Laila Ali: Why I Stopped Trying to Outwork My Hormones

Laila Ali spent years training to win. As an undefeated professional boxer, her body was her career. She knew exactly how to train harder, eat less, and make weight when she needed to. Then perimenopause changed the rules. In this episode of Live Like a Girl, Laila joins Dr. Mindy for an honest conversation about what happened when her old strategies stopped working, why she eventually stopped trying to outwork her hormones, and how fasting helped her build a completely different relationship with her body. They talk about long fasts, exercising while fasting, food noise, refeeding, sugar cravings, body image, the scale, stress, and what it means to train for health instead of performance. Laila also shares how she talks to her teenage daughter about fasting, why she refuses to make healthy eating feel like punishment, and the lesson she learned from becoming a boxer against Muhammad Ali’s wishes: sometimes the most important thing you can do is listen to the spark inside you. In this episode, you'll learn: Why Laila stopped trying to outwork her hormonesHow fasting changed her relationship with food and controlWhat she learned from doing longer fastsHow she exercises during a fastWhy refeeding matters after an extended fastHow she thinks about weight, muscle, and body image nowWhy stress can derail even strong health routinesHow she talks to her daughter about fastingWhy she no longer counts macrosWhat Muhammad Ali taught her about following your own path__ Resources & Supplements Mentioned A Spark of Greatness by Laila Ali https://bit.ly/ASparkofGreatnessLaila's Organic Spice Blends https://shop.lailaali.com/Zero Fasting App https://zerolongevity.com/Fast Like a Girl https://www.drmindypelz.com/booksQualia Creatine+ https://www.qualialife.com/mindy (use code MINDY for 15% off)Infrared Sauna https://www.sunlighten.com/?drmindypelzRed Light Therapy https://www.sunlighten.com/?drmindypelzElectrolytes https://www.drinklmnt.com/pages/mindypelz-gift?rfsn=5286941.eac439&utm_medium=affiliate&utm_source=mindypelz&utm_campaign=agwp&utm_content=&utm_term= Bone Broth https://drinkaeira.com/Mindy (use code MINDY10 for 10% off)__ More on Laila Ali A Spark of Greatness by Laila Ali https://bit.ly/ASparkofGreatnessLaila's Organic Spice Blends https://shop.lailaali.com/Food for Life by Laila Ali https://shop.lailaali.com/collections/books/products/food-for-lifeWebsite: lailaali.com https://lailaali.com/Instagram: @thereallailaali https://www.instagram.com/thereallailaali/Facebook:@LailaAli https://facebook.com/LailaAliFor more resources related to today’s episode, visit the podcast episode page: drmindypelz.com/ep361 https://www.drmindypelz.com/ep361 __ Connect with Dr. Mindy: Join Reset Academy https://resetacademy.drmindypelz.com/reset-academy?utm_source=libsyn&utm_medium=podcast&utm_term=&utm_content=loc-description&utm_campaign=reset-academyWatch the episodes on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@DrMindyPelz?sub_confirmation=1Follow Dr. Mindy on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/dr.mindypelz/Subscribe to Dr. Mindy’s newsletter for tools and research on fasting, hormones, and metabolic health https://www.drmindypelz.com/Disclaimer: This podcast is intended for educational and informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional before making changes to your diet, fasting routine, or lifestyle.

Speaker names marked ? are inferred from speaking time and the show’s known hosts — they are not voice-verified.

• 0:00Mindy Pelz?

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• 0:43Mindy Pelz?

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• 1:23Mindy Pelz?

  Qualia Creatine Plus is creatine built for a woman's body, and it's an effortless, tasteful scoop of powder that you dissolve into your favorite beverage for a quick daily support. Personally, I put it in my coffee every single morning, and I think it's a no brainer for aging well. So go to qualialife.com/mindy and use the code Mindy, and you will get 15% off this amazing creatine complex. So that's Qualia Creatine Plus code Mindy at qualialife.com/mindy.

• 2:07Mindy Pelz?

  Let me know what you think.

• 2:12Mindy Pelz?

  Hey, Dr. Mindy here, and welcome to the Live Like a Girl podcast, where I bring you icons, disruptors, educators, scientists, and doctors that show you what can be possible when you love and celebrate the female body you are blessed to live in. Let's dive in.

• 2:36Mindy Pelz?

  About 10 years ago, my scale broke. No joke, it just completely broke. And I remember standing there, looking at this cracked little screen and making a decision right then and there that I wasn't going to replace it. I was done letting a number decide how my day was going to go, how worthy of love I was, or if I was beautiful or not. And I tell you this because today's guest has the exact opposite relationship with the scale than I have had. Yet somehow, through the art of fasting,

• 3:18Mindy Pelz?

  we have both landed in the same place, a place that I am lovingly inviting you to land, a place that is free from the self-criticism that gets accompanied by the number obsession, that number on the scale and how it can trigger us. So today's guest has spent her entire career being weighed in public, literally stepping onto a scale in front of cameras, in front of judges, in front of the world. Because in professional boxing,

• 4:00Mindy Pelz?

  the number on the scale decides whether you are allowed to fight. 10 pounds over and your whole career could wait. So when I tell you this woman knows what it means to have her worth measured in pounds, I mean that in the most literal sense, a human being can mean it. And yet, somewhere in the middle of an undefeated career, and then decades further into her life, she came to a place of peace with her body that most of us will spend a lifetime chasing. Not because the number stopped mattering to her. It still tells her something,

• 4:43Mindy Pelz?

  but because she finally stopped letting it tell her everything. Here's what I love about where she's landed. She still trains like an athlete, pushing her body through five-day water fasts with a weighted vest on and an inclined treadmill, and never loses an ounce of muscle. In fact, the opposite has happened. She has learned to use fasting as a tool to gain muscle. And yes, I promise you, the science supports this. She has become such a fasting queen that even in the middle of those long fasts, she still is the one standing at the stove

• 5:28Mindy Pelz?

  five nights a week, cooking dinner for two teenagers and a husband, tasting nothing, seasoning everything by memory. Because as she will tell you, life doesn't stop just because her body is in a fast. That's not a small thing. Fasting while feeding a family? Pushing your body to new physical milestones while your stomach is empty? Looking in the mirror after all of it and asking yourself a totally different question than the one most of us ask? Not do I look small enough, but do I feel like myself?

• 6:12Mindy Pelz?

  This is why I have brought you Laila Ali. Laila is a former undefeated professional boxer, an author, and someone who has quietly become one of the most credible voices in the fasting world that I have ever experienced. I'm so proud of this woman and what she has been able to accomplish with her health through the art of fasting. So in this conversation, we get into how she trains through a five-day water fast without losing muscle. This is a question so many of you have asked me. We also learn how she still shows up in her kitchen

• 6:56Mindy Pelz?

  every single night for her family while fasting herself, another question that I get asked a lot, and how she finally made peace with a body that doesn't look the way it did in her 20s, and then decided that peace mattered a lot more than a six-pack. And if you haven't heard of Laila, she is full of motivation. I promise you, not only will this episode inspire you, but it will answer a lot of the questions you all have asked about fitness and fasting. I am over the moon excited to bring you Laila Ali. Let's dive in.

• 7:41Mindy Pelz?

  Laila Ali, I am so excited to have you here. Let's start with that. Welcome to my podcast.

• 7:48Speaker 01

  Thank you so much. I'm super excited to be here.

• 7:51Mindy Pelz?

  Yeah, so you know, it's interesting. I've been following your career for a while, and I think it's humbling when professional athletes go into their perimenopausal years. And you, as a professional boxer with an undefeated career, how the heck did you manage the fitness changes that happen when your hormones change?

• 8:15Speaker 01

  Oh, it's so hard. I mean, just from the time I retired boxing, you know, I used to have to weigh in, right, to fight. You have to be a certain weight. Yes, you weigh in publicly. So weight has always been a thing for me because it's how I kind of know if I'm on track, right? You got to get on that scale. And for me, just not having the same control that I used to have when I was in my 20s. And my, my, my life was about, my career was about working out, being in shape, right? And there was always an end goal. And that's something I have to get out of now because I need like, oh, I'm fighting in 10 weeks. Yeah, there's the end, and I'm going to go home. I get there. Now there's no end, right? It's just like, I've got to take care of myself

• 8:59Speaker 01

  and continually be focused on being better at every stage for the rest of my life, right? So that was a challenge for me. I began to say, just, I used to be able to like, oh, I got to get 10 pounds off this week, right? In order to weigh in. It's not healthy, but that's what we do sometimes.

• 9:15Mindy Pelz?

  Yeah.

• 9:16Speaker 01

  I can't do that now if I wanted to. I can't just get 10 pounds off. My body does not react the same way that it used to. And that was one of the reasons why, and we'll get into that, how I came to fasting, because it put me back in, I felt like, control of my body, right?

• 9:33Mindy Pelz?

  Yeah. So what, if you're willing, what were the biggest changes you saw? Because a lot of my audience is concerned about belly fat, that the visceral fat that just randomly appears as estrogen goes down. The muscle loss, where we just can't seem to lift the same level of weights we used to. And then the motivation to work out seems to go down. What were some of the biggest fitness changes that you noticed compared to when you were a professional fighter?

