My Midlife Health Wake-Up Call (a.k.a. “Oh Crap, This Body Is Mine for the Long Haul”)

There’s a special kind of denial that happens after 50. You look in the mirror and think, “I still feel 35,” while your knees, hormones, and energy levels are whispering, “Girl, we need to talk.”

For a long time now, I have treated my health like an afterthought. I've been busy working, coaching, leading, parenting, worrying, and Googling how to help my adult kids through mental health storms at 2 a.m. Meanwhile, my own body was softly tapping on my shoulder saying, “Hey… remember me?”

Eventually, those taps turned into not-so-subtle messages: stubborn weight, brain fog, bone-deep exhaustion, and that vague feeling of being “off” in my own skin. Sound familiar? This is when many women assume, “Welp, this is just aging.” But here’s the truth: aging is real, decline is not inevitable.

The Messy Middle: Trial, Error, and “What the Hell Am I Doing?”

My path back to health has not been some cute wellness montage. It’s been:

• Starting a new “health plan” on Monday… and abandoning it by Thursday.

• Trying to outrun menopause with caffeine and willpower (spoiler: did not work).

• Doing “all the right things” I read about and still feeling stuck and discouraged.​

I had to slowly admit three hard truths:

1. What worked at 30 doesn’t work now. My body has new rules, and ignoring them doesn’t make me strong—it makes me stubborn and tired.​

2. Stress is not a personality trait. Living in constant “fight or flight,” especially while supporting kids with big struggles, was wrecking my sleep, my cravings, and my mood.

3. I can’t hate my body into health. Shame and self-criticism never led to sustainable change. Compassion and curiosity actually did.​

So, I gave myself permission to experiment instead of “fix.” To be a scientist, not a judge.

What’s Actually Working Now (No Magic, Just Real Shifts)

Here’s what has made a real difference—for my energy, my mood, and my ability to show up for others without collapsing:

• Sleep became sacred. I stopped treating bedtime like a negotiation. Wind-down routine, fewer late-night screens, and no more pretending I could function on 5 hours forever.

• Food as fuel, not punishment. I started noticing which foods gave me stable energy and which sent me crashing. More protein, plants, and water; fewer “I deserve this” sugar binges that made me feel worse.​

• Movement that doesn’t feel like revenge. No more working out to “make up” for eating. Walking, strength training, stretching—things that help me feel strong and grounded in my own body.​

• Nervous system care. Breathwork, mindfulness, journaling, pausing before reacting—tiny practices to bring my stress down so my body could stop living in emergency mode.

  
  

None of this has been perfect. I still have days where my inner teenager wants to skip movement and eat snacks in bed. But the difference now is: I notice, I adjust, and I come back to myself faster.

Why This Matters (More Than Ever)

Here’s what finally clicked: I cannot hold space for my clients, lead teams, or be present for my kids’ mental health journeys if I’m constantly abandoning my own well-being. That’s not sustainable, and it’s not the example I want to set.​

When I take care of my health, I’m not stealing time from anyone. I’m creating a stronger, kinder, more grounded version of me—the one my kids, my colleagues, my clients, and I actually need.

💬 Your Turn:

• Where is your body whispering, “Hey… something needs to change”?

• What’s one experiment you’re willing to try this week—more water, a 10-minute walk, a real bedtime, a little less sugar, a little more protein?

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Drop your thoughts, questions, or “oh crap, me too” moments in the comments. Let’s be real together.

And if you’re ready to start or restart your own wellbeing and self-care in a way that actually fits your real life (not some fantasy bootcamp), let’s talk. Schedule a no-pressure conversation with me at beckisalzman.com/booking and we’ll map out your next right steps—messy, human, and totally doable.