Midlife Health: Annie Gaudreault
GLP-1s and midlife women are dominating headlines—but the conversation we’re not having is about strength, nourishment, and what real health looks like.
Strength Over Smallness: Why Midlife Women Deserve Better Than the New Thinness Trend
For decades, women have basically been told:
“Sweetheart, could you just shrink a little?”
- Shrink your appetite.
- Shrink your waistline.
- Shrink your ambitions while you’re at it.
We grew up drowning in “Size 0,” “beach body ready,” and “shred yourself” like they were inspirational goals, not red flags. Diet culture didn’t nudge us. It shoved us. Hard.
And now? Welcome to the GLP-1 era, where thinness is back… but wrapped in a modern, high-tech bow.
Let’s be clear: these medications do have incredible value. For women dealing with diabetes, severe insulin resistance, or obesity, GLP-1s can be life-changing. Transformational. A true medical miracle.
But here’s where the plot twists and not in a fun way: We’ve turned them into the latest vehicle for obsession.
Hollywood drops 40 pounds overnight and suddenly society behaves like someone won an Oscar for “Best Shrinking Woman.”
“Doesn’t she look amazing?”
Cue the applause, cue the envy, cue the pressure.
But behind that applause?
Something darker. Something nobody wants to talk about.
GLP-1s and Midlife Women: The Conversation We’re Not Having
I coach women on GLP-1s and I’m proud of it.
But let me tell you the part that never makes the headlines: These medications demand real nutritional strategy and lifestyle support. Not optional. Not “nice to have.” Required.
Recently, a woman told me she’d lost 50 pounds.
Big celebration, right?
Except…
- Her hair was falling out.
- Her nails were splitting.
- Her blood work screamed malnutrition.
That’s not success. That’s your body waving a giant red flag yelling, “Hey! I still need nutrients down here!”
Health Requires More Than Weight Loss
Here’s the truth: You cannot medicate your way out of nourishment. You cannot replace strength training with a weekly injection. And you definitely cannot build a strong, resilient, energized body by starving it, whether intentionally or because your appetite vanished.
Women’s bodies are not problems to be solved. They are power plants. Engines. High-performance machines designed to carry us through decades of meaning, leadership, and purpose.
So at midlife, can we please retire the fantasy of becoming “smaller”?
How about becoming:
- stronger
- sharper
- steadier
- more powerful
- more confident
- more visible
Shrink?
No thank you. I’d rather expand.
Midlife Is Not a Time To Disappear
At this stage of life, the goal is not to morph into a fragile, wafer-thin version of yourself. The goal is to build: muscle, stamina, clarity, joy.
- To stabilize your energy.
- To protect your brain.
- To move like a woman who knows exactly who she is.
GLP-1s can be an incredible tool — but they’re not magic.
The magic comes from you:
- the food you eat,
- the muscles you train,
- the rest you protect,
- the boundaries you set,
- the self-respect you claim.
Health has no shortcut. Not even a shiny, brand-name one.
Your Uprising Starts Now
The truth? Midlife isn’t your downfall. It’s your uprising. Forget being small. Be strong. Be loud. Take up space.
The world needs more of you — not less.
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About the Author:
As a nutritionist and women’s health coach, Annie founded VEEV Health & Wellness to support the needs of smart and successful women at midlife, giving them the confidence to do what they want to do, with the energy that they need. An endurance athlete with 12 marathons and 3 Ironman® triathlons under her belt, Annie lives what she preaches.
A prior 25+ year career as a brand consultant working with executives of Fortune 500 companies gave her a solid background to serve the wellness needs of those living busy lives.
She is a regular speaker to the media, corporations and lifestyle organizations on various topics of health.
