Emotional Eats Podcast: Real conversations about menopause, hormones, emotional eating, and weight loss for women over 40

Welcome to the Emotional Eats Podcast!
So many women spend years creating a home around everyone else's needs. The kids. The schedules. The activities. The expectations.
But what happens when midlife arrives and life begins to shift?
In this thoughtful conversation, Kim Hynes sits down with Kim Costa to explore a question many women don't stop to ask:
Does your home still support who you are today?
This episode goes far beyond decorating and organizing. Together, they discuss how your environment, community, relationships, geography, and even the energy of your home can impact your happiness, health, creativity, and overall well-being. From empty nesting and menopause to rediscovering yourself after years of caregiving, this conversation offers a fresh perspective on creating a life that truly fits this season of life.
In This Episode You'll Learn:
Why feeling frustrated, anxious, lonely, or unsettled at home may be a sign that something needs attention
The eight key areas of life that influence whether your environment supports you
How your home can either drain your energy or help restore it
The connection between your physical space and your emotional well-being
Why geography matters more than most people realize
How relationships, marriage, empty nesting, and midlife transitions can influence where and how you want to live
The surprising impact of color, light, clutter, and unused spaces on your mood
How to create a home that reflects your true self instead of the image you think you're supposed to project
Practical ways to make your current space feel more supportive, even if moving isn't an option
How to decide whether it's time to stay, renovate, or make a bigger change
Key Takeaways
Your home is more than a place where you sleep at night.
It can influence your stress levels, your creativity, your relationships, your physical health, and even how connected you feel to yourself.
Midlife is often a season of transition. As children leave home, careers evolve, relationships change, and priorities shift, it's worth asking whether your environment is growing with you.
Sometimes the answer is a move. Sometimes it's a renovation. Sometimes it's simply creating a small corner that belongs entirely to you.
The goal isn't perfection. It's creating a space that supports the woman you are becoming.
Because when your environment aligns with your needs, it becomes easier to feel calm, energized, connected, and at home in your own life.
About Kim Costa
Kim Costa is a REALTOR®, author, speaker, and creator of the Wheel House Assessment. With more than three decades of experience in residential construction, design, and real estate, Kim helps homeowners, especially women navigating midlife and major life transitions, understand whether their home still supports the life they are living now and the person they are becoming. Her work blends real estate, design, lifestyle alignment, and practical decision-making through her Live In Your Wheel House approach.
Connect with Kim
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kim.e.costa/
 
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kim-costa-20668137/
 
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kim.costa.923
 
What is your website? : https://lifestylefoundations.com/
 
If This Episode Resonated With You
Please follow the Emotional Eats Podcast, download this episode, and share it with a woman in your life who struggles silently with food, body image, binge eating, or emotional eating. These conversations matter.
And if you're looking for ongoing support and connection, make sure to check out the Cool Girl Collective, Kim's community for women over 40 navigating emotional eating, menopause, hormones, cravings, and learning how to nourish their whole lives.
Join the Cool Girl Collective
👉 Click Here to Join:  https://www.skool.com/coolgirlcollective/
Website:  https://wellspringcounselingandhealth.com/
Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/kimhynesmidlife/
TikTok:  https://www.tiktok.com/@kimhynesmidlife
YouTube:  https://www.youtube.com/@Kimhynesmidlife
Want to improve your midlife focus or sleep?  Check out Brain.fm.  This app has help me be more productive, get the best afternoon powernaps and bring down my nervous system….fast.  Get 30 days for free here.
 https://www.brain.fm/kimhyneshealth
 
Get my favorite healthy Hot Chocolate (Organifi Chocolate Gold) here:
https://www.organifishop.com/
Use code:  KIMH for 20 % off
This dark chocolate tumeric tea helps promote relaxation and calm.  It's the perfect substitute for dessert and a great way to help promote sleep.
 
Other links Kim receives commission on some of these products which are used to continue providing free content and produce the Emotional Eats Podcast.
LMNT
http://elementallabs.refr.cc/kimhynes
Disclaimer:  This podcast is for entertainment and informational purposes only.  Always consult with your medical practitioner before changing habits.  This podcast is not to take the place of medical or mental health professionals.
If you enjoyed the episode, share, download and follow.  I would be so grateful.

