Notes from Natalie
I really thought I had this handled.
I did not.
A couple months ago I told you I was backing off part of my HRT. My fibroids were getting loud. Labs showed my testosterone was converting into estrogen. So technically my estrogen wasn’t “high” but functionally, hello estrogen dominance.
Super fun.
So I pivoted. switched to a low dose testosterone cream. Very responsible. Very measured.
New labs come back.
Free testosterone? Didn’t register.
Total testosterone? Barely detectable.
I was basically rubbing expensive lotion on my arm and calling it hormone therapy. 
What’s wild is I didn’t immediately connect it to how I felt. I wasn’t sad. Not depressed. Just beige. Like my personality was buffering.
I kept telling Brooks, “I feel like my creativity is gone.” No spark. No edge. Just staring at my computer like it owed me answers.
The second I saw those labs, I went back to a tiny injection. Half of what most doctors start with.
Four days later? Oh hi. I’m back. 
It was not subtle.
Midlife is the most aggressive science project I’ve ever enrolled in. Apparently I am both the lab and the rat.
If you’ve been feeling off and can’t name it, test. Don’t guess. And please don’t gaslight yourself into thinking it’s just stress or just aging.
Also genuinely curious. Has anyone else had testosterone cream just not absorb? Is my body dramatic or is this more common than we admit? Hit reply and tell me.
On the Gram
A little camera roll reflection…
I was scrolling through my camera roll this week and ran into a bunch of photos from before my explant.
For those of you who don’t know, I had breast implants for a long time. Actually five different sets over 33 years.
Yes. Five.
Looking back at those photos now is kind of shocking because I look so different. Not just physically, but energetically too.
I have absolutely no regrets removing them. It was the right decision for me.
But seeing those pictures did bring up some thoughts. The kind of random reflections that pop into your head when you’re looking back at an older version of yourself.
So I shared a whole post about it and what went through my mind when I saw those photos.
If you’ve ever looked back at old pictures and thought “wow… that feels like a completely different version of me,” you’ll probably relate.
Brooks Being 12
I posted a video of Brooks making me breakfast. Very sweet husband moment.
Except he cannot cook sausage without making a sausage joke. 
Lifelong commitment at this point. Occasionally he rotates in mangoes. I stopped asking questions years ago.
He’s 50. Humor of a 14 year old. Zero shame.
I caught one on camera. The story replies were unhinged so I moved it to the feed.
If you are married to this kind of man, you are not alone. We are in this together.
The Age Optimizer Guide got a refresh
I updated my running list of what I’m actually using right now. Not what I used at 35. Not what worked in my “just eat less and do more cardio” era. Now.
Because what I needed at 35 is not what I need now. My liver, my sleep, and my hormones have all developed strong opinions.
It’s free, it’s current, and yes, I quietly broke up with a few things.
What I’ve Been Listening To and Making
I was on The Dr. Tyna Show with Dr. Tyna Moore. Fat loss, workouts, GLP meds. Two women who have seen some things and are fully over the nonsense. I loved every second. 
Listen here
And on Midlife Conversations I sat down with Dr. Zora after her DEXA scan showed early osteopenia. We talked bone loss, what actually helps, what women are still ignoring.
Because fractures in our 60s, 70s and 80s are not on my “Decision” board. I have plans. They involve strength and cute shoes. We go over ALL the things you can do to fix and prevent further bone loss!
You can listen to the episode on Apple here or Spotify here, or watch it on YouTube here.
On daughters…
My daughter came to visit. This is mine below! (And that is Brooks and Flops in the back ground NOT into the selfie photo) We had so much fun together!! And…
If you have one, you already know. Nothing will humble you faster. Nothing. I love her with my whole heart and she has stretched me more than any business challenge ever has.
What I’m building next
Now that my testosterone is back online and my brain has returned from wherever it wandered off to, I’m finishing something a lot of you have asked for.
A full histamine and cortisol recovery guide.
You watched me live through it. The itching. The flares. The “is this cheese or is this my childhood?” spiral. I want this to actually help, not just sit in your downloads folder collecting digital dust.
Give me a couple weeks. And if there’s something you want covered, hit reply. Half of what I build starts with your questions anyway.
Talk soon,
Natalie Jill
The post Hormone plot twist + Brooks’ sausage jokes + bone loss reality check appeared first on Natalie Jill Fitness.
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by Natalie Jill
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