117. Why Following the Wrong Advice Keeps Women Stuck in Perimenopause
Don’t Miss An Episode!
Between supplements, protocols, and influencers all claiming to have “the answer,” it’s easy to end up more overwhelmed than when you started — chasing what worked for someone else instead of what your own body actually needs.
In this episode, I’m sharing why I took a few weeks off from the podcast, what my twice-a-year business audit taught me about the difference between noise and real data, and how that exact same principle applies to your health in perimenopause.
You’ll learn:
- Why chasing what worked for someone else usually leaves you busier, not better
- What my own business data taught me about where real results actually come from
- Why testing that matters (bloodwork, minerals, and your whole picture) beats trends
- How nutrients work like the foundation of a house: skip them and nothing else holds
- What it actually takes to make progress consistently, instead of spinning your wheels
Ready to stop guessing about your health & hormones?
The Perimenopause Method is my 12-week personalized coaching program for women 40+ ready to stop guessing, get a clear plan tailored to their needs, and start feeling like themselves again. Learn more + apply to be considered HERE.
Connect with Claudia:
Free resources:
Why So Many Women Stay Stuck in Perimenopause
I just spent the last few weeks doing something I do twice a year—a complete audit of my business.
I wasn’t looking at opinions or what the latest business gurus were telling me to do.
I was looking at my data.
And what I found changed where I’m gonna spend my time over the next six months.
The funny thing?
It reminded me exactly why so many women stay stuck in perimenopause.
So let’s get into it…
What My Business Audit Taught Me About Perimenopause
You may have noticed I took a few weeks off from releasing new episodes. And that was for two reasons:
1) I just needed a break and practiced what I preach – stretching yourself too thin isn’t a good look in perimenopause and…
2) It was so I could focus on my summer business audit. Twice per year, I take a pause, zoom out and look at the actual data. I ask questions like:
- Where are my clients actually coming from?
- What’s giving me the biggest return on my time?
- What am I spending hours on that isn’t actually moving the needle?
This summer’s audit surprised me…and it reminded me of one of the biggest mistakes I see women making in perimenopause.
Business and health have the exact same problem: too much information, not enough clarity – so it’s hard to know what actually applies to you.
My audit showed me something I’d suspected for a while – but hadn’t really confirmed.
My number one source of new clients: is this podcast.
Not Instagram, where I spend quite a bit of time.
Now, Instagram isn’t bad. It’s just not where most women decide they trust me enough to work with me.
Yet I was still spending hours every week trying to keep up with the freaking algorithm, posting consistently, making reels (which take forever by the way) – because that’s what everyone says you’re “supposed” to do.
Stop Following Someone Else’s Health Blueprint
Sound familiar?
Because women do this with their health every single day.
Someone online says magnesium changed their life.
Someone else swears it was progesterone.
Another woman says it was fasting.
Someone else says it was peptides.
Or seed cycling, cutting gluten, cold plunges, or wearing a continuous glucose monitor.
The internet is full of people saying: “this is what fixed me.”
And look, maybe it did. I’m genuinely happy it helped them.
But they’re not YOU.
One person’s success story is not evidence for your body.
And that’s where so many women get stuck.
Not because they aren’t trying or because they’re not motivated.
Because they’re building their health based on someone else’s blueprint.
The Foundations of Perimenopause Health Still Matter
Look..a lot of the midlife health advice you see online isn’t necessarily wrong.
Strength training? Great.
Walking daily? Fantastic.
Eating enough protein? Absolutely.
Getting enough sleep? Please do.
These are foundational habits supported by a lot of research.
But once you move beyond those basics, your plan should stop looking like everyone else’s.
Because your hormones, thyroid, blood sugar, mineral status, stress load, medications, health history, budget and schedule…
None of those look exactly like the woman whose Instagram Reel just went viral.
That’s why copying her plan doesn’t guarantee you’ll get her results.
Why Your Own Data Matters More Than Social Media Advice
In my business, I realized I had been making some decisions based on assumptions.
I assumed Instagram was driving more business than it actually was.
The data told me a different story.
So instead of adding more…another platform, marketing strategy or shiny object.
