Midlife Mayhem

FOOD SENTIVITIES IN MIDLIFE - when food stops loving you back

🚀 Work With Me in 2026
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 7A 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
🎙️ Food Sensitivities, Hormones & Change in Midlife
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.
🥗 Part 1: Food Sensitivities in Midlife
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
Where HRT Can Help
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.
🔄 Part 2: Consequences, Identity & Why Change Doesn’t Stick
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.
🔐 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

NEED MORE ENERGY OR ARE YOU TIRED? - THERE IS A DIFFERENCE

🎙️ Energy: Why You’re Tired, What Actually Makes Energy — and What Really Works
I am just fine-tuning all the pages of my new website but it is live www.joannelee.com on there you will find the online coaching schedule for 2026, the one on one 90 Day Coaching Program and the 10 month Mentorship Program - A Perfect Ten
The products mentioned in this podcast can also be found at www.joanneleestore.com and the video version of this podcast on YouTube @ joanneleecornish
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In this episode, we break down energy properly — not as a vague feeling, but as a biological process.
Because “I’m tired” can mean a lot of different things… and treating them all the same is where people get stuck.
In this episode, we cover:
⚡ Two Very Different Types of Energy
Why feeling tired is not the same as having low cellular energy
How the brain regulates fatigue based on stress, sleep, hormones, inflammation, and emotional load
Why caffeine can make you feel energetic without fixing the real issue
🔋 Cellular Energy Explained (Without the Buzzwords)
What ATP actually is — and why it matters for everything
The real role of the mitochondria (not just “battery packs”)
How mitochondria decide:
Whether you burn or store fat
How you adapt to stress and exercise
How resilient your metabolism really is
Why mitochondrial health responds to demand, not supplements alone
💤 The Non-Negotiables for Real Energy
Why sleep quality and circadian rhythm matter more than most protocols
How resistance training + steady Zone 2 movement signal mitochondrial growth
Why overeating and poor food quality quietly sabotage energy in midlife
How midlife changes the rules — without making results harder
💉 B Vitamins & B12 — When They Help (and When They Don’t)
The role of B vitamins in energy metabolism
Why B12 shots can be powerful for absorption issues and age-related decline
Why feeling better on B12 doesn’t mean your mitochondria were “broken”
When B12 supports the system — and when it’s masking something else
🧬 MOTS-c: Why It’s Marketed as an “Energy Peptide”
What it means to be a mitochondrial-derived peptide
How MOTS-c supports:
Metabolic flexibility
Glucose handling
Insulin sensitivity
AMPK (fat-burning, cellular cleanup)
Why it’s often called an “exercise-mimicking” peptide
The real-world issue: dose, cost, and compliance
🔒 5-Amino-1MQ: Protecting Energy at the Source
Why NAD+ matters for mitochondrial energy production
The problem with simply adding more NAD+
How NNMT drains NAD+ with age
Why 5-Amino-1MQ works by protecting your own NAD+
Why energy improvements can be dramatic — and sustainable
Why this approach works with the body instead of chasing stimulation
🧠 The Final Distinction That Changes Everything
Feeling tired = a brain signal
Low cellular energy = a capacity issue
Why no peptide, vitamin, or injection overrides personal responsibility
And why — when the foundations are in place — results can show up fast
🔗 Supplements Mentioned
Available at: www.joanneleestore.com
5-Amino-1MQ
SLU-PP-332
(As always: do your own research and understand why you’re using what you’re using.)
🚨 Program Updates & Calls to Action
🔐 Victory Vault
Starts January 26
Identity, mindset, follow-through
Becoming the person who succeeds — not just starting again
🔗 Full program schedule: www.joannelee2026.com
All programs are designed to work in progression, covering body composition, metabolism, hormones, and behavior from A–Z.
💬 Coaching Options
Group coaching programs (run once per year)
Elite 90-Day 1:1 coaching
Perfect 10 — a 10-month immersive mentorship for women only
📧 Contact: joanne@joannelee.com

