Are you eating enough protein?
▪️When it comes to aligning your diet with your fitness goals, one aspect I see people constantly struggle with is consuming enough protein.
▪️(About 0.7-1g per lb of total bodyweight, or roughly 0.8-1g per lb of lean body mass if you have more weight to lose.)
▪️Of the three macronutrients (protein, fats, carbs), protein is typically the one that’s lagging behind.
▪️Why is eating enough protein so important?
▪️Protein is a crucial component in the muscle building and retaining process. You want muscle (you won’t get bulky, I promise) not just for the visual appeal, but for the many health/performance benefits as well. Fun fact…the more muscle you have, the more calories you burn just existing…this is a nice plus.
▪️Protein is also the most filling and satiating macronutrient, which is a big positive especially when restricting calorie intake. Staying full longer will keep you from sneaking back into the kitchen or break-room much sooner than you need to.
▪️The thermic effect of protein is another big plus. Your body has to burn more calories to digest protein than any other macronutrient, which is definitely a good thing.
▪️I’ve listed a few of my favorite ways to increase your protein intake in this graphic, there are definitely others as well.
▪️And if you are vegan/vegetarian, a few of my staple recommendations to bump up your protein intake are options like: quinoa, lentils, chickpeas, beans, rice, tofu, tempeh, almonds, edamame, etc.
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