Feel like you're already "behind" in the New Year before it’s even gotten off the ground? This episode is for you!

Happy New Year, my friend! If you’re listening and feeling less "reinvigorated and refreshed" and more like "exhausted midlife mom just trying to survive," I want you to take a deep breath. You are exactly where you need to be.

In this episode, I’m scrapping the "how-to" to give us both what we actually need: a real-talk pep talk. I’m sharing how the messages you hear in January can lead you to feeling like a failure, when it comes to your midlife health and wellness.

I'm breaking down the toxic myths that tell you you're "behind" if you didn't start on January 1st. I’ll explain why your body doesn't have an expiration date for health. and how your brain’s "freeze response" is actually what’s stopping you (hint: it's not your lack of willpower!)

We’re moving away from the "all or nothing" mentality and leaning into the "bare minimum" so you can actually start living a vibrant, anti-inflammatory life in the middle of your messy, beautiful, chaotic reality.

Inside this episode:

📌 Why January 1st is arbitrary, and how you can focus on your health anytime

📌 Borrowing from your professional side, let's stop firing yourself from your own wellness goals.

📌 How to identify the "when" stories that give you permission to procrastinate.

📌 The biological reason your nervous system sees big goals as a threat (and how to lower the stakes).


Links Mentioned and Ways To Connect:

🙋‍♀️ Work with Me
⭐️ Connect on Social
🥑 How I Cook Just 3 Nights/Week
🧠 Mindset Framework to Stop Relying On Willpower or Motivation

At the beginning of a new year, you probably feel that familiar nudge. You know the one: the "New Year, New Me" excitement where you buy the fancy apps, the matching yoga pants, and print out a meal plan so organized it belongs in a museum.

But let’s be real—by Valentine’s Day, those yoga pants are being dressed up for "casual office wear", and your motivation has completely evaporated.

I see you, and I get it. You are a smart, driven, high-achieving woman managing a career and a massive "invisible load" at home. But let's get honest about why your health resolutions have failed in the past. (Spoiler alert: It’s not because you lack willpower or discipline.)

The problem is a flawed strategy that doesn't account for the reality of who you are as a professional and busy mom in perimenopause or menopause.

In this episode I break down the six traps that keep midlife moms stuck in a cycle of frustration and self-blame. We’re moving past the "all-or-nothing" mentality, and taking advantage of my secret weapon: the Bare Minimum Plan. We talk about how to stop punishing yourself for holiday cookies and cocktails, and how to start rewiring your brain so healthy habits actually feel effortless.


In this episode:

✅ The Tool Trap: Why downloading fitness and nutrition apps won’t balance your hormones.

✅ The Planning Lie: How to tell if your color-coded Google Calendar is acutally your way of procrastinating.

✅ The Bare Minimum Plan: How to stay on track even when life goes off the rails.

✅ Rewiring Your Brain: Why a mindset framework is the missing link in every diet you’ve ever tried.

✅ Data vs. Drama: How to look at post-holiday weight gain without the guilt, shame, or punishment.

Links Mentioned and Ways To Connect:

The Perimenopause Weight Loss Method

🙋‍♀️ Work with Me
⭐️ Connect on Social
🥑 How I Cook Just 3 Nights/Week
🧠 Mindset Framework to Stop Relying On Willpower or Motivation

Want to know the truth about my "healthiest year ever"? It didn't look anything like I had planned.

Maybe your health and wellness goals went off the rails this year, too?

You are definitely not alone. I started this year with a physique coach, ready to get into the best shape of my life for my 50th year. But life decided to hand me a cancer diagnosis, multiple surgeries, and the loss of my dad instead.

In this episode of The Family Fork, I’m giving you a raw, unfiltered look at what my year really looked like. I’m not going to tell you I nailed my nutrition every day (spoiler: I definitely didn't). Instead, we’re digging into the reality of survival mode. I’m sharing the three areas where I actually surprised myself with success, and the three shortcomings that taught me the hardest lessons.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

📌 Slow Down vs Stop: Why taking a "pit stop" isn't quitting, and how cancer diagnosis forced me to understand what rest actually means.

