I Changed How I Eat. Everything Changed.

The Midlife Fuel Secret Nobody Tells You: How I Stopped Fighting My Body and Started Training for the Camino's 800km walk across Spain.

Three months ago, I hit a wall.

Not metaphorically. Actually physically could not get off the couch at 3pm. Maybe it was because it was the lead up to my bleed, and I've always naturally felt more tired. Training for the Camino walk felt like a joke - how was I supposed to walk 800 kilometers across Spain when I could barely make it through an afternoon without collapsing?

The advice everywhere said: eat less, move more, push harder.

My body said: absolutely not.

Then I changed three things. Not a complete overhaul. Just three strategic shifts in how I was fueling my perimenopausal body.

I lost weight. I got stronger. The 3pm crash disappeared.

And suddenly, training for the Camino Frances in May 2026 stopped feeling impossible.

If you're over 40, training for something big, and feeling like your body is working against you - this is for you.

Why Everything You've Tried Hasn't Worked (And Why It's Not Your Fault)

Here's what nobody tells midlife women:

Your body doesn't work the way it used to. The same strategies that worked at 30 actively sabotage you now.

High cardio, low food? Your body clings to every ounce and refuses to cooperate.

Generic "eat healthy" advice? It doesn't address what's actually happening in perimenopause.

The real problem: When estrogen and progesterone start fluctuating wildly, your metabolism shifts, muscle synthesis slows, recovery takes longer, and your energy becomes completely unpredictable.

Welcome to perimenopause. You're in a different hormonal season that requires different fuel.

Training for endurance - whether it's the Camino the walk to Santiago Spain, a marathon, or any other bold physical goal - in perimenopause means you need to eat WITH your hormones, not against them.

The Three Changes That Changed Everything

I'm a nutritionist. I'm also a woman who got tired of feeling powerless in her own body and decided to figure this out - and I had the knowledge!

WHAT I had been doing was not working, so I knew something had to shift. 

Here's what I changed:

1. I Made Protein Non-Negotiable (20-30g Every Meal)

What I used to do: Grab whatever was convenient. Maybe some protein at dinner. Definitely not enough.

What I do now: Eggs and spinach at breakfast or Greek yogurt with berries. Chicken or legumes at lunch. Fish and vegetables at dinner.

Why it matters: Your body gets worse at building and maintaining muscle as you age. Research shows that during midlife, your body becomes less efficient at synthesizing, digesting, and absorbing protein. Without enough protein, you lose muscle, your metabolism slows further, and training becomes harder.

The result: I'm visibly more toned. My legs feel stronger on long walks. Recovery is faster.

Additional: I also started taking Perfect Aminos as recommended by Gary Brecka from The Ultimate Human podcast, a supplement that is designed for muscle growth, energy, and recovery. 

2. I Embraced the Right Fats and Ditched Processed Carbs

What I used to do: Low-fat everything. Pasta and bread as staples. Convenient snacks that spiked and crashed my blood sugar all day, and as someone with PCOS - Polycystic Ovaries Syndrome, it was a MASSIVE no no.

What I do now: Extra-virgin olive oil on everything. Avocados. Nuts. Oily fish like salmon. I still eat carbs - sweet potatoes, oats, bananas - but I choose them strategically, not habitually.

Why it matters: Good fats support hormone production (which you desperately need in perimenopause), keep you satisfied, stabilize energy, and fuel long walks without the crash.

The result: The afternoon energy collapse? Gone. I can train in the morning and still function all day. My brain fog lifted.

3. I Started Eating for the Walk, Not Just "Healthy"

What I used to do: Eat the same way whether I was sitting at my desk or training for hours.

What I do now:

• Before long walks: Oats with banana and nuts, or eggs with sweet potato
• During walks: Trail mix (nuts and dried fruit), water every 30-40 minutes
• After walks: Protein within an hour - Greek yogurt with berries, or fish with sweet potato and greens

Why it matters: Your body needs different fuel depending on what you're asking it to do. Strategic carbs before and after training support performance and recovery. Protein after training repairs muscle.

The result: I can walk longer. I recover faster. I wake up ready to train again instead of broken.

The Hormone-Aware Rules That Make This Actually Work

Because you're not just training - you're training in perimenopause - here are the additional principles that I discovered that truly matter:

Listen to your low-energy days: When your hormones are rough, don't force a hard training session. Do mobility work, a light walk, but still hit your protein and healthy fats. Add slightly more carbs (the complex ones) to support your mood and energy.

Seize your strong days: When you feel good, that's when you push. Do the long walk. Do the challenging strength session. Fuel accordingly.

Track your patterns: Keep a simple log - sleep quality, energy, hunger, hot flashes. After 2-4 weeks, you'll see patterns. Adjust your nutrition and training around them.

Sleep is part of nutrition: Good nutrition supports sleep. Good sleep supports hormones and recovery. You can't out-supplement bad sleep. If you're really struggling try Optimal Magnesium  by Seeking Health, the best supplement with those who have the MTHFR gene.

Never extreme diet while training: Your midlife body doesn't bounce back like it used to. Under-fueling while asking your body to do big things is a recipe for burnout, injury, and stalled progress.

What This Looks Like in Real Life

Sample Training Day:

Breakfast (7am): Glass of  Collagen with water, 2 eggs with a serving of Haloumi and half an avocado.

Lunch (1pm): Chicken thigh fillets, large mixed salad with olive oil dressing, quinoa, olives

Long walk (4-6pm): 10km with water and trail mix

Post-walk (6:30pm): Salmon, roasted vegetables, small sweet potato

I found that since switching to high protein, high fat, low carb, I don't need to snack through the day as I feel fuller for longer.

Sample Rest Day:

Same protein and healthy fats. Fewer strategic carbs. More vegetables. Focus on recovery foods - leafy greens, nuts (magnesium), plenty of water.

Notice: I'm eating MORE than I used to, not less. And I'm losing weight, gaining strength, and have the energy to actually train.

Your Week-One Action Plan

Don't try to change everything at once. That's a recipe for overwhelm.

Choose ONE thing from this list to commit to this week:

1. Add 20-30g protein to every meal (measure it for one week so you know what it looks like)
2. Swap one processed carb for a healthy fat (trade the afternoon crackers for nuts and an apple)
3. Fuel your next long walk properly (oats before, trail mix during, protein after)
4. Start a 7-day symptom log (energy, sleep, hunger, hot flashes - morning and evening)
5. Add one recovery-focused meal (magnesium-rich foods like spinach, pumpkin seeds, dark chocolate after training)

Pick one. Just one.

Do it for seven days.

Then come back and add another.

The Truth About Training for Big Things in Midlife

Your Camino - or whatever bold physical goal you're chasing - doesn't start when you arrive in Spain or at the starting line.

It starts now. With the food you choose today. With the way you honor your midlife body instead of punishing it. With the nutrition that supports your hormones instead of fighting them.

I'm not saying this is easy. Some days I still want to eat like I'm 25. Some days my body still doesn't cooperate despite doing everything "right."

But most days? I feel capable. Strong. Like this 800-kilometer walk is actually possible.

You're training for something bold. Your nutrition should be just as bold.

You need protein at every meal. You need the right fats. You need to eat FOR your training, not just "healthy." And you need to work WITH your hormones, not against them.

Your body can become your ally. Mine did.

And when you're standing at kilometer 200, 400, 600 of your own big thing - you'll be so grateful you fed yourself properly all along.

Tell me: What's the one nutrition change you're going to make this week?

Drop it in the comments. Let's do this together.