Lindsay Zahner explains why women over 40 hit weight loss plateaus despite eating 120-150g of protein daily. The real problems are chronic undereating, five-hour sleep nights, constant stress, and inconsistent training. Fix those first, then protein matters.
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Most women think the biggest threat to their metabolism and muscle is not enough protein, and you'll hear plenty of people on here saying the same thing. Yes, protein matters, but honestly, the bigger risk for women over 40 is chronically undereating, living in a constant state of stress, training inconsistently, poor sleep, and panicking when progress feels slow and then slashing your calories even lower. I see women hitting 120 to 150 grams of protein every day while surviving on caffeine, sleeping 5 hours, training half-heartedly because they're exhausted, and wondering why their body won't change. Your body does not transform from punishment. It transforms when it finally feels safe enough to adapt. If you don't even know where to start, start here. Figure out your maintenance calories. Click my name, click the link below my photo, and go to my BMR calculator and calculate your maintenance calories based on your activity level. Because you can't fuel, recover, or rebuild properly if you're chronically undereating without realizing it. And follow for all things nutrition, exercise, sleep, and stress for women over 40.