• 10:05Speaker 01

  Well, for me, I've always been a big girl. So before I, when I say that, I mean 5'11", I have size 12 feet. I have big hands. Yes. I literally mean a big girl in comparison to the average-sized woman. And I was proud of it because hey, I'm, I got twenty one knockouts out of my twenty four wins for a reason, right? So I, I came, oh, this is why my hands are so big anyway. That's the reason I'm gonna tell myself. But um, I would say that, you know, I can carry a lot of weight, right? I've been as big as two hundred and twenty pounds. I'm about one ninety eight right now. I like to be around one eighty five. When I was fighting, I was one sixty eight, right?

• 10:46Mindy Pelz?

  Wow.

• 10:46Speaker 01

  Well, right, so it, there were, there's a range there. For me, though, because I've had the opportunity to see and feel how it is to be my best, I'm always chasing that. Right?

• 10:57Mindy Pelz?

  Interesting.

• 10:58Speaker 01

  So I measure myself against myself. And that's something that I kinda have to let go because I've, I've, you know, I've like, okay, no matter what I do, I'm never gonna be able to get back to my twenties. So it's nice to have that vision, but to answer your question, the hardest thing for me has been just maintaining um, the weight that I like to be at, where I feel most comfortable. So I don't feel too heavy. I don't feel like there's so much strain on my body. And being that I have a thyroid disease I've had since I was fifteen years old, I have Graves' disease. When I hit my late thirties, it became harder and harder to manage my weight and my mood and just all these things. You know, that's a whole hormone situation.

• 11:38Mindy Pelz?

  Right, right.

• 11:39Speaker 01

  So yeah, the, the, I would say the hardest thing is the weight, um, because you know, we're very critical of ourselves. I'm very critical of myself.

• 11:46Mindy Pelz?

  Yeah, most women.

• 11:48Speaker 01

  Yeah, I'm very critical of myself, even though I'm, I'm, I'm as confident as they come. Don't get me wrong. But it's, what is this little voice in your head, right? That's going on, that's playing over and over. And that's when I walk by the mirror, it's like, oh, my God, my face looks heavy. Oh, my God, you know, my arms don't look as cut, you know, they just look big. Um, when I'm on TV, that's ten pounds extra. I just wanna look the way I look in person. So now I'm like, oh, God, I gotta get this extra ten pounds off. So and then I, and then I tell myself, then I get on myself for that. And I'm like, just be happy you're healthy. What if you got sick or, or got cancer or something like that? You wouldn't be complaining about the way you look. So then I get on myself. So it's like, well, you know, we have this constant

• 12:30Speaker 01

  um, voices in our head all the time, even the most confident of us, you know? So that's something where I'm, we're always, I'm always fighting.

• 12:38Mindy Pelz?

  Yeah, and I think you bring up such a valid point because I've been really speaking this to my community that there's these voices in our head and sometimes we didn't make a decision if they should be there or not, but we're still running our life by that. Um, you know, for me, there's voices in my head that my father was very much into looks. And so if I looked a certain way or dressed a certain way on the way out the door, he would make little comments. And here I am at fifty six and his voice is still there. And it's really, I think you bring up such an important point that when we go through perimenopause and the muscle changes, that's a big one where the muscle starts to break down, no matter what you do.

• 13:22Mindy Pelz?

  And the, and you don't see the definition that you used to have. That all of a sudden, how do you deal with that voice inside your head? Have you come up with strategies? Is it just constantly being aware and talking it through? Do you have a sense of where the voice came from? Because I think a lot of women deal with this.

• 13:41Speaker 01

  I definitely have a sense of where the voice came from. My mom is very, was very critical of herself and, you know, um, you know, so I know I kinda got some of that from her. But I will say that for me, because I know, I've done it before, I know what it takes. I see a lot of women that are still in their forties and fifties and even sixties and toned and ripped. It takes a lot more work. It takes a lot of time. It takes a lot of consistency that I don't wanna give anymore.

• 14:09Mindy Pelz?

  Yes, me neither.

• 14:11Speaker 01

  Right, so I can do it. I'm like, yeah, I know, I can look at someone and say, man, she looks great. I can look that way, but do I really wanna do what it takes? No, because I'm more focused on my children and my husband and enjoying life. I know how hard, it used to come eas- a little easier. I mean, I, I trained full time as a professional athlete. I'm not, I'm now try- training for health, right?

• 14:33Mindy Pelz?

  Yeah.

• 14:33Speaker 01

  Um, and just to feel good. Before, I had to train to win my fights. I don't have to train like that anymore. So I'm not gonna make working out my life. Um, I'm not gonna be, I just, I just wanna be to where I feel comfortable. And we can talk about what I do now. So if I have something coming up, um, and I have a certain goal I wanna hit, I know that I can do it. But for me, like I said, remember I told you for me, it's like, okay, I'm, I'm doing it to this point. I don't want to do this for the rest of my life. So what can I do that's sustainable, that works for me, that makes me feel good? It's all about really finding that balance.

• 15:06Mindy Pelz?

  Yeah, it's so well said. I, so my, a little bit on my background, I was a competitive tennis player and I played on a tennis scholarship in college. And I used, I used to say I could look at a weight and I would build muscle. I didn't even need to pick it up. It was like, I'd look at it and I, and I was always worried about too much muscle because then I felt like I looked heavy in my clothes. And then I went into perimenopause and all of that changed. I couldn't build muscle for the life of me and it became so much more difficult. So let's jump into what you changed, like when you started to approach this differently. What did you look at? Uh, was it diet? Was it workout? Was it fasting?

• 15:48Mindy Pelz?

  I know you, and we're gonna get into your, you're, you're a pro faster. And you went from professional boxer to professional faster. I give you that title. Um, and so what changed so that people who are still trying to do what they did at thirty five can release themselves from that?

• 16:08Speaker 01

  Yeah, you can't, you can't, you can't keep up with it um, anymore. I mean, for me, what changed is, okay, so as a professional athlete, I used to go to the gym, right? Every day when I was training, uh, fi- well, six days a week. I'd run every morning. I'd go to the, the gym in the afternoon, do my boxing workout, sparring. We already know that's a lot of work on your body, getting hit, right? Then I would do weight training three times a week. And I didn't have to really worry about what I ate because I was young and I was burning off enough, right?

• 16:37Mindy Pelz?

  Right.

• 16:37Speaker 01

  Um, now, once I came away from that, obviously, that was a long time ago. I retired in two thousand and seven, um, and I'm now gonna be forty nine years old um, on December thirtieth of this year. Um, so I would be like, I gotta just train harder. Whenever I had a goal, for whatever reason I wanna hit, I would train harder 'cause I was like, I know how to get this weight off. I'm gonna go run four miles or I'm gonna, you know, get on my cycle and I'm gonna do all these high intensity workouts and I would hard, work hard, hard, hard. Or I would be, eat less. None of that was working. Well, now I know, I was just raising my cortisol, wearing myself out, stressing my body. And I was like, how am I not losing weight? This is crazy.

• 17:20Speaker 01

  And I actually went to a health and wellness place and I was trying to figure it out. Um, at one point, I even was looking at, they were trying to get me to take the shots that everyone's taking now. And I was like, I don't wanna do that. I'm like, that, that doesn't make any sense.

• 17:31Mindy Pelz?

  How old were you at this point?

• 17:32Speaker 01

  This um, was probably about forty two.

• 17:37Mindy Pelz?

  Yeah, that's right on time. That's right on time.

• 17:40Speaker 01

  Forty two, between forty two and forty five, I was really trying to figure it out. It wasn't working. So then I got to the point where I started looking at the fasting, watching videos, you know, going on YouTube. I came across you, um, watched a lot of your videos and I'm like, hmm, then I go down the rabbit hole. And then I learned about the therapeutic fasting and autophagy. And a concern of mine has always been my brain health, all of that. You know, my father had the Parkinson's and, but there were signs early on, um, you know, just from, you're getting hit in the head for a living, right? You're bound to have, and I already know my memory's a little shady. So I was like, wow. And you know, as you know, there's so many different levels to fasting. So I started fasting.

• 18:24Speaker 01

  I bought your book, Fast Like a Girl.

• 18:26Mindy Pelz?

  Thank you.

• 18:26Speaker 01

  Bought it for like ten other people. Um, and you already know how that is, 'cause I know, and there's sure there's people listening. I had a group, I started a fasting group.

• 18:34Mindy Pelz?

  I love that.

• 18:35Speaker 01

  Yeah, where I was the one encouraging everybody. And I had one friend who actually stuck with it and I was so proud of her. I posted about her on my social media 'cause she hit her goals for her health. She lost thirty pounds and she just, I mean, she, she did it all while being a full time mom, going back to school at my age. And I was like, if she can do it, anybody can do it, right?

• 18:58Mindy Pelz?

  Yeah, I actually wanna say one thing on that because it's an important point that I think people need to realize is when you wanna make a habit change, the best thing you can do is invite other people into the habit change. And I did the same thing when I first learned fasting. I was like, oh, shoot, I guess I should try this. I had read all the research and I was like, oh, God, but I had so many. My mom taught me that if you're having a bad day, eat. She conditioned me to be an emotional eater. She dieted all the time. And I was like, go without food, I'm gonna die. So what I did is I went to my patients and I was like, um, who wants to fast with me? I'm doing a three day water fast tomorrow.

• 19:43Mindy Pelz?

  And five women signed up with me. And then I was in, I couldn't get out of it. I was like, I can't let my patients down. And we all did it together. So I, I love that you brought a whole group into that experience. And what, what was your reaction once you first started fasting? What was the first thing you noticed?

• 20:02Speaker 01

  Well, I know, everyone knows how good you feel, right?

• 20:05Mindy Pelz?

  Right.

