Hi Reader,
Amanda had meal prepped on Sunday, was going to bed earlier, taking her supplements, drinking her water.
She was in it. Then day 13 hit.
She woke up tired — not sick, not in a flare — just tired of trying.
Her brain whispered: "You've been so good. One day off won't hurt. Restart Monday."
She told me this on our call and went quiet for a second.
"And the worst part?" she said. "I knew it was a lie and I almost believed it anyway."
That moment wasn't weakness. Her brain doing exactly what brains are designed to do.
Researchers call it the intention-behavior gap — the measurable distance between what we plan to do and what we actually do when energy drops and life gets hard.
Motivation is a feeling and feelings are not reliable narrators.
And if you're in perimenopause or menopause, this is even harder than it used to be. Great news, I know! But declining estrogen directly impacts dopamine — the brain chemical responsible for drive and follow-through.
That "I start strong and fall apart by week two" pattern is biology, not a character flaw.
I tell every woman I work with:
Healing is not a motivation problem. It's a commitment problem.
It can sound harsh, but commitment isn't a feeling — it's a choice.
A promise you make to yourself before the hard days arrive, so when they show up, you don't have to decide again because you already decided.
When Amanda felt day 13 pulling her backward, she didn't reach for motivation.
She said out loud: "I am someone who keeps her word to herself."
And she made her breakfast.
Galatians 6:9 (ESV) says:
"Let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up."
Paul doesn't say "if you feel motivated." He says: do not give up.
That's choice language, not feelings language.
God knows this season is hard.
He's not surprised by your day 13. I don't want you to be surprised, either.
This is exactly why I created the Metabolic Balance 12-Week Group Program — for women in perimenopause and menopause who are ready to stop waiting for motivation and make a real, supported commitment to their healing.
We work on targeted nutrition and lifestyle protocols for this hormonal season, nervous system regulation, faith-integrated accountability, and a small group of women walking the exact same road.
It is small by design — so every woman gets seen and personally known.
Enrollment closes at the end of this week.
If you've been on the fence, I want to ask gently: is the fence keeping you safe, or is it just a comfortable place to wait for a feeling that may not come on its own?
JOIN THE METABOLIC BALANCE PROGRAM
Or reply with the word BALANCE and I'll send you all the details.
With you in it,
Andrea DuMez, RN, CHN, NBC-HWC
Registered Nurse | Holistic Nutritionist | Integrative Health Coach | Certified Metabolic Balance Coach
P.S. Amanda is seven weeks in now. She still has times where she struggles with motivation, but she keeps going. It was that decision she made on day 12, before she knew day 13 was coming.
Make your decision before day 13 has a chance to talk you out of it.
