15/03/2022
💪🏻PROTEIN CONSUMPTION💪🏻
Ladies! 2022 is the year to stop fearing protein and seeing it for what it is! To put it simply, protein is one of the three main macronutrients; Carbs, Fats and Proteins. Protein can be found in meats, dairy products, wheat, grains, beans, legumes and vegetables. It doesn’t HAVE to be in a shake! It’s in plenty of foods you already eat. But should you aim to increase your daily protein? If you’re working out and/or aiming to shed a few pounds, protein is your friend.
“I don’t want to become muscley” is something often said to me. Whilst protein is needed to build more muscle, it is quite simply not as simple as eat protein ➡️gain a tonne of muscle. For you to build even a little muscle, it’s going to take TIME and consistent EFFORT. What does that mean? Unless you’re religiously pumping iron, pushing hard and actively aiming to gain significant muscle, you aren’t going to wake up one morning out the blue and be able to challenge Arnie in a thumb war 👍🏼. Protein is broken down in the body and it’s components are used to lay down lean tissue (muscle) incredibly gradually and over time. So please, stop fearing protein for something it simply won’t do on its own.
So why increase it?
Protein is the hardest for the body to break down/digest, taking 10-20% more energy to break down than carbohydrates and 20-27% more energy than fats! So not only does it take longer to break down, it takes more effort for the body to break down. What does this mean? A higher protein consumption lends itself perfectly to those looking to stay fuller for longer and those creating a calorie deficit (a diet).
On top of this, ensuring adequate levels of protein in your daily diet is going to help your recovery time and maintenance of essential muscle! In individuals aiming to shed some fat, increased protein intake is consistently shown to help in retaining muscle through fat loss phases. What does this mean? A higher protein intake can help you to ensure you lose weight in the form of fat, not muscle.
If you have any more questions, drop me a message!