I made a much simpler decision: to double down on what’s already working. And stop wasting energy & time on what isn’t.
Not because Instagram is bad or because I don’t like to educate people there.
But it isn’t the best investment of my time for my business.
I only knew that because I looked at the data.
Not a hunch or intuition. Not what everyone else was doing – my own numbers.
Stop Chasing Shiny Objects in Perimenopause
And honestly? I think that’s one of the best reminders I got—not just in business, but in health.
We’re constantly tempted by shiny objects.
Every week there’s another “miracle” product.
Another hormone expert.
Another supplement.
Another expensive test.
Another influencer promising that this is finally the missing piece.
Can some of those things be helpful? Sure.
But before you ask: “Does this work?”
You should probably ask: “Does this make sense for me?”
Those are two completely different questions.
Personalized Health Beats Generic Advice
I see this all the time inside my coaching practice.
Women come to me after months—or sometimes years—of trying everything.
The supplement stack, elimination diet, Facebook recommendations, hormone protocol their friend loved….
They’ve spent hundreds, sometimes thousands, of dollars.
And they’re exhausted – not because they didn’t work hard enough.
Because they kept chasing shiny objects – instead of building from their own data.
More effort in the wrong direction doesn’t move you forward – it just makes you exhausted.
Build Your Health Plan Using Your Own Data
So what does looking at your own data actually mean?
It doesn’t mean ordering every trendy functional test you see online.
It means gathering information that’s actually actionable.
A thorough bloodwork review.
Looking at your metabolic health, thyroid, hormones, blood sugar, inflammation, cardiovascular risk.
It means understanding what your body is actually telling you.
Don’t Overlook Your Foundation
It also means looking at your minerals. This is one of the least glamorous topics in health.
Nobody gets excited about mineral balance – it isn’t sexy. It won’t go viral on Instagram.
But it’s foundational.
Think about building a house.
You wouldn’t spend thousands of dollars choosing beautiful countertops if the foundation underneath was cracked.
That’s exactly what happens when women jump straight to health trends without addressing the basics first.
So before you ask whether you need another supplement, peptide, or even hormone therapy…
Ask yourself: what does my foundation actually need?
Because that’s where lasting progress begins.
Not with more information. With better information.
And the discipline to ignore everything that doesn’t apply to you.
Why The Perimenopause Method Takes a Different Approach
That’s exactly why I built The Perimenopause Method the way I did. Not because I think women need more supplements or complicated protocols.
Because they need clarity on what matters for their needs.
Inside TPM, we look at your full picture: we assess mineral status, we review comprehensive bloodwork; we look at your symptoms alongside your labs.
And we connect the dots – instead of treating everything in isolation.
Then we create a plan that’s built around your body, goals, lifestyle, and capacity—not someone else’s.
Because your data should drive your decisions.
Not the algorithm, influencers, or Facebook groups – not even me.
My job isn’t to tell every woman to do the exact same thing.
My job is to help you understand what your body is asking for.
That’s a very different approach.
Stop Guessing and Start Assessing
So here’s what I hope you take away from today’s episode…
The internet will never run out of opinions.
There will always be another “expert”.
Another protocol.
Another supplement.
Another person promising they’ve found the answer.
You don’t need to try all of them.
You need to figure out which few things actually matter for you.
Because results & confidence don’t come from collecting more advice – they come from understanding your own body.
Stop guessing & start assessing.
If you’re tired of piecing together advice from strangers online and you’re ready to build a plan that is based on your body & needs, my team and I would love to help.
Applications for The Perimenopause Method are now open for August enrollment.
You can find the link in the show notes.
Thank you so much for listening, keep advocating for yourself, keep asking questions, and remember—you deserve healthcare that’s personalized to you. Until next time…
Claudia Petrilli is a Functional Health Coach, Integrative Nutrition Coach, Women’s Health Educator, and creator of The Perimenopause Method program. Having experienced debilitating periods, digestive issues, a sluggish thyroid, a pituitary tumor, and perimenopause symptoms in her late 30s, she knows exactly what it’s like to get dismissed by doctors and spend years searching for answers.
FREE RESOURCE:
CONNECT WITH CLAUDIA:
SHOP:
