I am on a plane to Dallas and before I left I had a client text me asking me why I have her eating so much protein, and I get that question a lot. A lot of my clients struggle with hitting their protein goal. So I thought I would address the importance of protein, and how much you need, and why nutrition experts and trainers emphasize it so much.
First, Protein is essential in the Muscle Protein Synthesis process. That is the process in which the body grows muscle tissue. Protein along with Carbohydrates are the fuel for muscle growth. So without those 2 macronutrients in the proper amounts, you can’t grow your muscle and without them, you could actually lose the muscle you have. Why do you want to grow muscle? Well that is whole other Blog topic, but in short, more muscle means a higher BMR which means your body naturally burns more energy in it’s resting state.
The recommended amount of protein for maximal muscle retention and / or growth is .8 - 1 gram of protein per pound of body weight per day. Now there are circumstances when that calculation won’t work, such as an obese person with a large amount of body fat to lose doesn’t need that much. In that case, we focus on fat loss first. But for the average person, that is what I prescribe for their daily protein goal.
Let’s take a person that weighs 150 pounds for example. .8 g of protein per pound would be 120g per day. 1g per pound would be, of course, 150g per day. So this individual would need to eat between 120-150g protein per day. That can seem like a lot, especially if someone is trying to eat in a calorie deficit to lose body fat.
So how do you hit that protein goal? Well, that is a good question. There are lots of different sources of protein. There are animal proteins which are typically good complete sources of protein. Things like poultry, meat, eggs, fish, and seafood are excellent sources of protein. Dairy products such as milk, yogurt, cottage cheese and whey protein powder are all great sources of complete proteins. There are lots of plant based proteins available. Some of the plant based proteins do not have a complete amino acid profile, therefore, are not complete proteins, but paired with other plants, they can be, so it is important to make sure you are familiar with which foods need a pairing and which ones are complete on their own if you are vegetarian or vegan.
With so many options available, you should be able to get enough protein with a little planning and effort. My suggestion is to plan your meals and snacks around the protein source. Make sure each meal and snack has enough protein to get you to your goal each day. Protein is very satiating, meaning it keeps you full, so getting plenty of protein will also help your keep your hunger at bay.
So next trip to the grocery store, make sure to buy lots of different protein sources. Having a variety on hand is usually key to your success.