How Women 40+ Should Eat Around Training: To optimise the session and loose weight.

How Women 40+ Should Eat Around Training: To Optimise Strength, HIT and Cardio sessions AND Loose Weight 

You eat well. You train. Yet the results are not showing up. After forty, your body plays by new rules. As a female, your brain, hormones, and muscles respond differently to training and food than men.  So don't take what works for them - you need to eat with your physiology... 

So, if you still fast or grab whatever is handy, it is like putting lawnmower fuel in a family car. The engine runs, but it splutters, stalls, and never hits its stride. You will feel it but wonder why you feel so crappy.. this is why...

My most asked question is:

How to refuel after training?

The answer starts before you train. A small, smart bite first, then a proper meal after, will change how you feel and how you adapt.

Below are simple protocols for strength, HIIT, and longer cardio that you can use today.

Many women hesitate here because they fear eating in the morning will cause weight gain. Give it a fair test. For thirty days, follow the plan. Track body composition, sleep, energy, and mood. Then decide if it works for you.

This works (49). I was working out fasted and my total protein per day was about 60 mg - body composition didn’t change (did weekly scans). Now I have 10 grams of protein before the workout, same workout (weight training), a 20 mg protein bar right after and then a protein rich meal after shower and going home, three times a week. Nothing else changed  I'm FINALLY putting muscle on and losing fat.

Key takeaways:

• Eat a little before you move. Your brain needs a small signal that food is coming. This blunts morning cortisol, protects muscle, and lets you train well.

• Refuel soon after. Women have a shorter recovery window than men. Aim to eat within 45 to 60 minutes post-training.

• Prioritise protein. Protein is the building block. Carbohydrate supports recovery (don't be afraid of carbohydrates).

• Match the dose to the session. Strength, HIIT, and long cardio have slightly different needs.

• Consistency beats perfection. Small smart habits repeated often change your body.

Why fasted training often backfires for women

In the morning, your cortisol rises. If you add hard exercise with no food on board, your brain reads it as stress. To cope, the body becomes catabolic (breakdown mode).

The first tissue your brain “lets go” of is lean mass. Over time this means less muscle, lower bone strength, worse sleep, and stubborn belly fat.

A small snack before you move changes that signal. You switch from breakdown to build, train better, and recover faster.

Your simple rules

1. Before strength:
   About 15 g protein. If it is cardio, add ~30 g carbohydrate.

2. After training within 45–60 minutes:

   • Protein:

     • Premenopausal women: ~35 g

     • Perimenopause to postmenopause: 40–60 g

   • Carbohydrate: about 0.3 g per kg bodyweight within two hours.

3. Quality first. Real food most of the time. Use shakes when convenient.

4. Creatine helps. 3–5 g daily supports brain, bone, and muscle. Timing does not matter.

How do I choose a good Protein Powder?  GO HERE

Want an AI Prompt to give you the BEST Protein Powder that is available in your area?

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What to eat around each type of session

A) Strength day

If training in the morning

• 30–45 min before: ~15 g protein

  • Protein coffee with half scoop whey or complete plant blend

  • ¾ cup Greek yoghurt

  • 200 ml high-protein milk

  • Two eggs if you have 30 to 40 minutes

• During: Water to thirst

• Within 45–60 min after:

  • Protein: 35 g if premenopausal, 40 to 60 g if peri or post

  • Carb: 0.3 g per kg bodyweight within two hours

  • Plate ideas

    • Eggs and potatoes with spinach, side of berries

    • Cottage cheese bowl with cooked potato and salad

    • Salmon rice bowl with avocado and greens

    • Gluten-free option for all plates

If training in the afternoon

• If lunch was more than two hours ago, have 15–20 g protein pre-lift

• Then eat your post-training meal as above

B) HIIT or true sprints

These are very short and very hard efforts. You want the nervous system fresh and the brain calm.

• Pre: 15 g protein plus ~30 g carbohydrate

  • Protein coffee and half a banana

  • Yoghurt and fruit

  • High-protein milk and two Medjool dates

• Post within 45–60 min:

  • Protein dose as above

  • Carb 0.3 g per kg within two hours

  • Real food meal or recovery smoothie if you are on the go

C) Long steady cardio

If the session is longer than an hour you will feel better with a little more fuel.