• 20:06Speaker 01

  So, for everyone, everyone's at a different, on a different journey and has different things going on with their health. So sometimes, I don't wanna pretend and act like that first day, or second day, or the first time around wasn't horrible, because you're used to eating food, right? And you might get hungry, you go, you go through these waves, but you have to know, like you say in your book, you recognize it, it's there, hmm, and then it just kinda goes away and you, and you get stronger and you get more confident as you pass it. What I've seen people do, and I've had friends that try to do it, is they try to jump in with the four day. I'm like, don't do that.

• 20:39Mindy Pelz?

  Right.

• 20:39Speaker 01

  The way to do it, that's not the way I did it. And then, then I'll check in on them, oh, uh, the, the, no, I'm gonna do it, I'm gonna do it. Oh, it's going great. I'm like, she's not telling the truth, because I already know. I'm like, you're pretending, you're over there doing something you're not supposed to do.

• 20:51Mindy Pelz?

  Oh my God, I love that.

• 20:52Speaker 01

  You, you're not gonna jump into a four or five day fast, and then I call you on day two, and you're like, oh, I'm, oh, I'm great. Everything's great.

• 20:59Mindy Pelz?

  Oh my God, you're so, you're like a fasting, you're like a fasting detective.

• 21:03Speaker 01

  I'm like, you're not telling the truth, cuz I already know. So, um, but, I would just say, I always encourage people to know that every season of your life requires a different approach, right? And everyone is in a different season, we're not all, we're gonna be at the same place. But I've always been that person, no matter what it is I'm doing, you know, to try to encourage others, and I try to meet them where they're at, right?

• 21:24Mindy Pelz?

  That's beautiful.

• 21:24Speaker 01

  So, uh, you know, you can't expect everyone to be at the, at the level that you are, but I stopped trying to outwork my hormones. Um, fasting removes the negotiation for me, because I'm a negotiator when it comes to dieting and, and all of that. Yeah, I'm gonna negotiate if you, cuz I believe, like a lot, and it's true, like, I can be doing a diet, and I can eat a peach, or something that was on diet, and, and it won't show. So I'm like, I can get away with this, I, I can't get away with, I can't eat not one grape when I'm fasting, or it's gonna ruin my fast. And that's why I love it, because I don't have to think. Once I make the decision and I stick to it, there's clear boundaries, and there's no constant negotiation. It's so, that's, that, that's freeing to me.

• 22:08Mindy Pelz?

  I think that's such a good point, and I've, I've never heard somebody say that before, and, but this is the way I feel too, is if I know I'm not eating, then the, when the thought comes up, oh, go ahead and get some food, my brain goes, no, remember, you're not eating today. And so there's not like, what food should I get? Or, what, I need to make sure I'm eating more protein, I'm eating more, like, that whole conversation goes away, cuz you just go, no, we're not doing this, we're actually drinking water today.

• 22:38Speaker 01

  Yeah.

• 22:38Mindy Pelz?

  So, I think that is a really important point. And what I'm hearing from a lot of people, is that even after the fast, that food noise, the way that food talks to us, has changed, because we've trained those neurons in our brain to stop screaming at us, and trying to negotiate for a different food. Have you noticed that at all, even when you bring food back in?

• 23:02Speaker 01

  Yeah, well, I think we know that hunger passes and the results last longer. And once you, you know, just like with anything else that you're gonna be successful at in your life, once you realize it, you believe it, and you become consistent, it just doesn't have that same power over you. And I don't like healthy eating to feel like punishment.

• 23:21Mindy Pelz?

  Agreed.

• 23:22Speaker 01

  Yeah, I think that, yeah, I've always loved food, and that's one of the reasons I, I wrote my cookbook, Food for Life, and I created my spice blends, I love seasoning food, I love taking healthy food, and, you know, making it taste delicious. My problem is the sweets, but we can talk about that another time, that's my challenge. But, eating healthy is just something I've always wanted to do, because I wanna nourish my body. But, but, I just wanna say, for some, uh, let me just tell you this, I just thought of, I used to be someone who was like, pfft, not eat, I'm never gonna do that.

• 23:52Mindy Pelz?

  Me too.

• 23:53Speaker 01

  I, I was literally that person, not because, and I had a reason for it. It wasn't just because, oh, I, I can't do it. It was like, why do I need to do that? I used to even sell a cleanse, like, as part of my, I had a nutrition line, I had a cleanse. And, it, you ate, but you cleansed. And, and I talked to my friends that were doing fasting, and I'm like, I would, I would never talk someone else out of it, I was, I'm not doing that, I'm not even gonna try to do that, until my mind was changed, until I understood the benefits of it. But I always felt like, oh, no, you can juice, or you can do all these other things. And, those are okay things to do, maybe for a certain reason, at a certain time, you know, I, I, there's so many different ways that we can nourish our health. Um, I can only say why fasting works for me.

• 24:38Speaker 01

  And I even have come off of fasting, like, I said I was, what I tell you, I was one ninety-eight right now, that's because I gained some weight back, you know why? Because, and again, remember, weight, I know people have this sensitivity with weight. Weight for me, I don't look at it like everybody else, because I weigh in for a living. Weight for me, I'm, I don't have a bad relationship with the scale. Like, I weigh myself, because I like to know where I'm at. It doesn't make me feel bad, it just, I know what's, what my best weight is, right? For, for performance, and just, not just performance, but also just how I feel. So it just kinda reminds me like, oh, okay, you need to tighten up, because you're not where you need to be, for, for me. So it's just a measuring stick for myself, it's not for everybody.

• 25:21Speaker 01

  But, I, um, had this puppy, that I, that I had, and it was a very stressful situation. And my, my other third dog was, is a senior, and I underestimated how tough that was gonna be. And I don't have the dog anymore, I ended up having to give her back to the breeder, cuz she turned out not to be a good fit for my family. But, during that time, I had a hard time, um, staying committed and focused on the things I needed, not just the fasting, but sleep, taking my supplements. And I was very stressed, because I had a lot on my plate, other things going on, family-wise, and I fell off the wagon.

• 25:59Mindy Pelz?

  As we all do.

• 26:01Speaker 01

  Yeah, right, and that's why I'm sharing this. And what I mean by that is, even somebody who reached her goals with fasting, and was like, I'll never go back to not fasting, I feel great. Like, you know how you say in your book, like, you gotta stop? We don't wanna stop, because, you know, when you're fasting for your cycle, um, because of the hormones. And I had a show that I need to do, and I hadn't been, done a show in years, and I was like, oh, I need to get this ten pounds off, so I feel my best, and, and I did it. Um, but I didn't do it during, uh, according to my cycle. And then I started a bad habit of just fasting whenever I wanted to, because things would come up.

• 26:42Mindy Pelz?

  Yeah.

• 26:43Speaker 01

  And I did throw off my cycle.

• 26:45Mindy Pelz?

  Ah, look at that.

• 26:47Speaker 01

  Yeah, at least so I thought, because I'm also forty-eight years old, so I was like, well, maybe my cycle's just going away, you know, it's been a little sporadic. Um, so it went away for like, five months, and I was like, oh, my cycle's gone. I'm going through perimenopause, you know? And then it came back, um, you know, during this time that I wasn't fasting, and I was like, oh, it's back. And then it's gone again, so it's like, so that's where I'm at right now. I just wanna say, I don't have all the answers, but I'm like, okay, so now I need to start doing the fasting with the moon, right?

• 27:19Mindy Pelz?

  Yeah.

• 27:20Speaker 01

  But I'm like, so that's what I'm, that's what I'm doing.

• 27:24Mindy Pelz?

  Yeah, that's a classic perimenopause situation, and I just wanna point that out too, because you, you start fasting, and you lose the weight that you are gaining from the hormonal shift that's going on. You get so excited about it, that you do more and more, you maybe do it sporadically, like you're talking about, um, and then you lose your cycle. And then you're like, wait, is this perimenopause, what is this? And you're not sure, so you actually did the right thing, then you brought food back in, the cycle started, and now where you're at, is following the fasting cycle according to the moon, is exactly right. You just, you get an A plus plus, I feel like you're like a star, you're like a star student.

• 28:06Mindy Pelz?

  But the, but I see so many people who are like, perimenopause women shouldn't fast. And I'm like, no, no, no, actually, perimenopause women need to fast, it's just a little more abstract, like you just pointed out, so.

• 28:21Speaker 01

  If I'm wrong, I don't wanna be right, I'll tell you that right now, there's a, there's a little saying, right? Because it, it, for me, again, I'm, I'm the type of person that, um, I'm gonna do what I feel is right in, in intuitively.

• 28:36Mindy Pelz?

  Right.

• 28:37Speaker 01

  But also, I, I listen to my body, I'm, I'm gonna listen to you, a fasting expert.

• 28:42Mindy Pelz?

  You.

• 28:42Speaker 01

  Um, and I'm gonna, I'm gonna, I'm gonna be like, okay, whatever, I'm gonna, cuz, cuz again, there's so many people, like, as you know, that, that have opinions, right? So I'm gonna choose what feels good for me, and I'm like, hey, you know, it is what it is. So I, I can, but I'm gonna take accountability, I can say, I know what I did, because you said, don't do this, and I did it anyway, because I, yeah, because I knew I had a show, and it was, it was a situation where, that I wanted to do, and now I'm like, okay, yeah, that was, that was true, you know? But, I am at a place where I'm not, I'm not really worried about my cycle. I, I went back, so I started to say, I, I, I wasn't fasting at all, you already know when you're stressed, cortisol's high, all that.

