If you’re an ambitious woman with big goals for 2026 — but zero interest in burning yourself out to achieve them — this episode is for you.
You’ll learn how to pursue big goals while protecting your energy, nervous system, and long-term health — using standards, systems, and self-awareness. This is the strategy I use personally — and with my high-performing clients — to create success that’s sustainable.
Why burnout often starts at the goal-setting phase, not mid-year
How to set goals that challenge you without putting your body into survival mode
The difference between goals vs. standards — and why standards create consistency
How systems remove decision fatigue and protect your energy
Why accountability isn’t weakness — it’s leverage
How dopamine and reward systems impact motivation and follow-through
Why celebrating small wins is a non-negotiable for high performers
How to identify hidden energy leaks like perfectionism, overthinking, and control
Why self-awareness is one of the most underrated performance tools
Your metabolism doesn’t slow down because you’re lazy or getting older. It slows down because you’ve been surviving on stress, discipline, and under-fueling for too long and your body can’t keep up.
We cover the exact metabolic clues women miss — and how your body is communicating that it feels overwhelmed, undernourished, and unsafe.
🔥 In This Episode, You’ll Learn:
• 8 metabolic red flags women ignore
• How stress, under-eating, and overtraining slow metabolism
• Why carbs, recovery, and safety are the real fat-loss foundations
• Why your body stops responding when it feels unsafe
• How to recognize when you’re stuck in survival mode
• What your cycle, digestion, and hunger cues reveal about your metabolism
• The first steps to rebuilding metabolic capacity
💛 If this episode hit home…And if you're ready to rebuild your metabolism, balance your hormones, and finally feel like yourself again… ✨ Apply for 1:1 coaching with DEFINE
If you’re the woman who does everything right — you eat clean, work out, track your habits, listen to every wellness podcast — yet your body still isn’t responding… this episode is about to make everything click.
In today’s episode, I’m breaking down the 8 most important hormone hacks for high-achieving women who are unknowingly living in survival mode. These aren’t trendy TikTok hacks, supplements, or “cycle syncing secrets.” These are the free, foundational shifts that tell your body:
“You’re safe. You’re nourished. You can heal.”
We cover the exact habits that cause hormone chaos — morning stress, low-carb dieting, “clean girl” eating, overtraining, under-recovering, nervous system overload, digestive dysfunction, and trying to outsmart physiology with more optimization.
You’ll learn how to:
✨ Support your cortisol curve
✨ Eat for hormone balance (not restriction)
✨ Ditch the low-calorie “clean girl” trap
✨ Train smarter instead of harder
✨ Build muscle as a hormone strategy
✨ Regulate your nervous system daily
✨ Improve digestion without supplements
✨ Stop living in survival mode disguised as discipline
And if you're ready to get out of survival mode, balance your hormones, rebuild your metabolism, and feel like yourself again → Apply for 1:1 coaching with DEFINE.
For the high-achieving, overworked woman who feels “in control” everywhere… except around food.
This is not an episode about discipline. This is not about restriction. This isn’t about “willpower.”
This is about understanding why overeating happens — especially for high-achieving women who appear disciplined, put-together, and “healthy”… yet privately struggle with emotional eating, nighttime overeating, or feeling out of control around food.
Inside, we explore the REAL reasons women overeat — the psychological, emotional, and physiological roots that diets, macros, and “clean eating” never address.
You’ll learn why food becomes your comfort, your reward, your pleasure, your decompression, and your nervous system’s only “off switch”… and how to finally break the cycle without restricting, punishing yourself, or starting another diet.
Share it to your stories and tag me @gabbyvillermaux
And if you’re ready to heal your metabolism, regulate your nervous system, and build a peaceful relationship with food… you can apply for 1:1 coaching using the link here.
If you’re eating clean, tracking macros, and training consistently but your body still isn’t responding... this episode explains why.
We break down the three hormones that control whether you’re in fat-burn or fat-storage mode: cortisol, insulin, and thyroid.
Once you understand how they interact, you’ll stop blaming discipline and start adjusting your approach so your body finally feels safe enough to let go.
Black Friday bonus: Join Define 1:1 Coaching and get a free GI-MAP (>$400 value). Get real answers, a targeted plan, and coaching to implement—no more guessing.
DM DEFINE on Instagram (@gabbyvillermaux) for Black Friday details and the application link.
If you’re constantly bloated, reacting to “healthy” foods, or feel like your digestion is all over the place, you’ve probably been told to “just take a probiotic.” ... gut healing IS NOT that simple.
Your gut impacts everything... hormones, mood, metabolism, skin, immune function.
In this episode, I walk you through the 5R Gut Health Protocol I use with clients inside Define so you can stop guessing and start healing.
