The idea of gaining strength in your 40s and beyond can seem daunting. But with the right tools, nutrition, and support, it is much easier than you might think. Often we think we know best when it comes to how we can achieve our goals, but in reality, it takes an outside perspective to help you reach a level of health and happiness that you never thought possible. Key Takeaways If You Want to Make Strength Gains in Your 40’s, You Should: Find a coach or program that works to help you get clear and support your fitness goals Stop using the scale as the only monitor of your progress and health Fuel yourself properly for your activity level and pay attention to what is on your plate From Novice to Top-Notch with Allison Fitzpatrick Allison Fitzpatrick found strength training in her late 30s and is now a 10+ year veteran in the world of fitness. Coming to strength training as a non-athletic person, Allison had her fair share of skepticism and fear. After completing my Strength Nutrition Unlocked Program, Allison is here to give a first-hand account of what it is like to go through the program and the amazing gains she has made on the other side. Trusting the Process By the time Allison hit her 30s, she knew that she wanted to get stronger but didn't want her body to change. Like many of us, she struggled with the tug-of-war mentality between the things we can't control about getting older. She started to feel out of control of her body and was dealing with a toxic relationship with the scale.  Finally, she was ready to try something new. Allison entered the world of Strength Training through Crossfit. What surprised her the most was how she started feeling happy in the gym. However, the real progress came when Allison realized she not only needed to change the way she trained but also the way she fueled herself. Take Control of How You Age Strength Nutrition Unlocked is all about embracing your ability to make a change. While we cannot control getting older, we can control how we treat our bodies, fuel our bodies, and think about our bodies. You are not a spreadsheet, and your body is not a calculator. It takes a personalized and nuanced understanding of your body needs to see the results you are searching for. Allison is keeping it real with a first-hand account of what it is like to be a student in Strength Nutrition Unlocked, embracing her highs and lows, and why nutrition was the key to making strides in strength as a woman in her late 40s. Are you ready to make a change when it comes to how you train and fuel your body? Share your thoughts with me in the comments on the episode page. In This Episode The one thing that hooked Allison when it came to lifting weights and getting stronger (9:33) How underfueling played a role in Allison joining Strength Nutrition Unlocked (16:30) Key nutrition changes that can have a huge impact on your outcome goals (30:27) Addressing our conversations and relationships with the number on the scale (34:51) Why fueling yourself properly and adjusting your mindset can help you reach PR’s you never thought possible (51:02) Quotes “It's like this crazy adrenaline rush. You have more power than you think you have. It was amazing to see that my body was capable of doing things I never knew possible.” (10:03) “For me, the biggest changes were increasing my protein and increasing my carbs and just overall food intake. And just being more mindful of what is actually on my plate.” (32:24) “I was making my feelings about myself and how I felt about myself contingent on this number on the scale… It really did become a toxic relationship.” (36:30) “I can’t control that I get older and older. I can’t control perimenopause. I can’t control that my body is going to change. There are all these things that are out of my control. But I can control what I put into my body, how I fuel my body, how I move my body, and how I think about my body.” (39:27) “I know I wanted to be happier. I know I wanted to feel bett