Ever find yourself standing in the kitchen, eating straight from the container, wondering, "Why am I doing this… again?"

Same.

In this episode, I sit down with Paige Alexander to talk about the thing most women don't want to say out loud but think about daily: our complicated, exhausting relationship with food.

Paige is a nurse, wellness coach, co-host of the Real Food Recovery podcast, and bestselling author of Real Food Recovery: If Food Isn't the Answer, What Is the Question? And she does not tiptoe around this conversation.

We're talking:

• why willpower keeps failing you (and why that's not a character flaw)

• what food addiction actually looks like in real life

• why ultra-processed foods hijack your brain

• and how recovery isn't about "trying harder", it's about giving your brain what it actually needs

This episode is part science, part truth-telling, part "oh wow… that's me."

Grab your coffee. You might want a notebook for this one.

• Why food addiction is different from other addictions (and harder to quit)

• The real reason you eat when you're bored, stressed, or overwhelmed

• Why willpower is a terrible long-term strategy

• Paige's "Tree of Life" approach to recovery: food, movement, sleep, and spirituality (no, not the preachy kind)

• How planning the night before saves you from afternoon meltdowns

• What impulse control actually looks like in real life

• How recovery is a series of small edits, not a dramatic overhaul

Facebook group https://www.facebook.com/groups/fitgirlmagic
Tik Tok @kimbarnesjefferson
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/kimjeffersoncoach/

Free Resources: https://www.fitgirlmagic.com/freeresources_podcast

FREE Masterclass -- Why January Diets Fail https://kimbarnesjefferson.lpages.co/january-masterclass_podcast
12 week strength training program –Strong by Spring
https://kimbarnesjefferson.lpages.co/strong-by-spring

Website: http://www.kimbarnesjefferson.com

Sugar Salt Fat https://amzn.to/48nfqbi

What Women Need to Know About Alzheimer's https://fitgirlmagic.libsyn.com/-what-women-need-to-know-about-alzheimers204-0

Real Food Recovery: If Food Isn't the Answer, What Is the Question? by Paige Alexander https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0F1P5T2D7

Paige's Blog https://foodfitnessbypaige.blogspot.com/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCoob3V7-tEfdSz1B34cnJ4Q
Tik Tok: https://www.tiktok.com/@realfoodrecovery
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100091698670987
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/realfoodrecovery4u/

If you've ever said:

• "I know what to do, I just can't seem to do it"

• "I'm not addicted, I just eat when I'm stressed"

• "Why does food take up so much mental space?"

This episode is for you.

Listen in, then tell me what part hit a little too close to home.

Let's talk about January.
You know… that time of year when everyone decides this is the year they finally "get it together."

But if January diets actually worked… we wouldn't still be doing them every year, right?

In this Fit Girl Magic episode, I'm calling out the real issue (hint: it's not your motivation, discipline, or willpower).

It's timing. And after 40, timing matters a LOT more than trying harder.

If you've ever thought:

• "Why does this feel harder than it used to?"

• "Why am I doing all the things and still not seeing results?"

• "Is it just me… or is my body over this?"

You're not broken.
You're just in a different season.

In this Fit Girl Magic episode, we talk about:
👉Why January is actually the worst time to force fat loss
👉How years of dieting can quietly exhaust your metabolism
👉Why "trying harder" usually backfires
👉The difference between restoring, refining, revealing, and rebuilding
👉How to stop fighting your body and finally work with it

This is the episode for the woman who's done chasing, done punishing, and ready to do things differently, without giving up results.

Because fat loss isn't a lifestyle.
It's a situationship.

And sometimes the most powerful move is realizing you don't need to push… you need to pause and choose the right season.

🎧 Hit play and let's talk about what your body actually needs right now.

And if this hits?
You're not behind, you're early.

Facebook group https://www.facebook.com/groups/fitgirlmagic
Tik Tok @kimbarnesjefferson
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/kimjeffersoncoach/

Free Resources:
FREE Masterclass: The January Diet Mistakes Women Over 40 Keep Making (and Why You're Still Starting Over) https://kimbarnesjefferson.lpages.co/january-masterclass_podcast
https://www.fitgirlmagic.com/freeresources_podcast
12 week strength training program –Strong by Spring
https://kimbarnesjefferson.lpages.co/strong-by-spring

Website: http://www.kimbarnesjefferson.com

If you've ever said, "My metabolism must be broken," this episode is your permission slip to stop blaming yourself.

Because here's the truth:
Your metabolism isn't broken.
It's underfed, overtrained, and over the old diet games.

In this Fit Girl Magic podcast episode, I'm breaking down why years of "doing it right" eventually backfire for women over 40 and why pushing harder is usually the exact thing keeping you stuck.

We're talking about metabolic seasons and why fat loss isn't a year-round sport. I walk you through the four outcomes of my latest quiz and what your body is actually asking for right now, without another meal plan, reset, or January panic spiral.

Inside this episode, you'll learn:

• Why being too good at dieting is often the real problem

• How under-eating and over-training quietly stall your metabolism

• Why fat loss works best when you stop chasing it

• The difference between restoring, refining, revealing, and rebuilding

• How muscle changes your shape, confidence, and long-term results

• Why maintenance isn't failure—and when it's time to move on from it

I also explain why:

• Eating more can be the smartest next move

• Doing less can actually create more progress

• And why no one gets bonus points for suffering

If you're tired of guessing, starting over every January, or feeling like your body stopped responding… this episode will help you make sense of where you are and what to do next.

🎯 Ready to stop guessing?
Take the FREE quiz and find out where you should start. https://kimbarnesjefferson.lpages.co/metabolismquiz_podcast/
Restore. Refine. Reveal. Or Rebuild.

Because when you pick the right season, everything gets easier and your body finally stops fighting you.
FREE Masterclass

https://kimbarnesjefferson.lpages.co/january-masterclass_podcast/

Facebook group https://www.facebook.com/groups/fitgirlmagic
Tik Tok @kimbarnesjefferson
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/kimjeffersoncoach/

Free Resources: https://www.fitgirlmagic.com/freeresources_podcast
12 week strength training program –Strong by Spring
https://kimbarnesjefferson.lpages.co/strong-by-spring

Website: http://www.kimbarnesjefferson.com