Strong & Nourished Momma | Postpartum Weight Loss, Postpartum Nutrition, Core & Pelvic Floor, Mom Energy & Fatigue, Postpartum Fitness

Painful periods, clots and rough PMS are common. But are they normal? Not according to today's guest.
Val sits down with Dr. Josephine "Josie" Sanders-Spencer, DOM, LAc, a Doctor of Oriental Medicine and owner of Yellow Door Acupuncture in Albuquerque, NM. Josie shares how acupuncture helped her heal through ballet injuries and led her to Chinese medicine. Then she breaks down what traditional Chinese medicine actually is, what an acupuncture appointment really feels like, and why your menstrual cycle is like a monthly report card for your health.
Whether you're trying to conceive, navigating postpartum, dealing with painful periods, or just curious but a little nervous to try acupuncture, this conversation is for you.
FREE Protein Snack Guide: 5 quick, high-protein snacks for busy moms. Grab it at http://wellnessbyval.kit.com/proteinsnackguide 
In this episode, you'll learn:
Josie's journey from ballet dancer to Doctor of Oriental Medicine
What traditional Chinese medicine is, and why it looks at mind, body and spirit together
Qi, yin and yang, and the five elements, explained simply through the seasons
What acupuncture actually feels like, and what to expect at your first visit
How acupuncture can help your nervous system shift from fight-or-flight to rest and digest
Why acupuncture points aren't "push buttons," and how pulse and tongue diagnosis work
How acupuncture can support fertility, and why preconception care should start months before trying
Why painful periods, heavy clots and rough PMS are common but not normal
Coming off birth control and giving your body time to find balance
Connect with Dr. Josie
Yellow Door Acupuncture (Albuquerque, NM): https://www.yellowdooracu.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yellow.door.acu/
Email: yellowdooracu@gmail.com 
Resources & Links
FREE Protein Guide: wellnessbyval.kit.com/proteinsnackguide
Book a free 15-minute consult call with Val: wellnessbyval.com/call
Leave a voice message: speakpipe.com/newsletter
Core Comeback Challenge: wellnessbyval.com/core
 
Connect with Val
Instagram: @wellnessbyval_
Website: wellnessbyval.com
This podcast is for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for individualized medical or nutrition advice. Always consult your healthcare provider with questions about fertility, breastfeeding, postpartum nutrition, or your individual health needs.
 

You lost the weight. The food noise went quiet. Then you stopped the shot... and it all came roaring back. Sound familiar?
In this follow-up to Episode 117, Val breaks down what really happens in your body when you stop a GLP-1 like Ozempic, Wegovy, Mounjaro or Zepbound. She explains the difference between GLP-1 and GIP, why the weight so often comes back (it's biology, not willpower), and why thinking about food isn't the enemy. Plus, why protecting your muscle is the single most important thing you can do, whether you're 5 months or 10 years postpartum.
Val also shares an anonymous client story: a busy mom of two who came off her GLP-1 early because of cost, with no plan for after, and what they focused on next.
FREE Protein Guide: Easy, high-protein snacks and recipes for busy moms. Grab it at wellnessbyval.com/proteinsnackguide
In this episode, you'll learn:
What GLP-1 and GIP are, and how Ozempic, Wegovy, Mounjaro and Zepbound work
The "volume knob" of hunger, and what happens when it turns back up
How GLP-1s affect gut motility, and what changes when you stop
What the research says about weight regain after stopping (STEP 1, SURMOUNT-4 and a 2026 BMJ review)
Why food noise isn't the enemy, and how to calm it when it gets loud
Why muscle and bone loss matter so much for moms, and how to build muscle back
7 things to do if you're coming off a GLP-1 now
Mentioned in this episode:
Ep 117: GLP-1s for Weight Loss: What Postpartum Moms Actually Need to Know
Ep 116: Why Gut Health, Not Willpower, Might Be Blocking Your Postpartum Weight Loss
Ep 83: Why Strength Isn’t Built in the Gym Alone: What Busy Moms Are Missing
Eps 74: Postpartum Workout Tips: How to Begin Strength Training as a Busy Mom 
Resources & Links
FREE Protein Guide: wellnessbyval.kit.com/proteinsnackguide
Book a free 15-minute consult call with Val: wellnessbyval.com/call
Leave a voice message: speakpipe.com/newsletter
Core Comeback Challenge: wellnessbyval.com/core
 
Connect with Val
Instagram: @wellnessbyval_
Website: wellnessbyval.com
This podcast is for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for individualized medical or nutrition advice. Always consult your healthcare provider with questions about breastfeeding, postpartum nutrition, or your individual health needs.
 
