bit about how you help clients?
speaker-1 (28:36)
We don't have enough on our plates already, right?
Okay,
so a lot of women come to me for weight loss and not everybody's in perimenopause, but obviously that's my optimal client because I myself am experiencing that. ⁓ So it depends on what clients are looking for, whether it is, do they want functional lab testing to go paired with that or do they just want to, I use macro-based nutrition, I'm not sure if you're familiar with that.
speaker-0 (29:30)
Let me hit it little bit.
speaker-1 (29:31)
⁓ So macros are tracking protein, carbs and fats, ⁓ basically building a more balanced plate. You do have a calorie goal with it. So almost like glorified calorie tracking, right? If you're just tracking calories, you're eating, depending on what you're having, you could have a ton of carbs and maybe that's not making you feel your best. ⁓ So I think it's really useful, especially for perimenopause because you're kind of balancing things out a little bit more there.
So you do track your food with it, but I know so many people are like, well, I don't want to do that. Well, but if it brings more awareness and if it makes you feel better and it doesn't cut out entire food groups, right? It doesn't have a list of foods that you can and can't have. ⁓ To me, that is a better option than diets that I had personally done in the past that felt so restrictive where you're like...
here's your list of foods, here's the containers you use or whatever that may be. I'm sure people relate to that. And then what do do when you go to a party? Or what do you do when you have pizza night with your family or ice cream or insert whatever that may be? I would personally tend to fall off during that time and then just be like, I'll start over Monday. And then nothing was happening because I just kept quitting because I was setting myself up for failure. Whereas this is just...
Consistency is key. What you do most of the time is gonna make a bigger difference than like one bad day. I like to use ⁓ an analogy because I think with diet or nutrition, we tend to just like throw in the towel so fast. We're like one bad day and up, we're done. Well, if you were driving somewhere and you have your navigation system, right? You take a wrong turn.
Are you gonna keep driving the wrong direction knowing it's not gonna get you to your destination? No. So with nutrition, why are we so quick to do that? We're like, I ate a cookie today or I had this. Okay. So don't carry that through your weekend into next week. Like it's one meal, it'll be okay. And just get right back to whatever it is that you're doing, right?
speaker-0 (31:40)
I think that speaks to so many women in that we tend to have that all or nothing thought process. And we're using that in a lot of areas of our life. But as we talk about food in this all or nothing, I love that you frame it's one meal and it's not a big deal. And then we can continue on instead of, ⁓ like I had the ice cream and that's done. And then I'm just going to go through the weekends and shifting again, we're rewriting the rule book. so we have
play a different game in its one meal and we can look at having more of a balanced plate and a restrictive plate. Yes. A lot of us, mean, eighties baby grew up watching parents with a more restrictive plate and more restrictive diet ideas and having heard those and lived those and use those. It's a big shift. Yes. And if open things up and look for balance instead of
restrictive. Can you talk about kind of perimenopause, weight gain, weight loss, what are kind of the stresses and struggles and how we can start shifting our nutrition to really support us? ⁓
speaker-1 (32:53)
think blood sugar variability ⁓ could be a big contributor. I think a lot of women are like, I'm eating healthy. But what does that look like? What does your breakfast look like? And these are not to say that these things are not healthy, but maybe you're having oatmeal. But what are you pairing that with? Is there any protein in that? Or are you just having just carbs?
Maybe you're grabbing a quick breakfast bar or something or a muffin Pairing it, a carb with a protein and some fiber is going to help you feel a lot more full. ⁓ You're not going to have that energy crash at 10, 11, 12, you know, after the morning because like you actually have that protein and fiber to help balance that out, which will just help give you more energy throughout the day. So shifting that, so many women
when we start working together, I'm not taking away, you know, if you want to have that breakfast bar, just add in maybe a Greek yogurt with it or finding ways to like still have what they enjoy, but add more of what they need.
speaker-0 (33:54)
That's a really big highlight. Still have what you enjoy, but add what you need. Yeah. And it's, I love the reframe of like, okay, so I can still have the breakfast bar if that's what I want. Adding the protein in with the Greek yogurt. Yeah. We're having more of that balance coming in and looking at we're no longer crashing. So yes, this is easy. Yes, this might be what I've always done.