Have you ever felt like you're doing everything right, but the weight still isn't coming off?  You're trying what the "experts" and influencers are selling and can't seem to see the right number on the scale.
In this episode, Kim challenges the idea that weight loss should be the main measure of success for your body in midlife. She invites you into the discussion of why focusing solely on the scale can actually keep women stuck and how shifting the focus to overall health can create lasting results.
You'll learn why muscle, blood sugar, sleep, stress, hormones, and daily habits matter so much more than chasing the next diet, product or wellness trend. Most importantly, you'll discover a different way to define success for yourself and your body.  A new reframe that helps you feel better, age stronger, and build a healthier relationship with your body.
In This Episode:
Why weight loss has become the report card for so many women
The hidden ways diet culture shows up in today's wellness world
Why focusing only on the scale can cause you to overlook important signs of progress
The role of muscle, blood sugar, sleep, stress, and hormones in midlife health
Why many women don't need more discipline—they need more support
How to shift from chasing weight loss to building true health
What health actually looks like beyond a number on the scale
When health becomes the goal, weight loss often becomes a side effect. It just happens.  But when weight loss becomes the only goal, it's easy to lose sight of the very things that help you feel your best. This episode will help you focus on what truly matters for long-term health, energy, and freedom around food and your body…and just might lose weight.
If This Episode Resonated With You
Please follow the Emotional Eats Podcast, download this episode, and share it with a woman in your life who struggles silently with food, body image, binge eating, or emotional eating. These conversations matter.
And if you're looking for ongoing support and connection, make sure to check out the Cool Girl Collective, Kim's community for women over 40 navigating emotional eating, menopause, hormones, cravings, and learning how to nourish their whole lives.
Join the Cool Girl Collective
👉 Click Here to Join:  https://www.skool.com/coolgirlcollective/
Website:  https://wellspringcounselingandhealth.com/
Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/kimhynesmidlife/
TikTok:  https://www.tiktok.com/@kimhynesmidlife
YouTube:  https://www.youtube.com/@Kimhynesmidlife
Want to improve your midlife focus or sleep?  Check out Brain.fm.  This app has help me be more productive, get the best afternoon powernaps and bring down my nervous system….fast.  Get 30 days for free here.
 https://www.brain.fm/kimhyneshealth
 
Get my favorite healthy Hot Chocolate (Organifi Chocolate Gold) here:
https://www.organifishop.com/
Use code:  KIMH for 20 % off
This dark chocolate tumeric tea helps promote relaxation and calm.  It's the perfect substitute for dessert and a great way to help promote sleep.
 
Other links Kim receives commission on some of these products which are used to continue providing free content and produce the Emotional Eats Podcast.
LMNT
http://elementallabs.refr.cc/kimhynes
Disclaimer:  This podcast is for entertainment and informational purposes only.  Always consult with your medical practitioner before changing habits.  This podcast is not to take the place of medical or mental health professionals.
If you enjoyed the episode, share, download and follow.  I would be so grateful.

What if emotional eating has very little to do with food?
In this special episode of Emotional Eats, we're flipping the microphone around and sharing an interview originally recorded on the Inspired Wellness Podcast with Michelle White. Instead of me asking the questions, I got the opportunity to share my personal story and dive deep into the real reasons so many women over 40 feel out of control around food, sugar, and overeating.
If you've ever wondered why you can hold it together all day but find yourself standing in the pantry at night, this conversation is for you.
We talk about the hidden drivers of emotional eating, including hormones, nervous system dysregulation, perfectionism, people-pleasing, stress, childhood conditioning, and decades of dieting. You'll also learn why willpower isn't the answer, why restriction often backfires, and what actually helps women create peace with food and their bodies.
This is an honest, compassionate conversation for any woman who feels frustrated, ashamed, or exhausted by the constant battle with food.
In This Episode, We Discuss:
• My personal journey with emotional eating, secret eating, and sugar cravings
• Why emotional eating often becomes more intense during perimenopause and menopause
• The surprising connection between hormones, blood sugar, and cravings
• Why high-achieving women often struggle the most with food
• The difference between emotional hunger and physical hunger
• Why willpower and discipline aren't enough to stop emotional eating
• How dieting, restriction, and food rules can actually make cravings worse
• The role of perfectionism, people-pleasing, and childhood patterns in overeating
• Why nighttime eating often starts long before dinner
• Practical ways to regulate your nervous system before turning to food
• The importance of protein, fiber, blood sugar balance, and movement
• How EFT Tapping can help calm emotional eating urges
• What to do after a binge without guilt, punishment, or starting over on Monday
• Why curiosity creates change far more effectively than self-criticism
• How to measure progress beyond the scale
• The power of community, support, and healing with other women who understand what you're going through
A Few Takeaways You'll Love
Emotional eating isn't a character flaw.
You are not weak, broken, or lacking discipline.
Food often becomes a coping tool when we're overwhelmed, stressed, disconnected from ourselves, or trying to soothe emotions we've never learned how to process.
The goal isn't perfection.
The goal is awareness, compassion, nervous system regulation, and learning new ways to meet your needs without turning to food
If This Episode Resonated With You
Please follow the Emotional Eats Podcast, download this episode, and share it with a woman in your life who struggles silently with food, body image, binge eating, or emotional eating. These conversations matter.
And if you're looking for ongoing support and connection, make sure to check out the Cool Girl Collective, Kim's community for women over 40 navigating emotional eating, menopause, hormones, cravings, and learning how to nourish their whole lives.
Join the Cool Girl Collective
👉 Click Here to Join:  https://www.skool.com/coolgirlcollective/
Website:  https://wellspringcounselingandhealth.com/
Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/kimhynesmidlife/
TikTok:  https://www.tiktok.com/@kimhynesmidlife
YouTube:  https://www.youtube.com/@Kimhynesmidlife
Want to improve your midlife focus or sleep?  Check out Brain.fm.  This app has help me be more productive, get the best afternoon powernaps and bring down my nervous system….fast.  Get 30 days for free here.
 https://www.brain.fm/kimhyneshealth
 
