It's Not You, It's Your Hormones

I used to come home from vacation more exhausted than when I left. Five days in Montana with my family, the Ariana Grande collab had just gone live at Reebok, I finally slept 10 hours and woke up horizontal for three days feeling worse than on my busiest office days. At the time I thought I was just broken. Turns out I was running on stress hormones as my primary fuel source. And the second the threat disappeared, my body crashed and sent me the bill.

If vacation is supposed to be rest, why do you come home...

I get DMs almost daily from women who've done the naturopath, the supplements, the spin classes, the green smoothies, the therapy. Done everything, spent thousands, and still feel like their body is just...not cooperating.

Tanya is one of those women.

She had a wellness blog. She knew the stuff. She was consistent. And her body still didn't give a shit.

When I ran into her in the Sydney Botanical Gardens 18 months ago, she chased me down and said "I need to do your course." And I said, babe, I've got you, let's...

Every high achieving woman I know has a spreadsheet. A routine. A Huberman episode downloaded. Protein macros dialed in. And a body that is still not cooperating.

I spent a decade doing the same thing. WebMDing my fatigue. Cobbling together protocols. Snorting metaphorical Adderall through my nose holes trying to outwork a body that was begging me to stop.

And I didn't make more progress in ten years than I did in the first three days of actually working with someone who knew what they were doing.

This episode is about the one...

Your work ethic is your superpower. It's also probably why your body is falling apart.

Follow @healthywithchels for hormonal weight loss and healing for high-achieving women.

You apply it to your career. Your business. Your family. Every area of your life.

Except yourself.

And your body is quietly unraveling while you collect accolades.

I know because that was me. Running a $60M business. Always online. Face like a chipmunk. Planning my outfits around my bloating. Hormones completely toast.

I called it ambition. My body called it chronic...

I spent a decade in corporate as a director, eating soggy desk salads at 2pm, running on 800mg of caffeine, wearing dark colours every single day to hide the fact that I looked three months pregnant after every meal.

I was doing everything right. And I was puffy as f*ck.

If you're crushing it at work and quietly falling apart when it comes to your body, this one's for you.

Get the 5 foods you're eating every day that are quietly sabotaging your results her...

I concepted this podcast while sitting in a pluge pool in Bali. And I know that sounds obnoxious. But it's also kind of the point.

Because the life I have right now? Most people would call it weird. My supplement stack is the size of a small carry-on. I wear red glasses at dinner. I don't drink. I don't have health insurance. I haven't been to a doctor in years. I turn my notifications off and do not apologize for it.

And somehow...I have a six-pack, I sleep li...

I get DMs every week from women who are medically educated, have seen every doctor, done every test, and are still bloating after every meal, still anxious, still not sleeping. Stacie was that woman.

A 54-year-old RN and communicable disease manager. Former ski racer. High performer. Someone who knows more about the body than most of us ever will. And she still spent 20 years feeling like something was wrong with her that no one could fix.She tried being vegan. Made her sicker. She did Ideal Protein. Lost weight, then was afraid to eat r...

If I had a dollar for every woman who comes to be with severe bloating and weight gain in the middle after IVF...Let's unpack it.

I talk to a lot of high-achieving women who are doing everything right. The gym. The health food delivery. The clean eating. And they're still gaining weight. Still bloated. Still exhausted. Still hiding from mirrors.

Sharan was one of those women.

Account director at LinkedIn in Singapore. High pressure sales role. Quarterly targets. And a body that felt completely foreign to he...

I've had so many women tornado into my DMs this week asking for a supplement stack, a macro plan, peptides. And I get it. That's literally what I do. We will get there.

But this week I'm in Bali, I got a $50 massage from a man with no thumbs, came home, and ugly cried harder than I have in years. And it cracked open the thing I've been trying to explain to clients for two years in a way I finally know how to say out loud.

Here's the th...

So many of my clients are expats or frequent travelers and every single one of them has said some version of this to me: "I'm in the most beautiful place I've ever lived and I feel absolutely terrible."

I get it. I've lived it.

Seven and a half years abroad. A deportation. A visa rejection. A breakup that cost me my right to stay in a country I'd built my entire life in. And a body that, despite all my protocols, completely fell apart under the weight of it.

Everyone is in my DMs right now asking about peptides. And honestly, I get it. I've been injecting myself weekly for six months. I flew from Australia to Bali looking like I was smuggling heroin. White powders, vials, massive needles. Customs waved me through. We move.

