Mikki Williden, PhD, Auckland (2026)

28/02/2026

One thing I’ve changed my mind on over the last few years or so is the pre-made protein shake.

This is pretty great for anyone who
- doesn’t have much of an appetite
- rushing and unable to get a meal down them
- doesn’t need to chew to feel satisfied

It’s not perfect. And it’s not for everyone. If you are more like me (most of the time) and need to eat food, chew, get texture and crunch and feel full after a meal then having something like this instead will not cut it. I’m more of a fan of a smoothie you make yourself that can have added fibre and thickness that you can add toppings to.

This in and of itself is too small calorie wise to be considered a meal, but I know sometimes something is better than nothing.

25/02/2026

A few weeks ago I sat down with Ashley Borden to chat about women’s heath and strength as we age. Here Ashley shares her experience and that of the thousands of people she has worked with over time in the industry. We chat strength, ageing, hormones, where to start and how to break down common barriers for women post menopause. 🙌🏼

Link here or in link tree in bio https://podcasts.apple.com/nz/podcast/mikkipedia/id1538311674?i=1000749100600

24/02/2026

There must be some type of trend going around about the “weird” things people do to stay in shape.

I don’t think anything I do is particularly weird.

Here’s what I actually do at 48, perimenopausal, and sitting around the same weight for years:

• I genuinely enjoy what I eat — but I don’t feel ripped off if it wasn’t the best meal of my life. It’s just food, after all.
• I eat when I’m hungry. Not because it’s there. Not because someone else is eating. Not because I’m afraid I’ll offend someone if I don’t eat it.
• I eat my vegetables (turns out my parents were onto something). I don’t have trauma about what went on at the kitchen table as a child. A lot of adults don’t eat vegetables. I mean, what’s not to like?!
• I move every day. Non-negotiable. Like we all used to as kids. We are humans. Movement is in our DNA.
• I don’t scroll in bed. My phone is my alarm clock but I don’t touch it otherwise once settling down for the night. If I wake up during the night it is not the thing I go to.
• I enjoy a beer or wine a few times a week — usually before dinner, rarely after. I didn’t drink hardly at all because of calories for about 15 years which probably saved me a little in terms of risky behaviour (great!) but I enjoy it. If I didn’t do this I would feel deprived.
• I eat breakfast most days (13 out of 14, if we’re counting). I fasted for years and it did nothing good for my hormones, muscle mass or mood. I have friends who fast and love it! I love breakfast 🤗

Most of staying in shape especially in your 40s and beyond isn’t about extreme protocols.

It’s about removing friction.
Regulating appetite.
Sleeping properly.
Moving your body daily.
Eating food you enjoy without needing it to be euphoric.
(Actually 7 things)

24/02/2026

It’s not that hard to offer your support when someone shares something like their fat loss goals. Don’t be the person who scoffs and says ‘yeah, until you fall off the wagon’ or ‘I wonder how long it will last this time.’

Because even if you’re ’joking’ it’s not cool.

Most people beginning a diet could describe themselves as a graveyard for failed attempts. They barely believe in themselves to be successful here and have self-limiting beliefs that over time can erode their discipline and willpower to the point that, when they do give up, well, they always knew they were going to anyway and are resigned to this fact.

The last thing they need are friends around them who don’t believe in them too. What you don’t realise, when you joke about falling ‘off the wagon’ or when you offer someone something (like chocolate, or a muffin) that doesn’t align with their goals, you are trying to sabotage their attempts. Sometimes it’s unintentional and you don’t know you’re doing it. Sometimes it’s not that subtle.

This happens all of the time to clients and members that I work with.

If you’re truly a friend, be there for them. Ask what they need or just even let them know how proud you are for them to take this step and that you also know that this time it IS different.

If you don’t feel this way, and find yourself waiting for your friend to fail, ask yourself why you are feeling this way about it ? Often someone else’s behaviour shines a light on something we don’t like about ourselves. No judgement to that, but remember that their goals are not about you. They are about them. But your words and actions do mean a lot. Be the friend you would like them to be if the tables were turned.

23/02/2026

It’s not that hard to offer your support when someone shares something like their fat loss goals. Don’t be the person who scoffs and says ‘yeah, until you fall off the wagon’ or ‘I wonder how long it will last this time.’

Most people beginning a diet could describe themselves as a graveyard for failed attempts. They barely believe in themselves to be successful here and have self-limiting beliefs that over time can erode their discipline and willpower to the point that, when they do give up, well, they always knew they were going to anyway and are resigned to this fact.

The last thing they need are friends around them who don’t believe in them too. What you don’t realise, when you joke about falling ‘off the wagon’ or when you offer someone something (like chocolate, or a muffin) that doesn’t align with their goals, you are trying to sabotage their attempts. Sometimes it’s unintentional and you don’t know you’re doing it. Sometimes it’s not that subtle.

This happens all of the time to clients and members that I work with.

If you’re truly a friend, be there for them. Ask what they need or just even let them know how proud you are for them to take this step and that you also know that this time it IS different.

