Stop Training on Empty. Your Muscle Is Paying the Price.

We talked about this on our coaching call this week, and I want to put it in writing because it's that important.

Research been saying this for years, and the science backs it up: for women over 50, timing your food around your workouts is not optional. It's not a nice-to-have. It's the difference between building your body up and quietly tearing it down.

Here's what's actually happening when you skip food before you train:

When you stay in a breakdown state too long, your brain reads it as a low-energy emergency. And the first thing your body sacrifices? Lean muscle. Not fat. Muscle. And we already have a harder time building it than men do… so we literally cannot afford to lose it.

WHAT TO EAT AND WHEN

Here's where I want to be real with you: protein targets aren't one-size-fits-all. A woman who weighs 115 pounds does not need the same amount of protein as a woman who weighs 150 pounds. The research is clear on this, your targets should be based on your body weight.

The science-backed target for active perimenopausal and postmenopausal women is 0.7 to 0.8 grams of protein per pound of body weight per day. That's your daily anchor number. Everything else what you eat before and after your workout … builds off of that.

To find your daily protein target:

Multiply your weight in pounds × 0.7 (minimum)

Multiply your weight in pounds × 0.8 (optimal if you're strength training)

Examples:

115 lbs → 80–92g of protein per day

135 lbs → 95–108g of protein per day

150 lbs → 105–120g of protein per day

Now let's talk about how to time it around your workouts.

BEFORE STRENGTH TRAINING … 60 to 90 minutes prior

Get about 15 grams of protein in before you lift. You're not eating a full meal, you're just giving your body enough to protect the muscle you're working so hard to build.

Quick options:

- ½ cup Greek yogurt + a hard-boiled egg

- 2 hard-boiled eggs

- A small protein shake (15g)

- ¼ cup cottage cheese

BEFORE CARDIO (up to an hour) …. 60 to 90 minutes prior

Add 30 grams of carbohydrate to that protein. This small snack lifts blood sugar and signals to your hypothalamus that fuel is on the way. Your body stops the panic. It stops breaking down muscle. It works with you instead of against you.

Quick options:

- Greek yogurt + a banana

- Rice cake with a little peanut butter + protein shake

- Apple + hard-boiled eggs

AFTER YOUR WORKOUT … within 45 minutes

Women's metabolisms return to baseline faster than men's. That means you have a tighter window to flip from breakdown to repair and that window gets even tighter as we get older.

Get a full meal within 45 minutes after training.

For your post-workout protein dose, the research sweet spot is 0.32 to 0.38 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight. Here's what that looks like in real numbers:

110–120 lbs → 16–20g post-workout

125–135 lbs → 19–23g post-workout

140–150 lbs → 21–26g post-workout

155–165 lbs → 24–28g post-workout

Recovery meal ideas:

- Protein shake (20–25g) + Greek yogurt

- 3 egg whites + 1 whole egg scramble + cottage cheese

- 4–5 oz grilled chicken or turkey + Greek yogurt on the side

THE BOTTOM LINE

Your protein targets are personal. They're based on your body, your weight, your life. What works for your friend or the woman next to you in the gym may not be your number.

Find your number. Eat before you train. Eat after you train. Hit your protein every single day.

This is how we protect our muscle, support our metabolism, and actually keep the results we're earning. That's what Ageless looks like.

If this is the kind of support you’ve been looking for, I’d love to have you in the room. The Ageless Reset second cohort starts March 16th … small group, personalized, and built specifically for women in this season of life. Visit agelessbykim.com to learn more or hit reply and let’s chat.