You're not broken.. you're just hungry.
A banana and a coffee does not a meal make.
Yup, I’m talking about food again because, frankly, I’m hungry. A lot. And it’s hard not to eat shite all the time when you’re busy, tired, or just trying to make it through the day without snapping at people you like.
The truth is I’ve been addicted to food for a very long time.
I’ve cycled through being “good” and “bad” with food and nutrition for years. It's exhausting.
At one point, I truly believed the solution was that someone just needed to tell me exactly what to eat and when, and I’d follow the rules, feel better, and the job would be done.
So I tried that.
I saw dietitians, nutritionists, coaches. I did nutrition science courses. I even worked as a personal trainer and coached others to make “good choices.”
You’d think I’d have cracked it by now.
Nope.
It wasn’t until my health really took a nosedive last year that I got help that actually worked. And when I tell you what the game-changing advice was, you’ll laugh. Ready?
“Eat until you are satisfied.”
That’s it.
That was the missing piece.
I was following plans that prescribed exact amounts, counting almonds for goodness' sake, but they never truly filled me up. So, I was constantly hungry, then crashing, and then face-planting into snacks, wondering why I had no willpower.
However, it wasn’t my perceived lack of discipline.
I just wasn’t eating enough.
But we are already eating “well”, right?
My wild guess is nope.
Midlife changes the game, again.
Just like exercise, what filled you and met your nutritional needs in your 20’s and maybe your 30’s, doesn’t have a shit show of being useful now.
Consider the hormonal shitstorm that’s currently going on that probably wasn’t happening in the same way 20 years ago.
Hormones are on a rollercoaster, cortisol is through the roof, and sleep is merely a rumour without melatonin or other supplements helping us out.
It’s no wonder we are feeling like ten bags of shite on a regular Wednesday.
The good news is we can eat our way out of most of this nightmare. And we’re gonna start with protein. HRT is also our friend, but I’m saving that for later.
Protein in every meal.. 30 grams is a good start.
Here’s why.
Protein is our bestie in midlife when we are trying to get through the day without falling apart. First off, we start losing muscle from our mid-30s, and menopause hits the accelerator, so if we want to keep carrying the groceries in one go (or, you know, stand up without groaning), we need to eat protein. It also keeps us full, which means fewer 3 pm raids fuelled by rage and low blood sugar. Plus, protein helps make those nice little brain chemicals like serotonin, so you’re less likely to cry because someone used your good tea towel on the dog. It’s good for bones, too, because estrogen’s leaving the chat and taking our bone density with her, and it helps with blood sugar control so you don’t crash and burn after a carb-only meal.
Protein helps you stay strong, stable, and slightly less feral. Eat more of it.
And it’s not just protein…
To feel actually good in midlife, it’s not just about protein, though it’s definitely the main character. The rest of your plate matters too, especially if you want to stay upright, sane, and regular (yes, we’re going there).
Fibre is your gut’s bestie.
You need more fibre than you think, not just to keep things moving, but to feed the good bugs in your gut, which, by the way, have a lot to say about your mood, immune system, and whether you wake up feeling human or less so.
Fibre also helps you feel full, balances your blood sugar, and keeps snack attacks at bay. You’ll find fibre in veggies, fruit with skin, oats, legumes, chia seeds (those gross little puddings), flax seeds, really grainy bread or brown rice.
Carbs.
There are two kinds of carbs, and even though we have enough complexity going on in our lives - complex carbs are our friend, and simple, uncomplicated carbs are not.
White bread, cereal, and stale crackers aren’t helping. Go nuts on veg, legumes, lentils, quinoa, oats etc will help keep your blood sugar stable, and your mood less murdery.
Healthy fats
It’s not 1992 - we have eyebrows now, and fat is good for us. Avos, even though I personally think they are rank, a bit of olive oil, nuts, seeds, fish, and eggs with the yolk - all help to keep us steady, full, and friendly.
Here’s what it looks like...
I am not a dietitian, it is way out of scope for me to tell you what to eat - remember, only a registered dietitian can do that. But what I can do is show you what I eat and what fills me up. I am not a person who cooks well, so please adjust your expectations accordingly.
Breakfast - Oats and coffee - 30 to 35 grams of protein
- Quick sachet oats made with CalciTrim milk (yellow top)
- A bunch of stuff on top of the oats - you can choose, but I usually have a banana, nuts or nut butter, seeds, sometimes a dollop of skyr yoghurt if it’s not a day where that is making me gag
- Coffee made with CalciTrim milk
Lunch - Nacho bowl thing - 35 to 40 grams of protein
- Beef mince, I bulk make up bolognaise mince stuff and then freeze it into large cubes that I just take out of the freezer and chuck in a lunch box
- Two handfuls of baby spinach wilted down in reheating
- Grated carrot
- Grated cheese
- Medium tomato
- Quest Nacho chips - about half the bag
Here’s a pic because I made this for lunch today (no carrot tho)
Dinner - Lamb stir fry 35 to 40 grams of protein
- Lamb, or whatever meat I have, like 100-150g
- More baby spinach
- Whatever veggies I have but think the big bulky ones - carrots, spinach, cabbage, bok choy, mushrooms, broccoli, cauli..
- Quinoa, or brown rice if I can be faffed with that but I usually can’t be bothered.
The point in all of these is to eat heaps till you’re satisfied, and it might take a bit of time to figure that out. If you’re feeling hungry an hour later, you need more. If you’re stuffed till you’re sore, then ease off. Trial and error, babes, and you’ll get there.
I know you are probably doing this stuff already..
But maybe just not in the right quantity. Maybe not protein lead.
You can scroll through my post archives and see plenty of this stuff - I have been spouting it for years - chicken for breakfast, salads galore! This is all information I learned in my nutrition studies, but the quantities were way off the mark.
And here’s where I was buggering it up.
I was carefully measuring out my food, and it wasn’t enough.
So I can’t and won’t tell you how much of anything you need to eat to feel a bit better. Only you know the answer to that.
What I can tell you is that when I started eating this way - enough food, with proper nutrition, I am a much nicer person.
More importantly:
My blood pressure came down.
My blood sugar stabilised.
My lungs (which were absolutely cooked, holy shit were they cooked) started functioning better.
Wild, right?
Your body is changing. Your needs are changing.
Trying to run on fumes isn’t noble, there is no medal for it, but it will summon the snack goblin and you know her, right. She shows up when you’ve white knuckled your way through a long day without enough food. Often she wants chocolate, cheese, chips, and toast, all at the same.
As I said, I’ve been trying this way for about a year and it’s mostly working. When I eat properly I feel better than I have in years. And yeah, I still eat shite sometimes, that’s life. We’re not robots. We’re not aiming for sainthood, but actual stability. Feeling better. Having enough energy to get through the day without crashing. Reducing blood pressure, sugar in blood, and maybe even improving cholesterol.
We’re not restricting, we’re repairing.
You’re not broken. You’re just hungry.
Feed yourself. You are worthy of good food, and you are worthy of feeling good.
Lou x