📌 Movement for Mental Health: How walking to the mailbox became my biggest physical win of the year.

📌 Clean Eating with a Side of Sabatoge: A candid look at this year's struggle with sugar (hello, Hershey's Kisses 🙄) and how it impacts gut health and inflammation.

📌 Aaaahh, Stress Management: Why I bought myself a watercolor set and how 45-minutes of creating can lower your cortisol.

Whether you’re navigating a health issues, perimenopause, or just the overwhelming invisible load of midlife, this episode is your permission slip to stop trying to be perfect, and to start finding grace.


Links Mentioned and Ways to Connect:

🙋‍♀️ Work with Me
⭐️ Connect on Social
🥑 How I Cook Just 3 Nights/Week
🧠 Mindset Framework to Stop Relying On Willpower or Motivation

If you're ready to finally ditch the diets, for something more sustainable (and that gives better results!), listen up!

When I tell women I lost 65 pounds in my late 40s, their first question is always "How?" And while I could list the diet swaps and workouts, that's not the full story, is it? We both know that when life hits the fan—solo parenting for six weeks, caring for a sick parent, recovering from surgery—the "basics" are the first thing to go. If weight loss were just a simple nutrition plan, you’d have already reached your goal!

The truth is, my lasting success came from going far beyond the basics. It wasn't just about the food and movement.

It was about the profound identity shift and the tools I developed to stay on track when things got hard. It’s what allowed me to stick with my health journey through a hysterectomy, breast cancer, and all the day-to-day chaos that comes with midlife motherhood.

In this episode, I'm pulling back the curtain to share the five most impactful things I did to not only lose 65 pounds, but to keep it off for good. These are the non-negotiable strategies that will help you pull through when life inevitably goes off the rails.

In This Episode:

✅ The ONLY Thing You Need for Long-Term Success: It isn't your meal plan, but learning to be brutally consistent (and hear how I finally taught myself to do it).


✅ The Sneaky Thing Sabatoging Your Efforts: The "bites, licks, and tastes" (BLTs) you're conveniently forgetting to track, and how this simple act of self-honesty can change your results.

✅ Why Your Feelings Are Derailing Your Weight Loss: You MUST recognize your feelings—like resentment or frustration—because they directly drive your results. I’ll explain how this works and how I used a simple framework to stop that cycle.

✅ Stop Looking for the “Quick Fix”: Why those fat burners, peptides, or latest fad diets are actually keeping you stuck, and why consistency over time is the only sustainable path.


Let's ditch the frustration and embrace a new way of approaching your health. I promise, weight loss is possible for you in midlife, but you're going to have to make a few mindset shifts!

Links Mentioned and Ways to Connect:
🥑 Component Cooking for Busy Moms: Check out The Supper Club meal plan membership to see how I cook just 3 nights a week!
📌 Ready to apply the consistency framework to your life? Learn how to do that here!
🙋‍♀️ Work with Me
⭐️ Connect on Social

You likely know by now that anti-inflammatory nutrition in midlife is a non-negotiable. But let's be honest, we all get tripped up when it comes to traveling!

Whether you're heading off for a family vacation, a holiday visit, or a packed work trip, it can feel impossible to stick to your healthy eating habits when you’re away from your own kitchen.

And I hear you thinking, "Ashley, why bother? I'm supposed to be having fun!"

But when you're off your regular schedule, moving less, and forgetting to drink water (you know you do!), your body gets seriously inflamed and puffy. This leads to exhaustion, headaches, and just plain feeling lousy. That is no way to enjoy a vacation, and it’s certainly no way to be on your A-game for a work trip!

In this episode, I'm walking you through the simple, actionable steps you can take to stick with your anti-inflammatory nutrition, even while traveling. This system works whether you're staying at a five-star hotel, an Airbnb, or crashing at your sister's house.

A little bit of pre-planning will save you so much time and energy, allowing you to be your most vibrant, present self for your family and friends. And spoiler alert: you're going to have to make a mindset shift and advocate for what you need!

What You'll Learn in This Episode:

✅ The 3 Items I Never Travel Without: I’ll share my absolute favorite travel essentials, including a lightweight water bottle and the one food that instantly boosts energy and kicks cravings.