• 29:23Speaker 01

  Naturally, I'm gonna, yeah, and I, I said in the beginning, I'm naturally, this is kinda the weight I, my body likes to settle at, around two hundred, if I'm not being intentional about doing certain things. But I'm not gonna say I haven't had a donut or two, you know, it's not like I can say, oh, I've been eating perfectly, and I just stopped fasting and I gained weight. No, I, I've ordered pizza for the kids, I had a couple slices, I had, I kinda let go, what I would call my version of letting go. Never like, everyone's version of letting go is different than the next person. So my version of letting go, and guess what? The fasting has given me the confidence to know that I can get right back on the wagon.

• 30:05Mindy Pelz?

  Yes.

• 30:06Speaker 01

  That's what I love, Mindy, because, and my friend that I told you about that lost her weight too, when she says, oh, we're, we're checking in, hey, how's it going, girl? She's complaining about whatever, you know, we rant on each other, and then she's like, oh, I gained five pounds, or whatever. And I'm like, well, girl, you know, you can get that off, it's not a big deal, right? Because again, again, the weight is just one of those things where you're like, okay, if you wanna keep yourself in check, where you know you feel at your best, and you know you've been overdoing some things that you shouldn't be, it's just a way to check yourself, you know? So everyone has a different goal with fast.

• 30:38Mindy Pelz?

  It's a beautiful way to look at that. I'm sorry, I just, because I deal with so many women who are obsessed with that number on the scale. And I'm like, don't, don't look at it, like, I, my scale broke like, ten years ago, and I'm like, you know what? I'm just gonna try not using it, and I wanna go based off how I feel. And you just said something, because you've been a scale watcher, because that was part of your profession, you found a number that you are happy with, that you're happy with.

• 31:06Speaker 01

  Mm-hmm.

• 31:07Mindy Pelz?

  How, how, it, was that just a function of looking at the scale, and then looking at your body, and saying, am I comfortable? How do you come to peace with that number?

• 31:18Speaker 01

  I don't know. I think it's different with different cultures too. You know, we are, with African American women, we like to be heavier, right? Or thick, like my husband likes me more bodacious. He likes my curves and I'm like, I don't, you know, like my pants don't fit the same. So obviously it's not just a look. It's like my clothes don't fit. I need to fit in my clothes, you know, there's a certain size. So, you know, for me, I just like to feel athletic. I like to feel.

• 31:47Mindy Pelz?

  Me too.

• 31:48Speaker 01

  Yeah, I like to feel, I know what I look like when I'm doing what I'm supposed to do for my body. I know what I look like when I'm not stressed, when I'm eating clean, when I'm doing my workout. And my workout, we'll talk about, has changed. I know how it feels. So if I don't have that feeling and that vibe and that weight, I know I've been off. It's for a reason. And I know that some people have a harder time because of the hormones. But I'm not at that point yet anyway, who knows if it's coming, where I'm not in some sort of control. When things are off, a lot of times I can pinpoint what I did. Yeah, exactly what happened. And sometimes I'm going through something right now as we speak, where at like two or three o'clock in the day, I get really tired.

• 32:32Speaker 01

  I'm talking about like fatigue to where I feel like I can go late, I need to go lay down. And my husband's like, oh, you're just tired. And it's so annoying to me because he thinks he has the answer all the time. That you just, you just need to sleep.

• 32:44Mindy Pelz?

  That's a whole nother show. That's a marital show.

• 32:46Speaker 01

  I'm like, it's not sleep, babe. I know, I know my body, like I have these hormones. So it's, it's like that, you know, it's almost like my thyroid medication is off, you know, where I'm dragging myself, right? So that's a challenge again. So things come up and I might go get my blood work done and, and, and try to figure it out. But I think that for me, to answer your question about the scale, like I said, I have a range that I know is comfortable for me. And I don't get upset because it's not about, oh, my God, because you tell most women, oh, I weigh 200 pounds. That sounds like a lot, but I'm 5'11". Like I said.

• 33:23Mindy Pelz?

  I was saying, not if your feet are size 12.

• 33:26Speaker 01

  Yeah, yeah. Like I'm not, I'm not overweight, you know? So you can't, you can't go by just a number. You have to know what feels good for you, right? And if, and if you're not happy with what you see, then continue working at it. Continue working at it, you know, it's about being healthy is the main thing and health is beautiful.

• 33:45Mindy Pelz?

  And I think what I hear in this that I really want to pull out for, for women is you created a relationship with your body that was just about you and your body. And you were like, this is the number that this is my range. It wasn't about impressing anybody else. It was like, this is how I want to feel. I, I had the same, when I went through perimenopause, I remember having this moment of like, looking at my belly and thinking, do I, does that really bother me? Like maybe, maybe women are supposed to have a little extra weight. Maybe I didn't have enough weight before. And like all of a sudden I started asking myself different questions. Like, do I mind that? It's just a little poof on my belly. Is it really that big of a deal?

• 34:29Mindy Pelz?

  Am I, am I still trying to get a six pack? Maybe I'm never going to get a six pack. Like I think perimenopause offers you all that analysis where all of a sudden you go, okay, wait, I want to live in a body that I love. I don't care what the rest of the world thinks. And that's what I really heard in that answer, which is so beautiful for a professional athlete to get to that point. So.

• 34:52Speaker 01

  Absolutely. I, yeah, I, like I said, it's a, it's a lot of, it's a, there's a lot that goes on in our heads. And it's really about finding that balance within yourself. So.

• 35:01Mindy Pelz?

  Yeah. Talk to me about your long fasts because I, I love that you love long fasts. There's some really interesting new research coming out that is really showing that they're separating out the short fasts from the long fasts. And they're saying that if you want that deep healing, you really need to go over three days or more. And I know you've got a family, you go on these long fasts, you have to cook for your family. How many long fasts have you done and what has been your experience with it?

• 35:34Speaker 01

  Well, let me just say that life does not stop because I'm fasting. Okay?

• 35:39Mindy Pelz?

  Excellent.

• 35:40Speaker 01

  That's, that's it. I have a daughter who's 15, my son is 17, my husband, I cook pretty much five nights a week. Every day it's what's for dinner, mom? What's for dinner? What's for dinner? And you know, that's a commitment that I made years ago because I understand the value of eating clean, healthy food and coming together at the table. So I make the decision as fast. I remember when I first started fasting, I wanted everyone to know because I almost won a medal, like I'm fasting.

• 36:08Mindy Pelz?

  Yeah, of course.

• 36:09Speaker 01

  I'm on day two, I'm on day three, like I'm superhuman, like you guys are eating, I'm not eating and I'm still going. And I wanted everyone to know, right?

• 36:16Mindy Pelz?

  Yeah.

• 36:16Speaker 01

  Or sometimes I have a complaint and be like, well, I can't eat because I'm fasting. And then it kind of will bring the kids down because they were like, why mom? Because they don't understand, like, why are you not eating? So I learned to find that balance, like everyone doesn't need to know when I'm fasting. It doesn't need to be, I mean, I'm not talking about, I'm talking about outside of my family because you already know you're going to get opinions and all this extra energy. I don't feel like dealing with that. For me, to, first of all, I prepare mentally for a long fast.

• 36:43Mindy Pelz?

  Okay, great.

• 36:44Speaker 01

  What I have found is, is that because I'm a little OCD, ADD, and you know, I obsess over certain things when I'm fasting. I'm like, I should have ate an olive. I should have had that nut. I should have had, like little things like that. When you just, you, you don't, you appreciate like.

• 36:59Mindy Pelz?

  Isn't that funny how that works?

• 37:01Speaker 01

  Yes. Now I'm like, oh, oh, all these things. So now I'll have the things that I think I'm going to want before I fast. So just for myself, because I know mentally I'm going to be thinking about those things. Then I remind myself of that I'm going to feel hungry and that's okay. I might, I'm just going to push past it. So when it comes up, it's not a big deal. Then in the moment when I get, you know, through those waves of hunger or the fam, I'm cooking for the family because I'm still cooking and preparing meals.

• 37:29Mindy Pelz?

  Yeah.

• 37:29Speaker 01

  I'm like, that food will be here. Okay? The food will be here. And I think about how wonderful I'm going to feel when I reach my goal, when I, when I did what I said I was going to do. That's what I counteract those feelings of how great I'm going to feel and how quickly that time is going to pass. Because when I'm on day one is, day one and day two are the hardest for me. When I'm doing five, five days is the longest I've gone. Because once you hit day one or day two, you think, man, I still have three more days. And when you're on day three, you're like, I still have two more days. You know, and I, I like to use fasting apps because I like to look at it and look at the hours that I pass.

• 38:14Speaker 01

  There's one called Zero that I really like.

• 38:16Mindy Pelz?

  Yeah, I was going to say, which one's your favorite?

• 38:17Speaker 01

  I use Zero. Yeah. But I just like that it shows you how many more hours you have, how many hours you have to go. Because it just makes me feel good when I look at that. Whatever you need to mentally, because it's very mental. There's a lot of self-talk. I mean, I'll be sitting in my computer and nobody can hear me, but I'm thinking to myself, girl, it's okay, keep going, that food will be there. When I have those moments, because I might get angry or I might get stressed about something and then you feel, you feel like you want comfort of food. And I noticed that. So now I'm realizing these things that I may not have noticed before, that I'm not even hungry. You know, it's just that I'm like, hmm, let me go get, you know, I just want to put something in my mouth. So I will say that coffee has helped me a lot.

