In this episode of Midlife Mayhem, I’m talking about thyroid and testosterone — two topics I’ve covered before, but ones that came up for me personally this week in a way that highlights just how misunderstood midlife physiology still is.

I was diagnosed with hypothyroidism over 15 years ago, and for me it was never just about weight. It showed up as fatigue, cold intolerance, Raynaud’s, dry skin and hair, brain fog, constipation — the kind of symptoms that slowly chip away at quality of life. The frustrating part is that the older we get, the more likely these issues are dismissed as “normal aging.” They aren’t.

What came up in my recent labs was something many people don’t expect: I needed less thyroid medication, not more. That goes against the narrative most women are told — that once you’re on thyroid meds, you’re on them for life and the dose only ever increases. But when you understand that most thyroid hormone activation happens in the liver, it starts to make sense. If conversion improves and metabolic stress decreases, needing less can actually be a sign that the system is working more efficiently.

That conversation naturally led into testosterone — another hormone surrounded by fear and outdated advice for women. Hormones don’t act in isolation. As estrogen and progesterone decline in midlife, women often tolerate and benefit from higher testosterone levels than they would have earlier in life. That support matters for muscle, insulin sensitivity, bone density, energy, confidence, and recovery — all of which feed directly back into metabolic and thyroid health.

I also spend time clarifying why SLU-PP-332 has become one of my core metabolic tools in midlife. Despite being associated with an “estrogen-related receptor,” it is not hormonal and does not raise or lower estrogen or interfere with HRT. Instead, it works on metabolic pathways that regulate mitochondrial function, fat oxidation, and muscular endurance — the very systems that tend to decline with age, even when nutrition and training are solid.

What makes SLU-PP-332 especially useful in midlife is that it doesn’t suppress appetite, force rapid weight loss, or override physiology. It improves metabolic efficiency — helping the body access fat for fuel more easily, supporting energy output, improving endurance, and making training feel productive again. In other words, it helps the body behave more like it did when it was metabolically flexible, rather than fighting against it.

This episode isn’t about quick fixes or chasing numbers on a lab sheet. It’s about understanding how the system actually works, challenging outdated conversations, and choosing tools that support your whole body — muscle, metabolism, energy, and long-term health — not just one symptom.

Products discussed: www.joanneleestore.com Next coaching program: Muscle Month starts Feb 16 — www.musclemonth.com Podcast topic requests: hello@joannelee.com

Everything is now in one place:

👉 https://www.joannelee.com

You’ll find:

• My full program schedule

• 90-Day Elite 1:1 Coaching

• Perfect Ten — a 10-month immersive mentorship, limited to 10 women only

🔐 Coming up next: The Victory Vault — January 26 to February 7 A two-week live coaching program I’m genuinely looking forward to coaching. I’ve got a few things I want to tighten up for 2026, and committing to the group makes all the difference. www.yourvictoryvault.com

This New Year episode covers two topics that hit hard in midlife: food sensitivities (why they show up, why they worsen, and what to do about them) — and why change is harder when there’s no obvious consequence.

Food sensitivities aren’t the same as allergies. They’re often delayed, more subtle, and can show up as:

• bloating, joint pain, skin flare-ups

• brain fog, fatigue, headaches, inflammation

The big idea: it’s rarely “one bad food.” More commonly, it’s the terrain — especially a compromised gut lining (leaky gut). When digestion isn’t breaking food down properly and the gut barrier becomes more permeable, the immune system starts reacting to things it normally wouldn’t… which is why people sometimes feel like they’re reacting to everything.

We also talk about why this gets louder in midlife:

• estrogen and progesterone decline affects gut barrier integrity, immune regulation, and inflammation control

• stress + poor sleep + processed food damage accumulate over time

• midlife doesn’t always start the problem — it removes the buffers that used to keep it quieter

HRT doesn’t “cure” food sensitivities, but it can improve the environment:

• better gut barrier support

• reduced inflammation signaling

• calmer nervous system (which matters for digestion)

• improved repair and recovery capacity

I also share a real client example where food sensitivity testing improved significantly after dialling in HRT.

Some behaviors change easily when there’s an obvious consequence. But the toughest habits to shift are the ones that aren’t costing you enough… yet.

So the real question becomes: If it’s not “ruining your life,” why change it?

Because the cost isn’t always external — it’s internal:

• self-trust

• self-respect

• liking who you are when no one’s watching

That’s the work that creates real follow-through — and it’s exactly what we do inside The Victory Vault.

📅 January 26 – February 7

A two-week live coaching program focused on identity, follow-through, and becoming the person who succeeds — not the person who starts again.

👉 Details at https://www.yourvictoryvault.com

Welcome to 2026 — and yes, I tried to turn this podcast into video… and of course it wasn’t simple. 🙃 The video version is still happening (YouTube: Joanne Lee Cornish) — but for now, it’s you, me, and my English accent.

