I’m not going to lie—I used to think protein deficiency was something that only happened to people who were, I don’t know, stranded on a desert island or something. Honestly, I thought I was doing pretty well. I ate “healthy” most days, went to the gym a few times a week, and didn’t live off junk food. So when I started feeling constantly exhausted and noticed my hair thinning more than usual, I blamed stress. Work, you know? Life. All the usual suspects.
But Maria—that’s me, by the way—was wrong. Very wrong.
It took almost six months of dragging myself through each day before I finally admitted something was off. My nails were breaking constantly, I couldn’t focus at work, and I remember one afternoon just staring at my computer screen for twenty minutes without typing a single word. My coworker asked if I was okay, and I just sort of laughed it off. But inside? I was worried.
When Everything Started Making Sense
The turning point came during a random conversation with my cousin who’s a nutritionist. We were having coffee—well, I was having my third cup of the day trying to stay awake—and she just looked at me and said, “Maria, when’s the last time you actually tracked what you’re eating?”
I got defensive at first. I mean, who wants to hear they might not be taking care of themselves properly? But she kept pushing, gently, and eventually I pulled out my phone and started listing what I’d eaten that week. Lots of salads (I was so proud of those), some rice, fruits, the occasional sandwich. She listened quietly and then asked, “Okay, but where’s your protein?”
And honestly? I had no answer.
Turns out, I was getting maybe 30-40 grams of protein a day. For someone my size who was trying to stay active, I needed at least double that. The realization hit me like a truck. All those symptoms I’d been ignoring—the fatigue, the brain fog, the hair loss, even the weird muscle weakness I’d started experiencing—they weren’t just stress. I had a legitimate protein deficiency, and I’d been walking around like this for months.
How I Fixed My Protein Deficiency (And My Life)
I’m not going to pretend I transformed overnight or anything dramatic like that. Change took time, and honestly, it was harder than I expected. I’d spent years thinking carbs and vegetables were enough, so retraining my brain to prioritize protein felt weird at first.
I started small. Added eggs to my breakfast instead of just toast. Kept Greek yogurt in my fridge. Started actually eating the chicken in my salads instead of picking around it. My cousin suggested I try a protein shake after workouts, which felt very “fitness influencer” to me, but I gave it a shot anyway.
The first two weeks were… well, they were okay. I didn’t feel miraculously better or anything. But then, maybe three weeks in, I woke up one morning and realized I hadn’t needed my afternoon nap. That might not sound like much, but for someone who’d been crashing every single day at 2 PM for months? It was huge.
By week six, my brain fog started lifting. I could actually concentrate during meetings. My hair stopped falling out in clumps in the shower. And my nails—okay this sounds silly but I was so excited about my nails—they actually started growing without breaking every other day.
The Things Nobody Tells You
Here’s what surprised me most about this whole experience: how common protein deficiency actually is, especially for women. I started talking about it with friends, and so many of them had similar symptoms but never connected the dots. We’d all been taught to fear calories and carbs, but somehow protein got left out of the conversation entirely.
I also learned that I fixed my protein deficiency not by becoming obsessive or buying expensive supplements, but just by being more intentional. Lentils became my best friend. I discovered that cottage cheese isn’t actually terrible (who knew?). I started keeping roasted chickpeas as snacks instead of crackers.
To be fair, I still have days where I don’t hit my protein goals. Life gets busy, and I’m not trying to be perfect about it. But now I know what to watch for. When I start feeling that familiar exhaustion creeping back, I check in with what I’ve been eating. Usually, I’ve slipped back into my old habits without realizing it.
Looking Back Now
Sometimes I think about those six months I spent feeling terrible and just accepting it as normal. How many of us do that, you know? We normalize feeling exhausted, unfocused, and just generally not great because we’re told that’s just how life is. We’re busy, we’re stressed, we’re getting older—pick your excuse.
But fixing my protein deficiency taught me that sometimes our bodies are trying to tell us something specific. Not everything requires a dramatic life overhaul or expensive interventions. Sometimes it’s just about giving yourself the basic building blocks you need.
I’m not a nutritionist or a doctor. I’m just someone who spent way too long ignoring obvious signs and finally figured it out. If you’re reading this and thinking “wait, this sounds familiar,” maybe it’s worth looking into. Track your food for a few days. See where you actually stand. It might be nothing. But if it’s something? Well, future you will probably thank present you for paying attention.
Anyway, that’s my story. Not particularly dramatic or inspiring, I guess. Just real. And if it helps even one person avoid those six months of feeling like garbage, then it was worth sharing.