Start date
Week 1 begins on this day. Change it if you start later and the dates throughout the page will follow.
Measure your gains
- Measure on the same day of the week, in the morning, in the same state each time.
- The tape goes on bare skin or thin clothing, snug but not squeezing.
- Remember: your weight can move 1 to 2 kg with hydration and your cycle. We are also aiming to build muscle, which is heavy, so trust the tape and the strength tests more than the scales.
Your results
Keep a copy
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Your protein target
Muscle responds less well to protein as oestrogen falls in perimenopause, so you need more than the standard 0.8 g per kg. Sport-nutrition guidance for active women sits at 1.4 to 2.2 g per kg a day. The 1 g per pound rule is the top of that range.
- Spread it out: 25 to 40 g at each of 3 or 4 meals. A 40 g hit after training is a good habit.
- Start with breakfast. It is the meal most often short on protein.
- Pounds to kilos: divide by 2.2. The target works from your current weight.
- If you have kidney problems or another medical condition, check the target with your GP first.
High-protein breakfasts
Baking with protein, and your favourites
Ham, wings and a bake or two, all rebuilt to carry more protein. Quantities come with US cups and oven Fahrenheit alongside the metric. In France look for fromage blanc 0% and skyr. In Switzerland, Magerquark and Hüttenkäse are easy to find.
Boost any bake you already love
- Swap 25 to 30% of the flour for protein powder, and add a splash more liquid.
- Use Greek yoghurt, quark or fromage blanc in place of half the butter or oil.
- Add an extra egg, or a couple of egg whites, to muffins, cakes and pancakes.
- Replace some flour with oat flour or ground almonds (poudre d'amandes in France) for more protein and staying power.
- Blend cottage cheese into batters, pancakes and cheesecake. It vanishes.
- Whey can turn rubbery. A whey and casein blend or a plant powder bakes better. Go a touch cooler and pull the bake the moment a skewer comes out clean.
- Trim the sugar by a quarter first, then use mashed banana, apple purée or a little maple syrup.
Snacks, with protein
Amounts are estimates. Brands vary, so check labels.
Lunch and dinner anchors
Build each plate around a palm-sized portion of chicken, fish, lean beef, eggs, tofu or tempeh, or a big portion of lentils or beans with quark or yoghurt. That is usually 25 to 35 g. Fill the rest with vegetables and a fist of slow carbohydrate.
Also worth doing
- Do not crash-diet while building strength. Eat enough, and keep protein high. Fat loss is a bonus, not the target.
- Calcium and vitamin D matter for bone, and Swiss winters are short on sun. Ask your GP whether a vitamin D test makes sense.
- Creatine monohydrate at 3 to 5 g a day has good evidence for strength gains alongside training. Talk to your GP or pharmacist first.
- Go easy on alcohol over the festive weeks. It cuts sleep quality, and poor sleep undoes training.
- Drink water through the day, and have a glass with every protein meal.
General guidance, not medical advice.