Research mentioned in this episode
STEP 1 trial extension (weight regain after stopping semaglutide), Wilding et al., Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism, 2022: https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/10149199/ 
SURMOUNT-4 (weight regain after stopping tirzepatide), ACC summary: https://www.acc.org/latest-in-cardiology/journal-scans/2025/12/09/16/51/surmount-4 
Weight regain after stopping weight-management medicines (systematic review), West et al., The BMJ: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41500720/ 
STEP 1 body composition (DEXA) substudy abstract: https://www.newswise.com/pdf_docs/16159288255831_Wilding%20Abstract.pdf 
Joint Nutritional Priorities to Support GLP-1 Therapy for Obesity (ACLM, ASN, OMA, TOS), 2025: https://www.obesity.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Joint_Nutritional-Priorities-to-Support-GLP-1-Therapy-for-Obesity.pdf 
Breastfeeding and bone health (summary of Grizzo et al., Osteoporosis International, 2019): https://lacted.org/?p=82492

Clumps of hair in the shower drain. Hair all over your sweater. Hair wrapped around your baby's fingers. Is postpartum hair loss normal, or is your body trying to tell you something?
In this episode, Val breaks down what's really behind postpartum hair loss. She explains how the big estrogen drop after birth works like a "mini menopause," and how it affects not just your hair, but your skin, bones, and more. You'll learn why it's not just your sex hormones, and why your thyroid and nutrient status, especially iron, matter just as much.
Val also shares an anonymous client story: a momma who was exhausted, losing hair in clumps, and taking a pile of supplements that weren't helping. After the right bloodwork, a simplified supplement plan, and real food, her energy and hair started to turn around within a few months.
Functional Lab Review: Stop guessing. Val orders and reviews your bloodwork, tells you exactly what to ask your doctor, reviews your food logs to see your real nutrient status, and builds a realistic, food-first plan with smart, strategic supplements. Learn more at wellnessbyval.com/labs.
In this episode, you'll learn:
How the hair growth cycle works, and why shedding shows up months after baby
Why the postpartum estrogen drop is like a mini menopause, and how it affects your hair, skin, and bones
How postpartum thyroiditis works, and why "just TSH" isn't enough
The new ferritin guidelines for iron deficiency, and why so many moms are told their iron is "fine"
The postpartum hair loss timeline: when it starts, peaks, and stops
Normal shedding vs. red flags that mean it's time to get labs
The nutrients that feed your hair and thyroid (protein, iron, zinc, vitamin D, selenium, iodine) and realistic food sources
Why biotin and hair gummies are often a waste of money, and the smart strategy for taking iron
Mentioned in this episode: Episode 119 | Postpartum Sex, Libido & Your Pelvic Floor with Lindsay Thorsen, DPT
Resources & Links
Functional Lab Review: wellnessbyval.com/labs
Book a free 15-minute consult call with Val: wellnessbyval.com/call
Leave a voice message: speakpipe.com/newsletter
Leave a voice message: speakpipe.com/newsletter
Free Protein Guide: wellnessbyval.kit.com/proteinsnackguide
Core Comeback Challenge: wellnessbyval.com/core
 
Connect with Val
Instagram: @wellnessbyval_
Website: wellnessbyval.com
This podcast is for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for individualized medical or nutrition advice. Always consult your healthcare provider with questions about breastfeeding, postpartum nutrition, or your individual health needs.