✅ My Anti-Inflammatory Snack List: Discover how to make your own healthy trail mix for the airport, other snacks that travel well, plus the single-serve dark chocolate that cures your late-night cravings (bye, Milky Ways!)

✅ Your Destination Grocery List: The exact list of packable, anti-inflammatory items you need to order to your hotel or Airbnb to fuel your body with zero stress.

✅ The Mindset Shift to Unlock Success: Why your fear of being a "bother" to your family is holding you back, and how to advocate for your health so you can be your most energetic, best self. (Hint: Nobody is thinking about your food as much as you are!)


Links Mentioned and ways to connect:

📌 Get the extra anti-inflammatory travel guides inside the Supper Club
📌 Tap here to work with me
📌 Mindset Frameworks to stop relying on motivation
📌 Connect on social

🎁 🎁 Midlife & Mistletoe: Holiday Survival Bundle 🎁 🎁

Ready to feel energetic, healthy, and and happy this holiday season? Jump into Midlife & Mistletoe for anti-inflammatory recipes, shopping lists, holiday meal planners, cocktail alternatives, and a 12-day private podcast.

Tap to start Midlife & Mistletoe today!

Raise your hand if you've tried everything in perimenopause to lose weight, but nothing works? You’re tracking your steps, eating salads, maybe even choking down dry chicken and broccoli for dinner. Believe me, I get it! I've been there, and I hear this same frustration from busy, midlife moms every single day.

As we creep into perimenopause and beyond, losing weight becomes a whole new ballgame...it is harder, but not impossible!

While you think you’ve tried every single thing, the truth is that your brain can be sneaky! It can actually blind you to simple, available solutions you haven't even given a fair shot.

In this episode, I’m giving you a much-needed kick-in-the-pants with a Pop Quiz! I’ve identified 10 major reasons that are likely stopping your weight loss, even when you think you’re doing everything perfectly.

We’re turning that frustration into data, my friend, because once you know the why, you can finally figure out the HOW. We're diving into the nutrition, the workouts, and the most crucial part: the mindset shifts you need to make healthy habits effortless. Grab a pen and paper, keep score as you listen, and don't forget to grab the printable quiz (link below!) so you can truly own your results.

What You'll Learn:

⭐️ Wrong Plan, Wrong Results: Why your go-to meal plans and recipes from the internet are actually promoting inflammation and making the scale creep up, not down .

⭐️ Planning Is Procrastination: How collecting endless recipes and meal plans is just your brain's sneaky way of avoiding the real work (and what to do instead!) .

⭐️ The Hard-to-Swallow Pill: Why "following your meal plan" Monday through Friday is derailing your efforts the rest of the week.

⭐️ The Biggest Miss: Why having the "right" meal plan isn't enough, and why understanding your mindset is the true secret weapon to lifelong weight loss .

Links mentioned and ways to connect:

📌 FREE Quiz: Why You Can't Lose Weight in Perimenopause
📌 Free 21-Day Anti-Inflammatory Meal Plan
📌 Work with Me
📌 How I Cook Just 3 Nights/Week
📌 Mindset Framework to Stop Relying On Motivation
📌 Connect on Social

🎁 🎁 Midlife & Mistletoe: Holiday Survival Bundle 🎁 🎁

Ready to feel energetic, healthy, and and happy this holiday season? Jump into Midlife & Mistletoe for anti-inflammatory recipes, shopping lists, holiday meal planners, cocktail alternatives, and a 12-day private podcast.

Tap to start Midlife & Mistletoe today!

The holiday season is here! Yay for the twinkle lights, cozy feelings, cherished traditions...but there's plenty of food and alcohol that can absolutely derail your health goals.

As a busy, midlife mom managing perimenopause symptoms and working to lose weight, you know that sugar and inflammatory foods can instantly lead to a miserable sugar hangover and that dreaded need to unbutton your pants after a big meal.

But you deserve to feel amazing this holiday season!! You need that energy for parties, shopping, family events like the ballet or tubing, and definitely for keeping up with the kids.

The goal here is simple: be proactive, so you can glide through the holidays feeling energetic, clear-minded, and totally in control.