• 39:01Mindy Pelz?

  Yep, agreed.

• 39:02Speaker 01

  I'm a coffee drinker and I know from reading your book that I was like, if I need the coffee to get through. So I was relying on coffee a lot because I like coffee. I like the flavor of coffee.

• 39:14Mindy Pelz?

  I do too.

• 39:15Speaker 01

  And I was even doing it with some cream in the beginning.

• 39:20Mindy Pelz?

  Yeah.

• 39:20Speaker 01

  But then I weaned myself off because I was like, if this is what I need to keep me in it. So I feel like there's something I can go have. And obviously the electrolytes, of course, you definitely need to have. And the water you need to have and I'll take my supplements. But the hardest thing was some people would think is, is cooking for the family. It's actually not hard for me because.

• 39:39Mindy Pelz?

  Interesting.

• 39:39Speaker 01

  I feel in so control, in controlled. What's hard is not being able to taste the food. But because I cook so much and I use my own seasonings, I kind of know how much to use. And then I'll say, hey, can you taste this? And just make sure I don't need more salt or something. And every once in a while, if that didn't taste good, I'm like, hey, oh, well, I'm fasting.

• 39:57Mindy Pelz?

  Eat it anyways.

• 39:58Speaker 01

  Yeah, they're like, they're like, just make stuff you know how to make. Don't try anything new. Like, and I'm like, I didn't mean to, but, but yeah. So and then some days I'll be like, you know what? I'm not cooking tonight. You guys figure it out. Because I don't, I just don't feel like it. So.

• 40:12Mindy Pelz?

  Yeah. How many of you felt your brain go offline the minute you hit your 40s? When my brain started to go offline in my early 40s, I was crazy scared. I went from being the woman who could hold everything together to not being able to get through a full workday. The positive thinking that had always been my superpower, it just disappeared. Worst case scenarios, replaced it. Anxiety I didn't recognize. A version of myself I didn't sign up for. I thought something was deeply wrong with me. And then I went looking for answers. What I found didn't just help me, it changed the entire way I understand what it means to be a woman

• 40:54Mindy Pelz?

  moving through this season of life. Your brain is not broken. It's remodeling. That's why I wrote Age Like a Girl, to really lay that out for all of you. It's part science, it's part my own story, the messy, humbling, ultimately beautiful story of a woman who had to fall apart a little before she could figure out who she actually was. If you're in that right now, I want you to know you are not alone and this is not the end. It might just be the beginning of the most powerful chapter of your life. So Age Like a Girl, it's available now at drmindypelz.com/books.

• 41:38Mindy Pelz?

  And please know, I am always cheering you on. You know, we have a fasting group on Facebook. There, I don't know how many people are in it now, but last I looked, it was like 150,000 people. And everybody shares their fasting story. Do you know one of the most common things that people share is they actually like to cook food when they're not, when they're fasting? It's like, they don't feel as deprived, like they're touching it, they're smelling it, they're in the experience, they can be in community with it, with their family. So it's, it's surprising to me that a lot of people are that way. Um, the other thing I wanted to ask is, a question I got a lot in my clinic was moms would say to me,

• 42:22Mindy Pelz?

  what, I'm worried that my daughter, my teenage daughter is watching me not eat and is worried, I'm worried I'm setting her up for an eating disorder. Have you had a conversation with both of your kids, but you mentioned you have a teenage daughter, about why you fast?

• 42:40Speaker 01

  Yeah, so my daughter has asked me, and that's why I said sometimes, you know, I don't bring them into it quite as much, like, they don't need to go through all the emotions with me. But, um, she's like, why aren't you eating mommy? Why aren't you eating? And I'll say, Sydney, um, what I'm doing, I know you may not understand, but it's for health reasons. It's good for my health, I'm giving my body a break, you know, my body is cleansing itself. Um, I know it's a lot to understand, but that's why I'm doing it. And then I, and then, because I've talked about this before and just my, um, with my brand, Laila Ali Lifestyle, and I've talked about my real goal about health and wellness, and my why is wanting to be here for my family. Um, I truly believe that we are in control of our health.

• 43:25Speaker 01

  Um, when it comes to what we chose, choose to put in our body, what we choose to have, you know, we, you know, your skin is your largest organ.

• 43:33Mindy Pelz?

  Oh, yeah.

• 43:34Speaker 01

  So we're using all these products and all these chemicals and all these scents and all these makeups and all these things, we're getting our nails done. And I'm not a fanatic, but I am someone who's very conscious of, you know, the detergent I buy and the, the, everything I use, you know, I'm not burning candles and plugins and things all around the house, because all the neuro toxins and, you know, I'm gonna pick my poison, I wear makeup, right? So I know, but I know that I'm putting something on my skin, but I'm not gonna use 50 different things, I might choose three, and then I'm gonna cut out some rest. So for me, it's all about finding that balance. Um, but what I don't wanna do is also have a bunch of processed food and all this junk. So I teach my children, I've been teaching them for a long time,

• 44:16Speaker 01

  because they're those kids that don't have the same snacks as the other kids, I still.

• 44:20Mindy Pelz?

  Right, and mine work too.

• 44:21Speaker 01

  Yeah, so they're like, well, you know, but I let them have, like I said, I order pizza, like, they can get pizza, I'm not gonna make them afraid of the world. I'm gonna teach them that, you know, our body can only take so much, so much load, right? So, you know, pick and choose, because, and, and cleanse, cleansing is so important, because you gotta move off planet earth at this point, if you, if you wanna be.

• 44:44Mindy Pelz?

  Agreed, oh my gosh.

• 44:46Speaker 01

  It's in the water, it's in the air, it's in the food, it's in the grass, you know, you're, I, I can be using organic in my garden, because I do have a garden, you know, I'm not using Roundup and all that, but my neighbors are, right? So I'm like, and then the rain rains on my food, and what's in the rain? So it's like, I'm not gonna like, be afraid to live this life, because at the end of the day, I feel like God is in charge, right? But when you know better, you do better. So, I, to answer your question, I know it's very long-winded, but my children have seen me do a lot, they see me getting my infrared sauna, they see me, um, you know, using red light therapy, they see me, you know, jumping on my, um, what do you call it, rebounder? All of these, everything, like, what are you doing?

• 45:29Speaker 01

  I'm like, all these little things that I do, I tell them, look, you may not understand, you will at one, but just know, I'm doing it for health and wellness. And I grew up watching my mom, because people always think about my dad, because he's Muhammad Ali and the greatest of all time. But my mom used to take really good care of herself, and a lot of it was for vanity reasons. But she always ate clean, I'm talking about, she would literally, we would be driving down, we lived in Malibu at one point, driving down PCH, and she'd be hungry. She'd fill up the car for gas, and she would get, there was like a PC Greens, like, next door. And she would go in there and get a bag of lettuce and eat it like a bag of chips, like.

• 46:09Mindy Pelz?

  Whoa.

• 46:10Speaker 01

  That's what I'm, that's how my mom. And as a kid, I was like, ew, but I grow up now, I'm an adult, and I remember, so for those women who are worried about their daughters, I think it's important for us to explain to them why. They're gonna connect the dots, and don't make it about weight loss. Weight loss is great, um, we, let's not pretend we don't all wanna feel comfortable in our bodies, that's different for some, for, different for all of us. But it really is about the health reasons, because you can do a lot of things just to lose weight, right? You can do a lot of things, if you wanna just go get a shot nowadays, you could just lose weight. So if you're thinking about fasting, you obviously understand, there's more to it than just losing weight. It's about taking control of your health, it's about being healthier, being, I love.

• 46:55Mindy Pelz?

  Programming.

• 46:56Speaker 01

  And I'm in control, like, I know what I need to do, right? In order to stay on top of my health and wellness.

• 47:03Mindy Pelz?

  How do you build your workouts, or like, do you work, when you do a three or four day or five day water fast, like, what do you do with your fitness?

• 47:10Speaker 01

  So for me, I like, um, because of the research I've done, I like doing the walking on an incline. I have a treadmill, um, I like to walk, because then I don't have the excuse of the weather. Here in Georgia, where I live now, it's very hot and muggy outside. I don't feel like talking to the neighbors sometimes, I just don't. So for me, I'd rather just go, get on my treadmill, and guess what? I can also do work if I need to, you know, if I have to on my phone, or if I wanna read, or just watch a podcast, whatever. Um, I get on the incline, I'll go on, for me, I'll go on a 10 incline, at about 2.5 to 2.8, so slow, but I also have my 25 pound weight vest on. So, um, I like to make it harder, right?

• 47:55Speaker 01

  So if I want to increase that, you know, obviously I can increase the speed, bring, there's different things I can do, so I'll do that for 30 minutes to an hour. Sometimes I get so caught up in what I'm doing, I'll just do an hour. I also, I also cycle after dinner, because I learned about that, about, you know.

• 48:12Mindy Pelz?

  Yeah, that's a good one, when you're eating, it's a great one.

• 48:15Speaker 01

  Yep, because I don't wanna go outside and go for a walk again with the weather, or the rain, or it's nighttime, so I'll literally, I move my, my bike up to the, because I have a gym in the house, but I move the bike up to the family room area, and the family might be watching TV, and I'll get on my bike for like 20 minutes, not going fast, just moving my legs, simulating walking, that has been really good for me. But to answer your question, so the, I'll do the walking, I'll also do hot, HIIT, high intensity workouts, um, so I might, some days, I'll walk for 30 minutes, then do like 10 sprints on, on, on HIIT, where I'll jump off and on the treadmill, and put it on like an 8.5 or a 9, and just run really fast for 15 to 30 second sprints.