You got cleared six weeks after giving birth. So why are you still peeing a little when you sneeze or jump, seeing your belly cone when you sit up, or feeling your back ache by the end of the day?
In this episode, Val joins registered dietitian Brooke Miller on the Nutrition for Mamas podcast for a real talk on postpartum core recovery. Think of it as your reminder. As moms, it's so easy to get distracted, and we forget the basic things that help our core heal after baby.
Val breaks down what leaking, coning, doming, low back pain, and pelvic heaviness are really telling you. You'll learn how to know where to start, why diastasis recti is a normal change (not a reason to panic), and how to build real strength in just 10 to 20 minutes at home. And yes, a core that works well helps with weight loss too, because it lets you move more, lift more, and stay consistent.
Core Comeback Challenge: Cleared at 6 weeks but not sure where to start? The Core Comeback Challenge is a 4-week program that walks you through rebuilding your core step by step. Just 20 to 30 minutes, 3 times a week, at home or at the gym with minimal equipment. Bonuses include a workout and habit tracker, a hormone snack guide, and more. Join at wellnessbyval.com/core.
In this episode, you'll learn:
Why the 6-week clearance is not the same as being ready for running, jumping, or heavy lifting
The simplest way to know if you should start with breathing, walking, mobility, or strength work
What leaking, coning, doming, low back pain, and pelvic heaviness are really telling you
Why diastasis recti is a normal postpartum change, not a reason to panic
Why strength training often does more than cardio alone for energy, confidence, and long-term function
What progressive overload looks like when you only have 10 to 20 minutes at home
How to ditch the all-or-nothing mindset that turns exercise into one more source of guilt
Brooke and Val also get real about the emotional side of postpartum fitness: comparison, pressure, guilt, and the urge to "bounce back" before your body has had time to heal.
About Brooke: Brooke Miller is a registered dietitian and host of the Nutrition for Mamas podcast. Follow her on Instagram @nutrition.for.mamas and listen to her show here.
Related episodes: Ep 104 | Stop Jumping Back Into Workouts Postpartum and Ep 113 | What Nobody Tells You About Getting Strong After Baby
Resources & Links
Core Comeback Challenge: wellnessbyval.com/core
Book a free 15-minute consult call with Val: wellnessbyval.com/call
Leave a voice message: speakpipe.com/newsletter
Free Protein Guide: wellnessbyval.kit.com/proteinsnackguide
Connect with Val
Instagram: @wellnessbyval_
Website: wellnessbyval.com
 
This podcast is for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for individualized medical or nutrition advice. Always consult your healthcare provider with questions about breastfeeding, postpartum nutrition, or your individual health needs.

Pelvic floor physical therapist and sex educator Lindsay Thorsen, DPT joins the show for an honest conversation about sex, libido, and your pelvic floor after having a baby. Heads up, momma: this episode is explicit.
 
This week's episode is a different kind of conversation. Val sits down with Lindsay Thorsen, DPT — a pelvic floor physical therapist and sex educator — for an open, honest conversation about what actually happens to your body, your libido, and your pelvic floor after having a baby. Heads up, momma: this episode is explicit and not one for the carpool line — grab your headphones for this one.
IN THIS EPISODE:
Meet Lindsay Thorsen, DPT — pelvic floor physical therapist and founder of Sex and Sensibility
Why Lindsay calls postpartum a "mini menopause" — and what that actually means for your body
What's normal (and not) about sex feeling different after having a baby
When pain, leaking, or other symptoms are a sign to seek help vs. something that resolves on its own
Where your libido actually went — and how the mental load of motherhood plays into desire
One thing you can do this week that isn't "just relax"
How partners can better understand what's happening for a new mom, physically and emotionally
Ready to Feel Like Yourself Again?
Conversations like this one are exactly why Val built the free Start Strong Workshop — a 25-minute, on-demand workshop covering the foundation every postpartum momma needs: a quick diaphragmatic breathing practice, adding protein to every meal, and picking ONE small habit to build real momentum. It's free at wellnessbyval.com/workshop, and it's also how you get on the waitlist for Val's next group coaching round, opening in January (her current cohort has already started).
Resources & Links
Book a free 15-minute consult call with Val: wellnessbyval.com/call
Leave a voice message: speakpipe.com/newsletter
Connect with Val: Instagram @wellnessbyval_
Free Protein Guide: wellnessbyval.kit.com/proteinsnackguide
Core Comeback Challenge: wellnessbyval.com/core
How to Connect with Lindsay!
Social Media: @sex.and.sensibility
Email: lindsay@sexandsensibility.co
Website: lindsay@sexandsensibility.co 
Connect with Val
Instagram: @wellnessbyval_
Website: wellnessbyval.com
This podcast is for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for individualized medical or nutrition advice. Always consult your healthcare provider with questions about breastfeeding, postpartum nutrition, or your individual health needs.

