The Breakthrough Emotional Eating Podcast

BEE #148: Why Protein Is the Key to Managing Menopausal Weight Gain, Muscle Loss, and Cravings

• Kristin Jones

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Are you dealing with stubborn sugar cravings, belly fat that won’t budge, or unexplained muscle loss—even though you're doing "all the right things"? You’re not crazy—and you’re definitely not alone. These symptoms may be tied directly to hormonal shifts that start as early as your 30s and ramp up during perimenopause and menopause.

In this powerful episode of the Breakthrough Emotional Eating podcast, I share my personal journey with hormone replacement therapy (HRT), the latest science on protein needs for women in midlife, and simple shifts you can make today that will radically improve your energy, cravings, and body composition.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

  • ⚡ Why women lose up to 8% of their muscle mass every decade after 30—and how to stop the acceleration during menopause
  • 🥩 Why the old protein guideline (0.8g/kg) is outdated—and what new research recommends instead (1.2–1.6g/kg daily)
  • ⏰ How protein timing—especially first thing in the morning—can stabilize blood sugar and crush afternoon cravings
  • 🧠 The surprising link between hormones, insulin resistance, and emotional eating
  • 💪 What to eat (and when) to protect your metabolism, boost muscle retention, and feel strong for decades to come

Whether you're proactively preparing for hormonal shifts or deep in the midst of them, this episode will give you clear, actionable strategies to reclaim your health and feel empowered in your body.

🎧 Ready to take control of your cravings and build strength from the inside out?
Tune in now—and don’t forget to subscribe, rate, and share this episode with a friend who needs to hear it.

Connect with me online:

1. Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kristinjonescoaching/
2. You Tube channel, Kristin Jones Coaching: https://www.youtube.com/@KristinJonesCoaching44

3. You Tube channel, Breakthrough Emotional Eating Podcast: https://www.youtube.com/@breakthroughpodcast-44
3 . Website: https://www.kristinjonescoaching.com

If you want to learn how to stop nighttime eating, get my 3 Day Nighttime Snacking Reset: https://go.kristinjonescoaching.com/nighttime-snacking-reset

Needing more specific and direct support for your emotional eating and overeating? Check out my online course, Stop Dieting Start Feeling, and my personalized coaching program, Breakthrough To You.

If you found this episode helpful, don't forget to leave a review on the platform you used to listen and share it with your friends on your Instagram stories. Also, be sure to follow me on Instagram @breakthroughemotionaleating, and don't hesitate to slide into my DMs to share your thoughts ...

Speaker 1:

Do you want to lose weight but struggle to stay committed to a meal plan because you constantly feel hungry? Does food provide you comfort when you're bored, angry, lonely or sad? If so, you are in the right place. My name is Kristen Jones and I'm a life coach specializing in emotional eating and weight loss, and I'm also a lifelong emotional eater. I want to provide you with information, motivation and support so you, too, can learn to manage your issues with food and develop a healthy relationship with yourself. Welcome to the Breakthrough Emotional Eating Podcast. My name is Kristen Jones and thank you so much for joining me this week.

Speaker 1:

About seven months ago, I started hormone replacement therapy with my doctor, dr Peter Cristillo, who is at Swan Medical here in Danville, california, and I knew that there were going to be some changes that I was going to experience, and one of the changes that I was hoping was going to change was the tone of my muscles. One of the things that I have noticed significantly since going through menopause is that I have lost a ton of muscle in my legs in my legs in particular, and not that my legs were ever I'm not going to lie to y'all not that my legs were ever, in particularly all that muscular. But over the last probably two years, I have noticed a significant change in the musculature of my legs and I just, you know, I didn't know what to attribute it to. I did not think it had anything to do with my hormones, but it does, and so when I started HRT, dr Castillo encouraged me and asked me to really take a look at what I was eating and how I was eating. And was I actually eating enough protein? And I am so guilty of not eating enough protein.

Speaker 1:

Um, I have. I'm kind of a subscriber, kind of a believer in the, and I don't. I don't hold to it really really closely, but I do, um, but I do. Um, I kind of follow the idea of the uh the blood type diet, which is, uh, based upon your blood type. And my blood type would indicate that I would be best if I was vegetarian or vegan, and I have been vegetarian and vegan on, on and off most of my life. I've never eaten that much meat before, and so the idea of eating meat was a little that was a little confounding. I wasn't sure how I was going to do with that and I really wasn't even sure how I was going to do it, but I decided that I would give it a try, and so I started increasing my protein intake.

