Summary
Kitty Bloomfield and Craig McDonald discuss how pro-metabolic nutrition transformed Kitty's health after years of restrictive dieting, binge eating, hormonal imbalances, and a miscarriage. They focus on women in their 40s and 50s dealing with perimenopause and explain why severe caloric restriction and excessive cardio backfire, advocating instead for adequate protein, thyroid support, and sustainable eating patterns.
Key Points
- Severe caloric restriction tanks thyroid function (T3 conversion), slowing metabolism and making fat loss harder over time.
- Excessive cardio combined with undereating is a common pattern that worsens hormonal imbalances in perimenopausal women.
- Pro-metabolic nutrition prioritizes eating enough calories with adequate protein to support thyroid and metabolic rate.
- Binge eating often results from chronic restriction -- eating enough consistently reduces the compulsion to overeat.
- Strength training preserves muscle and bone density during perimenopause when estrogen-driven protection is declining.
- Supporting thyroid health with adequate selenium, iodine, and protein is foundational before adding other interventions.
Key Moments
How strength training reversed years of restrictive dieting damage
Kitty describes how incorporating proper strength training alongside pro-metabolic nutrition transformed her health in six months, improving her menstrual cycle, stopping binge eating, building muscle, and dramatically increasing energy.
"And I would send in videos of me deadlifting and squatting. And I was eating all the food. And then, you know, just over the period of like six months, my cycle was improved. I stopped binge eating. I got really strong. I started putting on muscle."
Why severe caloric restriction and excessive cardio backfire for women
Kitty shares how years of restrictive dieting, cutting carbs, and excessive cardio led to hormonal imbalances, a miscarriage, pre-cancerous cells, digestive issues, insomnia, food obsession, and binge eating, illustrating why these approaches fail women in their 40s and 50s.
"And I had a lot of health issues and cycle issues and hormonal imbalances, which I never linked to, you know, the fact that I was just running myself into the ground with these crazy diets."
Pro-metabolic nutrition for thyroid support and hormonal health
Kitty describes the pivotal moment when a practitioner suggested women with thyroid issues should not eat excessive green vegetables, leading her to discover pro-metabolic nutrition through Ray Peat's work and a complete shift in her approach to eating.
"And she said, you know, women have thyroid issues. She shouldn't need a ton of green vegetables. And I was like, what do you mean? Shouldn't everyone eat all green vegetables all the time? Because I literally ate them at every fucking meal."
