002: How Much Food Should Midlife Women Actually Eat? Fueling, Muscle, Metabolism, and Food Fear with Le Bergen

Midlife women have been taught how to diet, but not how to eat, and it’s costing them energy, strength, mood, sleep, and long-term health. In this episode of Eat the Fcking Food, Kristin Collins sits down with nutrition and fitness coach Le Bergen (20+ years in the space) to talk about what most women never hear out loud: you’re not failing, you’re under-fueled.Le breaks down why “eating the minimum” might help you survive, but it won’t help you thrive, especially as you age. Together, they reframe “performance” beyond the gym (think sleep, digestion, mood, focus, and daily stamina), and explain why chasing a smaller body often keeps women stuck in weaker bodies.You’ll learn how to start eating up to your needs without panic, why carbs got unfairly thrown into the “Butterfinger category,” how to use tracking as neutral data (not punishment), and a simple hand-portion method that meets you where you are. Then they close with the most joyful mic-drop imaginable: yes, eat the bun.In this episode, you’ll discover:Why eating up to your needs matters more as you age (thriving vs surviving)What “performance over size” really means for real life, not just workoutsHow under-fueling impacts muscle, brain bandwidth, organs, skin, and vitalityWhat to say to yourself when you’re scared to eat more (start small, chase actions)Why carbs affect mood and energy, and how restriction fuels the binge-restrict loopHow to “clean up the carb closet” without demonizing foodsA practical starting point: journaling as information (not a diary, not a confession)A simple hand-portion framework for meals (your hand, your body, your needs)Why the scale can lie, and why body composition matters more than a numberThe forever shift: stop looking for an end date, build a floor, not a finish lineWe talk about:00:00 Meet Le Bergen, why this convo matters01:00 The podcast name story, food fear, bananas and carrots02:00 Why eating up to your needs matters more in midlife03:00 Thriving vs surviving, muscle, brain power, organ function04:30 What to say when you’re scared to eat more (start with protein)07:30 Performance over size, what “performance” means in real life09:00 Carbs, mood, energy, blood sugar, and the binge-restrict loop14:00 The best place to start, journal first, use data, adjust timing17:00 Tracking without obsession, hand portions, meals in daylight22:00 The scale, body composition, muscle, metabolism, bone density26:00 Stop looking for the end, make the ceiling your floor27:30 Favorite meal, hamburger + fries + milkshake, eat the bunConnect with LeInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/le_bergin_/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fwtfl/ Podcast: https://lebergin.com/no-butt-serious-le-podcast/ Website: https://lebergin.com/ Connect with meInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/kristinrcollins/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@kristin.collins Website: https://kristincollinshealthcoaching.com/ #MidlifeNutrition #Perimenopause #MenopauseHealth #Undereating #AntiDiet #WomensHealth #StrengthTraining #HormoneHealth #Metabolism #FoodFreedom