Ozempic, butter and brain fog
A look back at the best of Almost Sated and a big thank you for your support.
Confession time: I wasn’t planning to write another post this year—I’m a big believer in taking time off to rest and recharge—but after reading ’s Burnt Toast Annual Report, I felt inspired to do my own year in review for Almost Sated. I’m small stuff compared to Burnt Toast, but as a former journalist and marketer, I find these milestone posts fascinating, and hers was one of the most insightful I’ve read this season. (If you’ve done a year in review post or found one you think is really terrific, drop a link in comments—I’d love to see it!)
In the crush of “how I grew my Substack to 50 billion subscribers in one year” posts—and with the Almost Sated ethos of keeping it real—I think it’s important to show what “normal” growth looks like, or at least my version of it.
Nothing went viral. In fact, things were pretty slow until the fall when Almost Sated hit 1,000 subscribers, and it’s been rising steadily ever since! Subscribers grew by 180% compared to 2023, and there are now 1,163 of you here. I’m incredibly proud of and humbled by the community we’ve built together.
Finding focus in menopause
Most of my growth this year came from writing about menopause and midlife. So many of us are “going through it,” dealing with the worst of perimenopause while still leaning into the gifts this stage brings—liberation, clarity, less f&*cks to give. I’ve had multiple women thank me for my last few posts because they’ve seen themselves reflected in them, and I am so freaking grateful. of shared recently that Almost Sated has been a lifeline for her.
But here’s a little secret: You, Melissa and all my other readers are my lifeline. Your readership, comments, and shares keep me going when this work gets hard. Writing publicly can be lonely, isolating, and scary. A few weeks ago, I held my breath while hitting publish on Going fat in the time of Ozempic, I had no idea how people would react. In certain circles, allowing yourself to be fat is almost as bad as drowning puppies. But the support and engagement I received on that post is why I do this work.
The beginning
Almost Sated began in November 2022 with zero subscribers. At the time, I was three months in on my intuitive eating journey and chronicling my experience with the intention of writing a book. I was struggling to find real world accounts of what really happens when you give up diets after a lifetime of restriction, so my intuitive eating-certified therapist suggested I start a Substack! That book is still in progress (2025 will be the year it comes together!), and this newsletter has become a space for women to come together in the midst of their own transitions.
In my first five months, I published weekly without doing any promotion. Part of me wanted to see how much promotion Substack would do, and the other part of me was simply terrified to share such deeply personal writing.
There’s always been this misconception with Substack that you just hit publish and, somehow, people magically find your work. While the platform now offers more internal discovery tools—here’s looking at you, Notes—you still need to put in the effort to get yourself out there. Yes, some people do find viral success, but that’s typically because they’ve laid the groundwork for it by following best practices. The vast majority of creators who experience steady growth are writing consistently, producing quality content, and actively promoting their work.
Unsurprisingly, the answer to how much growth I achieved in those first early months of not promoting this newsletter was … nothing.
Getting over the fear of getting personal
Despite decades of experience as a professional writer, I had never shared anything this personal before. And it wasn’t just about vulnerability in writing—I’d spent most of my life building an impenetrable shell, carefully guarding myself from scrutiny. You can’t do that and, at the same time, reveal the most fragile, tender parts of yourself. It was time to come out of hiding!
But I was also grappling with how much to share about what led me to quit diets. Two family members had battled anorexia, and one was on the verge of relapse. I realized that unless I addressed my own issues with food and my body, I couldn’t fully support them. Eventually, I decided to focus on my recovery because there was plenty to unpack—quitting diets after a lifetime of restriction felt like leaping off a cliff without a safety net!
My first real subscribers came from Burnt Toast. On a whim, I reached out to Sole-Smith to see if I could do an advance review of her book Fat Talk: Parenting in the Age of Diet Culture, which I still recommend to every parent of school-age children. She linked to my review, and I got a handful of new subscribers. Special shoutout here to of because she was one of those subscribers, and we’ve since become Substack buddies and occasional collaborators. This, to me, is still the best part of Substack: the connections you make with other readers and writers.
The state of Almost Sated
At the end of my first year, I had 414 subscribers. Today, I’m thrilled to have 1,163 of you here. This growth reflects not just my efforts, but the shared values and experiences that resonate with this community.
One thing that’s shifted in my writing is that I’ve branched out from focusing solely on diet recovery and intuitive eating to exploring menopause and the midlife awakening. It’s no coincidence that the major changes and new perspectives in my life emerged during midlife—a time when many women begin to question everything that has defined their existence up to this point. With this in mind, I’ve been able to really hone in on my message and who I am speaking to.
Who Almost Sated is for:
Midlife women (and their allies!) seeking to improve their physical and mental health while embracing a more authentic sense of well-being. These are women who are done following the rules. They’re ready to stop measuring their worth by their appearance and are searching for a better, more fulfilling path forward. They embrace midlife as a time to reinvent themselves, question long-held beliefs, and prioritize what truly matters—self-acceptance, meaningful connections, and living life on their own terms.
The Almost Sated mission is to …
Support women as they work on improving their relationship with their bodies and themselves.
Redefine health, wellness, and exercise beyond physical appearance.
Inspire and encourage women to thrive in midlife by embracing this transformative stage of life.
Provide an honest look at the realities of a changing body in midlife—the good, the bad, and everything in between.
Uplift and empower women in all aspects of their journey.
Some of the topics we tackle on Almost Sated:
Body acceptance
Diet culture and detoxing from diets (and especially other people’s stories—if you’re interested in being featured, DM me!)
Intuitive eating
Mindfulness and acceptance
Travel, adventure, and exercise
Being outdoors and finding peace in nature
Thriving in midlife
Brain fog in perimenopause
Menopause health
Aging with humor and grace
Redefining health and wellness beyond physical appearance
This work is deeply mission-driven for me. Over the past few years, I’ve transformed my relationship with my body and myself, and I truly believe all women have this power within them.
This work is a labor of love and labor-intensive. If my mission resonates with you, and you’re in a position to support, please consider becoming a paid subscriber.
Your support sustains this work and helps me unlock more benefits within Substack so I can reach more women who need these conversations. My goal in 2025 is to hit 100 subscribers, so I can gain these benefits. And to help get there, I’ll be offering 65% off annual subscriptions, including gift subscriptions, until January 31.
Best of Almost Sated in 2024
Without further ado, here are the most-viewed and least-viewed posts, and the posts that led to the most subscribers. Plus, I’m including a bonus category: the most-commented posts of the year. The conversations happening in the comments are just as meaningful as the content of the posts themselves. And it’s not too late to add yours! By sharing our experiences, we’re actively changing the conversation around these important topics.
Most popular articles of 2024
Posts that brought in the most subscribers
Most-commented posts of 2024
Thank you for being part of the Almost Sated community! I am grateful to you for joining me on this journey—for reading, reflecting, and sharing your own experiences. Together, we’re creating a space where real conversations can happen and meaningful change can take root! 🙏🙏
Congratulations on your growth and writing what fuels you! Such a pleasure to connect with you on Substack and look forward to what you're bringing into 2025!
You’re amazing Kristi and Almost Sated deserve the success and growth you’ve seen so far. Wishing you continued strength in your writing and that the community here continues to support one another ♥️