Get my favorite healthy Hot Chocolate (Organifi Chocolate Gold) here:
https://www.organifishop.com/
Use code:  KIMH for 20 % off
This dark chocolate tumeric tea helps promote relaxation and calm.  It's the perfect substitute for dessert and a great way to help promote sleep.
 
Other links Kim receives commission on some of these products which are used to continue providing free content and produce the Emotional Eats Podcast.
LMNT
http://elementallabs.refr.cc/kimhynes
Disclaimer:  This podcast is for entertainment and informational purposes only.  Always consult with your medical practitioner before changing habits.  This podcast is not to take the place of medical or mental health professionals.
If you enjoyed the episode, share, download and follow.  I would be so grateful.

In this episode of the Emotional Eats Podcast, we're talking about something so many women struggle with but rarely say out loud… how hard celebrations can feel when you have a complicated relationship with food.
Birthdays. Graduations. BBQs. Holidays. Vacations. Family parties.
What's supposed to feel fun and joyful can quickly turn into guilt, anxiety, overeating, "starting over Monday," and feeling completely out of control around food.
In this episode, I'm sharing why celebrations can feel emotionally loaded for women who have spent years dieting, trying to be "good," or putting pressure on themselves to have more willpower. We're talking about perfectionism, food guilt, emotional eating, and why one weekend of eating differently does not mean you failed.
You'll also hear:
Why emotional eaters often spiral after celebrations
The connection between perfectionism and overeating
How guilt actually keeps the cycle going
Why celebrations can bring up deeper emotions like stress, grief, loneliness, comparison, and body image struggles
What it looks like to give yourself grace without "giving up"
Practical ways to feel more grounded around food during parties, holidays, and social events
Why you do not need to punish yourself after overeating
If you've ever left a celebration feeling physically uncomfortable, emotionally defeated, or promising yourself you'll "be good tomorrow," this episode is for you.
You are not meant to spend your life afraid of cake, vacations, holidays, or memories with people you love.
There is another way.
If you're looking for support around emotional eating, menopause, perfectionism, and learning how to feel more peaceful with food and your body, come join us inside the Cool Girl Collective. You do not have to figure this out alone.
 
If This Episode Resonated With You
Please follow the Emotional Eats Podcast, download this episode, and share it with a woman in your life who struggles silently with food, body image, binge eating, or emotional eating. These conversations matter.
And if you're looking for ongoing support and connection, make sure to check out the Cool Girl Collective, Kim's community for women over 40 navigating emotional eating, menopause, hormones, cravings, and learning how to nourish their whole lives.
Join the Cool Girl Collective
👉 Click Here to Join:  https://www.skool.com/coolgirlcollective/
Website:  https://wellspringcounselingandhealth.com/
Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/kimhynesmidlife/
TikTok:  https://www.tiktok.com/@kimhynesmidlife
YouTube:  https://www.youtube.com/@Kimhynesmidlife
Want to improve your midlife focus or sleep?  Check out Brain.fm.  This app has help me be more productive, get the best afternoon powernaps and bring down my nervous system….fast.  Get 30 days for free here.
 https://www.brain.fm/kimhyneshealth
 
Get my favorite healthy Hot Chocolate (Organifi Chocolate Gold) here:
https://www.organifishop.com/
Use code:  KIMH for 20 % off
This dark chocolate tumeric tea helps promote relaxation and calm.  It's the perfect substitute for dessert and a great way to help promote sleep.
 
Other links Kim receives commission on some of these products which are used to continue providing free content and produce the Emotional Eats Podcast.
LMNT
http://elementallabs.refr.cc/kimhynes
Disclaimer:  This podcast is for entertainment and informational purposes only.  Always consult with your medical practitioner before changing habits.  This podcast is not to take the place of medical or mental health professionals.
If you enjoyed the episode, share, download and follow.  I would be so grateful.

