05/08/2025
Letās Talk Protein!
With so much buzz out there about protein, surely many are wondering why itās such a big deal. I thought Iād give some clarity to that and also to how much we should be consuming each day.
My own weight loss journey had a lot to do with understanding my protein needs and making that top priority. I had been doing all the training ⦠strength training 4-5x/week, running several times per week, bike riding, etc. As a personal trainer, I was always on my feet ⦠not exactly a sedentary career! Getting 15k steps a day was just a normal day at the office. With all this, why was I not losing the 20 lbs I had put on during menopause? Well, the old saying is true, you cannot out-train a bad diet. Not that my diet was ābad,ā I just did not focus on protein the way I do now.
I started tracking my food intake and realized I was taking in far too little protein. Thatās why I was always hungry and mindlessly snacking throughout the day.
Protein increases satiety, boosts metabolism, and helps preserve muscle mass. A high protein diet can give you a feeling of fullness much longer and help reduce calorie intake, which in turn leads to weight loss. It also takes more energy to digest, leading to additional caloric burn!
The most common question I get from clients interested in revamping their eating habits is HOW MUCH PROTEIN? When I tell them the answer, 1g per lb of IDEAL body weight, they often canāt imagine how to get in that much.
Letās look at that amount more closely. If you currently weigh 170 lbs, but your goal/ideal body weight is 140 lbs, you would need to consume 140g of protein each day. If youāre an athlete, possibly even a bit more.
So how do we get that much protein in our diets? Iām living proof that it isnāt that difficult at all.
Tomorrow I am going to post here a complete dayās intake and how I get about 140g of protein in my diet each day. When youāre consuming the correct amount of protein, you will not be hungry and tempted to snack on less than healthy foods.
Back with more tomorrow!! š„© š£ š