The Peak Week 5 Day Shred starts on Monday, yes THIS Monday - offered only once a year!

You don’t hate your life… but you’re not really happy either. Thinking about change feels safer than acting — because acting makes it real. And the real fear often isn’t change… it’s what change would prove about you.

My mantra for 2026: Overlearn so you don’t have to overthink. Clarity creates ease. Confusion creates stress.

A hard workout looks dangerous on paper: heart rate up, blood pressure up, cortisol up, inflammation up, muscle tissue damaged. But it’s healthy because it’s temporary.

Your body runs on signals — and trouble starts when a signal becomes a lifestyle:

• Cortisol is useful (mobilizes energy) — until it never comes down.

• Inflammation is repair — until it never resolves.

• mTOR (build) and AMPK (breakdown/cleanup) are both essential — but neither should be “on” all the time.

Temporary = adaptive. Chronic = destructive.

If it’s working: better sleep, stable mood, improving performance, flexibility. If it’s chronic: rigidity, anxiety, stalled results, constant effort for diminishing returns.

Starts ON Monday (Jan 12) First coaching call: Sunday, Jan 11 A full reset week where you follow the plan and stop overthinking.

Starts Jan 26 Two-week mindset + identity program to remove what’s blocking your consistency. Join here: www.yourvictory.com

In this episode, we break down why habits feel hardest right before they actually stick — and why so many people quit at exactly the wrong moment.

Most of the anxiety around goals, body composition, or behavior change doesn’t come from lack of effort. It comes from not understanding how habit formation actually works.

I introduce a concept known as the habit formation curve (sometimes called the power curve of habit building). Early on, effort is high, results are inconsistent, and every action requires conscious decision-making. This is normal. Your brain is actively overriding old patterns, which is metabolically expensive.

The confusion happens in the middle phase — when you’re still showing up, but the excitement has worn off and things don’t feel easier yet. This is where many people assume something is wrong. In reality, this phase is where stabilization begins.

Research shows that effort doesn’t gradually decline. Instead, it drops suddenly, very late in the process — often when you’re already 90–95% of the way through building the habit. Most people quit just before this point, not because they failed, but because things feel boring.

Boredom isn’t a warning sign. It’s a signal that routines are settling, blood sugar and energy are stabilizing, and the nervous system is adapting. This is the phase no one explains — and the one that matters most.

We also explore why the brain resists change, how repetition without renegotiation turns behavior into default, and why ease comes from consistency held long enough — not motivation, intensity, or trying harder.

This episode offers a preview of the deeper conversations we have inside Victory Vault, a once-a-year program designed to help you identify what’s keeping you stuck, clarify who you want to become, and build habits that no longer cost you energy.

Victory Vault 🗓 Starts January 26 | 2-week program 👉 www.yourvictoryvault.com

5-Day Peak Week Shred January 12 -17 A short, strategic reset for body composition and momentum 👉 www.5dayshred.com

If things feel hard right now, you’re likely not failing — you’re just not finished.

Joanne@joannelee.com

Recorded on Christmas Eve 🎄

Before we dive in, I want to wish you a very Merry Christmas. Wherever you’re listening from, take a moment to look around and be grateful for what’s right in front of you. I’m incredibly grateful for all of you who listen to this podcast — it started as an extension of Victory Vault and is now heading into its second year, which still blows my mind.

If you’ve been told you have osteopenia or osteoporosis, you were probably also told to be careful, move less, avoid lifting heavy, and maybe just go for walks.

That advice sounds safe — but it’s often the fastest way to lose more bone.

In this episode, I cover:

• Whether you can (and should) train with osteoporosis

• Why running is not the bone-building solution people think it is

• Why calcium alone doesn’t build bone

• How bone actually adapts — and what it responds to

• Yes, you can train with osteoporosis — but how you train matters

• Bone is living tissue and responds to force, not just movement

• Progressive resistance training is one of the most powerful tools for bone health

• Running may help maintain bone, but it rarely rebuilds it — and it does very little for the spine or upper body

• Calcium is a raw material, not a builder — without mechanical loading, it won’t go where you want it

• Nutrition and hormones (protein, vitamin D, K2, estrogen, cortisol) play a supporting role — not the leading one

Bone is built by demand, not fear.

If you’re listening as we head into the new year:

A short, intense reset and an excellent entry point into my coaching 👉 www.5DayPeakWeek.com

Deep education, structure, and understanding of how your body actually works

You can view the full program schedule at: 👉 JoanneLee2026.com

Midlife isn’t a downhill slide — it’s an opportunity. With the right information, it can be the strongest phase yet.

Have a wonderful Christmas, and I’ll see you in the new year.