Pilot Wife Podcast and Aviation Adventures · Jackie Ulmer

[EP56] Self Acceptance and a Healthy Fit Body

February 9, 2023·23 min·2 clips

Why the 'eat less, move more' approach fails women over 35 due to cortisol and hormonal shifts.

Jackie Elmer hosts this solo episode from a trip in Cancun with over 60 American Airlines pilot wives. She is an aviation professional, a pilot wife for over 30 years, and a mindset and peak performance coach. The episode explores whether self-acceptance, body positivity, and a healthy fit body can coexist. Elmer recounts positive feedback from listeners at the Cancun event and a humorous karaoke moment with the "AA Fun Wives." She outlines her coaching philosophy, which avoids shaming or prescribing one-size-fits-all solutions, emphasizing bio-individuality. Elmer shares her personal experiences with industry challenges, menopause, hormone shifts, weight gain, and feelings of isolation. She details her "Get Fit Challenge," a free 31-day program focusing on small habit shifts rather than restrictive dieting. A key discussion involves a poolside conversation with a woman in her forties frustrated by weight gain despite cutting food and working out 90 minutes to two hours daily. Elmer challenges the "eat less, move more" mantra, explaining that intense workouts over age 35 can increase cortisol, which may hinder weight loss. She introduces her "Throttle Back the Bottle" program, born from her own decision to reevaluate a habitual, pre-pandemic daily wine routine. Elmer describes moving from mindless drinking to intentional choices, using a 10-minute pause technique, which improved her sleep and reduced belly fat. She notes that hormonal changes for women often begin around age 35, affecting estrogen, progesterone, and human growth hormone. Elmer also briefly mentions her work with intermittent fasting and the "Pilot Wife Checklist." The episode concludes with a preview of the next topic: using "noise-canceling headphones for life" to manage social media and external opinions. The tone is conversational, motivational, and deeply personal, blending anecdotal stories with coaching advice. Listeners interested in non-diet approaches to wellness, habit change, or navigating midlife health within the aviation lifestyle would appreciate this episode. Those seeking a highly structured, scientific, or debate-driven format might find it less aligned with their preferences.

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