Busy is an understatement when it comes to describing the schedule of nurse and part-time actress Jodie Snell.
The mother of two, from the Gold Coast, works as a patient-support nurse for people with multiple sclerosis, as well as exploring her passion for acting (she recently appeared in a small role alongside Jack Black in Anaconda).
So when the weight began to creep on without explanation, the 43-year-old was frustrated.
‘I’ve always been tall, and keeping my weight stable hasn’t typically been a hard thing,’ she explains.
‘But once I hit 40, and the symptoms of perimenopause started to hit, all of a sudden, I was like, “What is this spare tyre going on? And this muffin-top happening here?”‘
Studies show up to 70 per cent of perimenopausal women gain an average of 1.5kg (3.3lbs) per year, something that has less to do with calories and more to do with the impact declining oestrogen levels can have on how fat is stored.
This metabolic change often coincides with the busiest time in a woman’s life – where career pressure, caring responsibilities and mental load often reach a crescendo.
For Snell, her turning point was an Instagram advertisement for MyPause Health, a range of supplements specifically designed for women over the age of 35.
Jodie Snell, from the Gold Coast, says a protein shake containing 30g of protein, plus vitamins and collagen peptides, helped her lose her ‘spare tyre’ without weight loss jabs or working out
After the first week, she was delighted to discover she not only felt less bloated, but had a welcome surge of energy
‘I knew from past experience that when you try to overhaul everything at once, you typically have less success, so I decided to just try out a meal replacement shake for a month,’ Snell recalls.
For four weeks, the busy mum replaced lunch with MyPause’s fastest-selling product, the Slim Down shakes, which are formulated with 30g of protein as well as collagen peptides, vitamin D and calcium for bone health – another critical consideration for women in this life stage.
‘I’d have the shake for lunch, which for the first few days took some adjusting to,’ says Snell.
‘But then I’d have a normal dinner with my family, and eat whatever everyone else was eating, so I didn’t feel deprived at all.’
After the first week, Snell was delighted to discover she not only felt less bloated, but had a welcome surge of energy.
‘I don’t have time to spend in the gym, so all I did was make sure I got out for a walk with my dog each day,’ she says.
She also focused on increasing her water intake – a simple change she says made a big impact.
At the end of Jodie’s four-week experiment, she was delighted to discover a dramatic change in her body composition, with 5.2kg (11.5lbs) gone
‘I think I was often dehydrated before without realising it,’ she adds.
‘I also think giving my body a bit more time in repair mode between meals has improved how I feel.’
At the end of Snell’s four-week experiment, she was delighted to discover a dramatic change in her body composition, with 5.2kg (11.5lbs) gone.
‘I feel great, but it’s not about the weight – it’s about knowing my body is also getting the right nourishment,’ she says.
‘I also have an autoimmune condition, which leads to inflammation – sometimes it can cause me to have swollen ankles – and I’ve noticed that is definitely so much better since losing the weight.’
MyPause founder Kathryn Carter says she was compelled to switch gears from a high-flying tech career and launch the business after hitting early menopause at 39 following IVF treatment.
‘It felt like menopause arrived overnight,’ says the founder and former Snapchat ANZ general manager. ‘Meno-belly is real!’
‘For decades, women were told to eat less and exercise more, but it’s not a calorie problem – it’s a hormone problem.’
Carter developed the shakes in collaboration with nutritionists as a way to support women over 35 – including those who use GLP-1 receptor agonists (e.g. Ozempic, Wegovy and Mounjaro) and require a way to meet their protein and nutrition needs, as well as those who, like Snell, are looking to shed the hormonal pounds without medical assistance.
‘What’s been really great is that I’ve managed to keep off the weight,’ explains Snell, who has maintained her loss since the middle of last year.
‘These days, I try to do one week each month where I replace lunch with the shakes, and that seems to keep me on track.
‘I’ve kept up my water intake and the walks with the dog, and I feel like I have more energy as well.’
