Protein - The What and How Much?
Jan 05, 2021
Protein is the KING macronutrient!
Whether you're trying to maintain your weight, lose fat or build muscle there is an optimum amount of protein that you should eat per day based off your body weight or lean muscle mass which should be your priority.
Protein has so many amazing qualities.
It has a thermogenic effect which means it burns up to 20-35% of its calories during digestion/processing.
It helps you feel fuller for longer! Ever wondered why your starving after only eating a salad with no protein?
If you are weight training, consuming adequate protein is essential for muscle repair and growth, if you are not consuming enough protein the hard work you are putting in at the gym is for nothing.
Ladies to tone up this requires weight training and adequate protein.
There is so much information out there about what is the correct amount of protein to eat. This ranges from 1.2g to 3.1g per kg of body weight.
Alan Aragon is leading evidence-based nutritionist and researcher and has published his finding on what the best formula's for optimal protein. Now, this can vary, depending on energy balance and the goal of the individual.
Alan suggests a good guide is to base the protein amount on the ideal body weight of the individual. For my clients, I use a calculation of 2.2g of protein per kg of body weight-based of Alan's research.
Check out the snippet from one of Alan's seminars explaining this.
So using the formula of 2.2g x 1kg of Bodyweight you can calculate how much protein you need. 60kg female would be 132g protein per day.
The biggest misconception is that eating protein will make you bulky or that by having a protein shake, you're trying to put on size.
This is the biggest myth out there and I can firmly say consuming protein in an amount of upwards of 100g per day will not make you bulky or put on size.
Firstly, you need to be eating in a calorie surplus to put on muscle. I can not stress that enough!
Consuming protein will make you feel full, so yes, if it is new to you to start eating a lot of protein you may start to feel a little uncomfortable, bloated or full. After a few weeks, your body adjusts to the increased volume of food and his feeling subsides. - Most of my clients report after a few weeks they begin to feel hunger!
For anyone new to tracking macros I would first get them to start by making a conscious effort to eat more protein. A good recommendation is to aim for 30g-40g serving in every meal.
Protein Sources:
-Eggs/egg whites
-High protein yoghurts like chobani/Yopro
- cottage cheese
-Protein powder mixed into the yoghurt
-chicken, steak, kangaroo, fish
-Tofu, chickpeas, beans
***Protein Powder
Do your research with supplement companies and always check the ingredients and Macro breakdown of the protein powder. There are several different types out there from Whey to pea protein and rice protein for the vegetarians.
Bulk Nutrients is a good Australian Company that has high-quality pure products.
You can even sample their protein powder, check out the website.