• 48:58Speaker 01

  That way, I'm getting that growth hormone and all of that, and, you know, that fat burn.

• 49:03Mindy Pelz?

  And you're double stacking, you're double stacking if you're fasted and you're doing that, you're getting, you're double stacking.

• 49:08Speaker 01

  That's just for the first two days, though, because then my energy kinda trails off, where I don't feel like I'm gonna push myself that hard with the, the actual HIIT workouts. So then I'll just focus on the walking, because what I don't want is, I don't wanna make my body feel like, okay, I need to eat now, because that's the other thing, like, when I, when I let go of a lot of energy, as an athlete, I'm used to being, having a protein shake or something. So I keep it kinda, uh, easy, so that I'm not spiking my cortisol, I'm not out of breath, but I'm getting that, that burn, and I'm getting into that autophagy faster

• 49:48Speaker 01

  by using up all of the, with the glycogen, um, that's in my body. So there's so many different levers that you can pull, depending on what your goal is, but if I can get into that deep therapeutic autophagy, not autophagy, um, fasting quicker, then I do the things that I.

• 50:06Mindy Pelz?

  I see how you're, yeah, I see how you stack this. So I just wanna repeat this, because I, my, one of the big things I preach is, everybody can do these fasts differently. And a, a lot of times I get asked, like, what's the right and the wrong? And I'm like, sometimes there's no right or wrong, there's just different ways. So the first two days, you do the treadmill with the rucking vest, and you do HIIT training. Um, and then on like the third day, you start to, and, and as we both know, but the audience might not, those are definitely growth hormone stimulators and autophagy stimulators, what she's doing, and even the rucking vest on, on an incline, um, if it feels enjoyable, is also lowering cortisol.

• 50:49Mindy Pelz?

  And so you're still doing, you're still within a good neurochemical situation, but then on the third and the fourth and the fifth day, you just walk, you, you bring it down.

• 50:59Speaker 01

  Yeah, I walk, and I also, sometimes I just wear the vest around the house. I have two, I have the 25 pound and I have a 16 pound, because the 25 pound, when that's on, you feel it, right? But, um, I can carry that, though, because of my size, but the 16 is kinda really easy for me, it's just there. Um, but I'll, I do do sit-ups and push-ups, um, because I can do them, just not quite as many. Um, and I don't, I do the female push-ups, uh, you know, the modified push-up.

• 51:27Mindy Pelz?

  Oh, listen to that, I want everybody to hear that. Laila Ali does the female, yeah, I do too, I do too, like, because we should.

• 51:36Speaker 01

  Yeah, I, the funny thing is, I never have, even when I was boxing, I never, I never did them, um, the, the real way. Yeah, so, um, but, yeah, and I, and I never could do pull-ups, and I, and, and I knew, my, one of my trainers tried to get me doing it, and I was like, I'm good, I, I don't want to do it, I'm good, I do so many other things, it's okay, and I'm okay admitting that. So I really try to get that burn, um, doing them the other way. So, but like I said, I also listen to my body, because I've noticed that some, I've had, I've done a five day fast before, where on the fourth day, I started feeling like, mm, maybe I need to break this fast, and I might've had like four more hours to go, and I just broke the fast, um, you know, because other things might be going on in my body, you know,

• 52:21Speaker 01

  and I just break the fast, so, yeah, listen to your body.

• 52:25Mindy Pelz?

  Okay, I have something I've got to say that I really think a lot of women need to hear. If you've ever followed a health program and it didn't work, check this out. This is not your fault. I promise you. Let me explain. Most fitness programs, most fasting protocols, most dietary advice, it was researched on men. It was designed for men and then handed to women with a shrug. And I hear you go, hope this works for you. But here's the thing, you operate on a 28 day hormonal cycle. The food you eat, the length of your fast, even the intensity of your workouts, all of it needs to be timed to where you are in that cycle to actually get a result.

• 53:10Mindy Pelz?

  This is the science I teach inside my Reset Academy. This is the science that I have researched for over a decade. And inside my academy, every month I walk you through it in a very practical and actionable and way, and it's actually built for your body, for a feminine body. So it's gonna work. I promise you, I see it over and over again. This is a moment to get back into relationship with this beautiful body that you are so blessed to live in. So if you're ready to finally understand this incredible body of yours and work with it instead of constantly fighting against it, come find me over in the Reset Academy. That's resetacademy.drmindypelz.com. I'll see you there.

• 53:56Mindy Pelz?

  And have you, you know, a big fear that people have is you'll lose muscle and that you're permanently, when you start fasting, have you had that experience?

• 54:07Speaker 01

  No, and I actually get on a body, is it called a DECA scan? Where they'll scan your body. And no, I actually did not lose muscle. I gained muscle. And I will say this, when I do a five day fast, I'll lose, and you know, a lot of it's water weight, but I'll lose like 13 pounds, right? In the five days. And I love the way I look. I'm like, ooh. But everything does look flatter. Okay? So my butt doesn't, doesn't look as lifted, but guess what? It comes right back. It fluffs right back.

• 54:40Mindy Pelz?

  Right.

• 54:41Speaker 01

  So it's like that, you know, it's like your body has a weight, you know, when you're letting water go and everything, it'll go down and then it'll come back up. Especially if you eat a can of sardines or some salmon or something like that. It depends, you know, have your protein. So.

• 54:55Mindy Pelz?

  Agreed.

• 54:56Speaker 01

  But you're, I'm definitely not gonna lose muscle. It's not like I'm doing a 40 day fast and I'm gonna keep doing it back to back to back to back. Like that much is not gonna change. And the health benefits way outweigh what I'm worried about with my looks. You know what I mean? In terms of muscle, but no, I haven't lost.

• 55:14Mindy Pelz?

  Yeah, the research actually shows that in the refeed, you can actually regrow muscle even stronger than if you had dieted and worked out in a, through a different lens, the calorie in, calorie out kind of thing. So the re, and ketones preserve muscle. So when you go into this state, you're right, it looks flatter. And the reason it looks flatter is because the water's coming out of you and your body's breaking down all the old. So I love your approach. What if, what have you noticed about cognition? Cause I know that's a big concern for you. When you fast, are you seeing better mental clarity?

• 55:51Speaker 01

  What I love about fasting is how it makes me feel more than anything. That's why I was like, I'm never gonna stop this, you know? And I remember that in your book, before I started going for the five day fast, I read it. And I, like I said, I was one of those people who's like, I'm not gonna not eat. I did not believe people that said they felt great. I'm like, yeah, right. How do you feel great? Like, so I can still remember how I felt when I'm talking to people. But I feel great. My, I'm so clear, you know, everything is so clear.

• 56:25Speaker 01

  And it's gonna take more time, because I've been doing it now, going on two years. It's gonna take more time to see if it's, you know, gonna, gonna last. Or if it's just, is it just when I'm fasting, you know? But that was part of my theory I was trying to figure out. Remember I told you that I'm going through something right now where I feel fatigued? I feel tired. So I think something's going on with my body. But I hadn't been fasting regularly. And the first thing I thought was that's because I stopped fasting. Like, I don't, I just feel like at my best when I'm fasting. And when I say fasting, I'm saying I'll do a five day fast. My goal, perfect picture for me is to do a five day fast, maybe quarterly, right?

• 57:06Mindy Pelz?

  Okay.

• 57:07Speaker 01

  Or, or even if it's two times a year, but more quarterly. And then I like to do maybe like a three day fast, once a month. And then, you know, but then be doing the intermittent fasting where I like to cut off my eating. I would like to say sundown, but sometimes it doesn't get dark in Georgia till nine o'clock. And then sometimes it's six. So for me, that's a hard one. I like to fa, I like to eat dinner, then start my fast. So I get that, you know, I wake up in the morning, I've already done X amount of hours. That's me. So I like to stop eating by like eight or nine o'clock at night on average. And then I start eating again at like two in the afternoon. Like I haven't eaten today yet. I feel fine. I'm gonna eat after the podcast.

• 57:53Mindy Pelz?

  Me too. I haven't eaten today either.

• 57:55Speaker 01

  Yeah, I'm a man. But what I love, and let me tell you this, it literally makes me look 10 years younger. Like after I do a five day fast, not right after, but the two weeks following, after your body refeeds. And one of the biggest mistakes I was making, even after reading your book, even knowing the refeed is so important.

• 58:20Mindy Pelz?

  It's so important.

• 58:21Speaker 01

  Wrong. Like, I know, remember I told you about me negotiating? Once I'm like done and I get to eat, I would tell myself, you can have a donut because you did this.

• 58:34Mindy Pelz?

  Yes, yes. The award.

• 58:38Speaker 01

  It was so bad because I would have things that I shouldn't have because I was just so happy to be able to eat again. And even if, I'd be like, my stomach's fine. Cause you know, they say, take your time, ease into it. My stomach would be fine. So I was more focused on how I felt more so than not realizing, no, it's what you refeed with, it's gonna fuel your cells. And all, you're building new cells with the food that you eat. So now I'm, I've taken my game up to where I'm like, okay, I'm gonna have the bone broth. Then I'm gonna have the eggs and the sardines and avocado and sauerkraut. And I had those things, but I also had a donut with it. So now I actually break my fast properly.