Temporary States: When a Good Thing Becomes a Problem

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!
Today’s Topics
1) The quiet truth about change
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.
2) Temporary states: when “good” becomes a problem
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.
Quick Self-Check
If it’s working: better sleep, stable mood, improving performance, flexibility.If it’s chronic: rigidity, anxiety, stalled results, constant effort for diminishing returns.
Programs
✅ Peak Week: 5-Day Shred www.5dayshred.com
Starts ON Monday (Jan 12)First coaching call: Sunday, Jan 11A full reset week where you follow the plan and stop overthinking.
✅ Victory Vault www.yourvictoryvault.com
Starts Jan 26Two-week mindset + identity program to remove what’s blocking your consistency.Join here: www.yourvictory.com

THE HABIT FORMATION CURVE & WHY PEOPLE QUIT TOO SOON

🎙️ Episode Notes: The Habit Formation Curve — Why It Gets Hard Before It Gets Easy
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.
🔓 Programs Mentioned
Victory Vault🗓 Starts January 26 | 2-week program👉 www.yourvictoryvault.com
5-Day Peak Week Shred  January 12 -17A 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

Should Cardio be a News Years Resolution?

Exercise as a Tool: Cardio, Bias, and What Actually Works
Exercise is a tool — and we’ve used it very differently over the decades.
Think about it:In the 1950s, “exercise” wasn’t really a thing the way it is now. People moved, they danced (my parents and grandparents were ballroom dancers), but it wasn’t packaged as “workouts.”
Then we got the eras:
70s/80s/90s: jogging + long, steady-state cardio
2000s: long-duration cardio gave way to “more intense”
HIIT + Peloton era: quick, sweaty, efficient
Now: thankfully… the emphasis is finally where it belongs — resistance training
But that leaves people wondering:
✅ Where does cardio fit now?✅ Do I need it?✅ What kind? How much?✅ Is HIIT better than steady state?✅ Should I walk more?
Let’s make it simple: it depends on the goal — and the timeline.
🔧 Coaching Without Bias
One of the biggest problems in fitness is that people coach from bias.
Meaning:They coach what they personally like…not what the goal actually requires.
Example (and yes, people hate me saying this):If your goal is muscle gain and you tell me you do Pilates and yoga five days a week… I’m going to say:
“Great… wrong tool.”
Not saying don’t do it.Just saying don’t expect it to build muscle.
It’s like my teenage swimmers:If they want to be better at swimming, am I going to put them on a treadmill for an hour?
No. Wrong tool.
The right tool depends on the goal — not your preference.
🏋️ Resistance Training: The Right Tool for Midlife
Resistance training isn’t just about aesthetics.It’s foundational for midlife health because muscle is not “just muscle” — it’s metabolic, structural, protective tissue.
But today’s focus is cardio — because cardio has become confusing.
And it’s confusing because the “best cardio” has changed every decade… mostly due to trends and preference.
So here’s how I coach it:
⏳ The First Question I Ask: “How long have we got?”
The number one reason diets fail is unreasonable expectations.