Welcome to the Emotional Eats Podcast!
What if your relationship with alcohol isn't about needing to quit completely, but about understanding why you're reaching for it in the first place?
If you are a high functioning woman who deals with a busy life, stress and anxiety and you are turning to the wine to "come down", this episode is for you.  No judgement.  Keep listening to find out how you change the space alcohol is taking up in your life.
NOTE:  If you feel like you have a serious problem with alcohol, please reach out to your medical or mental health practitioner and explore programs in your area.
In this compassionate and real conversation, I sit down with hypnotherapist Tansy Forest to talk about overdrinking, especially for high-functioning women who look like they have it all together on the outside, but may be carrying stress, anxiety, overwhelm, or emotional exhaustion underneath. We talk about how alcohol can quietly become a coping tool, why moderation is a skill, and how shame often keeps people stuck.
This episode also deeply parallels so much of what we talk about with emotional eating. Whether it's wine, food, sugar, or another habit, many of us are not struggling because we lack willpower. We're often trying to soothe, numb, decompress, or manage what feels heavy.
If you've ever wondered, Am I enjoying this… or am I relying on it? this conversation offers perspective, hope, and practical tools in a gentle, non-judgmental way.
In This Episode We Talk About:
• What "overdrinking" really means and why labels can create more shame than support
• Why high-functioning, overwhelmed women may quietly rely on alcohol to cope
• The connection between stress, nervous system overload, alcohol, and emotional habits
• Why moderation is a skill, not an all-or-nothing mindset
• How small, sustainable changes can help you build a healthier relationship with alcohol and yourself
A Few Powerful Takeaways:
• Overdrinking and emotional eating often come from similar roots: stress, overwhelm, coping, and emotional relief
• A lapse is information, not failure
• Shrinking the significance of alcohol can help create healthier habits
• Planning ahead can make moderation feel more realistic and less reactive
• Change does not have to be harsh, extreme, or shame-filled
This conversation is about awareness, compassion, and learning what may really be underneath the habits we reach for when life feels heavy. If this episode resonated, I hope it reminds you that small changes can create powerful shifts over time.  Make sure to share it with a friend.
About Tansy Forrest
Tansy Forrest is a UK-based clinical hypnotherapist, author, and wellbeing
educator specializing in alcohol moderation, mindset change, and
sustainable health. After years working in education, Tansy
experienced her own struggle with stress, anxiety, and alcohol. Discovering
hypnotherapy was life-changing — not only helping her regain balance, but
inspiring her to retrain and help others do the same.
Today, Tansy supports people worldwide to rethink their relationship
with alcohol, build healthier habits, and live with greater clarity, confidence,
and self-trust — without rigid rules or all-or-nothing thinking.
 
Connect with Tansy
https://www.drinklesslivewell.com/www.tansyforrest.com
https://tansyforrest.com/
Youtube - https://www.youtube.com/@tansyforrest
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/tansy_forrest/
Facebook - @TansyHypnotherapy
 
If This Episode Resonated With You
Please follow the Emotional Eats Podcast, download this episode, and share it with a woman in your life who struggles silently with food, body image, binge eating, or emotional eating. These conversations matter.
And if you're looking for ongoing support and connection, make sure to check out the Cool Girl Collective, Kim's community for women over 40 navigating emotional eating, menopause, hormones, cravings, and learning how to nourish their whole lives.
Join the Cool Girl Collective
👉 Click Here to Join:  https://www.skool.com/coolgirlcollective/
Website:  https://wellspringcounselingandhealth.com/
Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/kimhynesmidlife/
TikTok:  https://www.tiktok.com/@kimhynesmidlife
YouTube:  https://www.youtube.com/@Kimhynesmidlife
Want to improve your midlife focus or sleep?  Check out Brain.fm.  This app has help me be more productive, get the best afternoon powernaps and bring down my nervous system….fast.  Get 30 days for free here.
 https://www.brain.fm/kimhyneshealth
 
Get my favorite healthy Hot Chocolate (Organifi Chocolate Gold) here:
https://www.organifishop.com/
Use code:  KIMH for 20 % off
This dark chocolate tumeric tea helps promote relaxation and calm.  It's the perfect substitute for dessert and a great way to help promote sleep.
 
Other links Kim receives commission on some of these products which are used to continue providing free content and produce the Emotional Eats Podcast.
LMNT
http://elementallabs.refr.cc/kimhynes
Disclaimer:  This podcast is for entertainment and informational purposes only.  Always consult with your medical practitioner before changing habits.  This podcast is not to take the place of medical or mental health professionals.
If you enjoyed the episode, share, download and follow.  I would be so grateful.