We cover:
Why gut health matters for more than just digestion
Symptoms & patterns to look out for that show signs of compromised gut health
Common mistakes women make with gut health
Foundations for healing your gut that matter most
Why testing matters & how to get to the root cause:
The 5R Protocol (in order)
Black Friday bonus: Join Define 1:1 Coaching and get a free GI-MAP (>$400 value). You’ll receive the kit at home, a full analysis with me, a personalized 5R protocol, and 1:1 support to implement—no more guessing.
DM me GUT on Instagram (@gabbyvillermaux) or tap the link in the show notes to apply. Limited Black Friday bundles include a free GI-MAP + personalized 5R protocol.
Have you ever been told your labs look “normal,” yet you know something still feels off?
In this episode, Gabrielle Villermaux — Functional Diagnostic Nutrition Practitioner and founder of Define Co. — breaks down what traditional bloodwork often misses and why so many high-achieving women feel dismissed by the conventional healthcare system.
You’ll learn how to finally uncover the root causes behind your fatigue, bloating, hormone issues, and stubborn weight — and how to use functional testing to get real answers about your body.
This episode is your crash course in understanding your health on a deeper level — beyond symptoms, beyond “normal,” and beyond surface-level solutions.
1️⃣ What traditional bloodwork misses and why “normal” doesn’t mean optimal.
2️⃣ The key differences between the medical model and the functional model.
3️⃣ The top 3 functional labs every woman should know about
4️⃣ How to advocate for yourself with your doctor and ask for deeper testing.
5️⃣ How lifestyle drives your lab results — and what to change if your body feels “stuck.”
If you’re ready to stop guessing and finally uncover the root cause of your symptoms, apply for Define VIP Coaching — where you’ll get access to these exact labs, personalized protocols, and 1:1 guidance.
You can also connect on Instagram @gabbyvillermaux for daily education on metabolism, hormones, and holistic health.
Your metabolism won’t respond if your body doesn’t feel safe.
Learn how nervous system dysregulation drives hormone, gut, and weight issues and the daily habits that restore safety, energy, and fat loss.
If you’re “doing everything right” but still feel inflamed, bloated, exhausted, and stuck ... this is your missing link. Today we break down nervous system regulation and why your body won’t heal (or lose fat) if it doesn’t feel safe.
We’ll cover:
Fight/flight vs. rest/digest (why this ancient survival system now backfires in modern life)
How dysregulation changes physiology (HPA axis → thyroid, sex hormones, blood sugar, digestion, immune system)
Nine common dysregulators sabotaging high-achieving women (under-eating, over-training, caffeine reliance, digital overload, poor sleep, people-pleasing, perfectionism, unresolved emotions, hidden inflammation)
The plan: realistic habits that create physical, emotional, and mental safety so your metabolism can finally respond
You’re doing everything right — tracking your macros, training hard, hitting your steps, doing the biohacks, reading the self-development books.
From the outside, you look like the definition of discipline and success.
But on the inside? You’re exhausted, anxious, and wondering why your body isn’t responding anymore.
This is wellness burnout — when “healthy habits” turn into stressors, and the pursuit of fitter leaves you feeling fatter.
In this episode, I breaks down how to reset your body without doing more so you can finally feel good again — mentally, physically, and emotionally.
You’ll learn:✨ The subtle signs you’re burnt out (even if you look “healthy”)✨ Why your body stops responding when you keep pushing harder✨ How to audit your habits to see what’s actually serving you vs. draining you✨ The systems that help you put your habits on autopiolet✨ Why rest is the most productive thing you can do for your hormones and metabolism
This isn’t another “self-care is important” pep talk — it’s a reality check for high-achieving women who’ve been sold burnout disguised as wellness.
Because real health isn’t about doing more. It’s about doing the right things consistently and sustainably.
If this episode hit home and you’re tired of doing more while feeling worse — it’s time to take a different approach.
Inside Define Coaching, we rebuild your health from the inside out — balancing your metabolism, hormones, and stress response so your body finally starts responding again.
Click the link to apply for coaching and make this the season you star feeling like yourself again!
Eating for fat loss is not the same as eating for hormone health.
If you’ve been living in diet mode—cutting calories, skipping meals, fearing carbs or fats—your hormones are probably waving a big red flag.
In this episode, I break down a food-first framework to rebalance hormones so your energy, mood, cycle, and metabolism actually respond again.
Fat loss vs. hormone balance: why deficits are temporary and how much you should be eating to balance your hormones
What happens to thyroid + sex hormones when you chronically under-eat.
Type of carbs, fats, and protein that are key for hormonal health
Micronutrient must-haves: B vitamins, D, C, E + minerals (magnesium, zinc, selenium, iron, sodium/potassium) to spark and wire your hormonal system.
Gut–hormone connection and simple food habits to support your microbiome.
High-achieving women who “do everything right” but feel tired, bloated, moody, and stuck—ready to stop chasing hacks and fix the foundations.
