I get this question at least a few times a week, “how much protein do I need?”
Eating protein does a couple of important things in particular for you. Protein is essential for muscle repair and growth, and it gives you a feeling of fullness, to help reduce cravings. Building muscle now, and maintaining it as you age will help you lead a long independent life. Muscle also boosts your metabolism, and is necessary to look “toned”.
If you’re just starting your fitness journey, or making changes to your diet for the first time, the answer to the protein question is not a number. Focus on eating three meals a day with a protein source (meat, eggs, dairy, etc.), as well as one or two snacks that include protein.
If you’re more experienced with tracking and adjusting your nutrition, and you
- have performance goals,
- feel like your body composition has plateaued,
- or want to gain weight,
aim for 0.8 to 1 gram of protein per pound of your goal body weight per day. These more specific goals require your diet to be more precise.
Remember, protein is only one of three macronutrients that make up all the calories you eat in a day. Keep the quantities of carbohydrates, fats, and total calories in mind too.
I suggest evaluating what you eat on a typical day before making changes. Use an app, like MyFitnessPal, to enter everything you consume, and see what the protein, carbohydrate, fat, and calorie content of your diet looks like. A good, general starting point is to have 30% of your daily calories come from protein, 40% from carbohydrates, and 30% from fat.
You may find that you’re pretty far off from 0.8 to 1 gram of protein per pound of your goal body weight, or from protein making up 30% of your calories. That’s OK. Once you have the numbers you can start making changes. I recommend gradually increasing your protein intake, stepping it up every few weeks until you reach your goal number, so your body can adjust.
Now that you have the numbers, could you use a hand with the exact calculations? What about the accountability to stick to them? Click here for more information on our nutrition program.
