Hi there Reader,

Protein is everywhere right now. High-protein this, protein-packed that, 30 grams of protein before 9am. And honestly? I'm not mad about most of it. Protein deserves its moment in the sun. It has been underestimated and under-eaten by women for a long time, and it's about time that changed.
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But because everything in the wellness world tends to get distorted the second it gets popular, I want to make sure you actually understand what protein does and more importantly, what it doesn't do so that you're eating it for the right reasons and in the right amounts.

Get comfy because this might be a longer read….

Let's start with what I see most often.
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I work with women who are trying to eat well, who are active, who are paying attention and most of them are eating somewhere around 90 grams of protein a day. Sometimes less. And they think that's pretty good. For their size, for their goals, for how hard they're training.
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It's not enough.
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For an active woman, protein needs are closer to 0.7 to 1 gram per pound of body weight. If you weigh 150 pounds, we're talking 105 to 150 grams of protein per day. That number surprises most women the first time they hear it or see it on paper. And then it surprises them again when they realize how far off they've been and how far they need to go.
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The "eat more protein" conversation is missing some context, so let me explain what's missing.
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​Protein is not primarily an energy source. That is not its job.​
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Your body has a hierarchy when it comes to fuel. Carbohydrates are at the top. They are your body's preferred and primary energy source, especially for the kind of exercise most of you are doing. Strength training, HIIT, long runs, classes, all of it runs on carbohydrates. This is non-negotiable physiology, not a preference.

So when I see you at the gym with just your protein drink you're missing a crucial part of the workout plan.
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​Protein’s job is for form and function.​
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​Form: protein is the structural material your body is built from.

Your muscles, your connective tissue, your skin, your hair, and your nails are all built and maintained with protein. Every time you train you break down muscle tissue and protein is what your body uses to repair and rebuild it. This is how you actually get stronger. This is how recovery happens. Without adequate protein, your body cannot do this work properly and no amount of training will compensate for that.
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​Function: protein is the raw material for your hormones, your enzymes, your immune system, and your neurotransmitters.

The chemical messengers that regulate your mood, your metabolism, your hunger signals, and your stress response are built from amino acids -> from protein. When you're chronically under-eating protein, you're not just slowing down muscle recovery, you're affecting systems you might not even connect to food.
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This next part, right here, is for you if you are training hard and not eating enough. Read carefully...
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When your body doesn't have sufficient carbohydrates available for energy because you're under-fueled, skipping meals, eating too light before workouts, or just not eating enough overall it will look for another fuel source. And it will find one. She is resourceful like that. Protein is that fuel source.​
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When your body doesn't have enough carbohydrates to run on, it goes looking for another fuel source. And it finds one. It starts breaking down your muscle. That beautiful, expensive muscle.

Your body takes the muscle tissue you just worked so hard to build in the gym, breaks it down, and converts it into glucose just to keep you going until the end of your sweat-sesh. This is your body in survival mode, robbing the very thing you're trying to build because you didn't give it what it actually needed to run on.

Think of it this way: you're putting in the work to build a house and carpenter ants are quietly using the frame for their food.

That's what under-fueling looks like from the inside.

This is why women who are training consistently, eating "pretty clean," and skipping carbs often feel exhausted, plateau, and can't figure out why their body isn't changing. Their protein isn't going to muscle repair and recovery. It's going to keep the lights on.

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​The fix is not complicated. It requires two things working together: enough carbohydrates to fuel your training and your day and enough protein to handle the actual work of repair and recovery. Not one or the other. Both.
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This is exactly why the P in PWiFF comes first, protein anchors every meal and why the W (whole food carbohydrates) is right next to it. They work together. They're not in competition. One fuels the engine, one rebuilds it.
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If you've been eating around 90 grams and feeling like something is off, low energy, slow recovery, body composition that isn't moving despite consistent effort this is probably a big piece of the answer.
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Protein matters. But only when your body is fueled well enough to actually use it for what it's meant for

This is why I created the PWiFF Blueprint...to help you how to build every meal so protein and carbs are working together, not competing. Grab it for free.​

I can't wait to live a life well nourished with you!