Jackie's Take: What's on My Mind in Women's Wellness ✍️ 🤔 📰 

Thinking about microdosing a GLP-1? A menopause clinician breaks it down 📉🩸 

The poll results are in—and you delivered.
With over half the votes, your clear winner was The Do’s and Don’ts of Microdosing GLPs. Which tells me something important: you’re not just curious, you’re informed, discerning, and ready to cut through the hype to get to what actually works.

That’s the heart of In the Saddle. I’m not here to sell you the next miracle molecule or regurgitate what’s trending on TikTok. I want this to be your trusted corner of the internet—where we can have nuanced conversations about real strategies that meet you where you are in midlife. And yes, that includes answering the questions you might not feel comfortable asking your own doctor.

So, let’s talk about microdosing GLP-1s: what it means, why some midlife women are experimenting with it, and what you absolutely need to know before considering it.

💉 Wait, What Even Is a GLP-1?

GLP-1s (short for glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists) are medications that mimic a hormone your body already produces in the gut. This hormone:

• Helps your pancreas release insulin

• Slows digestion and stomach emptying

• Reduces appetite and “food noise”

• Lowers blood sugar

• Signals fullness to your brain

Originally developed to manage type 2 diabetes, GLP-1s like Ozempic, Wegovy, Mounjaro, and Zepbound have exploded in popularity for their weight loss benefits—sometimes to the tune of 15–20% total body weight reduction. They’ve also become shorthand for modern longevity and metabolic optimization, with headlines ranging from “Ozempic Face” to “the new Botox.”

👀 Why Are Women Microdosing These?

Enter microdosing—a strategy where people take smaller-than-standard doses of GLP-1s in hopes of reaping the benefits with fewer side effects.

Here’s what’s driving the trend:

• Side effect reduction: Nausea, vomiting, and constipation are common at full dose. For many midlife women who are already navigating gut changes, cortisol spikes, or sleep disruptions, easing in with smaller doses feels more sustainable.

• Cost: A single month of GLP-1s can run $1,000+ without insurance, so smaller doses = longer supply.

• Biohacking buzz: Emerging data suggests GLP-1s may offer benefits beyond the scale—think inflammation reduction, cardiovascular protection, and even neurocognitive support.

• HRT synergy: A 2024 study in Menopause found that postmenopausal women on both MHT and semaglutide lost 16% of their body weight after a year—compared to 12% with semaglutide alone.

Microdosing is often being explored by women who are somewhat metabolically flexible, not seeking major weight loss, and interested in using these drugs more like a supplement… but that’s where things get complicated.

⚠️ What “Microdosing” Really Means

Let’s get technical:

• The standard starting dose for semaglutide (Ozempic/Wegovy) is 0.25 mg weekly.

• A true microdose might start at 0.125 mg or lower.

• For tirzepatide (Mounjaro/Zepbound), standard starts at 2.5 mg. Microdoses hover around 1.5 mg and very often even lower.

But here’s the thing: There are no published clinical trials on GLP-1 microdosing in healthy adults. None. Zilch.

That means anyone microdosing is essentially running a personal science experiment on themselves—without a roadmap.

✅ The DOs of Microdosing GLPs

• DO work with a provider who understands midlife metabolism. GLP-1s aren’t lifestyle supplements—they’re prescription medications that behave differently in a 40+ body. Work with someone who’s fluent in perimenopause and hormone optimization, not just weight loss.

• DO use only FDA-approved medications. Skip the shady compounded versions and Instagram “peptide kits.” They’re often unregulated and potentially unsafe.

• DO know your “why.” If you’re not dealing with diabetes or obesity, microdosing might be about metabolic fine-tuning—but you need clear goals.

• DO monitor closely. Track labs, GI symptoms, sleep, appetite, mood—anything that shifts.

❌ The DON’Ts of Microdosing GLPs

• DON’T expect major weight loss. That’s not what microdosing is for.

• DON’T DIY. Messing with syringes, reusing needles, and guessing dosages is a hard no.

• DON’T skip the pre-work. If you haven’t optimized basics like nutrition, movement, stress, and sleep—start there.

• DON’T assume this is a cure-all. Microdosing isn’t a magic bullet. If your energy, joint pain, inflammation, or other symptoms aren’t improving—or you’re chasing results that just aren’t happening—it may not be the right tool or it may not be enough on its own. Health optimization is rarely a one-hit wonder. Pay attention to what’s not getting better and don’t be afraid to reevaluate the plan.

🧬 The Real Talk: Should You Do It?

Here’s the honest truth: microdosing GLP-1s might be the future of preventive longevity care—or it might be a shiny distraction from the foundations we know work. Strength training. Protein+fiber-forward nutrition. Gut health. Circadian alignment. Nervous system regulation. Not exactly viral content, but deeply effective.

That doesn’t mean GLP-1s are off-limits. Used responsibly, with proper medical supervision, they can definitely be part of a broader midlife vitality strategy. But they’re not magic. And they’re definitely not risk-free.

