I'm a 44-Year-Old Accountant Who Started Researching Peptides — And My Bloodwork Changed
I'm a 44-Year-Old Accountant Who Started Researching Peptides — And My Bloodwork Changed
I want to be upfront with you before you read another word.
I am not a doctor. I don't have a science degree. I have an accounting degree, 13 years in the wellness industry, and a stubborn refusal to accept "well, you're just getting older" as a complete answer.
That's where this started.
Something Shifted in My 30s — And I Paid Attention
I had always been active. Running, moving, taking care of myself. But somewhere in my 30s, I started noticing things that didn't add up. My shoulder joints started aching in a way they never had before. Weight crept on in a way that had nothing to do with what I was eating. And at my regular wellness checkups, my gynecologist kept using a word that I couldn't shake — inflammation.
She'd say it kind of casually, almost in passing, and I'd walk out of the office thinking... what does that actually mean for me? What's causing it? And more importantly, what can I actually do about it?
That's just who I am. I don't accept a shrug. I go dig.
Strength Training Changed Everything — And Then I Wanted More
Once I started lifting weights and really focusing on building lean muscle — not just running, not just cardio — I felt a difference that was hard to ignore. I had more energy. My body composition started shifting. I understood for the first time why muscle matters so much, especially for women heading into their 40s.
Muscle isn't just about how you look. It's about how your body functions — your metabolism, your hormones, your bone density, how well you age. Nobody told me that when I was younger. I had to find it myself.
But I still felt like I was missing something. My body was working hard and I wanted to make sure I was truly supporting it — not just putting in the effort and hoping for the best.
This Felt Weird at First — Just Like Norwex Did
Here's where I have to be honest with you, because I think this context matters.
Years ago, I started using Norwex products for my home. If you know, you know — and if you don't, the short version is: I thought it was a little strange at first. Microfiber cloths that clean without chemicals? People looked at me sideways. And then slowly, slowly, the world caught up. Now reducing toxic chemicals in your home isn't fringe — it's practically mainstream.
Peptides feel exactly the same way to me right now.
When I first started hearing about them, my guard was up. It sounded complicated. It sounded like something only biohackers and elite athletes cared about. But I kept researching, kept reading, kept asking questions — because that's what I do. And the more I learned, the more I realized this wasn't fringe science. This was my body, and there were tools available to support it better than I had been.
So What Are Peptides, In Plain English?
Okay, coming from an accountant — here's how I think about it.
Your body is constantly sending signals. Little messages that tell your muscles to grow and repair, tell your metabolism to function, tell your cells to do their jobs. Peptides are short chains of amino acids — basically small proteins — that act like those signals. They're not foreign to your body. They're working with what your body already knows how to do.
The ones I use from MAKE Wellness are what they call Bioactive Precision Peptides, and they come from fava beans of all things. Nature-derived. Not synthetic. Taken orally, which means no injections — just a sachet you mix into water.
I take two products daily: LEAN and FIT.
FIT is built around muscle — protein synthesis, strength recovery, reducing fatigue, supporting endurance, and even bone mineral density. There's also NAD+ support in there, which matters more and more as we age because NAD+ levels naturally decline and it plays a huge role in cellular energy.
LEAN is about metabolic support — decreasing cravings, helping your body convert fat to energy, promoting healthy body composition while maintaining the muscle you've worked so hard to build.
I also use their Hydrate electrolytes throughout the month because hydration isn't just water — your cells need minerals to actually absorb it properly.
Then My Bloodwork Showed Something I Had Never Seen Before
I have been taking these consistently for 18 months. And at my last bloodwork panel, something showed up that had never appeared before in any of my previous results.
Ketones.
Now let me tell you what that actually means, because I had to look it up too.
Ketones are produced when your body is burning fat for fuel instead of relying primarily on glucose. Seeing ketones in your bloodwork — at healthy levels — is a sign that your metabolism is functioning more efficiently. It means your body has gotten better at tapping into fat stores for energy. For someone focused on body composition and metabolic health, this was genuinely exciting to see.
I was not doing a ketogenic diet. I was not fasting in any extreme way. My body, supported consistently over 18 months, started doing this on its own.
That's not me selling you something. That's my bloodwork.
But I'm Going to Be Really Honest With You Now
Because I think this is the part most wellness content leaves out — and it's the part that actually matters most to real women living real lives.
Even with all of this. Even with 18 months of consistency, bloodwork improving, ketones showing up, strength increasing — I still have food noise. I still have 2 to 3 pounds I want to lose. I still have belly fat I want gone and ab definition I'm working toward.
And for a while, I felt almost ashamed to admit that. Like I should just be grateful for the progress and not want more. Like wanting to feel lean and strong and yes, sexy at 44 was somehow too much to ask.
But here's what I've decided: that's not vanity. That's a woman who has spent years taking care of everyone else finally saying — I matter too. My body matters. How I feel in it matters.
So I kept researching.
What Is Food Noise — And Why It's Not a Willpower Problem
This was a revelation for me and I want every woman reading this to hear it clearly.
Your brain has receptors — specifically GLP-1 receptors — that are supposed to receive signals telling you "you're satisfied, you can stop thinking about food now." For some people those signals work efficiently. For others — and research increasingly points to women in perimenopause and beyond being particularly affected — those signals are quieter than they should be.
So your brain just keeps circling back to food. Thinking about it. Even when you're not actually hungry. That mental chatter that never fully turns off? That's food noise. And it is biological. It is not a character flaw. It is not weakness. It is a gap in signaling that has nothing to do with how disciplined or motivated you are.
I have been disciplined. I have been motivated. I lift weights, I take my supplements, I drink my water, I do the things. And the food noise was still there.
Understanding that changed everything for me.
Why I'm Now Looking Into GLP-1 Support
Once I understood the biology behind food noise, I started looking into what could actually address it at the root — not just manage it through willpower.
That led me to researching tirzepatide, which is a GLP-1 and GIP receptor agonist. In plain language — it works on two receptors simultaneously to turn up the volume on those satiety signals your brain has been struggling to receive clearly. The food noise gets quieter. Not because you forced it. Because your biology finally got the message it was supposed to get all along.
A friend had been sharing about EllieMD, which offers a tirzepatide protocol, and the more I researched it the more it made sense as a potential next layer of support — not a replacement for everything I've built, but a complement to it.
I'll be honest — I'm not there yet. The cost is something I'm still working through in my mind. And more importantly, I want to do this the right way. I'm currently taking my bloodwork and looking into a functional medicine doctor who can look at my full picture — 18 months of data, the ketones, the metabolic changes — and help me determine whether this is the right next step for my specific body.
That's just how I do things. I don't jump. I research. I get the data. I make an informed decision.
Why I'm Sharing All of This
I'm not sharing this because I have it all figured out. I'm sharing it because I spent years feeling like my only options were prescription interventions or just accepting that my body was changing and there was nothing I could do.
That's not true. And I want more women to know that.
There is a whole spectrum of tools available — from nature-derived oral peptides to functional medicine to GLP-1 support — and none of them are shameful. None of them mean you didn't try hard enough. They mean you're paying attention to your body and taking it seriously.
You deserve to feel strong. You deserve to feel energized. You deserve to feel like yourself — or honestly, better than you ever have.
I'm 44. My bloodwork is changing. I'm stronger than I've ever been. And I'm not done yet.
If any of this resonates with you, reach out. I'm happy to share what I've learned and point you toward resources so you can make the best decision for your own body.
Because that's really what this is about — informed women making powerful choices for themselves.
These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. MAKE Wellness products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. I am not a medical professional. Always consult your healthcare provider before starting any new supplement or medication protocol.