So when someone says:“I want to lose 30 pounds in 6 weeks…”
I’m not going to cheerlead that.I’m going to coach reality.
Because the plan depends on timeframe.
🎯 Short-Term Fat Loss: Nutrition Does the Heavy Lifting
If the goal is short-term (days to a few weeks), cardio is rarely the main tool.
Example: my Peak Week / 5-Day Shred.
It’s a 5-day diet + 7-day program with 4 coaching calls and people drop weight fast — but there’s no exercise requirement.
Because if the goal is fast results:
nutrition creates the environment quickest
cardio doesn’t move the needle much in 5 days
and adding lots of cardio often makes people hungrier and less compliant
And once you push beyond about 30 minutes, cardio can increase appetite for many people.
So in short-term phases, the question becomes:
“Is the juice worth the squeeze?”
If cardio makes you hungrier and less compliant, it can work against the result.
🧱 Long-Term Results: Exercise Becomes Non-Negotiable
If the goal is long-term fat loss and keeping it off, exercise matters a lot more.
Here’s something fascinating:
Multiple long-term weight loss studies (people maintaining results 2+ years) show a consistent theme:
The vast majority of long-term successful maintainers walk a lot.
And the data tends to land around this:
✅ ~350 calories/day burned through exercise(as an average)
Not every day has to be exactly 350 — it can average out:
some days 250
some days 500but roughly… it balances out.
This is one of the most realistic, sustainable “maintenance” targets I’ve ever seen.
🍕 Want to “Out-Exercise” Nutrition?
Two other studies looked at this question:
“If I don’t want to manage food very tightly… how much do I need to exercise?”
Answer:
🔥 roughly 770–800 calories/day burned through exerciseevery day
That’s a lot.Even walking, that can mean hours — daily — forever.
And eventually: ankles, knees, hips, back… something complains.
So yes, you can try to outwork your diet…but it’s not a long-term strategy for most people — especially in midlife.
✅ The Real Lesson: Use the Right Tool for the Job
This episode comes full circle to one point:
You might enjoy an exercise.You might prefer a style of training.But…
Is it the right tool for your goal?
And that’s the part many people don’t want to face — because it requires giving something up, changing routines, dropping comfort habits, and choosing what works.
Exercise has to be part of your long-term life — not just a short-term “fat loss phase.”
Find what you can commit to…but make sure it actually matches your goal.
📌 Programs & Links
🗓 Full 2026 Coaching Schedule:👉 www.joannelee2026.com
🔥 Peak Week / 5-Day ShredStarts January 12👉 www.5dayshred.com🎟 Use code PEAK before Jan 1 for the discount
🧠 Victory VaultStarts January 26👉 www.yourvictoryvault.com
🎄 Closing
This episode was recorded during Christmas week, but I’m likely releasing it between Christmas and New Year.
If you celebrate Christmas — I hope you had a wonderful one.And if you’re currently doing that post-holiday “what did I eat?” panic…
Relax. It’s done. You’re fine.
The new year is here — and if you want the ideal runway into 2026:
Start with me on January 12…and let’s build momentum all the way through the year.