If you don’t feel this way, and find yourself waiting for your friend to fail, ask yourself why you are feeling this way about it ? Often someone else’s behaviour shines a light on something we don’t like about ourselves. No judgement to that, but remember that their goals are not about you. They are about them. But your words and actions do mean a lot. Be the friend you would like them to be if the tables were turned.

22/02/2026

Let’s be clear. There are no foods that mimic Ozempic or any of the GLP-1–based medications.

Full stop.

Yes — protein raises GLP-1.
Yes — fibre raises GLP-1.
In fact, all mixed meals stimulate GLP-1 to some degree.

After eating, GLP-1 might rise from ~5–10 pmol/L fasting to around 15–40 pmol/L.
That rise lasts minutes. Then it’s broken down.

Medications like Ozempic (semaglutide) are engineered to resist breakdown and stimulate the receptor continuously.

Native GLP-1 half-life: 1–2 minutes.
Semaglutide half-life: ~7 days.

That’s not a small difference. That’s pharmacology vs physiology.

High-protein meals may double or triple GLP-1 briefly.
GLP-1 medications provide sustained, supraphysiological receptor activation that alters appetite signalling, gastric emptying, and food noise.

Protein and fibre are excellent for satiety.
They improve appetite control within normal biological ranges.

But they do not replicate a drug designed to stimulate the receptor all week.

If someone claims a food “works like Ozempic,” they’re either confused about endocrinology or selling you something. I’d give them a wide berth.

20/02/2026

Long-term fat loss doesn’t come from being “on a diet.”

It comes from changing how you see yourself.

There’s a big difference between:

“I’m on a diet.”
and
“I’m someone who trains and eats with intention.”

The first relies on motivation and willpower. It works while the novelty is high, the plan is new, and the results are quick. But diets are, by definition, temporary. When the diet ends, most people drift back to old behaviours because their identity hasn’t changed.

The second is stable. It’s not about perfection. It’s about standards.

When you see yourself as someone who:
• Prioritises protein
• Plans meals ahead
• Trains even when it’s inconvenient
• Tracks intake when needed
• Adjusts instead of quitting

…your actions follow.

Identity drives behaviour more reliably than motivation does.

If you’re constantly “starting again,” it’s usually because you’re approaching change as a short-term intervention rather than a shift in who you are and how you operate.

Willpower is a limited resource. Systems, routines, and standards are not.

Long-term success comes from building habits that match the person you want to be — not from white-knuckling your way through another 8-week sprint.

The goal isn’t to be on a diet.

The goal is to become someone who doesn’t need one.

19/02/2026

When you’re in a calorie deficit, appetite goes up.

That’s normal physiology.

Energy intake drops → leptin drops → ghrelin rises → food focus increases. Your brain is trying to close the energy gap. That’s survival biology.

One simple lever most people overlook: consistent meal timing.

When meal timing is random, skipping meals some days, pushing lunch back three hours, grazing other days etc, your brain doesn’t get a reliable signal about when fuel is coming. That unpredictability keeps hunger turned up and increases food preoccupation.

In contrast, predictable structure helps regulate appetite.
• Eat at roughly the same times each day
• Anchor 3–4 protein-containing meals
• Avoid long, unplanned gaps
• Don’t “wing it” and hope hunger behaves

Ghrelin rises in anticipation of habitual meal times. If your body knows lunch is at 12:30, hunger builds toward that window, not constantly across the entire day.

Routine lowers the perceived scarcity signal.

This doesn’t mean rigidity.

If someone is dieting and constantly thinking about food, the issue isn’t always calories being too low. Often it’s inconsistent structure.

Your body adapts well to patterns.
Give it one.

Dieting is easier when your schedule works with your physiology instead of against it.

18/02/2026

Thursday. 🥳 🙌🏼

For some this is when things start to go awry on the food front. 😳

👉🏻 And with it, emotions can run high and we catastrophise that one food, one meal, one day of eating in a way that doesn’t align with our health goals.

👉🏻 This is the actual problem. The drama that is created around eating and food.

👉🏻 We put food on a pedestal and give it way more power than it deserves.

👉🏻 Sure, there are likely always better choices that you can make. Just because you didn’t make them, doesn’t mean you’ve blown it all. That you’ve failed, that you’re doing something wrong. There’s no ‘right or wrong’

You made a decision. 🫵🏼 Own it and move on. 😎

👉🏻 Get rid of the drama and make a different decision next time. You’ll feel way less frantic, way less obsessed and neurotic. A lot more relaxed and it will make it easier to get back on track.

👉🏻 Food is food. It’s yum. But it’s just food. 🥘

👉🏻 Don’t give it more power than it needs, and try not to catastrophise every choice that doesn’t align with your health goals.

Mikki Williden, PhD

28/02/2026

25/02/2026

24/02/2026

24/02/2026

23/02/2026

22/02/2026

20/02/2026

19/02/2026

18/02/2026

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