Protein Info
HOW MUCH PROTEIN DO I NEED?
There is debate on how much protein we need daily, but there seems to be a general agreement that active people need a higher intake than sedentary people.
For a healthy individual who is mainly sedentary (think-sits at a desk all day 5x/week) and who is not looking to change their body composition, 0.5-0.6g of protein per pound of body weight is sufficient. When losing weight or building muscle, increasing that intake to 0.8-1g of protein per pound of lean* body mass has shown to be highly effective.
When calculating how much protein you should be eating there are a few basic guidelines. I will explain without getting too in depth. You can base it off your activity level to start. Then for your lean mass/bodyweight use your goal weight. Meaning the weight you are hoping to achieve and be at. If your goal is to gain muscle that number may be higher, if it is to lose fat it will be lower, putting you in a deficit.
Now a lot if you are going to say “but I want to gain muscle and lose fat!?!” That is still possible. But you will need to focus on calorie intake on top of the protein intake. If you have no interest in counting your calories, that is totally ok. Just focus on adding in extra protein. If you can add an extra 40g of protein a day during a 12 week program it will give you 3,360g more protein!
BEST PROTEIN SOURCES (these are just some examples)
ANIMAL SOURCES
Chicken breast
Sirloin
Ground beef
Eggs + whites
Canned tuna
Salmon
Pork chop
NONANIMAL SOURCES
Cottage cheese
Cheddar cheese
Tofu
Lentils
Greek yogurt
Pea Protein
Lima Beans
HIGH PROTEIN MEAL EXAMPLES
Joe’s go-to shake: whole milk, Greek yogurt, protein powder, & ground up oats (*fruit and/or
veggies & protein powder for a lower calorie option)
Mikaela’s breakfast choice: scrambled eggs mixed with cottage cheese, and hamburger patties
Caitlyn’s go-to’s: Greek yogurt and cottage cheese
Brian’s breakfast: eggs and egg whites
Nikki’s snack: yogurt with high protein granola
