So Unfit Right Now

When a fitness icon like Michelle Bridges admits perimenopause knocked her flat, I finally felt like I could stop blaming myself. Hearing Michelle Bridges share her story made me feel less alone.

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Recap #1 So Hot Right Now ~ Redefining Menopause Events Sydney

It’s been almost a month since the So Hot Right Now events in Sydney, and they had such an incredible impact on me that I needed time to digest all the goodness. I’ve been revisiting my notes, photos, and conversations, plus listening to the recording again (available here for purchase if you missed out).

I’ve been sitting with the whole weekend a lot. There was so much wisdom shared, and if you’re anything like me, it takes a beat to process it all. I’ll be sharing more in the weeks to come, but today I want to start with the moment that hit me square in the solar plexus.

Michelle Bridges.

You know Michelle. The Biggest Loser trainer. 12-week body transformation queen. The voice in your head telling you to do just five more reps. She’s built her entire career, her brand, on discipline, grit, and being the strong, upbeat one.

Not that I’m anywhere near as accomplished as Michelle Bridges, but I do relate to her passion and lifelong commitment to health and fitness. I’ve worked in the industry. I walked the talk.

I’ve spent years in the health and wellbeing space. I wrote a book called The Body Plan. I coached women through life-changing transformations. I believed in the power of showing up, eating well, lifting weights, and staying consistent. I had a system. A structure. A sense of control.

And then… four years ago, it all unravelled.

My motivation disappeared. My workouts fell away. I couldn’t even bring myself to meal prep. I felt like I’d lost my rhythm, my drive, my self. And the worst part? I felt ashamed. Like I should have been able to out-think this. I had all the tools, why weren’t they working?

Then I heard Michelle speak.

She shared how she was completely blindsided by perimenopause. She didn’t even know the word. Didn’t know what was happening to her body. She thought menopause was what happened on the other side of 55.

And in the middle of it, she did what she thought was a healthy choice: during lockdown, she took herself off to the country. But what she didn’t realise was that isolation was the last thing she needed.

And I felt that deeply.

Because my own perfect storm came with isolation, too. I had uprooted my entire life. Moved countries. Restarted everything from scratch. And unknowingly, I isolated myself, away from my community, away from familiarity, away from me. Add in perimenopause and ADHD (surprise!), and I couldn’t tell what was what anymore.

Michelle described the chaos perfectly: waking in the night, drenched in sweat, hearing phantom dial-up internet noises (tinnitus), and her joy gone.

“I’m an up person,” she said. “That’s what I built my career on. And it was gone.”

That moment broke me a little, in the best way.

Because that was me, too. Always the upbeat one. The motivator. The get-it-done girl. So when I couldn’t get it done anymore? When did I stop recognising myself? I didn’t know how to talk about it.

When Michelle shared how she suddenly found herself at the GP every week—after being someone who never went to the doctor—I felt such a jolt of recognition. She found herself swearing she was not a hypochondriac but listed these symptoms like heart palpitations, that didn’t make any sense.

Same for me. I’d always seen myself as low-maintenance when it came to health, but suddenly, I was on first-name terms with my doctor, rattling off symptoms every other week. It was such a disorienting experience, trying to advocate for yourself when even you don’t fully understand what’s going on.

Michelle also shared that she was offered antidepressants, and while she has no issue with them, she knew deep down it wasn’t depression. It was something hormonal. Something deeper. Something she hadn’t been taught to expect. Just like me.

“I was pissed off,” she said. “Why didn’t I know this? Why had no one ever spoken about it?”

Exactly. Same girl, same.

If she, with all her background, knowledge, and discipline, didn’t see it coming, then maybe… just maybe… little old me can stop blaming myself for dropping my routines, misunderstanding what was going on, for not recognising it either.

It’s not a personal failure.

We’re just operating in a world that hasn’t equipped us for this transition.

Where fitness professionals, health experts, and everyday women alike are left to quietly unravel with no real roadmap.

That’s why these conversations matter.

Perimenopause doesn’t always look like a hot flush and a bit of belly fat. Sometimes, it’s neurological. Sometimes, it’s emotional. Sometimes, it’s the slow erosion of everything you thought you were.

But you’re not broken (thanks

Dr. Kelly Casperson's Substack

). You’re not lazy. You’re not failing your wellness routine.

You’re just in a transition no one warned you about. And you’re in good company.

And guess what? I’m no longer feeling ashamed. I’m not a fraud for writing that book or for coaching all those women through their transformations. Because now, I have a deeper level of understanding that only comes from walking this path, and my skillset is richer for it.

I truly get how it feels to be the woman doing all the “right” things—and still feeling like nothing’s working. Or the woman who knows exactly what to do… but doesn’t have the energy.

Here’s some hope: I’m not broken. I’m not done. I’m evolving.

All my fitness and nutrition knowledge is still there; it’s just up-levelling.

Thanks to treatment, advocating for myself till my voice is hoarse and education, my workouts are back (more on those later), and I’m feeling amazing. My nutrition is back in focus. It just looks a little different to what it did before perimenopause. And that’s okay.

So here’s to sharing the truth. To letting go of shame. To starting again—even if it looks different this time.

And here’s the hope I really want you to hear: there are treatments. There is support. You don’t have to white-knuckle this. You don’t have to “wait it out.” Getting educated and advocating for yourself is the first and most potent step.

Whether it’s HRT/MHT, nutritional support, therapy, peer groups, or lifestyle tweaks tailored to this season of life… there are options. The more we speak up, the more visible and valid we make these conversations, not just for ourselves but for the next wave of women behind us.

Plus, thanks to those speaking up, the government is listening and helping it become more affordable. It’s still not perfect, but we’re on the right trajectory.

You’re not broken. You’re not alone. And you’re definitely not out of options.

More soon.