Why Am I So Tired All the Time, Juliana?

Not gonna lie: if you’re in midlife, your energy probably isn’t like what it used to be. The 3pm slump is so real, and you’re navigating it with your second (third?) coffee. The pantry's irresistible treats are calling your name, you're not hungry for dinner and by 8pm you’re netflixxing on the couch wondering where the version of you who used to go out and be social and do all the things went.

I'm speaking from experience, here. This was my rinse-and-repeat cycle for years, until I quit assuming this was normal and started fixing my energy levels. 

Lagging energy in midlife almost never comes down to one thing. Shifting hormones, sleep that falls apart, a little muscle lost every year, under-eating, stress, a medication you’ve been on forever: they stack. But: that's the good news! Because if it’s a stack, we can pull it apart one piece at a time and figure out which pieces are yours. AND, I can absolutely tell you: your energy can come roaring back, if you adjust your inputs properly. Let's get into it. 

(FYI this is literally the work we do in my Masterclass.)

Okay, Where Do I Start, Juliana?

With a number. For three days, rate your energy from 1 to 10 at 9am, 3pm, and 9pm. Write it down in your notes app or on a sticky on the fridge, wherever you’ll look at it. That’s your baseline, and that’s the number we’re trying to beat.

Then change ONE thing at a time for two weeks. Rather than overhauling your whole life on a Monday like you’ve done so many times before (and quitting by Thursday), test one protocol, check your scores, keep what moves the needle. Keep going until you find something that works.

Am I Even Eating Enough?

1. Eat enough food, period. So many women I talk to are eating like a bird, training hard, and wondering why they’re wiped out. Your body can’t run on fumes. Test it: Track what you eat honestly for seven days (weigh it if you’re serious) and see how your scores line up.

2. Get protein at every meal. Protein is the macro most of us under-eat in midlife, and it’s the one your muscles need to hold on. A good starting target is about 1.2 to 1.6 grams per kilo of body weight, or 1 gram per ideal body weight in pounds (so if you're aiming for 130 pound bodyweight, you'll eat 130g of protein per day), and you can go even a bit higher than that if you’re lifting. Secure the protein on your plate first and then fill out the rest. Eggs, Greek yogurt, chicken, lean beef, salmon, turkey, black beans, tofu: you’ve got plenty of protein options. Test it: Count protein for a week and watch your 3pm number.

3. Feed your gut with fiber. Fiber is food for your gut. Literally. It helps keep your blood sugar steadier, so you’re not riding the spike-and-crash all afternoon. Most women land well under the 21 to 25 grams a day that’s recommended for us. Test it: Add beans, berries, veggies, or chia for two weeks and see if the afternoon slump shrinks.

4. Stop going hours without eating. Some women do great on three meals and a planned snack, some do better with four smaller meals. Find yours. Test it: Eat on a set schedule for two weeks.

5. Put your carbs where they work for you. Cutting carbs to zero tanks a lot of women’s energy, especially if they’re training. Eat most of them earlier in the day and around your workouts. Test it: Move your carbs earlier for two weeks and compare your workouts and your scores.

6. Rethink the wine. Alcohol might knock you out, and it wrecks the quality of the sleep you get after. I traded a few drinks a day for no hangover, no throbbing migraine, and no waking at 2am in a pool of sweat, and I’ll never go back. Test it: Go two weeks alcohol-free and compare your morning numbers.

7. Watch your caffeine cutoff. That 2pm latte is still in your system at bedtime. Test it: Caffeine stops at noon for two weeks.

8. Drink your water (and get your salt). Even mild dehydration can make you feel flat. The evidence here is modest, but it’s free to test. Test it: Track your water for a week.

Is How I’m Moving Helping or Hurting?

9. Lift heavy things, 2 to 3x / week. In your 40s and 50s you lose a little muscle every year unless you do something about it, and muscle is what helps manage your blood sugar and gives you a bigger tank to draw from. This one moves the needle more than almost anything else on this list. Test it: Log your lifts every session for eight weeks and watch your scores alongside them.

