Why do so many women keep starting over every Monday, even when they know what to do? In Episode 6 of No Excuses Club by Protein Chefs, award-winning trainer and nutritionist Karen Michelle, founder of Stronger with KM, explains why the restart cycle happens and the simple habits that finally make healthy changes last.
Karen works with women from their 30s to their 60s, most of them busy moms who have spent years putting everyone else first. Her message is refreshingly simple: move away from extremes and get back to the basics.
Listen to the full episode on Apple Podcasts or watch it above.
Why women keep restarting every Monday
Karen sees two main reasons. The first is information overload. Social media can be a great place to learn, but women are flooded with conflicting advice: eat bananas, don’t eat bananas; eggs are good, eggs are toxic. When someone online says your plan is wrong, it is easy to give up and start again next week.
The second reason is the lack of a real plan. Random workouts, random videos and advice from a different person every day leave no structure to follow, so progress never builds.
The breakfast rule she gives every client
The first eating habit Karen changes is simple: eat breakfast. Many women skip it while rushing to look after their kids, partners and homes, then arrive at midday ravenous and grab whatever is around.
Her rule for clients is a breakfast with at least 35g of protein and 10g of fibre. She also wants it to be something you chew rather than a smoothie or shake, because digestion starts in your mouth.
Women need more protein as they age
For years, protein was marketed as something for bodybuilders. Karen explains that protein is the building block the body needs to function, and that women need more of it the older they get. Understanding that, she says, is part of empowering women to make choices based on knowledge rather than whatever trend is popular online.
Lifting weights won’t make you bulky
The biggest fitness misconception Karen hears is that lifting weights makes women bulky. She regularly posts “still not bulky” on her social media to prove the point. When asked in the rapid-fire round whether every woman should lift weights, her answer was one word: always.
Intermittent fasting isn’t for every woman, every week
Karen believes intermittent fasting can be harmful for many women when it is done without context. The week before your period is the worst time to try it. The week after your period is usually a better window, as hormones come back into balance and energy returns. She stresses that age and lifestyle matter too, which is why she builds plans for each client individually.
Stop demonizing foods
Karen describes meeting a woman who had been told to cut bananas during a no-sugar program. Bananas contain potassium, an electrolyte that supports energy and recovery. Extreme rules like no bread, no rice, no fruit or eating 1,300 calories a day leave women depleted and exhausted. Her verdict on one food myth that needs to disappear: that carbs are the enemy.
Use calorie tracking as a tool, not an obsession
For her one-on-one nutrition clients, Karen recommends tracking and photographing meals for two to three weeks. The goal is to learn what real portions look like. Once you have practised building balanced plates, you can stop counting and trust what you have learned.
Habits beat motivation
“Motivation is like the weather,” Karen says. It changes from day to day, while habits create a system you can rely on. Nailing one small habit, like eating breakfast every morning, creates a domino effect for every other decision you make.
She compares building a habit to learning the lyrics of a song: you don’t remember a song after hearing it once, but after hearing it a hundred times you know every word. Repetition is what makes a habit stick.
Showing up is already a win
If a workout is planned for 45 minutes and you can only do 30, that still counts. Karen shares a quote she lives by: “If all you have is 40 and you gave 40, you gave 100%.” Success is not measured by intensity. It is measured by showing up and strengthening that habit over time.
Where prepped meals fit in
Asked whether prepped meals can help busy women stay consistent, Karen’s answer starts with habits: start your day with breakfast and make sure you eat lunch. Once that foundation is in place, she calls prepped healthy meals an amazing tool for busy people, as long as they are not full of fillers, additives and sugars.
At Protein Chefs, our chefs cook every meal fresh, never frozen, so a high-protein meal is ready in about two minutes on the days when cooking is not an option.
You don’t come last
Karen closes the episode with a message for every woman who has spent years taking care of others: think about how you would care for the person you love most, and give yourself that same love and attention. You matter, your needs matter, and you can only be as strong for others as you are for yourself.
As she puts it, it is never too late to start. Begin with one change this week, and let your breakfast be the first.
Continue the conversation with No Excuses Club
Watch the video above for the full No Excuses Club by Protein Chefs episode with Karen Michelle on protein, breakfast, strength training, habits and why you don’t come last.
Subscribe to Protein Chefs on YouTube and share your biggest takeaway in the comments. What is one habit you will start this week?
Prefer audio? Listen to this episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, iHeartRadio, Castbox or Pocket Casts.
Follow Karen Michelle on Instagram at @karenmichellle and @strongerwithkm, or visit strongerwithkm.com.
