How Much Protein Should I Eat?
The other day, someone asked me how much protein should they be eating for weight loss. This is a great question, because when you’re trying to lose weight you want to be in a calorie deficit. That is, you want to be burning more than you’re consuming. But, the body always wants to choose the path of least resistance, so it’ll want to lose muscle more than it’ll want to lose fat. Therefore, you want to be eating in a calorie deficit with a lot of protein because the protein will help maintain your muscle mass, so your body will lose body fat rather than muscle.
While the official recommendation will say 0.8 grams per kilogram of body weight, numerous sources will say that is the bare minimum, and recommend 1g per pound of desired body weight. That is, if you weigh 150 pounds and you love how you look and feel, a good rule of thumb would be to consumer 150g of protein. If you weigh 200 pounds but you want to weigh 150, you could still eat 150g of protein.
You’re gonna want to protein to be from lean, whole foods sources as much as possible, so some good choices are:
Animal-Based Sources:
Chicken Breast - Skinless chicken breast is very low in fat and high in protein.
Turkey Breast - Similar to chicken breast, it is a great lean protein source.
Lean Beef - Cuts like sirloin, tenderloin, and round are lower in fat.
Pork Tenderloin - This cut of pork is relatively low in fat.
Fish - Many types of fish, such as cod, tilapia, and haddock, are low in fat.
Shellfish - Shrimp, crab, and lobster are high in protein and low in fat.
Egg Whites - High in protein and almost fat-free.
Low-Fat Dairy - Options like skim milk, low-fat cottage cheese, and Greek yogurt.
Plant-Based Sources:
Legumes - Beans, lentils, and peas are high in protein and fiber.
Tofu - Made from soybeans, it is a versatile, high-protein option.
Tempeh - Another soy product, fermented for higher protein content.
Edamame - Young soybeans that are high in protein.
Seitan - Made from wheat gluten, it is very high in protein.
Quinoa - A whole grain that is a complete protein source.
Chia Seeds - Though higher in fat, they provide a good amount of protein.
Hemp Seeds - Another plant-based protein source that is a complete protein.
Nutritional Yeast - Often used as a cheese substitute, it is high in protein.
Spirulina - A type of blue-green algae that is extremely high in protein.
If you’re realizing that you’re drastically underrating your protein and you’re not sure how to get it all in daily, my biggest tip would be to front-load your protein intake. Aim for 40-50g at breakfast. It’ll help you to feel fuller for longer, and you won’t be scrambling at 8pm trying to make up for the day! I easily hit about 50g of protein at breakfast daily by doing 1 whole egg, 1/2c egg whites, 3 pieces of chicken sausage, a handful of spinach or whatever veg I have leftover, half an avocado and 2 pieces of Dave’s Killer Bread. It’s delicious and I look forward to it every day.
If you’d like to get more clarity around nutrition basics, and/or get your macros numbers, you can book a nutrition consult with me.