08/09/2026
ππ’ π¬π’π¨ ππππ πͺπππ?
ππ’ π¬π’π¨ πππ©π ππ‘πππ ππ?
ππ’πͺ ππ₯π’π‘? ππ’πͺ πππ₯π₯ππ§ππ‘? π
THIS ONE IS FOR YOU. β€οΈ
Up ridiculously early this morning.
Straight to the gym.
Weights done.
And you know what made me REALLY happy?
I HAVE ENERGY. β€οΈ
And that got me thinking about something I wish someone had told me much earlier in my menopause journey.
BEFORE YOU PUSH HARDER, CHECK THE ENGINE. ππ
Yes, strength training is bloody important for women in midlife and beyond.
We need our muscles.
We need our bones.
We need strength.
We need balance.
BUTβ¦
If you're exhausted, constantly running on empty and wondering why you can't motivate yourself to exerciseβ¦
Maybe don't immediately tell yourself you're lazy, unfit or βjust getting olderβ.
CHECK WHAT'S GOING ON INSIDE YOUR BODY.
One thing I wish I'd known about much earlier was FERRITIN β a marker of your body's iron stores.
Mine was 4 Β΅g/L in 2024.
FOUR. π³
I've worked bloody hard to bring it up and I'm now around 50 Β΅g/L.
My endocrinologist told me that for me, we'd like to aim for around 100 Β΅g/L.
And honestly?
NOBODY HAD EVER EXPLAINED THIS TO ME.
And here's another thing I wish I'd known:
π‘π’π§ πππ ππ₯π’π‘ ππ¦ ππ₯πππ§ππ ππ€π¨ππ. π₯
The form of iron, the amount of elemental iron, and how you take it can all matter.
I didn't know that.
I didn't know about taking iron on an empty stomach.
I didn't know about vitamin C and absorption.
I didn't know that tea, coffee, eggs and dairy can interfere with absorption.
And I didn't know enough to ask the right questions.
My endocrinologist recommended iron bisglycinate + vitamin C for me, and I've been using it under her guidance.
ππ½ I'm putting a photo of the actual iron I use in this post, so you can see exactly what I've been taking and what has helped me bring my ferritin up.
I'm NOT saying this is the right iron for everyone.
I'm saying:
**KNOW WHAT YOU'RE TAKING.
KNOW HOW YOU'RE TAKING IT.
KNOW WHETHER IT'S WORKING.**
And please don't assume that because a result is technically βwithin rangeβ, everything is necessarily optimal for you.
I'm not a doctor. π
I'm just a woman who went from FERRITIN 4 β ~50 and wishes someone had talked to me about this years ago.
So if you're exhaustedβ¦
If you're struggling with exerciseβ¦
If you're constantly saying βI just don't have the energy anymoreββ¦
CHECK THE ENGINE BEFORE YOU BLAME YOURSELF. β€οΈ
Because sometimes you don't need to push harder.
Sometimes your body needs something else first.
And thenβ¦
YOU MIGHT JUST FIND YOUR VIBES AGAIN. ππ½π₯
Look at me this morning.
UP EARLY.
WEIGHTS.
ENERGY.
SMILING LIKE A NUTTER. πβ€οΈ
That's worth celebrating.
COME DANCE.
COME MOVE.
COME FEEL ALIVE. ππ½π₯
Disclaimer: I'm sharing my personal experience, not giving medical advice. Iron supplements aren't appropriate for everyone, and the cause of low iron/low ferritin should be assessed with a healthcare professional. My iron formulation and target are specific to me and my medical advice.