10. Walk every single day. A 10 to 15 minute walk after lunch and dinner helps blunt the blood sugar spike that sets up your 3pm crash. Test it: Two weeks of after-meal walks.

11. Add easy cardio. Zone 2 is a pace where you can still talk in full sentences. Two or three sessions a week builds your aerobic base, and that’s daily energy. Test it: Track your resting heart rate and morning energy for four weeks.

12. Back off when you’re fried. If you’re training hard and sleeping like garbage, more intensity is the wrong answer. Test it: If your morning number keeps dropping, cut your training volume for one week and see what happens.

Why Do I Wake Up Tired When I Went to Bed Early?

13. Same wake-up time + morning light. Your body clock runs on light. Get outside within an hour of waking, even on a gray October morning. Test it: Two weeks, and track how fast you fall asleep at night.

14. Make your room cool and dark. Hot flashes plus a warm bedroom is a recipe for a 2am wake-up. Test it: Drop the thermostat, blackout curtains, two weeks.

15. Wind down for real. Phone down 60 minutes before bed. I know. Try it anyway. Test it: Two weeks, no screens in that last hour.

16. Rule out sleep apnea. Snoring, waking up gasping, morning headaches, falling asleep during the afternoon? Sleep apnea gets more common in midlife and it gets missed in women ALL the time. Test it: Take the STOP-BANG questionnaire and bring your answers to your doctor.

17. Talk to your doctor about night sweats. If hot flashes and night sweats are blowing up your sleep, that’s a real medical conversation, including whether hormone therapy makes sense for you. Test it: Log your night sweats for two weeks so you walk in with a pattern, not a vague complaint.

Is Stress Running the Show?

18. Build a daily downshift. Five to ten minutes of slow breathing, meditation, or just quiet. The evidence is modest, so treat this like a test. Test it: Daily for two weeks, and watch your evening number and your sleep.

19. Look at your stress load. Caregiving, work, aging parents, kids, all the things. Rate your stress next to your energy for a week and see if they move together. They usually do.

What Should I Ask My Doctor to Test?

Some fatigue has a medical cause that no amount of protein or walking will fix. Book the appointment and ask about these:

20. Thyroid. Ask for TSH, plus free T4 if needed. Thyroid changes are common in midlife and look a LOT like plain old exhaustion.

21. Iron and ferritin. Ask for a CBC and ferritin, especially if you have heavy periods. Don’t start iron on your own without a result; too much is harmful.

22. B12. Levels drop as we age and with certain medications.

23. Vitamin D. Ask for a 25-OH vitamin D test.

24. Blood sugar. Fasting glucose and HbA1c tell you if your blood sugar is running high.

25. Your medications. Allergy meds, some blood pressure meds, some antidepressants, and sleep aids can all drain your energy. Bring the full list (supplements too) to your doctor or pharmacist.

26. Your mood. Low energy, low motivation, and bad sleep overlap with depression, and so many women don’t realize that’s what’s going on. The PHQ-9 is a quick questionnaire you can take and share with your doctor.

What About Supplements, Juliana?

One at a time, four to eight weeks each, nothing else changing, and run it by your doctor first if you take any medications.

27. Creatine. The research in midlife women is growing, especially if you lift.
28. Magnesium. Evidence for sleep and energy is mixed, and it’s a common one to test.
29. Omega-3s. Great for heart health; the energy benefit is less clear.

And please, see your doctor sooner rather than later if your fatigue comes with unexplained weight loss, shortness of breath, chest pain, heavy bleeding, or feeling down most days.

So here’s your homework: start your three-day energy log tomorrow morning. Then pick ONE protocol from this list and give it two weeks. And then go from there. Future You is going to want those numbers.

That’s all for today; go be great~

x

Juliana