• Pre 30–60 min: 10–20 g protein plus 20–30 g carbohydrate

  • Rice cake with peanut butter and a boiled egg

  • Yoghurt and fruit

  • Smoothie with milk, protein, berries, and oats

• During: For efforts beyond 75 to 90 minutes, add 20–30 g carbohydrate each hour

  • Easy options: a banana, dates, a simple drink mix

• Post: Protein and carb targets as above

I resisted eating breakfast for so long because I was never hungry until late afternoon and I loved working out fasted. All I can say is I started following this guidance for only 2 weeks so far and I’ve never felt better

Quick menus to copy and paste

Pre-strength ~15 g protein

• ¾ cup Greek yoghurt

• 200 ml high-protein milk

• Protein coffee with half scoop whey or complete plant blend

• Two eggs if time allows

Pre-cardio add-ons for sessions up to 60 minutes

• One banana

• Two Medjool dates

• One slice gluten-free toast with honey

Post-training meals

• Omelette plate: Three eggs with spinach and feta, cooked potato, berries

• Chicken and rice: 120 to 160 g chicken thigh, one cup cooked rice, large salad with olive oil and lemon

• Yoghurt bowl: 350 g Greek yoghurt, berries, gluten-free granola, chia

• Tuna plate: Tuna, cooked quinoa, olive oil, tomatoes, rocket

How this helps body composition

• Protein first gives your muscles the raw materials to grow.

• Eating soon after flips the body from breakdown to repair.

• Carbohydrate after restores fuel and lowers stress hormones.

• Strength + sprints create powerful signals for bone, muscle, and brain health.

• Over weeks you will notice better sleep, steady energy, and a “tighter” look even if the scale barely moves. Muscle is your built-in Spanx.

What if you are not hungry in the morning

Use the split breakfast trick.

• Eat a few spoonfuls of yoghurt with berries before training or sip a protein coffee (don't use collagen, it won't give your body what you need)

• Have the rest of your breakfast after.
  This respects your appetite yet still protects your muscle and mood.

A note on “abs are built in the kitchen & while sleeping”

For men, dropping alcohol and sugar often reveals abs fast. For women, the brain is more sensitive to energy availability. If you cut too hard without replacing energy, the body clings to belly fat and sheds muscle. The better path is to eat enough of the right foods around training, lift heavy with good form, and sleep.

And for women, optimise sleep and stress - that will help with the meno belly that often pops up in 40s.

Note on Strength training specifics for women 40+

• Shift toward heavier loads with lower reps once you have solid technique

  • Aim for sets of four to six reps with two reps left in reserve

  • Take shorter rests than your male peers. Women recover faster between sets

• If you are new, start with bodyweight and light dumbbells. Learn to hinge, squat, push, pull, carry. Add load slowly.

Creatine and caffeine

• Creatine is safe and useful for women at 3–5 g daily. It supports muscle contraction, brain energy, mood, and bone. Timing does not matter.

• Caffeine can boost performance. Pairing it with a little protein in a protein coffee is an easy morning win. Some women find starting the day with caffeine workds, othes (myself included) find that waiting 90min post waking works best for energy later on in the day... this has to do with how caffeine affects your cortisol as an individual... so experiment. 

Sample day templates

Strength day

• Pre: Protein coffee with half scoop protein - Whey protien Isolate.

• Train

• Post: High Granola Protein

• Later meals: Meat or fish with salad and a fibre-rich carb like rice, potato, or quinoa

HIIT day

• Pre: Yoghurt and fruit - or protein with 1/2 banana if you don't like to eat. 

• Train

• Post: Chicken rice bowl

• Later: Plenty of veg, protein at each meal, fruit as a snack

Long cardio day

• Pre: Smoothie with milk, protein, berries, and oats

• During if over 90 minutes: Banana or dates each hour

• Post: Yoghurt bowl or salmon with quinoa and veg

All can be gluten-free.

FAQs

Do I need a shake
No. Whole food is great. Shakes are handy when time is tight. You can do it without protein supplements - but need to be more intential. Track your macros with an app like Cronometer. 

What if I train very early
Have a few bites or sips. Even 10–15 g protein helps. Eat your full meal after.

Will this make me bulky
No. Building visible muscle takes focused training and years. This plan helps you look firm and feel strong.

How much water
Drink to thirst. Include a little salt with meals if you sweat heavily.

More questions?  Follow me and then DM me on instagram

The mindset shift

Exercise is a stress that teaches your body to become stronger and calmer. Food is the message that says “you are safe to adapt.” When you pair the right dose of effort with the right dose of fuel, your body responds. You sleep deeper. You think clearer. You hold muscle. You feel more like you.

Start small. A few spoonfuls before you move. A real meal within an hour after. Repeat. Your future self will thank you.

Wal x

When you know, you know.
One of the best investments you can make is learning protein. How much your body needs. What that looks like on a plate. Which proteins actually move the needle.
That is why I created Protein Made Simple... a small, digestible mini course for women 40+. Once you know, you cannot unknow. It is the best return on your health you will ever make.