Can I Train with Osteoporosis

🎙️ Can You Train With Osteoporosis? Running, Bone Strength & Why Calcium Alone Doesn’t Work
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.
🦴 Episode Overview
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
🔑 Key Takeaways
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.
🚀 Programs Coming Up
If you’re listening as we head into the new year:
🔥 Peak Week – January 12
A short, intense reset and an excellent entry point into my coaching👉 www.5DayPeakWeek.com
🏛️ Victory Vault – January 26  www.yourvictoryvault.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.

Why Coffee Makes You Wired — and Then Crashes You: Adenosine Explained

☕ Adenosine, Coffee & Why Tiredness Is Supposed to Happen
Midlife Mayhem Podcast
It’s Christmas week 🎄 and just a few weeks until my programs begin for the new year.If you’d like to see my full 2026 schedule, you’ll find it at:
👉 www.JoanneLee2026.com
🚀 Programs Starting Soon
5-Day Peak Shred
📅 January 12–18
A powerful 5-day reset with:
Coaching calls
Structure
Momentum
Yes, weight loss — but so much more than that
January is the only time this program is running early in the year.
👉 www.5DayShred.com🎟 10% off if you join before Jan 1Use code: PEAK
Victory Vault
📅 Starts January 26 | Runs for 2 weeks
A once-a-year program focused on:
Identity
Standards
Discipline
Who you need to be to achieve what you want
This is not goal-setting.This is doing the internal work that makes goals inevitable.
👉 www.YourVictoryVault.com
The Perfect 10 (Applications Open)
🗓 Starts March 1
A 10-month immersive coaching experience for 10 women who want:
High-level coaching
Long-term consistency
Deep, aggressive support
If you’re interested, email me to discuss fit and details.
🎙 Episode Topic: Adenosine, Coffee & Energy in Midlife
This episode came about very organically — a stale cup of coffee on my desk and a realization that I haven’t really talked about adenosine, and you cannot talk about coffee without talking about adenosine.
So today we’re winging it — and breaking this down in a way that actually makes sense.
😴 Why We Naturally Get Tired as the Day Goes On
Adenosine is the system that controls natural tiredness.
It builds up in the brain the longer we’re awake.Not because the body releases it intentionally — but because it’s a by-product of energy use.
Every time your brain works, thinks, focuses, or stays alert, it burns energy.That energy currency is called ATP (adenosine triphosphate).
As ATP is used, adenosine accumulates.
As adenosine builds up, it attaches to receptors in the brain — and once enough of those receptors are occupied, the message is clear:
It’s time to slow down.
That heavy-eyed feeling in the evening?That drop in motivation?That “I just can’t do one more thing” sensation?
That’s not weakness.That’s adenosine doing its job.
⚡ How Coffee Actually Works (and What It Doesn’t Do)
Caffeine does not give you energy.It does not fix fatigue.
What caffeine does is block adenosine receptors.
Adenosine is still present — but it can’t attach.So the brain doesn’t receive the tiredness signal.
You don’t suddenly have more energy.You’ve just silenced the message that says you’re running low.
That’s why coffee can make you feel:
Alert and exhausted
Wired but tired
Fine initially… then crash later
🔄 Cortisol vs Adenosine: The Push–Pull
Adenosine slows us down.Cortisol wakes us up.
Cortisol naturally rises in the morning — that’s normal.That’s why cortisol is typically tested between 7–8am.
When caffeine is added on top of that morning cortisol rise:
Adenosine is blocked
Cortisol is stimulated
For some people, this feels like clean energy.For others — especially in midlife — it feels like anxiety, jitters, or overstimulation.
The difference usually isn’t the coffee.It’s what the nervous system was already dealing with before the coffee arrived.
☕ Why Coffee Tolerance Builds
When adenosine receptors are blocked repeatedly, the brain adapts.
It simply says:
“If these receptors keep getting blocked, we’ll make more of them.”
So over time:
The same coffee stops working
You need more to feel the same effect
Skipping coffee feels awful
Nothing is broken.This is normal neurological adaptation.
🚫 What Happens If You Suddenly Quit Coffee
If you stop caffeine after years (or decades) of use:
All those extra adenosine receptors are suddenly available
Adenosine floods the system
This is why people feel:
Heavy
Foggy
Achey
Like they’ve been hit by a truck
This phase does pass, but in midlife it often takes longer than expected.
🦋 Thyroid Medication & Coffee (Especially T3)
This is why thyroid meds are advised to be taken away from coffee:
AbsorptionCoffee reduces thyroid hormone absorption in the gut — especially T3.
Stacked stimulationThyroid hormone already speeds things up.Coffee blocks adenosine and pushes cortisol.
Together, this can feel like:
Wired mornings
Anxiety
Shakiness
Big afternoon crashes
Many women become more sensitive to thyroid medication in midlife, even if they’ve taken it for years.
If that sounds familiar, it’s worth exploring.
☕ Why People Respond So Differently to Coffee
Some people feel nothing at all → long-term tolerance
Some can’t tolerate even a sip → high stress load, already elevated cortisol
Some can drink coffee before bed → but sleep quality is still affected
Coffee isn’t about stimulation.It’s about how the brain manages adenosine — and how that interacts with cortisol and thyroid.
🎯 Final Thought
Coffee works by blocking adenosine.Adenosine is what naturally calms us and winds the day down.
When that balance is disrupted — especially in midlife — we don’t get a smooth landing.We get wired mornings… and hard crashes later.
🔜 Coming Up Next
Next episode: Food sensitivities and how they change in midlife
🎄 If you celebrate Christmas, I wish you a wonderful one.✨ And every joy, every blessing, and great health moving into 2026.
— Joanne

