Protein and Weight Loss

Protein. When most people hear that word, a huge, body building man guzzling down a protein shake after a 4 hour lifting session comes to mind. But in reality, you don't have to be a body builder to reap the benefits of an increased protein intake.


On one of my trips to the gynecologist (who also does weight management programs with his patients), he noticed I had lost a significant amount of weight since my last appointment. We got into talking about what I eat, what exercises I do and so forth. He then flooded me with questions such as: are you getting enough omega 3's, are you getting enough protein, are you taking supplements, etc. But the conversation we had about protein was what intrigued me the most. He was suggesting that each day I eat HALF my body weight in grams of protein! For example, at the time I weighed 145, so he suggested I eat 72.5 gram of protein per day! Now I knew that I wouldn't look like a male body builder from taking in lots of protein because I know women just can't get as big as men since we don't have that little thing called testosterone, but I did think that it would make me gain weight (not muscle weight) if I wasn't doing a significant amount of weight training. So this inspired me to do some research.


The RDA (recommended daily allowance) of protein for most women is around 46 grams per day. When you think about it, it doesn't take much to reach that number. One egg has approximately 6 grams, a 4 oz chicken breast has approximately 32 grams, and a 6 oz can of tuna has around 40 grams!


After even more research, I realized that many trainers recommend consuming 1 gram of protein per pound of body weight for those looking to lose fat and maintain muscle! The average person does not take in this much protein so at first it can seem like a challenge to get that big of an amount per day. However, knowing which foods are protein rich can help you to achieve it more easily.

These are some of my favorite high protein foods:

Greek yogurt (my new favorite!)
Chicken breast
Tuna
Edamame
Turkey breast
Egg
Milk
Salmon
Nuts
Beans


And of course, one of the easiest ways to get a large amount of protein is with a QUALITY protein shake.

This is the protein powder I use after every workout. You can get it from the Vitamin Shoppe. It doesn't taste the best, but with 24 grams of protein per scoop, I make it happen!

For further reading on protein intake, here is a great article that breaks down how much you should take depending on what your personal goals are, how active you are, etc.

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