Speaker 1:

Why am I telling you all this? Well, I'm telling you all this because today's episode is going to be looking at the importance and the necessity of protein when it comes to food cravings, as well as just muscular strength and maintaining muscle mass as a perimenopausal, menopausal or postmenopausal woman. It's incredibly, incredibly valuable and very, very important when it comes to a woman's overall health as she ages and as she goes through the changes that happen in your hormones as you get older in life. But one of the things that most people don't know about and if you want to go back and you want to listen to my episode with Dr Castillo, my personal doctor, my personal hormone doctor changes start happening in our 30s y'all. We really, as women, we start to lose our muscle mass in our 30s, like early in our 30s, and if we can start building that up earlier the better. But today's episode is about what if you are in your 50sies, forties or fifties and you feel like you are craving so many, you know you're. You have sugar cravings or cravings in general that are so out of control, and you also are noticing some changes in your body. What do you do? How do you address that and what is it? Well, I'm going to tell you that probably, if you're seeing changes in your body shape and the makeup, the muscular makeup of your body, it's probably going to have to do with menopause and it's going to have to do with your hormonal changes. You can start doing immediately to start making changes in that area and how to preserve your muscle mass and how to really work on being able to age in a way that you really want to age and that you are able to do it in a way that that supports not only your activities and what and how you want your life to be, but also to make sure that you're eating good food and that you're eating the foods that your body actually needs and will actually use in a positive way.

Speaker 1:

So that is the topic of today's podcast. It's going to be on protein and the menopausal woman. So, even if you're a man, I still think you should listen to this, because I think it's important that men know what, uh what women are going through, so they can be more empathetic and more understanding. Um, but also these decreases in hormones also happen to men, just not as widely talked about and not as significant, um, but it does happen and it does impact them. So it's important to know that as well. Why protein is so critical during menopause.

Speaker 1:

So we're going to start with what the big picture is. The big picture is is, as women go through hormonal shift in their forties and fifties, estrogen and progesterone during those times starts to decline and with that comes a drop in a number of different levels, different aspects of your life. Your metabolism lowers, your metabolism gets slower, you become possibly become insulin resistant, meaning that your body doesn't respond to insulin in the same way that it did when you were younger. There's usually an increase in the fat stores that you keep and they're usually around your belly and there is usually significant muscle loss. So, according to research published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism, women can lose up to 8% of their muscle mass per decade after the age of 30. So 8% each decade after 30. And the rate only increases once you reach menopause. So, really, why is this even important? Well, it's important because muscle equates longevity.

Speaker 1:

When it comes to an aging body, but more specifically a female aging body, it's not just about looking toned. It's about your metabolism, your actual physical strength, your insulin sensitivity, your bone health and even your cognitive performance, and it impacts your heart and the fuel for all of those muscles those muscles that are everywhere in our bodies. The fuel for those muscles is protein. So getting the correct amount of protein that your body needs is absolutely vital, not just for your own longevity, but also for your aging process as well. So the more muscle you can maintain or, in fact, build, the more calories you burn when you are at rest, and metabolism is the key to weight maintenance and weight loss in menopause. So how much protein do we really need? Now I'm going to tell you, and I'm going to be completely transparent and upfront. Going to tell you, and I'm going to be completely transparent and upfront I don't as much as as much as I'm eating way more protein than I ever have, I'm still not getting what they recommend, and that is because I don't feel like my body feels that it is at its optimal best when I'm eating so much protein. So that is a decision that I have made. I'm going to tell you what the recommendations are and you can decide whether or not that's something for you.

Speaker 1:

For me. I've tried it and it does not jive with me. I feel too sluggish. I don't feel like I. I think my digestion is slowed down significantly. I end up being constipated, and that is just no bueno. I don't want that at all and I just don't like the way I, significantly, I end up being constipated, and that is just no bueno. I don't want that at all and I just don't like the way I feel. I don't like when I feel heavy. I don't like when I feel weighed down, when I feel sluggish, and that is usually when I eat over about 80 grams of protein a day. That's just, it's too much. It's just too much for my body.