What Your Face and a Weak Handshake Have in Common

In this episode, Joanne connects several conversations that are often discussed separately — facial fat loss, muscle loss, grip strength, hormones, and rapid weight loss — and explains why they’re all part of the same biological picture in midlife.
Rather than treating these changes as isolated or cosmetic issues, this episode explores what’s really happening underneath: estrogen decline, rising myostatin, changes in muscle quality, and the body’s response to its environment.
Joanne also addresses recent criticism around rapid weight loss and explains why context, duration, and intention matter far more than the label.
In this episode, we cover:
Facial fat & muscle loss
Why facial fat loss accelerates with age — even without weight loss
How estrogen protects facial fat, skin thickness, and structural support
Why rapid weight loss can amplify facial aging when muscle isn’t preserved
The role of muscle tone and connective tissue in facial appearance
Why facial fat doesn’t always return proportionally with weight regain
Grip strength as a health marker
Why grip strength is one of the strongest predictors of aging, independence, and longevity
How grip strength reflects total-body muscle health, not just hands
The role of fast-twitch muscle fibers and why they disappear first with age
How rising myostatin makes muscle harder to maintain in midlife
Why estrogen loss worsens muscle breakdown and neuromuscular efficiency
Why grip strength often declines before visible muscle loss
The shared biology: estrogen & myostatin
How estrogen suppresses myostatin and supports muscle preservation
Why midlife changes create a more catabolic environment
How muscle loss, facial aging, and strength decline are biologically linked
Rapid weight loss — and why context matters
Joanne responds to criticism she received online for discussing rapid weight loss while also running Peak Week – the 5-Day Shred.
She explains:
Why prolonged restriction is the real problem — not short, strategic interventions
Why Peak Week is five days only, by design
That people don’t join Peak Week just to lose weight
People come to Peak Week to:
Reset habits
Re-establish structure and momentum
Get back “in the groove”
Experience the energy and accountability of a focused group
And yes — to see results that are guaranteed
Weight loss is not the only reason Peak Week works — it’s simply a predictable outcome when the body is placed in the right environment.
Why Peak Week works — every time
Joanne explains why Peak Week has such a high repeat rate:
Nearly everyone comes back again and again
Not because it’s extreme — but because it’s effective, structured, and supportive
During Peak Week:
There are 4 coaching calls in 6 days
Topics go far beyond weight loss
It’s an opportunity for Joanne to coach in real time, not just deliver a plan
She shares a real example:A woman who had been eating well and training consistently — without losing a single pound — joined Peak Week and lost 10 pounds.
Not because her body was “broken,” but because it finally experienced the right environment.
Most people aren’t failing.They’re just not in an environment that allows their body to respond.
Final takeaway
Midlife results — whether that’s fat loss, muscle preservation, facial aging, or strength — aren’t about willpower.
They’re about biology, hormones, and environment.
Create the right environment, and the body responds.Every time.
🔔 Call to Action
Peak Week – The 5-Day ShredStarts January 12
👉 www.5dayshred.com

DECEMBER 31 IT ALL ENDS!