This episode is your roadmap to enjoying the holidays without deprivation. We're ditching the self-sabotage and giving you the smart, anti-inflammatory swaps and mindset shifts that work for your body right now.

In this episode, we tackle:

⭐️ The Savory Secret: Why starting your day with a savory breakfast bowl (yes, even a dinner-for-breakfast moment!) is your best defense against cravings and blood sugar crashes all day long.

⭐️ The Power of Protein: How drinking a delicious, protein-filled smoothie before a party keeps you satisfied and less tempted by the buffet table.

⭐️ Family Expectations vs. Your Health: How to manage (and reset) family expectations around classic holiday foods, without feeling guilty or causing a nervous system freak-out.

⭐️ The Three-Bite Rule: My clever, guilt-free strategy for enjoying the best sweets and treats at any holiday gathering

⭐️ Alcohol Anxiety: How to reframe your mindset around alcohol so you can feel comfortable not drinking at parties and events

Let's make this the most energetic and confident holiday season yet!

Links Mentioned and Ways to Connect:

📌 Get your Savor the Season anti-inflammatory cook book here
📌 My favorite protein powder for pre-party smoothies
📌 My favorite festive tumblers for mocktails
📌 Work with Me
📌 How I Cook Just 3 Nights/Week
📌 Mindset Framework to Stop Relying On Motivation
📌 Connect on Social

Ever feel like your thoughts are actively working against your midlife health goals? Like, the moment you decide to try something new, your brain slams the brakes on with excuses like, "That's too hard," "I don't have time," or the classic, "My family will never eat that"? You are absolutely not alone!

In my first-ever Ask Me Anything episode of The Family Fork, I tackle the questions that are truly keeping busy, midlife moms stuck.

These are the real, raw struggles that pop up when you're navigating perimenopause, weight loss, and the daily chaos of family life. We're diving deep into the mindset traps that lead to overwhelm and overthinking, and I'm handing you the exact framework I teach my clients to break free.

Spoiler Alert: It's not about being more disciplined or motivated.

It's about training your brain to stop letting difficult feelings (like frustration and defeat) give you permission to do nothing at all. We're talking about everything from the dinner dilemma—how to eat anti-inflammatory when your family demands predictable meals—to overcoming major setbacks like injuries or health complications.

I promise you, there are simple, effective ways to move forward, even when you feel totally overwhelmed, your family is pushing back, or life has thrown you an unexpected curveball (like a shoulder injury or, yep, even breast cancer). You deserve to feel strong, healthy, and confident, and it all starts with noticing the stories your brain is telling you and choosing to push forward anyway. Let's figure this out together!

What we cover in this episode:

🥑 The Dinner Dilemma Solved: How to eat the anti-inflammatory meals you need for perimenopause health while keeping your family (and your partner!) happy, without cooking separate dinners. (It's not your job to make everyone happy, but you can definitely compromise!)

🥑 The Power of Your Thoughts: Why letting yourself feel frustrated or defeated leads to giving up on your goals, and how that resentment builds toward your family.

🥑 The Overwhelm Trap: Why overwhelm and overthinking are simply the avoidance of feelings (like guilt, embarrassment, or disappointment), and how your brain uses this trap to give you permission to do nothing.

🥑 The Curiosity Cure: The simple, powerful two-step framework for getting unstuck: first, Notice the thoughts that stop you, and second, Get Curious to start collecting data and moving forward (risk-free!).

🥑 Bouncing Back from Setbacks: My personal story of navigating breast cancer and a double mastectomy and the exact mental shift you need to make to stop getting stuck in "survival mode" when life throws you an injury or major complication.


More Support For You

🙋‍♀️ Work with Me
🍳 How I Cook Just 3 Nights/Week
🧠 THINK Your Way To Weight Loss
📌 Connect on Instagram

🎁 🎁 Midlife & Mistletoe: Holiday Survival Bundle 🎁 🎁

Ready to feel energetic, healthy, and and happy this holiday season? Jump into Midlife & Mistletoe for anti-inflammatory recipes, shopping lists, holiday meal planners, cocktail alternatives, and a 12-day private podcast.

Tap to start Midlife & Mistletoe today!