Speaker 1:

So I am not and I'm not recommending to anyone that you follow what I do, because every person is different. But I do want to encourage you to do what I've always told you to do, and that is listen to your body. Your body is individual. Your body is yours in unique, and you want to make sure that you are getting enough protein for your body so it can function in the best way possible, and that doesn't always mean following exactly what the latest guru on Instagram tells you to do. So that means listening to your body and do what feels right for you.

Speaker 1:

So there is a recommendation that women need about 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight, not pounds, kilograms of body weight. That has been kind of the standard. That has been the standard, but it's wildly outdated for women who are in midlife at this point. So new research, including studies from the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, suggests that women in menopause need 1.2 to 1.6 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight to maintain muscle and to support metabolic health. That's about 90 to 120 grams per day for many women, many women.

Speaker 1:

But even more important than the total amount is how frequently you eat it throughout the day. So our bodies can only use a certain amount of protein in one sitting. Research has shown that 30 grams of protein per meal is about optimal for a person to be able to absorb the maximum amount of protein, use it in their body and then either clear out the rest through waste or just move it through your body and actually use it and not have it be stored as excess fat. Too often times people eat too much protein in one sitting and then they end up storing too much of it as fat because our body. It's not because our body doesn't need it, it's that our body can't process it all at one time. Instead of loading up at dinner, aim to evenly space your protein out throughout the day. So that would mean approximately 25 to 30 grams at each one of your meals breakfast, lunch, dinner and, of course, if you have snacks, you can put them in the snacks as well, and that will evenly distribute the protein across your whole day. So you don't over, uh, over, consume too much protein at one time because our bodies just can't produce, our bodies can't synthesize it quick enough to be able to use it, and then we end up storing it as fat.

Speaker 1:

So what are the best kinds of protein for women who are in menopause? Um, any type of protein for women who are in menopause? Um, any type of protein that you want to to consume and actually use and have it be to your benefit. It needs to be a complete program, a complete protein, meaning that it has all nine essential amino acids, and these include these are included in the essential um the complete proteins that have all nine of these amino acids. So that would be lean chicken or turkey fish, especially fatty fish like salmon, um, which also have heart healthy omega threes.

Speaker 1:

Uh, eggs, and again that's eggs whole and egg whites, but the whole egg. Don't don't forego the, the yolk, because you think it's too fat. No, include that, that's important. Uh, greek yogurt, cottage cheese, one of my favorites. I love cottage cheese. I'm telling I love cottage cheese. I'm telling you, I love cottage cheese. Now here's where we begin to have the issue. They recommend the Clinical Journal on Nutrition recommends tofu, tempeh or edamame for plant-based eaters, and then protein powders for those that are on a plant-based but that or that like to to drink some of their protein.

Speaker 1:

I personally and this is just a personal opinion, so it is not something that I'm telling anyone to do, but me personally, because I have been both. I have been vegan, I have been vegetarian and I have eaten everything, and I have gotten to a place in my life where I would rather eat an animal product than to eat something that is so full of chemicals that I don't even recognize what it is, nor do I know three quarters of the things that are in said product that I'm eating. I am just not willing to put that kind of stuff in my body anymore. I know where something comes If it's an animal protein. I know where it's been, I know what it, what. You know how it's been walking around and I am okay with eating an animal protein as opposed to a synthetically created protein that then gets made into a protein source. That's just me personally. That's that's my thing.

Speaker 1:

But any of those and honestly I don't eat that much. I wasn't eating that much protein. So any protein was an improvement. I am all for if you can, if you make sure that you have your cholesterol checked. I am all for if you can. Um, if you make sure that you have your cholesterol checked, I am all about having some ribeye steaks and some New York cuts. Um, uh, pork chops, any of those, any of those you know, meatier pieces of meat I don't.