What Compounding Pharmacies Actually Do — Why December 31st Matters — and the GLP-1 Confusion Explained
Before we talk about December 31st, the FDA, or compounded weight-loss medications, this episode starts with something most people misunderstand:
What compounding pharmacies are actually for.
Joanne begins by explaining the original and ongoing role of compounding pharmacies — using hormone replacement therapy (HRT) as a clear, long-standing example — before addressing why compounded GLP-1 medications existed temporarily and why that chapter is now closing.
This context matters, because without it, everything happening right now sounds dramatic when it really isn’t.
🔍 What’s Covered in This Episode
🧪 What Compounding Pharmacies Actually Do
Why compounding pharmacies exist in the first place
How compounding is meant to customize medication, not replace FDA-approved drugs
A clear explanation of compounded HRT, including:
Doses that do not exist in FDA-approved products
Patients who need amounts between standard commercial doses
Delivery methods or formulations that FDA products don’t offer
Why testosterone for women is commonly compounded
Why compounded HRT continues to be appropriate and legal:because FDA products cannot meet every individual dosing or formulation need
⚖️ How GLP-1 Compounding Was Different
Why compounded GLP-1 medications were legally allowed during shortages
How compounding pharmacies were permitted to fill a supply gap, not a medical customization gap
Why this was always intended to be temporary
The difference between individualized medical compounding and mass-market convenience compounding
📆 Why December 31st Matters
What actually changed when GLP-1 shortages ended
Why compounding pharmacies were given a wind-down period
Why December 31st became a common operational cutoff
Why this is not a ban, crackdown, or conspiracy — but a return to standard FDA rules
🧠 What This Means Going Forward
Why compounding still exists — but within narrow, patient-specific boundaries
Why GLP-1 mass compounding no longer fits the legal definition once supply stabilized
How fear-based “stock up now” messaging misses the point
Why medication can be a tool — but not a substitute for education, physiology, and behavior
🩺 Personal Update Mentioned in the Episode
Joanne also shares her recent reaction to a change in her thyroid medication, using it as a real-world example of why individualized dosing matters — and why nuance in medicine is often lost in online conversations.
📅 Program Dates for 2026
All program dates for 2026 are now set.
View the full schedule here:👉 www.joannelee2026.com
🧬 One-on-One Peptide Consultations
If you’d like to book a private consultation regarding peptide use, you can contact Joanne directly:
📧 joanne@joannelee.com📱 Text: 208-918-6569
(These consults are educational, individualized, and grounded in physiology — not trends.)
👋 New Here? Start Here.
If you’re new to Joanne’s work and want a low-risk way to experience her coaching style before committing to a longer program, start with one (or both) of these programs:
🔥 The Peak Week — 5 Day Shred
A focused, educational reset that sharpens habits, mindset, and execution.👉 www.5dayshred.com
🧠 The Victory Vault
A foundational program covering body composition, decision-making, and long-term success.👉 www.yourvictoryvault.com
These programs give you a clear feel for how Joanne coaches before stepping into more advanced or longer-term work.
🎧 Final Thought
This episode isn’t about losing access — it’s about understanding how compounding was meant to work, why GLP-1 compounding filled a temporary gap, and why returning to clear boundaries actually protects patients.
Clarity beats panic.Education beats outrage.

Do GLP-1s Really Change Your Set Point… or Just Press Pause?