If you’re dieting harder and feeling worse, your body doesn’t need more restriction—it needs support.
Inside Define Coaching, we rebuild metabolism and hormone health so fat loss becomes possible again.
If your goal right now is to lose fat and build lean muscle — this episode is your roadmap.
In this episode, you’ll learn:✨ Why your metabolism slows down after chronic dieting — and how to rebuild it
✨ The 4 pillars every woman needs in her foundation phase (macros, movement, metabolism, mindset)
✨ What smart, sustainable fat loss actually looks like — and why less is not better
✨ How to avoid rebound weight gain by learning to reverse diet and “lock in” your results
✨ Why building muscle is the secret to long-term fat loss and a faster metabolism
✨ How to finally stop starting over — by playing the long game
This is not another quick-fix fat loss plan. It’s the science of long-term results — rebuilding your metabolism, redefining your habits, and creating a body that looks good and feels good.
If gaining weight feels like failure — this episode is for you. Today I am sharing my own experience with weight gain, body image, and identity as a high-achieving woman who built her worth around being “the fit one.”
It's easy to talk about the tips and tricks that you can do to fixing your metabolism & getting the weight back off (in a healthy way)... but it's not often that we talk about the mental rollercoaster of a healing journey, so that's what you're getting in todays episode.
This episode isn’t about macros or reverse dieting (though that’s part of it) — it’s about the emotional rewiring that has to happen before your body can truly change.
Some chats:
Why weight gain is often a sign your body is trying to protect you — not punish you
The ego voices that keep you stuck in over-restriction and burnout
What real discipline looks like in a healing season
How to reframe success when fat loss isn’t the focus
Practical mindset tools to rebuild confidence from the inside out
💛 Sometimes weight gain isn’t the setback — it’s the setup for your next level of healing, strength, and self-confidence.
For the woman who ...
Is struggling to lose weight even though you’re doing everything right , health clean and healthy , track your calories , workout consistently but don’t look like it ...
Or maybe you’re not here for weight loss, but instead ...
This is a conversation about what you need to know about how to balance your hormones without all of the overwhelm or medical gaslighting.
If you’ve been told to listen to your body, just eat clean, lower your cortisol, or that your bloodwork is normal—but you still feel stuck—this episode is your wake-up call. I’m breaking down five popular pieces of advice that keep high-achieving women spinning, and I’ll show you what to do instead so you can finally change your body composition, balance hormones, and feel like yourself again.
What You’ll Learn
Why “structure before intuition” is the path to true intuitive eating
How clean eating without consistent calories stalls recomposition
The both/and truth about calories vs. hormones
Why cortisol isn’t the villain—and how to restore a healthy daily rhythm
The difference between “normal” labs and optimal health (and why that matters)
You don’t need more time. You need better systems.
If your life is meetings, long shifts, carpool, and 47 tabs open in your brain, your health habits can’t be another full-time job. In this episode I share the exact systems I give my high-achieving clients to remove friction, automate the basics, and make consistency feel stupid-simple—even in your busiest seasons. Health should improve your life, not burn you out.
What You’ll Learn
How to use batch prep to automate meals in 1–2 hours/week
Why PM routines often matter more than AM routines (and how to build both)
The bedtime alarm trick that makes mornings effortless
How to front-load non-negotiables (steps, protein, workout) before 9am
Habit stacking to make self-care productive, not extra
The Good / Better / Best fallback so you stay consistent on crazy days
How to shift identity from “all-or-nothing” to “all-or-something”
The Minimal Effective Dose rule so you stop overwhelming yourself
Of your goal is to look lean and toned, endless cardio and random workouts won’t get you there.
In this episode, I’m breaking down:
Why fat loss is 80% nutrition and 20% workouts (and why your step count matters just as much as your gym sessions)
The science behind endurance vs. strength training — and why one burns calories short-term while the other transforms your body long-term
The top reasons women need to lift weights (spoiler: it’s not about getting “bulky”)
How progressive overload actually works — and simple ways to know if you’re training hard enough
The overlooked role of recovery in building muscle and losing fat
How to use cardio strategically, so it supports your fat loss goals instead of stalling them
If you’ve been grinding in the gym with little to show for it, this episode is going to flip the way you think about workouts — and give you the exact roadmap to start training for fat loss the right way.
In this episode, we dive into how stress — physical, mental, and emotional — impacts fat loss in ways most women never hear about. Stress isn’t just a tough week at work or a busy schedule. It’s also under-eating, over-training, running on caffeine, perfectionism, people-pleasing, and the constant pressure you put on yourself.
I’ll break down:
The 7 ways stress disrupts fat loss by impacting your hormones, metabolism, digestion, cravings, and recovery.
Why “eat less, move more” backfires when your body is in survival mode.