• 59:22Speaker 01

  Like if I'm going to build cells, what do I want to build those cells with? That's really my first priority, right? And then I do start eating faster, you know, like I, I might even have a big meal that same day for dinner. But it'll be a steak and salad. But you know, I, my stomach's not sensitive when it comes to starting to eat again, like some people's might be. But I really prioritize really, really healthy foods. Like I have the sea moss now and just different things.

• 59:49Mindy Pelz?

  Oh my God, I tried the sea moss recently.

• 59:51Speaker 01

  Yeah.

• 59:51Mindy Pelz?

  Yeah. Are you, a lot of people are obsessed with protein right now. And one of the things that I was like, this is crazy. We've gone from counting calories to counting macros. Like, when do we as women get to not count anymore? And so I feel, personally, I feel like the protein's gotten out of control. But do you, do you, are you counting your macros in any way, shape or form?

• 1:00:12Speaker 01

  No, no. Because like you said, there's always some fad, right? There's always some fad. And I don't think that, again, people can do what they want to do. And that's what I meant when I said, you look at these people, you can go online and look at these influencers. And they're like, this is what I eat in a day. And this is, okay, if you want to do that, fine.

• 1:00:32Mindy Pelz?

  Yeah.

• 1:00:33Speaker 01

  That's not what I want to do. Okay?

• 1:00:35Mindy Pelz?

  Right.

• 1:00:35Speaker 01

  So for me, yes, I, I know, just from what I know, and I know a lot over the years about eating and food and about how much I should eat. I'm gonna eat protein and I'm gonna eat veg. I might have a little sweet potato or a little rice or whatever, you know? But my main meal is gonna be the veggies on my plate, you know? And I love salads, like I said, and then I'm gonna have a healthy protein. The quality of the food to me is really important. You know, like where are you gonna get your meat and where you're, and you gotta get the best you can afford. Cause everybody can't have the same budget.

• 1:01:07Mindy Pelz?

  The higher, highest quality.

• 1:01:09Speaker 01

  Food is so expensive now.

• 1:01:11Mindy Pelz?

  Yeah.

• 1:01:11Speaker 01

  But I'd rather eat a smaller portion of a high quality than get a bunch of junk, you know?

• 1:01:19Mindy Pelz?

  Yeah, me too. And you, and you don't need to eat as much. Actually, the research on the ultra processed foods is when you eat it, you actually eat 500 calories or more a day because it stimulates appetite. So you have to eat more food, which costs more money. So what about carbohydrates? Do you fear carbohydrates? Cause a lot of, a lot of people get so obsessed with the macros that they're like, I'm never eating bread again. Do you eat bread?

• 1:01:44Speaker 01

  I do. I found a brand that I, that I like. And you know, then you find out things about brands that you like. And then you're like, oh man, now I can't have that anymore. But there's a brand I like called Hero right now. And it's bread that's high fiber and you know, it's non-GMO and all of that. And I'm not a big bread person, let me just say, okay?

• 1:02:02Mindy Pelz?

  You don't crave it. That's not, yeah.

• 1:02:04Speaker 01

  No, no, like I'm a sweets person, but bread I do like though. I'm like, but I don't, I'm not like, I won't just go make a sandwich for lunch. That's not my thing. I'm fine having a lettuce wrapped burger. Like I don't need the bun, but I do sometimes just want a piece of toast with butter on it. So I use this Hero bread and it's high fiber, so it balances things out. And I just look for better alternatives. And.

• 1:02:30Mindy Pelz?

  Yeah, that's smart.

• 1:02:32Speaker 01

  Don't, I don't tell myself, I can't have this, I can't have this. Because then you want it more, you know, if I want something bad enough, I just have it. One day is not gonna hurt me. But what are you doing 90% of the time is most important. Like we were, I was with my family taking the kids school shopping yesterday. And my daughter was like, I want ice cream on the way home. I was like, okay, let's stop and get ice cream. And I got sorbey. And it, it, it just, it didn't matter. You know what I'm saying? So.

• 1:03:00Mindy Pelz?

  Yeah, yeah.

• 1:03:02Speaker 01

  Just don't bring it home. Don't bring it to the house.

• 1:03:04Mindy Pelz?

  That's one of my number one rules is you do not, I do not put food that I cannot resist in my home. Because like outside of my home, like one of my favorite things is sweet potato fries. I love sweet potato fries. So I can't get sweet potato fries in my home. I'd have to go out of the house to get it. So I think that's a really good rule. What else have you found for your sugar? Cause you've said this a couple of times and a lot of people have sugar cravings. Have you found any cures for it?

• 1:03:34Speaker 01

  So I use, um, and, and nothing I'm saying, I'm saying is the best. I'm telling you what works for me. I've used

• 1:03:42Mindy Pelz?

  Yeah, of course.

• 1:03:43Speaker 01

  Yeah, I've used Xylitol over the years, long as it's from a non-GMO source, like birch trees.

• 1:03:49Mindy Pelz?

  Right.

• 1:03:50Speaker 01

  Um, I like that because to me it tastes and bakes and cooks like sugar. I also use stevia, even though very little because it has a very strong taste. So

• 1:04:01Mindy Pelz?

  Yeah, I don't like the taste of stevia.

• 1:04:03Speaker 01

  Yeah, I don't, I don't, I can do a sprinkle of it in, in my coffee. You know, there's monk fruit, there's dates.

• 1:04:10Mindy Pelz?

  Mm-hmm.

• 1:04:10Speaker 01

  Um, but what I know about fasting, when I'm fasting, there's no sugar, meaning like if I'm, if I'm really on, like if I'm trying to like meet some sort of a goal, I'm not going to have sugar because it's still, no matter what the substitute, it's still gonna act the same way in your body. So you have to know these things, but if I'm baking something, like I started, um, when I started on my keto journey, I was like, oh, I can make a cheesecake. And I would do the cheesecake and then I would use, you know, there's the stevia or the monk fruit or, you know, different blends. So if I'm gonna have something, I'm gonna have a healthier version of it. I'm also, um, you know, I'm actually allergic to wheat. I'm allergic to cow's milk. I didn't know this until I did my blood work.

• 1:04:56Speaker 01

  Um, so I think it was making me puffy, but other than that, I didn't feel it until I got my blood work. So, um, you know, I just try to stay away from certain things for the most part, but yeah, I, I love sweets, you know? Um, so if I can find a recipe that I can make at home, uh, then I'll, then I'll be happy. Even if it's yogurt and I put some chia seeds in it and hemp seeds in it and, and fruit and nuts, just something sweet. Um,

• 1:05:22Mindy Pelz?

  Something to get that sweet.

• 1:05:23Speaker 01

  Yeah.

• 1:05:24Mindy Pelz?

  Burst. Yeah, I can totally, I, I do, um, blueberries a lot. I'll do like blueberries and Greek yogurt and like pour just a little bit of honey in it. If I have a sweet tooth, that sometimes can just be absolutely enough. So I want you to talk about two books you've written because one you have coming out. But before you do that, talk about, it was a cookbook you wrote, right? Was that the first, was it a wellness book with recipes?

• 1:05:48Speaker 01

  Yes. I wrote a cookbook. It's called Food for Life and I have a, a passion for, actually here it is right here. For healthy foods, comfort foods, um, prepared in a healthier way. So this is my cookbook, uh, Food for Life. Um, they came out in two thousand eighteen and then I also have my organic spice blends. So I, I invite

• 1:06:09Mindy Pelz?

  I have them. I enjoy them. Thank you for sending me some. I really like them.

• 1:06:14Speaker 01

  Yes, yes, they're, they're great. Um, they're balanced, um, to mix and match and layer and, um, you know, on my website, I have different recipes and things. But just really encouraging people because again, when we talked about ingredients and last thing you want to do is be sprinkling poison on your food every day. You know, a lot of these spices have preservatives and color, chemicals and all these things in them. You don't want to be eating. So that was one of the reasons why I created my spice blends, but I'm super excited about, uh, my next book that's coming out, um, September eighth. It's called A Spark of Greatness. There it is behind me.

• 1:06:47Mindy Pelz?

  Amazing.

• 1:06:48Speaker 01

  Uh, uh, I wrote my book Reach years ago and that was geared more towards twelve and up. This book is for, yeah, this book is for four to eight year olds.

• 1:06:57Mindy Pelz?

  Oh, wow.

• 1:06:59Speaker 01

  Yes, because I, you know, the healthy foundation we help build early can shape the choices that children make later in life. And I think about that now, just with my own kids and a lot of the things I didn't get as a kid, the mistakes that I made that I wrote about in my other book, Reach. Um, and how, you know, if children can find that spark within themselves, um, because we all have it. Um, and recognize their potential and the greatness that's already inside of them, the earlier they can do that, the better, you know? And they're, they're constantly giving us clues about who they're becoming and our job, I think, is to notice them, encourage them and help them believe in what's already inside of them.

• 1:07:37Speaker 01

  And so the book is for kids. It's my story. It's how I got into boxing because a lot of people think that I just became a boxer because my father is Muhammad Ali. And I just wanted to be like him and it's actually not that at all.

• 1:07:48Mindy Pelz?

  He didn't want you to box. Was, I heard the story.

• 1:07:51Speaker 01

  Yeah. Yeah. And I didn't want to box until I saw women doing it in the ring. And I was like, women box? I want to do that. I never thought of becoming a boxer because my dad was a boxer. So I understand the importance of that first moment of seeing something and sparking it because I remember it happened to me. And my father's the greatest boxer of all time and I never thought of boxing by looking at him. I looked at these women doing it and I saw myself doing it. And my father tried to talk me out of it. He said, don't do it. It's not for you. It's not a woman's sport and I don't want you to do it. And I understand why now, of course, he didn't want me to get hurt and women weren't doing it at the time, but I went against him.