Today’s episode was sparked by a Medscape article that immediately grabbed my attention. The headline essentially said that set point weight does not seem to decrease with the use of GLP-1 medications.
If you’re taking Semaglutide, Tirzepatide, or any of the current weight-loss medications, that line alone is enough to make your heart skip a beat. For many people, these medications have felt like the first time in their lives that their hunger was quiet, their cravings were manageable, and their weight finally responded. So when you hear that set point may not actually change — that the body might be waiting to crawl right back to its original weight — the fear becomes very real.
But like most things in physiology, the headline didn’t tell the whole story.And that’s what this episode unpacks.
What Set Point Actually Is — And Isn’t
Set point is often described as the weight your body “likes” to sit at, but that’s far too simplistic. Your body isn’t trying to sabotage you; it’s trying to protect you. Deep in your brain — specifically the hypothalamus — you have a kind of metabolic thermostat. It constantly monitors hormones, nutrient availability, inflammation, hunger cues, stress levels, and even the kinds of foods you routinely eat. All of this information is used to determine what weight range the body feels safest maintaining.
When you drop below that range, or lose weight quickly, the brain interprets it as a potential threat. Hunger rises. Cravings intensify. Food becomes more rewarding. Energy levels dip. Your metabolism slows. Your movement decreases without you even noticing. These aren’t character flaws — they’re ancient survival mechanisms.
And here’s the part that matters most:your set point is not permanent.It adapts based on your physiology. Your environment. Your habits. Your muscle mass. Your food quality. Your inflammation levels. Your stress. Your sleep. Your blood sugar stability.
Your set point can shift up or down — but it doesn’t shift just because you lost weight. It shifts when the biology underneath the weight changes.
So Where Do GLP-1 Medications Fit Into All of This?
GLP-1 medications do something incredibly powerful: they create the feeling of a lower set point. Hunger drops. Fullness increases. Cravings go quiet. Food stops dominating your thoughts. You feel in control. You naturally eat less because your biology finally lets you.
But it’s critical to understand why this happens.
GLP-1s don’t magically reset the metabolic thermostat.They simply turn down the noise that makes weight loss nearly impossible for some people.
They reduce hunger signals, slow digestion, balance blood sugar, dampen reward-driven eating, and improve certain hormonal pathways. While you’re on the medication, your body behaves as though it has a lower defended weight. You’re in the zone. You’re losing weight. Everything feels easier.
But — and this is exactly what the Medscape article was pointing to —once the medication is removed, the underlying system is still the same. If the physiology that created the higher set point hasn’t changed, the body will start nudging you back up toward where it felt safe before. Hunger returns. Cravings return. The pace of eating speeds up. You start thinking about food again. You don’t get as full as quickly. The thermostat simply goes right back to its previous setting.
This is why so many people regain weight after stopping GLP-1s.It isn’t because the medication “stopped working.”It’s because the set point didn’t shift, and the hunger cues were only being temporarily managed.
So What Does Lower a Set Point?
This is where physiology and lifestyle meet.
If you want the weight to stay off — with or without medication — your biology has to change in ways that make your brain feel safe at a lower weight. And that doesn’t come from being hungry. It comes from being metabolically supported.
Muscle is one of the biggest drivers. The more muscle you carry, the more efficiently you handle glucose, the more stable your metabolism becomes, and the less defensive your body is about holding fat. Protein intake matters for the same reason — it improves satiety, stabilizes cravings, and helps maintain lean mass.
Movement — especially strength training — tells the body, “We’re active, we’re strong, and we are not in a famine.” That’s when your metabolism relaxes and your appetite becomes more biologically appropriate.
Blood sugar stability matters enormously. When glucose swings up and down, cravings and hunger spikes follow — and your body fights to get back to the heavier weight where it felt more stable.
Even inflammation plays a part. A highly inflamed body is a defensive body. It clings. It protects. It stores. Lower inflammation sends the opposite signal:we’re safe, we’re nourished, we can let go.
None of these changes come from medication alone.The medication simply gives you the breathing room — the quiet — to build the habits that actually shift your biology.
So… Was Medscape Right?
In a way, yes.GLP-1 medications don’t appear to lower the set point by themselves.
But the interpretation matters.It doesn’t mean GLP-1s are ineffective.It doesn’t mean you’re doomed to regain weight.It doesn’t mean the medication “failed.”
It simply means this:
GLP-1s press pause on the hunger drive long enough for you to build the habits that actually lower your set point for good.
This is why coaching, education, nutrition, movement, sleep, and stress regulation matter so much during GLP-1 use. Because the medication lowers the volume, but you build the new metabolic environment.
And when the metabolic environment changes, the set point changes.When the set point changes, the weight stays off.
If You’re Using GLP-1s Right Now — Or Planning To — You Need Support
You need someone to teach you the physiology, guide your nutrition, protect your muscle, structure your training, and make sure you are lowering your set point while the medication gives you the space to do it.
This is exactly what my programs are designed for.
My January programs and my 10-month elite mentorship (beginning March 1st) are for people who want the science, the clarity, and the plan — not the fluff.
You can learn more at:
👉 www.JoanneLee.com
And if you want to ask me anything personally, or you’re trying to figure out the best way to use GLP-1s without falling into the regain cycle:
📩 Email me directly at joanne@joannelee.com