But after working with 300+ women who spent hundreds on peptides and felt nothing? The issue is never the peptide. It's what's underneath it.

In this episode: 

After helping hundreds of women hit their weight loss and hormone healing goals in record time, I have some thoughts on when to use ChatGPT (and when not) to for your health, hormone or weight loss goals. 

It works better for certain things than it does for others. 

Press play for the full juice.

☀️ For even more hormone healing & down and dirty tips to release weight and feel amaze, let’s connect on Instagram,  TikTok, & LinkedIn

✨ Grab your Busy Girl’s Guide to Hormonal Weight Loss

 Ready to...

I moved to Australia with one suitcase, zero friends, and a nervous system that was completely incinerated.

I just didn't know it yet. And my body was paying the price in ways I didn't even recognize yet. The bloating, the crashes, the weight that wouldn't move, the anxiety I didn't call anxiety. None of it was normal.

Australia changed everything. Not because I stopped being ambitious, but because I landed in a culture that genuinely does not reward burnout. And it broke my brain in the best possible way.

Every week someone asks me:

“Chelsea… should I try carnivore for weight loss?”

“Is carnivore good for hormones?”

“Will eating only steak fix my gut?”

And honestly… I get why people are curious.

People are reporting huge weight loss, better digestion, clearer skin, and improved energy.

So in this episode, I’m giving you a balanced, honest breakdown of the carnivore diet rooted in holistic health and functional medicine.

Not fear-mongering.

...

She was operating at 60%… and thought she was fine.

In this episode, Chelsea sits down with Jess Serato — Wall Street dropout, energy strategist, mom of two, former Division I athlete — who realized her body wasn’t broken.

It was under-supported.

After years of high performance, chronic stress, interrupted sleep, and unexplained weight gain, Jess discovered elevated cortisol, low progesterone, and mineral imbalances were holding her back.

Within three months, she:

• Lost 20 pounds of inflammation and hormonal we...

Life transitions are f*cking hard on your body. Not just emotionally, but hormonally, physically, and metabolically hard.

In this episode, I'm getting vulnerable about my own story of dramatic, unexpected life changes.

Let's discuss how change affects your health and hormones.

If you're in the middle of a big life change and your body feels like it's betraying you, this is for you. You're not broken. You're just in transition.

Also heading to Bali soon for one-on-one client work...

This episode is inspired by Valentine’s Day… and all the sex you’re NOT having.

Let me explain why you don’t want to go to poundtown with your husband — and what to do about it.

If you love your partner but feel zero desire, dread bedtime, or would genuinely rather reorganize your pantry than be touched… this isn’t a character flaw.
 

It’s cortisol.

In this episode, I break down what’s actually happening inside your body when you’re a...

Most women are being told migraines are genetic, random, or something they’ll just have to manage forever.

That belief keeps them stuck.

In this episode, I explain why migraines are not random, not a medication deficiency, and not a life sentence — especially for high-functioning, high-responsibility women who are “doing everything right” and still breaking down.

I recorded this episode because I see a pattern over and over again:

Women come to me for weight loss.

They lose the weight quickly.

And then they’re shocked when their migr...

In this episode, I break down the mindset of an athlete and why it’s the missing link for women who don’t want to live in the 99% of people with sub-optimal health, chronic inflammation, stubborn weight, burnout, and inconsistency. Lately, I’ve been noticing something that honestly drives me crazy.
 

People are softer than ever.

They don’t keep their word.

They flake. Ghost. Quit when things get uncomfortable.

And then they wonder why their body, their health, and their life never really change.

This epis...

Your labs are normal but you still feel awful. Sound familiar?

This episode breaks down why high-performing women are constantly dismissed by the medical system and what’s actually happening inside the body when symptoms don’t show up on standard labs.

Register for the fertility framework masterclass here

☀️ For even more hormone healing & down and dirty tips to release weight and feel amaze, let’s connect on Instagram,  TikTok, & LinkedIn

✨ Grab your Busy Girl’s Guide to Hormonal Weight Loss

 Ready to figure...

If you find yourself productive all day and feral with demonic cravings at night, this episode breaks down exactly why and what your body is actually asking for.

If you’re ready to stop resetting and start building a system that actually supports your body, this episode is for you.

☀️ For even more hormone healing & down and dirty tips to release weight and feel amaze, let’s connect on Instagram,  TikTok, & LinkedIn

✨ Grab your Busy Girl’s Guide to Hormonal Weight Loss

 Ready to figure out if you...

Strong women don’t quit. They tolerate.
 