Last week's episode was about GLP-1s. This week, Val walks through the other real path — an anonymized client who lost over 20 pounds of fat and gained muscle postpartum, without medication. No shortcuts, no crash plan. Just three real phases, over about two years.
In This Episode:
The other side of last week's GLP-1 conversation — what's possible with time, consistency, and the right foundations, no medication involved
Meet the client: 4 months postpartum, second baby, not breastfeeding — and why that timing mattered
Phase 1: starting with awareness, not restriction — food logging, daily walks, ~100oz water, protein + fiber focus
Phase 2: the slight ~200-calorie deficit at 8 months postpartum, 120g+ protein, progressive overload training — and why her gym performance went up, not down
Phase 3: freedom at 1+ year postpartum — maintaining results without white-knuckling, now about two years into maintenance
The athlete "training season" analogy — why you're not meant to be in a fat-loss phase forever
The blood work scare that turned out fine — why one flagged lab number isn't the same thing as an answer
4 takeaways you can borrow from her story starting this week
Ready to Go Deeper?
Start with the free Start Strong Workshop at wellnessbyval.com/workshop — it's on-demand, and it's how you get on the waitlist for Val's next group coaching round opening in January (her current cohort already started). This is exactly the kind of transformation built inside that program.
If you want results like this and you want someone in your corner, Val has a few private coaching spots open right now. Book a free call at wellnessbyval.com/call and let's see if you're a good fit.
Resources & Links
Book a free 15-minute consult call with Val: wellnessbyval.com/call
Leave a voice message: speakpipe.com/newsletter
Connect with Val: Instagram @wellnessbyval_
Free Protein Guide: wellnessbyval.kit.com/proteinsnackguide
Core Comeback Challenge: wellnessbyval.com/core
Connect with Val
Instagram: @wellnessbyval_
Website: wellnessbyval.com
This podcast is for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for individualized medical or nutrition advice. Always consult your healthcare provider with questions about breastfeeding, postpartum nutrition, or your individual health needs.

Everyone's talking about GLP-1s right now — but almost nobody is talking about what YOU actually need to know before considering one. No fear-mongering, no hype, no "you should get on one" pressure. In this episode, Val breaks down what these medications actually are, why timing matters more than people realize, and the questions to bring to your doctor instead of Google at 11pm.
In This Episode:
Why this conversation isn't just for "5-months-postpartum" moms — it's for any mom in the thick of motherhood
What a GLP-1 actually is (the hormone your body already makes every day) vs. what's in the injection — explained simply, no jargon
The foods that naturally boost your own GLP-1 (hint: it's the same protein-and-fiber-forward eating Val already teaches)
Weight loss vs. fat loss, and why postpartum fat retention is often your body doing exactly what it's designed to do
The "recovery window" nobody talks about — why timing this decision matters as much as the decision itself
The exact questions to ask your doctor before considering one (not Google at 11pm)
Why protein and strength training aren't optional if you're on a GLP-1
An honest, non-directive conversation about disordered eating history — and Val's professional take
Ready to Go Deeper?Start with the free Start Strong Workshop at wellnessbyval.com/workshop — it's on-demand, and it's also how you get on the waitlist for Val's next group coaching round opening in January (her current cohort already started).
If you want someone to actually look at what's going on in YOUR body, Val has a few private coaching spots open this fall. Book a free 15-minute call at wellnessbyval.com/call — let's figure out what you actually need.
Resources & Links
Book a free 15-minute consult call with Val: wellnessbyval.com/call
Leave a voice message: speakpipe.com/newsletter
Connect with Val: Instagram @wellnessbyval_
Website: wellnessbyval.com
Free Protein Guide: wellnessbyval.kit.com/proteinsnackguide
Core Comeback Challenge: wellnessbyval.com/core
This podcast is for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for individualized medical or nutrition advice. Always consult your healthcare provider with questions about breastfeeding, postpartum nutrition, or your individual health needs.

You've tried fasting. You've tried cutting carbs. You've tracked every bite and cut your calories way down. And the scale hasn't budged. In this episode, Val breaks down a piece of postpartum weight loss that almost nobody talks about: slow gut motility — and why it might be the real reason you're stuck, bloated, and exhausted, even when you're "doing everything right."
In This Episode:
Why "eat less, move more" isn't working — and why it's probably not a willpower problem
What slow gut motility actually does to your hormones, inflammation, and fat loss (explained with a trash-pickup analogy that makes it click)
Why "used up" hormones like estrogen get reabsorbed instead of cleared when things back up — and how that keeps you stuck
The sneaky symptoms of slow motility most moms never connect to their gut: bloating, skin flare-ups, afternoon energy crashes, bigger mood swings
A real client story — how we fixed what months of dieting couldn't
3 simple things you can start today to get things moving again (no supplements, no cleanses required)
Ready to Go Deeper?Start with the free Start Strong Workshop at wellnessbyval.com/workshop — it's on-demand, and it's also how you get on the waitlist for Val's next group coaching round opening in January (her current cohort already started).
If you want someone to actually look at what's going on in YOUR body, Val has a few private coaching spots open this fall. Book a free 15-minute call at wellnessbyval.com/call — let's figure out what you actually need.
Resources & Links
Book a free 15-minute consult call with Val: wellnessbyval.com/call
Leave a voice message: speakpipe.com/newsletter
Connect with Val: Instagram @wellnessbyval_
Website: wellnessbyval.com
Free Protein Guide: wellnessbyval.kit.com/proteinsnackguide
Core Comeback Challenge: wellnessbyval.com/core
This podcast is for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for individualized medical or nutrition advice. Always consult your healthcare provider with questions about breastfeeding, postpartum nutrition, or your individual health needs.