How stress changes both sides of the calories in vs. calories out equation (from cravings to thyroid to daily movement).
The real reason you’re not losing fat — and why pushing harder is only making it worse.
💡 Bottom line: You don’t need more discipline. You need to lower your body’s stress load so it can finally respond the way you want it to.
📣 If this episode hit home, and you’re tired of spinning your wheels, I’d love to help you inside Define Coaching. Together, we’ll restore your metabolism, balance your hormones, and actually make your body reflect the effort you’re putting in.
👉 Apply for 1:1 coaching here https://forms.gle/PV3U4fcYD9SiXY959
👉 Or DM me STRESS on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/gabbyvillermaux/ to learn how we can get your body back on your side.
If you’ve been stuck trying to lose fat and feel like nothing is working — chances are you don’t actually know how much your body needs to eat.
Most women I talk to are just guessing. They restrict hard during the week, get frustrated when their body doesn’t change, then end up overeating because they’re starving and burnt out. The result? Constant stress about food, your body, and whether you’re “doing it right.”
The truth is, if you don’t know your real maintenance calories, you’ll keep spinning your wheels.
In this episode, I walk you through:
How to figure out your current maintenance calories with a simple 3–7 day tracking exercise.
Why most women are under-eating — and how that stalls metabolism, hormones, and fat loss.
A real client example of what happens when your intake is way below your body’s actual needs.
What to do if you’re under-eating vs. what to do if you’re closer to maintenance.
The other key factors I look at before creating a fat loss plan (biofeedback, food relationship, and mindset).
💡 Bottom line: If you’re not seeing results, it’s not because your body is broken — it’s because you’re not consistently eating the right amount for your body’s needs. Once you nail this, fat loss stops feeling like an uphill battle.
CHAT GPT PROMPT : "Please calculate my Total Daily Energy Expenditure using an average of the Mifflin St. Jeor & Harris Benedict Equation. Here are my stats Age: __, Height: __, Weight: __, Activity Level: __ (insert your average steps/ day, workouts/ week including the type of workouts that you do, any extracurricular activities, and what you do for work)"
📣 Want me to help you figure out your numbers? COMPLETE THIS NUTRITION AUDIT HERE
💪🏼 WATCH THE 4 FAT LOSS FOUNDATIONS VIDEO HERE
You’re not overweight… but you’re not as lean or toned as you should be for how hard you work.
You eat clean. You train 5–6 days per week. You’re disciplined and consistent.
And yet—your body still feels inflamed, puffy, and resistant to fat loss??
👉 Maybe your lower belly won’t lean out.👉 Maybe your face feels full.👉 Maybe you’re bloated no matter how “healthy” you eat.
I get it, because I’ve been there too. After years of pushing my body with extreme training and dieting, my health broke down. It was a turning point that forced me to realize a few things that I share in this episode :
The real reasons you feel inflamed and stuck
Why overtraining + under eating are the biggest culprits for puffiness, bloating, and weight that won’t budge.
How to actually reduce inflammation and shift from “survival mode” into a fat-burning state.
The identity shift you must make if you want lasting weight loss without wrecking your health in the process.
💡 If you’ve been fighting your body for years and still don’t look or feel the way you want — this episode will show you how to finally decode your symptoms and start working with your body instead of against it.
📣 Ready to stop spinning your wheels?Inside Define Coaching, I’ll help you restore your metabolism, balance your hormones, and rebuild your body from the inside out — so you can finally feel confident, toned, and energized again.
👉 Apply for 1:1 coaching here https://forms.gle/khk5pVKyTB4YgjKL7👉 Or DM me TONED on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/gabbyvillermaux to chat about what’s keeping you stuck.
You used to be the woman who could do it all — high-achieving, hyper-productive, running on adrenaline, caffeine, and willpower.
But now? You're tired. All the time. Even after a full night’s sleep. Even when you’re eating “clean” and doing “everything right.”
You’re waking up exhausted, wired at night, relying on caffeine to function, and wondering:
“Why don’t I feel like myself anymore?”
In this episode, I break down what’s actually going on in your body when you're dealing with chronic fatigue — and how to finally start healing the root cause of your burnout.
✨ What You’ll Learn:
Why your chronic fatigue isn’t fixed by more sleep or another rest day
How burnout happens in stages — and what stage you're in now
The role of cortisol, metabolism, and nervous system dysfunction in fatigue
How adrenal fatigue and HPA axis dysfunction manifest in high performers
The exact 3-phase framework I use to help clients reverse burnout and get their energy back for good
This episode is for the woman who...
Feels like she’s lost her spark and doesn’t recognize herself anymore
Can’t keep pushing but doesn’t know how to slow down
Wants energy, drive, and mental clarity again — without crashing later
You don’t just need rest — you need a recovery strategy.
Your body isn’t broken. It’s asking you to stop performing health and start practicing it.