Stop eating like a 5-year old.

Yikes, that probably came off a bit strong.

Here’s what I mean…

Most women are told to eat 1,200 calories per day. That this will help them look and feel the way they want.

I know you’ve heard this and I bet there’s even a good chance you’ve followed a 1,200 calorie diet before…many of the women I’ve worked have, too.

Here’s the thing…

1,200 calories isn’t a weight loss diet. It’s what you give a population when you’re doing extreme rations during war like they did during WWII.

If you’ve ever felt tired, unmotivated, constant cravings, or like your body just isn’t the same anymore, it’s not because you’re not trying hard enough. Or “just part of aging"“.

It’s because 1,200 calories per day is the LOW end of what’s recommended for a 5-year old girl.

There’s no possible way that a whole, adult human like you could ever feel strong, confident, energized, and mobile eating 1,200 calories. Like ever. Ever, ever.

It would be like filling your car with 1 gallon of gas and hoping to drive around all day.

At 1,200 calories, you can’t eat enough protein to feel strong and mobile. You can’t support your hormones to feel energized and motivated. Instead, your body holds onto as much energy as possible, like your phone when it goes into low battery mode.

But I get it. Eating more than 1,200 calories makes you worried. Worried that you’ll start to gain weight. Here’s why that won’t happen.

Here’s exactly why you lose weight for the first 2 weeks eating 1,200 calories…and why it all comes to a screeching halt.

When you cut calories to 1,200 your body will lose weight. They tell you this is a good thing but they don’t explain where the weight comes from.

Unfortunately, most of the time it’s not body fat.

It’s often water weight, less stomach contents, and worst of all…muscle.

After you lose the first 5-10lbs, your body realizes you can’t survive on this little food and starts to slow things down. Your metabolism slows, your energy and motivation drops, and you’re left feeling like a shell of yourself. Even worse, the scale has slowed down, too.

You might see this and think, “that makes sense Ben but what happens when I eat more and gain weight?”

Good.

I know telling you gaining weight is good might make me lose any credibility I have but let me tell you why it’s good…

Because this is a sign your body’s coming back to life. It’s responding to what you’re giving it. It takes a week or two for your metabolism to catch back up so the weight gain you see is from the water weight and stomach contents you lost before.

Then things get even better…

Between 2-4 weeks eating more, you wake up without hitting snooze. You bounce right out of bed instead of dragging yourself out. You’re excited about your day instead of dreading it. Your zest for life comes back and you start feeling like yourself again.

Of course, eating more doesn’t mean eating more ice cream and candy 🤪. It’s eating more of the right foods.

Eating more starts in your mind first. Up until now, I’m hoping you understand why 1,200 calories just isn’t enough. But the hard part is actually believing it. Because you’ve been told the opposite for so long.

So to help you do that, it starts by reframing how you look at food:

From “How little do I need to eat to lose weight?”…

To “How much do I need to eat to feel strong, energized, and like myself again?”

After you change the way you look at food, the next step is to understand how much you really should be eating for your body.

Most women are shocked when they see the calories because it’s often over 1,600…

And for some women, it can be over 2,000.

I want you to know that, if you’re eating 2,000 calories worth of enough protein, healthy fats, and carbs, you will feel better than you ever have.

More energy.
More confidence.
More capability.
More mobile.
More motivation.
More excitement.
More happiness.

The list goes on and on.

But eat 2,000+ calories of sugary coffees, pre-packaged salads with a 300 calorie dressing packet, and ice cream at night and you’ll keep feeling how you already are…just more of it.

If you’re tired of eating 1,200 calories and you’re ready to start eating more, here’s exactly where to start:

1) Start by increasing your protein. Women over 40 need between 0.8 & 1 gram per pound of bodyweight for protein. If you’re 150lbs, your goal is to shoot for between 120-150 grams.

They might feel like a lot at first so don’t try to get there overnight. Slowly work your way up, adding 10 grams here and 10 grams there.

[Want answers to all your protein questions? Join our Live Training here on all things protein next Monday, March 30 @ 4pm PST/7pm EST]

2) Eat more fruit. One of the tastiest and healthiest ways to eat more is fruit. It’s full of vitamins and fiber that give you energy and help lower inflammation. The more variety the better.

3-5 pieces per day is a great place to work your way to.

3) Add healthy carbs. You’ve been taught that carbs are the devil. To avoid them at all costs. Yes, there are some carbs that eating less of would be a good thing. But there are also healthy carbs like potatoes, rice, oatmeal, and starchy veggies.

Working up to 1/2-1 cup with each meal is the goal.

This is a good question and the answer is, “exactly where it’s supposed to.”

What I mean is, your body’s brilliant. It will send the nutrients exactly where they need to go. As long as you’re staying active with walking and strength training 2-4 days per week, your body will be able to fuel your brain and muscle with everything it needs.

Let’s lock arms and collectively put an end to 1,200 calorie diets for women. Enough starving yourself on the amount of food that’s barely enough for a 5-year old and start fueling yourself to be the bada$$ you are. I usually don’t swear but it’s true…you are!

And if you’re not feeling that way, it might be because you’re not eating enough 😉

Your friend and coach,

Ben Miknis

P.S. Have you ever wondered how much protein you need? The best recipes to eat more? What to eat if you don’t like eggs? What’s the best protein powder?

If you said “yes” to any of these, make sure to join us for our Live Training on all things protein for women 40+ next Monday, March 30th at 4pm PST/7pm PST. Click here and comment RSVP below the post to reserve your spot!