Enrollment for the 8-Week Group Coaching Program for Moms is OPEN!! Save $100, get a FREE coaching call with me, plush a FREE 6-week strength program! Save your spot today - https://wellnessbyval.com/program
Eat less while breastfeeding. Do more cardio. Wait until you're "cleared" at six weeks. If the scale isn't moving, nothing's working. Momma, these myths are everywhere — and most of them are wrong. In this episode, Val busts five of the most common postpartum weight loss myths, including a real story about a client who nearly followed a TikTok fasting-and-cardio protocol that would have tanked her energy and milk supply.
In this episode:
A client's TikTok wake-up call — and what Val had her do instead
Myth: you have to eat less to lose weight while breastfeeding
Myth: cardio is the best way to lose the baby weight
Myth: you can't start until you're "cleared" at six weeks
Myth: if the scale isn't moving, nothing's working
Myth: you have to figure postpartum weight loss out alone
Plus two extra myths Val is sick of hearing and what to do instead
One simple mindset shift to try this week
After today, prices go up for Val's 8-week group coaching program, the Strong, Nourished & Energized Mom Method — enroll by tonight, 8/31 at midnight, to save $100 and receive bonuses! You can still enroll later this week, but prices go up. Contact Val at hello@wellnessbyval.com with any questions.
https://wellnessbyval.com/program
Resources & Links:
Send me a voice message! 🎙️Have a question or a topic you want me to cover on the podcast? Send me a voice message through SpeakPipe — link below in show notes!→ https://www.speakpipe.com/newsletter
Connect with Val:
Instagram: @wellnessbyval_
Website: https://wellnessbyval.com/
Free Protein Guide: https://wellnessbyval.kit.com/proteinsnackguide
Core Comeback Challenge: wellnessbyval.com/core
This podcast is for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for individualized medical or nutrition advice. Always consult your healthcare provider with questions about breastfeeding, postpartum nutrition, or your individual health needs.

"I'll start when things calm down." "I'll start Monday." "I'll focus on myself once the kids are older." Sound familiar, momma? In this episode, Val breaks down why waiting feels safe — and why the "right time" is a moving target that never actually arrives. She shares her own realization going into postpartum that it would be easy to put herself last, plus real patterns she hears from clients over and over, to show exactly what changes when you stop waiting and start small, right where you are.
This episode also goes deep on Val's 8-week group coaching program — what's actually inside it, who it's for (spoiler: any stage of motherhood, including pregnancy), and why enrollment is opening soon with limited spots.
In this episode:
Why waiting feels safe, even though it quietly costs you time
Two relatable client patterns: "once summer's over" and "I'll do better Monday"
The difference between the mom who waits and the mom who starts small — and why it's about consistency, not time or motivation
One tiny action to interrupt the waiting pattern today
A full look inside Val's 8-week group coaching program: breath and connection, nutrition with real-time logging, movement that meets you where you are, and sustainable habit change
Why the program works at any stage — six weeks postpartum, six months, three years, even pregnancy
Enrollment details and why spots are limited
Ready to stop waiting, momma? Start with the free Start Strong Workshop at https://wellnessbyval.kit.com/workshop — your first step, no equipment, 25 minutes.
Resources & Links:
Send me a voice message! 🎙️Have a question or a topic you want me to cover on the podcast? Send me a voice message through SpeakPipe — link below in show notes!→ https://www.speakpipe.com/newsletter
Connect with Val:
Instagram: @wellnessbyval_
Website: https://wellnessbyval.com/
Free Protein Guide: https://wellnessbyval.kit.com/proteinsnackguide
Core Comeback Challenge: wellnessbyval.com/core
This podcast is for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for individualized medical or nutrition advice. Always consult your healthcare provider with questions about breastfeeding, postpartum nutrition, or your individual health needs.