This article will help you understand why – if you have weight loss goals – you should eat more protein and exactly how to do that.
Protein and Weight Loss
Protein is the most satiating of the macronutrients (protein, carbs, fat) – aka it helps you feel full. This matters when you’re trying to lose weight if you don’t want to be hungry all the time.
Protein also helps spare your hard-earned muscle while you’re eating to lose fat. This is key to truly changing the way your body looks & feels.
Bonus: protein has the highest thermic effect, which means you’re burning more calories to breakdown & digest it than other foods you eat.
How much do you need?
To avoid ??????????, you only need .36g/pound of bodyweight. You easily do that now without trying.
…but that’s not the whole story.
??????? protein intake while you’re in a caloric deficit is much higher – to the tune of .7-1g/pound of bodyweight (or ??????? weight, if you have a lot to lose.)
That is harder for most women.
How do you actually eat that much?
First, track your food for a week and see how much your normally eat.
Then try some/all of the following:
- Just eat more of your current protein sources.
- Mix & match 2 sources in 1 meal, like ham in your eggs.
- Make simple swaps like Greek yogurt for regular or edamame pasta for wheat.
- Focus on protein-centric snacks.
- Consider a supplement to bridge the gap while you work on increasing through whole food sources.
Do I have to eat this much?
Of course not. You don’t ???? to do anything. But you’ll likely find that losing weight is more pleasant and productive when you prioritize protein throughout the day.
Check out this list of & their amounts per serving to help you eat more protein!