• 1:08:32Speaker 01

  And I was like, uh, I'm gonna do it anyway. So that was kind of the story. Um, you know, I made, it's, it's a picture book. Um, and like I said, I, I encourage, um, parents to, to just show their, their kids positive examples, um, of, of the people that we want them to learn from. Because there's so much going on nowadays that's not positive and, you know, children learn so much more by what we do than what we say.

• 1:09:00Mindy Pelz?

  Yeah, it's so true. And I do, I, I love this concept because one of the things that I tried to impress upon my kids who are now, uh, twenty, I keep losing track, twenty-six and twenty-three, um, is I, I just kept saying, there, that little thing inside you, whatever that is, keep listening to that. Stop listening to what everybody else thinks you should do. Um, really focus in on what lights you up because what the world needs are people that are lit up. The world doesn't need people who are replicate, replicating their neighbor or doing what the other people are doing. So what a cool book for a four to eight year old to read. I think that's really phenomenal.

• 1:09:41Speaker 01

  Thank you. And, and yeah, like I said, I'm, I'm super excited about it. It's available for pre-sale now. So,

• 1:09:48Mindy Pelz?

  Okay, we'll leave links for it. That's cool.

• 1:09:51Speaker 01

  You know, I want to knock it out of the park. I want to knock it out of the park, you know?

• 1:09:54Mindy Pelz?

  Of course.

• 1:09:54Speaker 01

  I've, I've put a lot of, I've put a lot of work into it. So I hope everyone supports it, but it really is near and dear to my heart. Um, along with, um, all the things that I do, there's so much I could have got involved in over the years and I've really been consistent with just really trying to help people become the best version of themselves because remember I grew up in my father's shadow. Um, meaning that I'm, there's nine of us. I'm the youngest girl. I'm the only one who decided to become a boxer. And I'm the only one who told my dad when I was eight or nine years old, dad, I don't want to be your same religion. And he was like, what? Um, so I have been that one from the beginning, um, that everyone thought was not gonna turn out okay.

• 1:10:38Speaker 01

  And I, I actually, I actually did. And I had to learn under the microscope, you know, I, I, I entered into the sport of boxing against my father's will with the whole world saying, why are you doing this? And I didn't have that opportunity to train in private, um, and learn on my own. So I've been doing it publicly. So I always want to encourage people to, to find that thing, that spark in them, not try to be like anyone else. I didn't try to be like my father, even though people tried to encourage me to. Are you gonna do the rope a dope? Are you gonna call out rounds? Those are things my father did in his career. And I was like, no, I'm not Muhammad Ali. I'm Laila Ali. And one of the things people see when they look at me is the confidence and the strength. And I try to be honest about a lot of my own weaknesses because we all have them.

• 1:11:22Speaker 01

  And being Muhammad Ali's daughter, knowing how many people respect and look up to my father, but I still know his weaknesses and his imperfections. And there were so many and it really moved. I mean, it changed my view of people in the world. So I just want everyone to give themselves grace. Nobody's perfect. I'm not perfect. Muhammad Ali wasn't perfect. Nobody's perfect, you know, and we all have our challenges. Some people hide them. Their imperfection's better than others, but they're all there. And the more that we can share and learn from each other and just continue trying to be better, that's the main thing. I mean, I can't imagine, some people wake up and they don't even try to be better. They don't even try.

• 1:12:04Mindy Pelz?

  Right. They just, they just stay the same or they're, yeah, they're just status quo.

• 1:12:08Speaker 01

  You're already ahead of the game. Yes, you're already ahead of the game when you become a part of a community of people who are trying to do better, who want to share with one another. Stay connected to those people because no matter what's going on in life, we're all gonna have struggles. We're all gonna fall down, fall off the wagon. I told you I do. I'm, I was off the wagon. I'm back on, I'm back on now. But, um, you know, just keep, keep going, keep going and surround yourself with people who are gonna encourage you.

• 1:12:37Mindy Pelz?

  What do you, what do you think your dad would think of what you're up to right now?

• 1:12:40Speaker 01

  Oh, I know he's proud, you know, my father.

• 1:12:43Mindy Pelz?

  I bet.

• 1:12:44Speaker 01

  Yeah, my father, my father came to me, um, I told the story of him telling me not to box. He came to me after I won my first world title and said, I want to talk to you. And I'm like, oh God, what now? You know, because of these conversations we've had, he had that serious look and he's like, I'm sorry. And he started crying and he's like, I was wrong.

• 1:13:01Mindy Pelz?

  Oh.

• 1:13:02Speaker 01

  You, you can box. Women can box and I'm proud of you. And that is important to me because these young men that we're, we're raising nowadays, every, every time they see a woman breaking a ceiling or they see a woman being strong in her own way or boxing or whatever, it changes their idea of the limits that we put on one another. And I'm never gonna encourage people to go box because I believe boxing is crazy. Like I'm a little special, like to want to be a boxer in the first place. But the point is do what you want to do in your heart. Don't let someone tell you, you can't do it. Don't let that be the reason you don't do what you want to do because you only have one life to live. And one thing everyone that lives to an older age, what do they tell you? They wish they stopped caring about what people think.

• 1:13:47Speaker 01

  They wish, you know, they have all of these regrets, you know, and none of these people that judge you care about you really, I mean, if you, think about the person you respect. Think about Muhammad Ali or even like, I'm just thinking of athletes, Kobe Bryant or people that, Michael Jackson. People that have passed away that we loved, we didn't think about them today. We didn't think about them yesterday. They're gone. We care, but that's, so imagine how it's gonna be when we pass away, like nothing, people's thoughts don't really matter. Like worry about yourself, your family, the people you care about. Make that your focus, make you your focus because you only have one life to live and, and we're in control. We're in control of our health.

• 1:14:27Mindy Pelz?

  I love it. I love, yeah, we are. It's the one thing when my life falls apart, I always come back to my health. Cause I'm like, I can control that. If I can't control everything else, I can definitely control my health. My, my, my last, uh, question for you is, so I, I renamed this podcast Live Like a Girl because I want to take back this derogatory statement of like a girl. You know, we say throw like a girl, oh, she throws like a girl or she runs like a girl. Um, and I want to rebrand like a girl as a power statement. What does living like a girl mean to you?

• 1:15:01Speaker 01

  Taking it day by day and being, getting, don't get bitter, get better, right? Because there are a lot of things that can make us bitter, right? Um, if, if we let it, if we let it. So I think, um, you know, just like I said, trying to be better every day. Um, focusing on the things that matter. Embracing, embracing all of the parts of yourself, right? You're gonna have good days, you're gonna have bad days. Yeah, so.

• 1:15:34Mindy Pelz?

  All of it.

• 1:15:35Speaker 01

  You know, and, and it's, it's, it's, I live with intention. Um, you know, I don't, I don't mean to say that like, oh, just take every day as it comes. Like, I am not going to let the day control me. I'm gonna control the day. I'm gonna live with intention. And what we do a lot is we don't know how to say no. Um, you know, we say yes to everything. And every time you say yes to everybody else and everyone else who needs you, you're gonna have to say no to something that you don't wanna say no to. I'm gonna have to, if I fill up my schedule with everyone's asks, oh, can you come do this charity event? And because of the kindness of my heart, then I'm gonna have to say no to my son. I can't be there for your game. I'm gonna have to say no to my husband. I'm too tired because I ran myself rugged.

• 1:16:19Speaker 01

  So stop saying yes to things you don't really wanna say yes to because you feel bad. It's okay, you know, we have to learn that.

• 1:16:28Mindy Pelz?

  Yeah, it's beautiful. Well, Laila Ali, I mean, I adore you from many angles. I love your fasting commitment. I love your mindset and I'm really excited for this new book. So if I, if I, here's where I'm going. I'm like, if I had a grandchild, I would give it to them. Uh, but I don't have a grandchild yet. So where can people find the book? And, um, how can we, we find you and the things you're up to?

• 1:16:53Speaker 01

  Well, the book can be found anywhere books are sold. It's available for pre-sale now. I would love for people to purchase because of those count towards the first week of sales. And yeah, if, if you have a child in your life, whether you're a grandparent, a coach, a teacher, you know, somebody, you know, then it's, it's a great book to get. And I would love that support. It's also, um, I have a link on my website, lailaali.com. I invite you all to try my organic spice blends. They're amazing. You will love them. All things Laila on lailaali.com. Um, there's a link to the book there as well. And I know you'll have them in your show notes, but yeah. Um, and then I'm the real Laila Ali, um, on social media.

• 1:17:30Mindy Pelz?

  It's beautiful. Well, Laila, it's so beautiful to talk to you again. And again, just thank you for sharing your journey because I really do believe that when each woman shares from her authenticity, it frees another woman to live life on her terms. So thank you. I really appreciate all, I appreciate you and I appreciate your, uh, your candidness today. So, and I'm sending your children's book a whole lot of love and, and well wishes. So we will, we will do everything we can to get, to help you get this on the list. So thank you.

• 1:18:02Speaker 01

  Thank you. I appreciate that. And, and love to you and love to you all.

• 1:18:08Mindy Pelz?

  Thank you.

• 1:18:10Mindy Pelz?

  Thank you so much for joining me in today's episode. I love bringing thoughtful discussions about all things health to you. If you enjoyed it, we'd love to know about it. So please leave us a review, share it with your friends, and let me know what your biggest takeaway is.