In this episode of The Menowave Lounge: Hot Flashes and Cool Conversations, hosts Robin Duke and Janette Blissett sit down with Lisa Swanson, fitness and weight loss expert with over 35 years of experience helping women over 50 achieve sustainable, stress-free weight loss.

From crushing gym intimidation to rethinking metabolism, Lisa brings clarity, compassion, and practical wisdom to a topic so many women struggle with in silence. Her holistic approach — blending aligned nutrition, progressive strength training, and mindset support — is helping postmenopausal women reclaim energy, confidence, and joy in their bodies again.

Spoiler alert: If you’ve been trying to “eat less and move more,” you might be doing too much — and stressing your system into shutdown.

In This Episode, We Cover:

🔥 Why your metabolism is more like a stress barometer than a calorie calculator
🧠 The power of “baby step beliefs” — and how they rewire self-trust and motivation
💪 Why strength training matters more than cardio after 50
🧘‍♀️ The overlooked role of rest, recovery, and emotional stress on weight loss
👟 Walking, yoga, silence, and other gentle ways to reset cortisol
🌿 How to approach weight loss from wisdom, not punishment

Lisa also shares the truth about scale obsession, the myth of "starting over," and how to shift from overwhelm to empowerment with small, sustainable changes.

Ready to reclaim your metabolism and reframe your mindset? You’re not starting over — you’re starting from experience.

In this episode of The Menowave Lounge: Hot Flashes and Cool Conversations, hosts Robin Duke and Janette Blissett welcome Jen Kunkel, a Midlife Women’s Wellness Strategist and host of the Women Rocking Midlife podcast. With a background in chemical and biomedical engineering, Jen challenges outdated views on menopause and embraces a holistic, empowered approach to well-being. In This Episode, We Cover:

✨ How emotional energy gets stored in the body and resurfaces during menopause
✨ The connection between menopause, chakras, and vibrational energy
✨ Practical techniques for releasing stuck emotions and balancing your energy
✨ How mindfulness and meditation can ease menopause symptoms like anxiety and sleep disturbances
✨ The power of setting daily intentions to recognize and manage emotional triggers

Jen shares her personal journey through perimenopause and how she discovered the deep mind-body connection. She offers insightful strategies for shifting energy, healing past emotional imprints, and finding peace during this transformative stage of life. Key Takeaways:

✨ Menopause is not just a physical transition—it’s an emotional and energetic one, too.
✨ Identifying triggers and emotional patterns can help reduce mood swings and anxiety.
✨ Simple practices like chakra balancing, mindful eating, and daily reflection can make a big difference.
✨ Menopause is not just a physical transition—it’s an emotional and energetic one, too.
✨ Identifying triggers and emotional patterns can help reduce mood swings and anxiety.
✨ There is no one-size-fits-all approach—find what works best for your body, mind, and spirit.

Looking for more support on your menopause journey? Join our supportive community for expert resources, connection, and inspiration designed to help you thrive through every stage of midlife.

About Our Guest:
Jen Kunkel is on a mission to empower women to take control of their own physical, mental, and emotional well-being. Despite holding a degree in Chemical/Biomedical Engineering, she, like many women, has been frustrated by conflicting and missing mainstream advice on women's fitness and health. Jen believes that society’s approach to menopause and aging is outdated—it's not a disease to be cured, nor a fact of life to simply suffer through. Instead, she advocates for a holistic, high-vibration, and purposeful lifestyle that allows women to take personal responsibility for their well-being. Having overcome teen depression through fitness, meditation, and personal growth, Jen turned to these same methods when facing the emotional turmoil of perimenopause. Through deeper exploration of the mind-body-emotion connection, she developed transformative practices that helped her escape anxiety and depression, dramatically improving her quality of life.

Now, she helps other women experience their own enchanted menopause journey.

Learn more about Jen and listen to her podcast at jenkunkel.com and wildsavvy.com. If you’re stuck in the Meno Spiral of Doom, get Jen’s latest FREE resource at wildsavvy.com/gift. Tune in for a fascinating discussion on emotional well-being, energy healing, and how to thrive through midlife with vitality and self-awareness.

➡️ Subscribe, rate, and share this episode with the women in your life who are navigating this journey!

In this episode of The Menowave Lounge: Hot Flashes and Cool Conversations, hosts Robin Duke and Janette Blissett dive into the complexities of intimacy, relationships, and self-care during menopause. As women experience hormonal shifts, changing libido, and emotional transitions, these changes also impact their relationships—especially with partners going through their own midlife transformations.

Robin and Janette explore:

✨ How menopause and “men-opause” affect intimacy and connection
✨ Ways to communicate openly with your partner about changing needs
✨ The role of self-care, humor, and grace in navigating this life stage
✨ How to embrace new dimensions of intimacy beyond physical connection

Whether you're partnered or single, this episode offers real talk, expert insights, and empowering strategies to help you redefine intimacy and deepen emotional connections during menopause.

Looking for more support on your menopause journey?

Join our community for expert advice, connection, and inspiration to thrive through every stage of midlife.