I didn’t start caring about protein until I was getting older and realized if I wanted to keep doing things I loved - like hiking – I needed proper fuel. Making it up to the summit or working several 12 hour shifts in a row was becoming more and more difficult as I aged.
The years of yo-yo dieting and having babies were taking a toll and my body was kind of a wreck. Shortly after turning 40 I was actually in the best shape of my life, but I was lifting hard 5 days a week, doing cardio multiple days a week and sleeping terribly. I was chronically exhausted and had no clue what else to do.
It took a pandemic and a major ankle sprain to force me to slow down enough to see clearly what I was doing wrong. I realized I spent years trying to make my body smaller instead of trying to make it stronger.
I began a long journey of relearning my body and figuring out what I actually needed to feel strong again. In midlife, recovery takes longer, injury prevention is paramount and muscle mass naturally declines with age. These things are normal, but they aren’t a death sentence!
From Smaller to Stronger
The more you know about how your body best fuels itself, the better off you’ll be in the long run. This is when I began the shift in my mind from Smaller to Stronger. I wasn’t concerned any longer about being the smallest version of myself. I not only wanted to be strong enough to hike when I want to, but to get up from the floor easily! I wanted to make sure I am strong well into my old age.
Specifically in my case, having recently started on a GLP-1 for some medical issues I was experiencing, muscle gains became harder and more important than ever – and the key is protein.
What I Focus on Now
Strength gains/preserving muscle - I lift 3-4 days a week as my main focus. It’s not perfect, but I’m building slowly back from years of small injuries.
Adequate protein intake for my weight – I aim for roughly 0.5gm of protein per pound of body weight, though everyone’s needs are different.
Targeted supplements to keep my gains solid – I began creatine when I started the medication, so that my strength gains wouldn’t disappear.
What I Actually Do in a Day to Prioritize Protein:
Protein early and often – On a GLP-1 it can be trickier to eat enough, so I start early in the day and do protein with every meal and snack.
Softer/liquid protein – things that are easier to digest move through faster and give me less trouble.
Hiking snacks became denser, and more protein-focused, paired with a carb for energy.
So what do I take on a day hike or during my 12 hour nursing shifts, so that I make sure to keep up with my goals?? First, I calculated my personal protein goal and tracked the foods I was normally gravitating toward for a whole day, to see how close I was naturally getting to the protein goal. With that in mind, I tweaked some things and had a better idea of what the perfect day would look like.
That allowed me to move through my days with ease instead of a food scale. I now get pretty close to my personal protein goals without going nuts and tracking every morsel. On average, if I can get 3 meals with 20-30g protein and a couple of solid snacks in with 10 or so, I’m in the ballpark.
Easy Protein Foods I Keep on Repeat
Eggs + toast
Cottage cheese + fruit
Overnight oats with protein powder
Paleo Valley meat sticks
Nuts + protein shake
Cheese stick + apple
Premade tuna packets + crackers
Canned tuna and bean salad
Protein bars like LUNA or Kate’s Real Food bars
Protein is going to help you build and keep muscle, recover quicker after long hikes, fuel your adventures and stay fuller longer on your off days.
If you’re still struggling with protein, my best advice? Find a way to make it easy with repeat meals and pre calculated options that you don’t have to think about. Then you have more energy to focus on the parts of life that matter most to you.
Don’t overcomplicate it.
Just like most midlife women, I’m still learning. I still don’t hit my goals some days. Shift work makes consistency hard, and I still love a good glass of wine and tortilla chips with my husband.
But at some point, protein stopped being about dieting and started to be about supporting the life I actually wanted to live.
A strong body that lets me hike farther, recover better and hopefully continue doing the things I love for a very long time.