What if the dreams you thought you missed the deadline on are the ones you're meant to follow now?

Becca Kidwell spent her 30s teaching high school English, convinced it was too late to pursue a creative career. She'd learned what so many of us Gen X women can relate to: if you didn't lock in your path by 30, the door was closed. But then something shifted and she started noticing older artists who were just beginning their careers and thriving. She met her now-husband, who encouraged her to move to New York and start a theater company, and on her 40th birthday, she performed her first cabaret show.

Ten years later, Becca is releasing her debut album, What You Don't See, on her 50th birthday. And the title track? It's about something so many of us feel in midlife but rarely say out loud: I'm tired. I'm tired of performing, of smiling through exhaustion, of pretending I have endless capacity. But what you don't see is how tired I really am.

In this Story Session, Becca shares her journey from being afraid of being seen to stepping fully onto the stage as herself. We talk about the permission piece that midlife gives so many of us, the resilience it takes to keep showing up for your dreams, and why creativity isn't just for the young. If you've ever felt like it's too late to follow a passion, chase a dream, or try something new, this episode is for you.

Related Episodes:

• Episode 160: Season 5 Finale: The Midlife Glow-Up You Didn't See Coming
• Episode 81: Unlocking the Joy of Creativity in Midlife with Meryl Cook

Guest Bio: Becca Kidwell is a singer-songwriter and cabaret performer from New York. After spending her 30s as a high school English teacher, she began her creative career at 40 and has spent the last decade performing in cabarets across New York. Her debut album, What You Don't See, releases on her 50th birthday, May 1st. You can find her at beccackidwell.com and on Instagram.

What did you think of this episode? Click here and let me know!

🎉 The wait is over! Doors to The Midlife Body Image Lab will open soon - get on the wait list here: https://www.menopausenutritionist.ca/waitlist

📚 I wrote a book! Eat To Thrive During Menopause is out now! Order your copy today and start thriving in midlife.

Looking for more about midlife, menopause nutrition, and intuitive eating? Click here to grab one of my free guides and learn what I've got "on the menu" including my 1:1 and group programs. https://www.easy.link/menopause.nutritionist

You know that moment when you catch your reflection unexpectedly and think, "Who is that?" Not in a curious way, but in a way that feels like you don't recognize yourself? If you've had that moment, this episode is for you.

In this episode, we're talking about the evolution of body positivity and acceptance, the challenges of embracing body diversity in a culture that's currently shrinking, and how we can find peace with ourselves right now, in the bodies we're in today.

Kristina brings such clarity to the difference between body positivity and body acceptance, and why acceptance isn't resignation. She shares her own story of body grief, what it felt like to lose the identity that came with being thin, and how she found freedom on the other side of that grief. We also talk about the contraction and expansion happening in our current cultural moment (hello, GLP-1 era) and why this might be the final push before more of us say "enough."

If you've been stuck in body grief, if you feel betrayed by your changing body, or if you're exhausted from fighting yourself, this conversation will meet you right where you are.

In this episode, you'll learn:

• The difference between body positivity (a social justice movement) and body acceptance (a personal practice)
• Why body acceptance isn't resignation, it's actually the path to real change
• How to move through body grief instead of staying stuck in it
• Why your body isn't betraying you, even when it feels that way
• What's underneath our resistance to body changes in midlife (spoiler: it's not about the weight)
• How to stop sourcing your worth externally and start finding safety within yourself

Connect with Kristina:

• Instagram: @kristinabruce_coach
• Website: kristinabruce.com
• Podcast: Unlearning Beautiful

Related Episodes You'll Love:

• Episode 47: Why Changing Your Body Isn't the Body Image Fix You're Looking For with Kristina Bruce
• Episode 109: The Body Acceptance Mistake That Keeping You Stuck
• Episode 134: What Every Woman Needs to Know About Body Image in Midlife with Summer Innanen
• Episode 141: Navigating Body Grief in Midlife with Nina Manolson

What did you think of this episode? Click here and let me know!

🎉 The wait is over! Doors to The Midlife Body Image Lab will open soon - get on the wait list here: https://www.menopausenutritionist.ca/waitlist

📚 I wrote a book! Eat To Thrive During Menopause is out now! Order your copy today and start thriving in midlife.

Looking for more about midlife, menopause nutrition, and intuitive eating? Click here to grab one of my free guides and learn what I've got "on the menu" including my 1:1 and group programs. https://www.easy.link/menopause.nutritionist

If your cravings feel more intense than ever, you're not alone.

In this second helping (my creative take on replay 🤣) of episode 117, I'm tackling one of the most-asked questions in my inbox: why do cravings feel so out of control in perimenopause and menopause, and what can you do about it? Spoiler alert: it's not about cutting out sugar or having more willpower.

I break down the three types of hunger (physical, taste, and emotional), explain why perimenopause symptoms like sleep disruption and hot flashes amplify emotional hunger, and share a framework for decoding your cravings instead of fighting them. Whether it's the 7pm snacking spiral, the weekend binge, or those intense drive-thru cravings when you're alone in the car, I walk you through how to press pause without judgment and respond in a way that addresses what you need.

This episode is for anyone who has ever felt hijacked by a craving, blamed themselves for lack of control, or wondered if menopause is making everything harder. Because yes, your hormones matter, but the solution isn't another restrictive food rule.

In this episode, we talk about:

• Why cravings are normal and everyone is an emotional eater to some degree
• The difference between physical hunger, taste hunger, and emotional hunger
• How estrogen and progesterone influence appetite (and why perimenopause amplifies cravings)
• Why restricting foods you enjoy intensifies cravings for those exact foods
• The critical skill of pressing pause without saying no
• Real examples of decoding evening cravings, weekend patterns, and alone-time eating

Related Episodes You Might Enjoy:

• #147 - How to Stop the Cycle of “Starting Over” Every Monday
• #70 - From Dieting Rock Bottom to Intuitive Eating - 3 Common Mistakes

What did you think of this episode? Click here and let me know!

🎉 The wait is over! Doors to The Midlife Body Image Lab will open soon - get on the wait list here: https://www.menopausenutritionist.ca/waitlist

📚 I wrote a book! Eat To Thrive During Menopause is out now! Order your copy today and start thriving in midlife.

Looking for more about midlife, menopause nutrition, and intuitive eating? Click here to grab one of my free guides and learn what I've got "on the menu" including my 1:1 and group programs. https://www.easy.link/menopause.nutritionist