Dr. Vonda Wright

I think it's really helpful to know as much about yourself as possible. So if I'm intaking someone into a program we're going to build, I don't, I weigh them. But what's most important is I do a body composition so that we can go through step by step and say, in your current body, you have, I'm making these numbers up, 32% body fat. You have very little lean muscle.

I think it's really helpful to know as much about yourself as possible. So if I'm intaking someone into a program we're going to build, I don't, I weigh them. But what's most important is I do a body composition so that we can go through step by step and say, in your current body, you have, I'm making these numbers up, 32% body fat. You have very little lean muscle.

So even though you may be okay with the way you look in a mirror, You're skinny fat, meaning you have too little muscle and too much adipose tissue. And we talk about all the things we've talked about, about why we need to build more muscle. But when you see those numbers, numbers don't lie, nor are they judgments. But if you're just looking in the mirror, you may say, oh, that's okay.

So even though you may be okay with the way you look in a mirror, You're skinny fat, meaning you have too little muscle and too much adipose tissue. And we talk about all the things we've talked about, about why we need to build more muscle. But when you see those numbers, numbers don't lie, nor are they judgments. But if you're just looking in the mirror, you may say, oh, that's okay.

or you may hate the little belly roll, but you don't hate it enough. But when you see that you have very little muscle mass and a very high percentage of fat, those data alone are sometimes a motivation. And then If we know that we're going to redo that test in three months or six months and track changes over time, that can be an added motivator. Besides tragedy, data can be a motivator.

or you may hate the little belly roll, but you don't hate it enough. But when you see that you have very little muscle mass and a very high percentage of fat, those data alone are sometimes a motivation. And then If we know that we're going to redo that test in three months or six months and track changes over time, that can be an added motivator. Besides tragedy, data can be a motivator.

Wanting to feel like yourself again. Women in midlife sometimes just say, I just want to feel like myself again. Well, we're different people after our estrogen goes away. And so it takes a different kind of work to feel like ourselves again. But at the end of the day, so tools wise, I think journals are helpful. Tracking, keeping a record of how you felt on a day, what you did that day.

Wanting to feel like yourself again. Women in midlife sometimes just say, I just want to feel like myself again. Well, we're different people after our estrogen goes away. And so it takes a different kind of work to feel like ourselves again. But at the end of the day, so tools wise, I think journals are helpful. Tracking, keeping a record of how you felt on a day, what you did that day.

CGMs are, you know, I learned what I was going to learn at three months, but I've had it on for 18 months just because that data spurs me on. Like, oh, that was a really stressful OR day. My sugar spiked up even though I wasn't eating. I must have been very high cortisol. I'm releasing so much from my liver. It just informs me about the inner workings of my body.

CGMs are, you know, I learned what I was going to learn at three months, but I've had it on for 18 months just because that data spurs me on. Like, oh, that was a really stressful OR day. My sugar spiked up even though I wasn't eating. I must have been very high cortisol. I'm releasing so much from my liver. It just informs me about the inner workings of my body.

But also, at the end of the day, you have to love yourself enough, Stephen. And I can't make you love yourself. And I can't, a number of harassments in my office cannot make you value yourself enough to invest in yourself daily. And at the end of the day, that's what it's going to take.

But also, at the end of the day, you have to love yourself enough, Stephen. And I can't make you love yourself. And I can't, a number of harassments in my office cannot make you value yourself enough to invest in yourself daily. And at the end of the day, that's what it's going to take.

Despite everyone talking about it, despite you having lots of conversations about it, I still find a lot of people who have never heard of perimenopause, which is the decade leading up to the day of menopause, which is 365 days after your last menstrual cycle. On average in this country, it's about 51 days. People have not heard of perimenopause. They've never heard of hormone replacement therapy.

Despite everyone talking about it, despite you having lots of conversations about it, I still find a lot of people who have never heard of perimenopause, which is the decade leading up to the day of menopause, which is 365 days after your last menstrual cycle. On average in this country, it's about 51 days. People have not heard of perimenopause. They've never heard of hormone replacement therapy.

And they don't know what to do about it. And they're ashamed to talk about it because somehow needing things in this country, if you're a woman... have gone unnoticed, for instance, like, oh, I'm just going to suffer through. My mom never talked about it. So I think the myth that you have to suffer is a myth. There is more known now than there's ever been about how using lifestyle to feel better.

And they don't know what to do about it. And they're ashamed to talk about it because somehow needing things in this country, if you're a woman... have gone unnoticed, for instance, like, oh, I'm just going to suffer through. My mom never talked about it. So I think the myth that you have to suffer is a myth. There is more known now than there's ever been about how using lifestyle to feel better.

I always encourage women to make their hormone replacement decision based on science and not fear and to make it early.

I always encourage women to make their hormone replacement decision based on science and not fear and to make it early.

I encourage my patients, even in the mid-40s, to read the books, watch the podcasts, identify a clinician, so when it's time for them to make their decision, they've got everything lined up. And you can take hormones while you're still menstruating. There's no reason not to. In fact, that's what birth control is. Birth control is 10 times the dose of hormone replacement therapy.

I encourage my patients, even in the mid-40s, to read the books, watch the podcasts, identify a clinician, so when it's time for them to make their decision, they've got everything lined up. And you can take hormones while you're still menstruating. There's no reason not to. In fact, that's what birth control is. Birth control is 10 times the dose of hormone replacement therapy.