Most women don’t want to lose weight just to hit a number on the scale. They want to feel confident, attractive, and comfortable in their own body again. And yet for so many women, even eating clean and working out feels like it’s not enough. In this episode of Grounded Wellness, Bethany McDaniel sits down with functional nutritionist and Primal Bod founder Candi Frazier – a woman whose own health journey led her to uncover what most weight-loss conversations completely miss: insulin, metabolism, and the hidden signals that decide whether your body stores fat or burns it. Candi shares how years of “doing everything right” – clean eating, calorie restriction, intense workouts, keto, paleo, fasting – still left her stuck in a body that wouldn’t respond. The breakthrough didn’t come from more discipline. It came from understanding insulin, blood sugar, and how women’s bodies actually work – especially under chronic stress. Together, Bethany and Candi unpack why so many women feel trapped in cycles of hypoglycemia, cravings, stubborn weight gain, hormonal chaos, and burnout-and how those symptoms often show up long before a lab test ever flags a problem. They explore why insulin resistance can exist even in women who look “healthy,” how visceral fat drives inflammation and aging, and why most mainstream nutrition advice unintentionally keeps women stuck. This conversation challenges nearly every modern wellness narrative – from constant snacking and “healthy” paleo treats to aggressive fasting, overtraining, and the belief that fat loss is about willpower. Instead, it reframes fat as information, hunger as a signal, and metabolism as something that can be rebuilt – not punished. If you’ve ever felt like your body is working against you, this episode will change how you think about food, movement, fasting, hormones, and what it actually means to be healthy. In this episode, we explore:
- Why insulin, not calories, is the master switch for fat loss
- How hypoglycemia, cravings, and “hanger” signal deeper metabolic issues
- Why keto and paleo often fail women (even when done “right”)
- The difference between visceral fat vs. protective fat – and why it matters
- How insulin resistance shows up on the skin before labs catch it
- Why more fasting isn’t always better (especially for women)
- Protein, muscle, and finding your personal “Goldilocks zone”
- Why meat-first eating stabilizes hormones, appetite, and energy
- How movement, walking, and post-meal activity improve insulin sensitivity
- The difference between pleasure, joy, and long-term health
- This is an honest, no-nonsense conversation about metabolism, modern food environments, and reclaiming agency over your body – without extremes, starvation, or shame.