And it's no longer working for me. And so look in what we need to add. And that's a huge kind of mindset shift in our nutrition and how we eat is adding in. Because we're so close to the mind frame of taking out.
speaker-1 (34:39)
the mindset of when I just did group coaching in October, I had some women that were writing in that were like, I'm trying to cut out coffee creamer. And what do you, what do you suggest? And I was like, do you like coffee creamer? You should have it then maybe, maybe measure it. So you're not having like nine servings of it, or maybe you're going to have one cup of coffee instead of three.
but you don't have to cut everything out. Or if clients are like, well, I'll be like, what's your non-negotiable? Maybe it's chocolate, maybe it's dessert, whatever it may be. So log that and build it into your day. You can still meet your calorie goal or build things around this so that, yeah, because what happens when you cut that stuff out, right? When you're like, I'm not allowed to have this. Okay, well, how's that working out when you started your diet and you're like, here's what I'm allowed to have? And again,
life throws you curve ball or you go into a social situation and maybe you have a drink and things get loosey goosey and you have all this. And again, it just leads you down that really restrictive, almost binge restrict pathway, right? Not saying binge eating necessarily, but just that pathway. And if you start allowing yourself to have some of these things, you're like, ⁓ well can have it whenever I want it. It doesn't feel as special or you just enjoy it a little bit more. Mindset, I think, is just such a big.
part of it.
speaker-0 (36:03)
It's how we're relating and it's like food is a relationship. How we're relating.
speaker-1 (36:07)
It
is a thousand percent a relationship.
speaker-0 (36:10)
And we don't do well with restriction. And when we bring in like, okay, I can't have that. We're automatically thinking what can we substitute it with? And I love how you just kind of reframe that of do you like coffee creamer? Well then have it. And it's, okay, I will. And it's not so much like, okay, I have to really hyper think and focus of what I can't have.
speaker-1 (36:37)
and
then fixate and obsess on that, right?
speaker-0 (36:40)
and it sends us into this anxiety space. Instead it's like, okay, well I'm having that. And then I'm just balance out somewhere else. And if we look at that versus I can't have, can have, and we're setting ourselves up for success. We get in the mindset of it's one meal and that's okay. Didn't just ruin our diet. We had birthday cake. That's one meal, let's shift.
speaker-1 (36:56)
If it
Yes.
speaker-0 (37:09)
So can you speak to kind of that relationship and the mindset shift around food and how you kind of support women in having a healthier relationship with eating and not feeling like, okay, I can and I can't and I have to watch this and I have to watch that.
speaker-1 (37:27)
think a lot of it is actually like talking to clients about some of that and like letting them realize as we're going through this, they're like, I'm losing inches and pounds, but like I still had what I liked for breakfast. Or like I said, I was talking with someone this morning and she's like, well, if that's not enough protein with what she usually had for breakfast, which was some kind of like shake. She's like, can you just give me some suggestions for breakfast? And I was like, well, it's
pull it up and look at it. And I was like, you could change the milk. She was using all my milk. I was like, you could change the milk to like an ultra filtered milk. There's more protein in that. That doesn't change the flavor necessarily. You could add in Greek yogurt because you're blending it. You could add in cottage cheese because you're blending it. like, I'm like, let's not change what you like. Like, let's just add, again, let's just add little things to it, right?
speaker-0 (38:18)
That's such a fun way to look at food. And I'm glad you highlighted if you are traditionally eating a shake for breakfast or having a shake for breakfast that you're adding in things to better support your nutrition, right? Completely throwing it out and changing it. Yes. As we look at already stressed max to the women, if you're saying, okay, now I have to really figure out a new way to do breakfast when
All I can do is put things in a blender and be able to drink it in the car as I'm dropping off the kids and heading to work. If you're saying I have to sit down and now eat an actual breakfast, that's not gonna happen.
speaker-1 (39:00)
I think the smoothie is so easy because I mean you can add chia seeds for fiber, you can add flaxseed for fiber, you can add berries for fiber, and you can make it exactly how you prefer to make it. You know, and you don't necessarily have to reach for protein powder if you don't like that because again, depending on the milk that you're using or yogurt or you know, insert a ton of different options there.
speaker-0 (39:22)
What does the simplicity of just like shift your milk? Yeah. It's not something I would have thought about. I'm like, okay. ⁓ like how can I add in and do I need protein powders? And it's like, well, look at these little changes that are change, you know, how it tastes and how you have to consume it. Yes. It still fits your life. You've just increased your nutrition, which is going to increase the way that you feel, which is going to increase the way that you show up in your world and longevity and like how much energy you have.
Yeah. And you've just changed your life by tweaking and adding more. Yeah.
speaker-1 (39:57)
It's like simple little things. The mindset shift, again, with talking, I think with talking with clients, I use an app to communicate. So it's not like I'm just like, here's your macros and good luck. I talk to my clients multiple times throughout the week. I use a video messenger app.
And like we just said, there's so much more than just like a set of numbers or following things. If I was just like texting back and forth with someone and they're like, how's your day? And they're like, fine. When realistically like, you know, maybe your kids are homesick or you had to leave work or you're having a horrible day at work or whatever it may be. I can see that a lot more when I get a video response from someone or hear it in their voice. So it just helps me help them navigate things a little bit better.
especially with like some of the mindset stuff.
speaker-0 (40:47)
I love how you highlight it's a little bit more connection with a video because we typically, and I think as a lot of my clients and probably listeners as well are the woman that does everything for everybody. Yes. She can't. And so she's the one that's on top of everything and she is the helper and she helps everybody else and doesn't take it's an, am one, it is difficult to receive support. I am one that is going to work.
likely to say, I'm fine, it's great, and then go on instead of dive into, ⁓ well, you know, I have a daughter that's homesick today and, my husband's gone and traveling and I'm navigating and negotiating and looking at like, how can I drop off kids and pick up kids, all of the different kinds of things that I am handling. But when you see that video, you're right, you see so much more than I'm fine.