In fact, I wouldn’t be surprised if—10 years from now—we consider proactively microdosing GLP-1s the fourth arm of hormone therapy, right alongside estradiol, progesterone, and testosterone. That’s the kind of potential we’re talking about. But the key is smart, personalized use—not blind experimentation.

If you’re curious, work with someone who actually understands midlife metabolism—not someone chasing the next wellness wave.

💬 Let’s Keep the Conversation Going

I want this newsletter to feel like a place where your curiosity is celebrated—and your questions are answered. So if something’s on your mind, hit reply. Or use the comment box. This is how we build smarter, braver community—together.

IN A FEW WEEKS: libido, desire, and the myth of the “broken sex drive.” Stay tuned. It’s going to be good. 💥

With you,
Jackie

The Tea: What's Trending in Women's Wellness & Culture 🍵 🛍️ 

😱🥗 Don’t Fear the Carbs—Just Pick Better Ones

New research from Tufts found that women who ate more high-quality carbs (think oats, berries, beans, and greens) in midlife were significantly more likely to reach 70 without major illness, memory issues, or mobility loss. Only 8% of women in the study met that “healthy aging” gold standard… and they weren’t skipping the carbs.

Turns out, cutting carbs might help you drop a few pounds now—but the right carbs could be your long-game power move. Move over protein. Meet your new best friend: fiber. 🫘🌾

🫶 💳️ Could Being Self-Employed Be Good for Your Heart?

As someone who’s self-employed, this headline definitely caught my eye—and surprisingly, it wasn’t another burnout stat. A new study found that self-employed women had lower rates of cardiovascular risk factors like obesity, poor sleep, and physical inactivity compared to their salaried peers.

Researchers think it might be due to greater autonomy, more flexible schedules, and (bonus points) fewer workplace micro-aggressions. Turns out, being the boss of your schedule might also make you the CEO of your cardiovascular health. ❣️ 

💸⏳️ Menopause Is Having A Moment - So Why Is It Still So Expensive?

This is a wild statistic: Only 26% of women have their menopause-related prescriptions fully covered by insurance, and 8% don’t have their prescriptions covered at all. If menopause is having a “moment”, then why do so many women still face barriers to treatment? This article makes the case that there is still much than can be done when it comes to affordability, education and access to quality midlife women’s healthcare. 👩‍🦳 (Fast Company)

👩‍⚕️🤔 What To Eat After a Colonoscopy

The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommends that most people get a colorectal screening at least once every 10 years, now starting at age 45 years, to check for signs of colon cancer. —aka, it’s officially time. I recently had my first (all clear! 🙌) and if you’ve been avoiding yours, consider this your nudge: it’s way less scary than it sounds, and your future self will thank you.

Post-scope, I found myself wondering how to best reboot my gut and microbiome. TLDR: go easy. Rehydrate, introduce solid foods slowly, and stick to a low-residue diet for a day or two. Your gut just went through it—give it a little grace. (Healthline)🥞 

This Week on The Well Kept Podcast🎙️ 

Beyond the Feed: Real Connections in the Wellness World ♾️ 

This week, Carmen and I unpacked the growing trend of community-focused wellness—

• post-pandemic in-person gatherings 🤝

• analog healing spaces 🧘‍♀️

• and the very real need for IRL connection in midlife 🧠

We explore why women are moving from online interactions to embodied experiences that foster trust, growth, and actual joy. Come for the culture shift, stay for the vision of wellness that isn’t just digital—but deeply human. 🎧
Listen here on Spotify →🎙️ 

The Group Chat Edit 📲 👯‍♂️ 

📘 To Watch: Sirens (Netflix)

Sirens is the summer series we didn’t know we needed—an unflinching look at the emotional labor, shifting power dynamics, and quiet contracts that define female friendships. Set against a backdrop of coastal luxury, it stars Julianne Moore as a woman whose influence is both aspirational and unnerving.

It’s less about secrets and more about what intimacy costs women as we age, evolve, and renegotiate who we are to each other. 👭 

🛍️ To Buy: These Effervescent Hydration Tabs 🍓 

I’m a little bit late to the electrolyte game, but now that we are on the heels of summer I figured it was time to give these a try. Recommended by a friend, and with much less sodium than LMNT (300mg vs 1000mg!), these Nuun fizzy tabs were not too sweet and pleasantly fizzy. They also make a hydration + caffeine version (derived from green tea leaves) which will hit just right for those early morning summer workouts. 🏋️ 

✈️To Try: A Reading Retreat 📗 

The hottest wellness flex of 2025? Booking a retreat where the main activity is finishing a book (does anyone else fall asleep 7 pages in?!). Designed for introverts and burnt-out brains alike, these women-only escapes offer low-stakes socializing, real rest, and the rare permission to do absolutely nothing—but read. 📖 😴