💥 Why Fasted Training and Male-Centric Fitness Plans Fail Women (and What to Do Instead)
Ever done the same workouts as your husband or partner—and noticed they drop weight, get stronger, and feel amazing, while you’re left thinking, “What the actual hell?!” You’re sore, exhausted, maybe even puffier, and it feels totally unfair.
Spoiler: It is unfair—but not in the way you think.
The truth is, your body (with its incredible, complex hormonal system) simply isn’t designed to respond the same way as a man’s. And if you’ve hit perimenopause or beyond? That hormonal landscape is shifting even more.
Let’s break down why your results might have stalled (despite doing everything “right”)—and, more importantly, what to tweak to make your body work with you, not against you.
🚩 1. Why “Do What He Does” Doesn’t Work for Women
One of the longest-running fitness myths is that women can—and should—train and fuel exactly like men.
Here’s why that’s a problem:
Men’s bodies (the XY chromosome crew) are hardwired for fight-or-flight. Their hormonal setup allows them to handle fasting, intense training, and even calorie deficits with relative ease—at least in the short term.
Women’s bodies (the XX chromosome squad), on the other hand, are hardwired for survival and protection. Your body’s first priority? Keeping you alive and in balance. That means it’s constantly monitoring for threats—like skipping meals, doing fasted training, or over-exercising.
Result? When you follow the same fitness program as your male partner, you might end up:
❌ Tired but wired (that horrible combo of exhausted but unable to relax)
❌ Holding stubborn belly fat despite training hard
❌ Experiencing muscle loss rather than gains
❌ Struggling with poor sleep and mood swings
What’s even more frustrating? You might feel like you’re doing something wrong. But spoiler alert: you’re not. Your body is just following its biological blueprint.
🧬 2. The Fasted Training Trap: Why It Backfires for Women
Let’s zero in on one big culprit: fasted training. That’s working out without eating anything first—whether it’s a morning run, strength session, or HIIT class.
Dr. Stacy Sims (exercise physiologist and author of ROAR and Next Level) breaks it down like this:
Men’s bodies:
Their brains and muscles don’t panic when there’s no food available. Thanks to testosterone and muscle fiber makeup, their bodies quickly tap into stored fuel (glycogen and fat), allowing them to get stronger and leaner, even in a fasted state. In fact, fasted training can enhance their fat-burning capacity.Women’s bodies:
When we train fasted, it’s a whole different story. The hypothalamus (the brain’s master controller) senses:
👉 “No food + high energy demand? We’re in trouble.”
👉 It responds by ramping up cortisol (your main stress hormone).
👉 Your body starts breaking down muscle for energy.
👉 At the same time, it signals to store more fat—especially around your belly—because it’s worried about long-term survival.
And this isn’t just a small blip. Regularly training fasted (especially if you’re also juggling work stress, family life, and the joys of perimenopause) can compound over time, leading to:
Loss of lean muscle
Hormonal imbalances
Plateaus or even weight gain despite training harder than ever
In other words: your body is literally working against your goals.
☕ 3. The Simple Fix: Always Fuel Before You Train
Good news: this is a super fixable problem. You don’t need to overhaul your entire routine—you just need to fuel before you move.
What does that look like? It’s easier than you think:
✅ Half a banana 🍌
✅ A couple of spoonfuls of Greek yogurt 🥄
✅ Dr. Sims’ favourite: a protein latte (mix protein powder + milk + espresso = café magic ☕)
Why does this work?
👉 It raises your blood sugar just enough to reassure your brain.
👉 Your hypothalamus goes: “Phew, we’re fed—no need to freak out.”
👉 Cortisol stays in check.
👉 Your body preserves muscle and starts to burn fat more effectively over time.
Even if you don’t feel hungry in the morning, your physiology benefits from this tiny bit of fuel. It’s like priming the engine before you hit the gas.
For bonus points? Aim for a full, protein-rich breakfast within an hour or two of finishing your workout to keep your metabolism humming along.
🔄 4. Why Timing Matters: The Power of Your Circadian Rhythm
Here’s something many women miss: when you eat is just as important as what you eat.
Dr. Sims explained that your body runs on a circadian rhythm—an internal clock that influences everything from your energy and digestion to your hormones and sleep.
For women especially:
Your cortisol peaks naturally within 30–60 minutes of waking up.
Eating early (ideally within that window) helps your body flatten that peak, bringing you back into balance.
This sets up your entire day for better energy, fat-burning, and mood regulation.
And here’s the kicker:
Studies show that women who eat earlier in the day and finish dinner by early evening (think 6 p.m.) have better metabolic outcomes—including easier weight management—even compared to women who do intermittent fasting but delay their first meal until noon.
Moral of the story? Front-load your calories early in the day for best results.
😴 5. Sleep Benefits: The Bonus You Didn’t Expect
One surprising gem from the podcast? Eating early (and consistently) can improve your sleep quality.
You know that annoying middle-of-the-night wakeup where you think you need the loo (again)? Sometimes that’s not your bladder—it’s low blood sugar.
When you skip breakfast or train fasted, it can throw your blood sugar off all day—and that often shows up at 2 or 3 a.m. as:
Night sweats
Restlessness
Wake-ups that mess with your recovery
By front-loading food earlier in the day, you help:
✔️ Keep your blood sugar stable overnight
✔️ Lower your baseline cortisol
✔️ Get into deeper, more restorative sleep
This is game-changing if you’re already struggling with sleep in perimenopause or menopause.
💪 6. Resetting Your System: Long-Term Wins
What’s exciting is that these small habit shifts can transform your physiology over time. Consistently fueling before workouts and prioritising early-day eating helps:
✅ Build and preserve lean muscle (critical for metabolism + bone health)
✅ Encourage sustainable fat loss (no more crash diets!)
✅ Improve mood, focus, and resilience
✅ Support hormonal balance
✅ Reduce burnout and fatigue
It’s not about a quick fix—it’s about resetting your body’s feedback loops so you’re working with your biology, not against it.
Think of it as moving from driving your car on fumes to keeping your tank topped up—you’ll perform better, recover faster, and feel like the badass you are.
👀 Your Simple Action Plan
✅ Ditch: Fasted training and skipping breakfast
✅ Do: Have a small snack (protein + carb) before any morning movement
✅ Try: Protein coffee hack (seriously, it’s a game-changer)
✅ Aim: For 30g of protein at breakfast every day
✅ Track: Sleep, mood, and energy levels over the next month—you’ll be amazed
💬 Final Thought (With a Wink)
If you’ve ever side-eyed your partner as he drops 5 lbs just thinking about deadlifts while you feel like you gain weight looking at a slice of toast—you’re not broken. You’re just built differently.
Stop shrinking yourself into a male-designed fitness box. It’s time to own your physiology and thrive.