And that’s why so many high achieving women stay stuck in exhaustion, bloating, pain, poor sleep, and burnout for years without realizing they’re in a health crisis.
 

In this episode, Chelsea breaks down why “I’m fine” is often just survival mode, and how delaying your health quietly benches you from your own life.

☀️ For even more hormone healing & down and dirty tips to release weight and feel amaze, let’s connect on Instagram,  TikTok, & LinkedIn

✨ Grab your Busy Girl’s Guide t...

You can be disciplined, successful, intuitive, and still feel completely disconnected from your body.
 

This episode explores why pushing harder stops working for high-achieving women and what actually creates lasting physical and emotional change.
 

This week on the podcast, I sit down with one of my clients, Robyn, a former elite athlete, PhD, executive coach, and deeply intuitive woman, to talk about what actually changed everything for her.
 

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• Why intensity and discipline can keep hormones stuck in survival mode

• How...

Your hormones didn’t “just get out of balance.”

They responded to how you’ve been living.

In this episode, Chelsea breaks down the everyday lifestyle patterns that quietly wreck hormones — even when you think you’re being “healthy.”

If you’re tired, puffy, wired, anxious, or stuck in survival mode, this is the conversation most women never hear.

☀️ For even more hormone healing & down and dirty tips to release weight and feel amaze, let’s connect on Instagram,  TikTok, & LinkedIn

✨ Grab your Busy Girl’s Gui...

If January has you feeling frustrated, confused, or like your body suddenly stopped responding, this episode is for you.

Many high performing women enter January disciplined and determined, only to feel like their body is pushing back harder than ever. The scale won’t move. Cravings feel louder. Energy drops. And the self doubt creeps in.

This is not a motivation problem.

And it’s not because you “fell off.”

In this episode, we talk about what happens when a body that’s been running on stress, pressure, a...

This episode was not planned.

In the wake of the violence at the Hanukkah gathering in Bondi, and its proximity to my home and people close to me, it felt important to speak directly and calmly about what happens in the body during moments of shock and collective trauma.

Events like this do not only live in headlines or memory. They are processed through the nervous system, and often show up later as anxiety, disrupted sleep, digestive symptoms, emotional reactivity, or a persistent feeling of being unsettled.

This episode is offered as a...

Is cortisol making you fat, sick and tired?

Tune into this ep to find out the key signs of a cortisol imbalance, what triggers it, & what you can do about it to release puffiness and exhaustion.

👓 Grab your Blue Light Blockers using code CMHEALTH

☀️ For even more hormone healing & down and dirty tips to release weight and feel amaze, let’s connect on Instagram,  TikTok, & LinkedIn

✨ Grab your Busy Girl’s Guide to Hormonal Weight Loss

 Ready to figure out i...

What if the real reason your New Year diet keeps failing is not your willpower… it is your hormones.
 

In this episode of It’s Not You, It’s Your Hormones, Chelsea pulls back the curtain on why 97 percent of New Year resolutions fail for high achieving women and exactly what to do differently if you are tired of being part of that statistic.

☀️ For even more hormone healing & down and dirty tips to release weight and feel amaze, let’s connect on Instagram,  TikTok, & LinkedIn

✨ Grab your Busy Girl’s Guide to H...

In this episode, Chelsea breaks down the real story behind holiday bloating, why the scale lies after big meals, and the deeper hormonal patterns that make high-achieving women feel like they’re “starting over” every December.

You’ll hear the hilarious behind-the-scenes from her McLeod-family Thanksgiving in New Orleans, then the truth bomb that might change how you approach January forever.

Book January Reset Boot Camp here: https://chelseamcleod.com/hormone-reset-kickstart

☀️ For even more hormone healing & down and dirty tips to release weight and feel amaze, let’s connect on Instagram,  TikTok, & LinkedIn

...

What if your clothes feeling tighter isn’t weight gain… it’s your hormones talking?
 

Meet the moment every woman knows too well: one day you feel snatched, the next you feel like a friendly marshmallow.

But what if the reason wasn’t your diet… but your biology?
 

In this episode, Chelsea breaks down the raw truth behind:
 

• The hidden inflammation that mimics weight gain

• Why your cycle shifts your size week by week

• How stress makes your body hold onto water

• The gut issues that a...

What if the real reason you’re snapping at your kids and running on caffeine isn’t burnout… it’s your hormones?

Meet Hannah — a CEO mom of five who went from migraines, meltdowns, and midnight doomscrolling to calm, clear, and confident.

After years of thinking “this is just motherhood,” she finally decided to stop surviving and start healing.