Speaker 1:

When I, when I'm eating more protein, I don't buy chicken. I think chicken's boring. I like a ribeye, I like a New York. Oh, yesterday I bought lamb chops. Oh my God, so good. So I like a variety of meats and I'm not afraid to make them on my own. I've gotten much better about doing it. I wasn't very skilled at doing it and now I've gotten much better about it and I know how to do it, which is really exciting. It makes a huge difference. The whole idea of where do you get your protein. For me, I think it's really important to. I go to. I go to Trader Joe's, I go to smart and final I go and I pick out my own meat. I do my own cooking because I think it's really important that one I know where my meat comes from, but also that I'm able to know what's actually in my food, that I created it I, I cooked it.

Speaker 1:

Eating protein connect with cravings and food consumption. So there is there have been a number of studies about the connection between protein consumption and food cravings, and so many women in menopause experience intense sugar cravings, especially in the afternoon or the evening. That's because hormonal changes affect insulin sensitivity and blood sugar regulation and when your blood sugar crashes, your brain sends an urgent message that says give me sugar now. It just wants you to eat something that has sugar in it. So it will crave, it will send those cravings. So you're not imagining things. That's what I want to make sure you understand. You're not imagining things. Protein can help break that cycle of immediately craving sugar when you need something. It slows down digestion, it keeps your blood sugar stable, it increases satiety. So when you eat something, you feel satisfied and that means you can feel full longer and have fewer highs and lows throughout the day. A study published in Appetite in 2015 found that participants who ate high protein meals had significantly lower cravings for sugary snacks than those who ate high carb meals.

Speaker 1:

You start your day with a protein rich breakfast. It's always a good idea Protein rich breakfast like Greek yogurt, eggs, a protein smoothie if you want to go the protein powder route and you're setting yourself and your metabolism and cravings up for success. I encourage all of my clients to have a protein forward breakfast, to stay away from cereal, stay away from just straight up toast, but to make it a combination and eat slowly and really enjoy the process of eating that food. You're going to build your meals around protein. You're going to have your protein first, then you're going to add your veggies, then you'll add your complex carbs and you'll add, add your water, add, add your healthy fats, all the things so you can make sure that you have a well-rounded meal.

Speaker 1:

But it's important to know that, whether you're 25 or whether you're my age, in your late 50s, it's never too soon or too early to start. It's never too early, and it's never too late to start eating more protein and seeing the changes that it creates in your body. So what does that look like? It looks like going out and picking proteins that you know you're going to eat, you know that you're going to enjoy. You find some recipes, you start doing some cooking, you start valuing what's going in your body and you start knowing everything that's going in your body. It's in.

Speaker 1:

You only have one body and it's yours to take care of, it's yours to nurture and it's yours to make sure that you stay as healthy and as strong and as upright as possible throughout your whole life. So you have to think of protein like an investment. The more you deposit now, the more strength, energy and metabolism you will have later. You'll feel younger, stronger and more in control of your body, even until your late thirties and early forties. And even if you haven't you're there and you still haven't hit menopause, it's still important to get that protein in.

Speaker 1:

It's important to take care of your body, to keep your joints, your ligaments and your muscles in the best possible condition. And that means, again, it doesn't matter what age you are, it doesn't matter if you. Again, it doesn't matter what age you are, it doesn't matter how active. You are being active and starting to do something. It's never too early to start doing exercise regularly as well as increasing your protein.

Speaker 1:

So check out your own diet. Give yourself maybe three or four days where you track all of your protein and you load it into one of the online apps that can tell you how many grams of protein you have in your, in your meals and know, be informed. Know how much protein you're getting and is it enough? If you're really sleepy, okay, maybe I need to eat more protein so I can be more awake during the day. That's a huge, significant thing. You've got to find what can you do instead of just saying, okay, I guess this is what the problem is. I guess I'm going to be resolved to this. No, we want to make sure that we make the best possible decision to be able to move forward in the way that you want to.

Speaker 1:

All right, thank you so much for joining me this week. If this, if you found value in this discussion about women and menopause and protein, please comment below the video. Let me know what you think. Let me know what you'd like to hear more about, because I definitely want to make this podcast what you all need and what's going to be best for you. Please go online and you can leave a review for the podcast, and I would greatly, greatly, appreciate it. Those podcast reviews are so incredibly helpful. All right, take care of y'all. Thank you for listening to this week's episode. If you are interested in learning more about how I can help you understand and manage your emotional eating, including the use of hypnosis to uncover the root cause of your eating, go to my website, kristinjonescoachingcom.