We are having that human connection and it's easier to give support and receive support. And that is so important for this time and space of life.
speaker-1 (41:49)
Yes. And it's nice because it's like FaceTime, but you listen and respond like whenever it's easy for you. And sometimes I'm like hiding in the bathroom to respond, right? Because our lives are so busy. But it just, again, it allows me to get to know them a little bit better. like it's, I am a person, they are a person. It's not just like, here you go, good luck, you know.
speaker-0 (42:12)
I love the way that you're taking in the whole human instead of just like, here are the numbers that we have to sit with and do follow. Oh my gosh, Jessica, you are phenomenal. And it's such a fun conversation. As we wrap up, is there any last parting words that you'd love the listener to hear?
speaker-1 (42:24)
this.
I think as we talked about, think if you just feel like something's off, like keep pushing, somebody is eventually going to listen to you. Keep digging on that. Whether it's a pair of menopause or something else, just to keep advocating for yourself, your love, you know, you do it for your loved ones all the time. So flip that around. And if somebody, you know, for your child, would you keep pushing? So I think it's hard for us again, when we're doing all of the things for everyone else to be like,
⁓ do I have time to make call or have that appointment or whatever? Just take the time for yourself. You deserve that, right?
speaker-0 (43:08)
I love that. And it's a message I think so many of us need to hear because we will push for everybody else and we put ourselves on the back burner. Yes, for sure. the time and space of life, I think we need to be front and center so that we are feeling good enough to be able to support everybody. Correct. Exactly. stop. My kids don't stop needing me just because I have zero energy.
speaker-1 (43:31)
Right, exactly, exactly. And it's hard to take care of everybody else when your cup is empty. And when you feel like garbage, right?
speaker-0 (43:39)
I know there are listeners out there that really want to continue the conversation with you. Can you share how listeners can connect with you?
speaker-1 (43:47)
I spend a lot of time on Instagram and I was at a networking event this morning. I was like, I should probably do more on LinkedIn, but Instagram is my primary spot. ⁓ am, you can search by my name or my handle is the macro. It's A C R O underscore NP. ⁓ And then my email is just my name with coaching at gmail.com.
speaker-0 (44:11)
my gosh. And I'll have all the links down in the show notes. Jessica, thank you so much for this conversation.
speaker-1 (44:16)
Thank you!
Landy Peek (44:18)
Jessica, thank you. This conversation matters because if a provider can be dismissed this easily, imagine what it does to a woman who doesn't have the medical language or the knowledge to keep pushing. We feel dismissed and it's maddening. been told you're too young to be this tired, too stressed, or just get more sleep,
or you're fine and your body is telling you otherwise, let this episode be the thing that helps you stop negotiating with yourself. Keep advocating, even when it's maddening and hard because your intuition matters and your intuition is worth listening to. If you wanna connect with Jessica, she's on Instagram at the macro underscore NP. I'll put all her links in the show notes. And before you go,
If stress is the thing that's making all of this harder, the quiet constant pressure, the way your system goes into overdrive, and suddenly you're not making choices, you're reacting, you're snapping, over-functioning, over-explaining, holding it all together with sheer grit and force, Stress Rewritten is just for you. It's a private audio experience built for the exact moments
when stress takes over so you can interrupt the pattern while it's happening. No homework, no pep talk, no trying to calm down. You literally press play and your system gets a different cue. If you're ready to stop living at the mercy of your stress response, stress you're written the links down in the show notes.
And I invite you to send this episode to the woman who's been pushing through and calling it fine, who you know is struggling and not finding the right resources. Because I want her and you to hear, follow that intuition and keep pushing until you find the right person. Make sure you follow the podcast so you don't miss out on an episode. And I wanna thank you for showing up, for push and play, for doing something good for you. Because just by pushing play, by hearing someone else's experience,
is changing your life and you are changing the world and we need you. I'm so grateful you're here in my life. I want to wish you all the happiness that today can bring and I'll talk to you on the next episode.
Speaker 2 (46:37)
Hey, before you go, just a little bit of legal. This podcast is designed for educational purposes only. It is not to replace any expert advice from your doctors, therapists, coaches, or any other professional that you would work with. It's just a chat with a friend, me, where we get curious about ideas, thoughts, and things that are going on in our lives.
As we're talking about friends, if you know someone who would benefit from a conversation today, please share because I think the more that we open up these conversations, the more benefit we all get. So until next time, give yourself a big hug from me and stay curious because that's the fun in this world.