🎧 Press play to hear how she rebuilt her health, her marriage, and her sense of self — without another diet or detox.

Spoiler: The secret wasn’t more hustle. It...

What if the real reason chronic illness is rising isn’t genetics... it’s the terrain we’ve built?

This episode is the wake-up call no one wants but every high-achieving woman needs.

Because it’s not about fear, it’s about power.

We talk about what it really means to build a body cancer struggles to survive in.

The red flags we’ve normalized.

The habits that quietly turn stress into sickness.

And the choices that make prevention your best investment.
 

🎧 Press pl...

What if the real reason you’re exhausted, snappy, and running on caffeine isn’t motherhood… it’s your hormones?

Meet Allie… a Texas VP and mom of two who went from survival mode and snippy to sunny, steady, and strong. After years of hearing “your labs look normal,” she took matters into her own hands — and what happened next shocked even her doctor.

🎧✨ Press play to hear the raw truth about what it’s really like to heal while raising kids, leading a team, and breaking out of burnout.

And uncover the missing piece that will...

What you’ll learn

• The 4 terrain stressors that make disease thrive: inflammation, hypoxia, acidity, toxicity

• How 7+ hours of sleep supports immune surveillance and emotional regulation

• Practical ways to oxygenate your body through breath, movement, and mitochondrial support

• Mouth–gut basics: stop nuking your oral microbiome, what to do instead

• The mindset shift from toe-dipping to decisive, repeatable action

☀️ For even more hormone healing & down and dirty tips to release weight and feel amaze, let’s connect on Instagram,  TikTok, & LinkedIn

✨ Grab your Busy Girl’s Guide to Hor...

Tired of “just lift heavier” and “eat less” advice that leaves you wired, bloated, and stuck? This episode breaks the myth cycle and shows busy women exactly what to fix first... so results land fast and last.

What's in this episode, you ask? Well buckle up because you’re about to hear…

High-achieving women don’t need more willpower - they need the right kind of rest. In this episode, Chelsea breaks down the seven rest types that restore cortisol, deepen sleep, improve digestion, and make fat loss easier without more cardio.

In just twenty minutes, you’ll learn:

✅ Why “performative exhaustion” wrecks hormones—and how to opt-out fast

✅  The 7 types of restorative rest (only one is sleep)

✅  How to schedule white space like a meeting and see energy rise in weeks

✅  Sensory rest swaps that calm your nervous system in 10 minutes<...

As a high-achieving woman, you wouldn’t bet your retirement on one stock — so why are you betting your life on willpower and cardio? In this episode, we reallocate your time, money, and energy into the asset that pays the best dividends: your hormones.

What you’ll learn (fast, no fluff):
 

The 20-transaction money leak audit to fund food, labs, and recovery without earning more.

Common ≠ normal: why burnout, belly fat, cravings, and insomnia are signs of dysregulation — not aging.

Order of operations: micro-habits that prime fat...

As a new mom, you’ve probably felt it: The invisible load. The resentment. The guilt that you should be happier.

But the truth is… motherhood changes everything.

And if you don’t have the words to explain what’s happening inside, your partner is left guessing.

In this episode with matrescence coach + LinkedIn leader Sara Pantry, we dive deep into how to:
 

✅ Recognize the invisible load and communicate it clearly

✅ Use simple scripts that stop fights before they start

✅ Protect intimacy and connection wh...

Hot girls have habits (not hacks)... so here's the 7 day reset busy women need right now...

As a high-achieving woman, you don’t need more hacks—you need habits that actually fit your life. In this episode, Chelsea explains why “busy” is the best time to start, how to stop perfectionism from stalling progress, and the exact order of operations for women 35+: balance hormones first, then pursue fat loss.
 

Here's what you’ll learn (fast):

✅ The hidden cost of waiting and why delay compounds symptoms (energy, sleep, cravings, weight)

✅ Balance-then-burn: the real sequen...

Is it possible to truly love your body but also want it to change? Let's unpack body positivity and hormone health for millennial women.

In twenty minutes, here's what you're going to learn... 

✅ The millennial paradox: Cosmo diets vs body positivity—and how to opt out of shame

✅ Common ≠ normal: the symptom checklist (2–3am wakeups, cravings, brain fog, hair loss, water retention, belly fat) that signals hormonal dysregulation

✅ The 4 markers of a “feel like you” body (no obsession, trusted cues, repeatable meals, safety in your skin)

✅ Six high-impact resets to drop bloat, calm...