Why so much talk about protein, especially as we age?

If You’re Over 50, Protein Needs to Be a Priority—Here’s Why

I’m going to be direct with you: if you’re over 50 and not prioritizing protein at every meal, you’re losing muscle, bone density, and your health—whether you realize it or not.

I know that sounds dramatic, but after losing 50 pounds of fat and gaining 10-15 pounds of muscle at 57 years old, I’ve learned that protein isn’t just important—it’s everything. It’s the difference between feeling strong and capable in your 60s and 70s, or feeling weak, tired, and dependent on medications.

Most people my age are still eating the same way they did in their 30s. Toast for breakfast. A sandwich for lunch. Pasta for dinner. Maybe some chicken here and there. And they wonder why they’re gaining weight, losing strength, and can’t seem to get their energy back.

Here’s the truth: your body after 50 doesn’t work the same way it did when you were younger. You need more protein now, not less. And if you don’t give your body what it needs, it will break itself down to get it—starting with your muscles and bones.

In this post, I’m going to explain exactly why protein matters so much as we age, how it affects everything from your metabolism to your blood sugar, and what you should be eating to protect your health for the next 20, 30, or 40 years.

What Happens to Your Body After 50 Without Enough Protein

Let me paint a picture of what’s happening inside your body right now if you’re not eating enough protein.

Starting around age 50, you naturally lose 1-2% of your muscle mass every single year. This process is called sarcopenia, and it doesn’t care if you’re active or not—it’s coming for you unless you actively fight it with protein and resistance training.

But it’s not just your muscles. Your bones are also losing density. Your body is breaking down faster than it’s building back up. And here’s the kicker: if you’re not giving your body enough protein through food, it will literally eat your own muscle tissue to get the amino acids it needs.

Think about that. Your body is cannibalizing itself because you’re eating toast for breakfast and pasta for dinner.

This is why people over 50 feel weaker, tire more easily, and struggle to do things they used to do without thinking. It’s not just “getting old”—it’s malnutrition. You’re not feeding your body what it needs to maintain itself.

Here’s what adequate protein does for you after 50:

Preserves and builds muscle mass
Protects bone density (yes, protein is critical for bones, not just calcium)
Speeds up recovery from exercise and daily activities
Keeps your metabolism higher (more muscle = more calories burned at rest)
Helps you stay independent and strong as you age

Without enough protein, you’re on a slow decline. With enough protein, you can actually get stronger and healthier in your 50s, 60s, and 70s. I’m living proof of that.

Why Protein Keeps You Full (And Carbs Leave You Starving)

Here’s something most people don’t understand about protein: your body has to work harder to digest it.

When you eat carbohydrates—especially refined carbs and sugar—your body breaks them down quickly and easily. They fly through your digestive system, spike your blood sugar, trigger an insulin response, and within a couple of hours, you’re hungry again. It’s a rollercoaster that keeps you reaching for snacks all day long.

But protein? Protein is different.

Protein takes significantly more energy to digest and metabolize. This is called the “thermic effect of food,” and protein has the highest thermic effect of any macronutrient. Your body burns about 20-30% of the calories from protein just trying to digest it, compared to only 5-10% for carbs and 0-3% for fat.

Translation: eating protein literally burns more calories just by eating it.

But here’s the bigger benefit: because protein is harder to digest, it keeps you full for hours. When you eat a breakfast with eggs, Greek yogurt, or cottage cheese, you’re not thinking about food again until lunch. But if you eat cereal, toast, or a muffin? You’re starving by 10am and reaching for whatever’s convenient—which is usually more carbs and sugar.

This is the cycle that keeps people overweight and tired. They start the day with carbs, crash a few hours later, eat more carbs to feel better, crash again, and repeat. All day long, their blood sugar and insulin are on a rollercoaster, their energy is tanking, and they’re storing fat instead of burning it.

When you prioritize protein—especially at breakfast—you stop this cycle completely.

Your blood sugar stays stable. Your insulin stays low. Your hunger disappears. And your body can finally start burning fat for energy instead of constantly being in storage mode.

This is why I’m so obsessive about getting protein at every meal, and especially at breakfast. It sets the tone for your entire day.

Your First Meal Sets the Tone for Your Entire Day

Let me ask you a question: what did you eat for breakfast this morning?

If it was cereal, toast, a bagel, a muffin, oatmeal with brown sugar, or orange juice—you started your day on the insulin rollercoaster, and you’ve been fighting cravings and energy crashes ever since.

Here’s what happens when you eat a high-carb, high-sugar breakfast:

Your blood sugar spikes within 30 minutes. Your pancreas dumps insulin into your bloodstream to handle all that sugar. Your blood sugar then crashes an hour or two later, leaving you tired, foggy, and starving. So you reach for more carbs—a snack, more coffee with sugar, whatever’s around—and the cycle starts all over again.

By the end of the day, you’ve been on this rollercoaster 4 or 5 times. You’re exhausted, you’ve eaten way more than you intended, and you wonder why you can’t lose weight or feel good.

But when you start your day with protein, everything changes.

Let’s say you eat 2-3 scrambled eggs with some bacon or sausage, and maybe a handful of berries. Or a cup of Greek yogurt with nuts. Or cottage cheese with some fruit.

Your blood sugar stays stable. No spike, no crash. Your insulin stays low, which means your body can actually burn fat for energy instead of storing it. And you stay full—truly full—for 4-5 hours without even thinking about food.

This one change—prioritizing protein at breakfast—might be the single most important thing you can do for your health after 50.

It stops the cravings. It stabilizes your energy. It keeps you from making bad food choices later in the day because you’re not starving and desperate by 10am.

I used to eat cereal every morning for years. I was always hungry, always tired, and I couldn’t figure out why. The moment I switched to eggs, bacon, and some fruit, everything changed. My energy was steady all day, I stopped snacking, and the weight started coming off.

Your first meal of the day is a decision. You’re either setting yourself up for success with protein, or you’re setting yourself up for failure with carbs and sugar.

What You Should Actually Eat for Breakfast (And What to Drink)

Alright, let’s make this simple and actionable. Here’s what a high-protein breakfast looks like:

Protein-Packed Breakfast Options:

2-3 scrambled eggs with bacon or sausage, plus a handful of berries
Greek yogurt (plain) with nuts and some fruit
Cottage cheese with berries or a drizzle of honey
Omelet with cheese, veggies, and meat
Leftover chicken or steak with eggs (yes, really)
Protein shake with a scoop of protein powder, milk, and frozen berries

You don’t need fancy recipes. You just need protein as the main focus of your meal, not an afterthought.

And here’s what you need to STOP drinking at breakfast:

Orange juice and apple juice are not health foods—they’re sugar bombs. A glass of orange juice has as much sugar as a can of soda. It spikes your blood sugar just as badly as eating a donut.

Stick to coffee and water. That’s it. Black coffee, coffee with a splash of cream, or just plain water. If you want flavor, add lemon to your water. But stop drinking your calories and sugar, especially first thing in the morning.

Your drinks matter just as much as your food. Don’t sabotage a high-protein breakfast by washing it down with 30 grams of sugar in a glass.

The Bottom Line

If you’re over 50 and you want to lose fat, build muscle, have steady energy, and stop feeling hungry all day—start with breakfast.

Make protein the priority. Cut out the carbs and sugar. Drink coffee and water instead of juice.

This one change will transform how you feel, how you look, and how your entire day goes. I’ve seen it work for myself, for my wife’s parents in their 70s, and for countless others who finally decided to stop doing what wasn’t working.

Tomorrow morning, make a different choice. Your body will thank you.