With all the talk about what carbs to eat, when to eat them, taking them out of your diet altogether, people are not putting enough attention on the most important macro-nutrient to get correct -> protein.
Protein plays a major role in weight loss, which is why it is one of the first habits you will work on in Precision Nutrition’s curriculum. Why is is so important for weight loss you ask?
There is loads of research to support the claim that eating protein helps you feel fuller while having that feeling last longer. As a result, if you are in tune with your hunger & fullness cues (an skill in & of itself), the feeling of satiety will lead you to not eating as much, thus being able to lose weight.
Ultimately, weight loss comes down to energy (calories) in vs energy (calories) out (CICO). If you consume lots of processed foods & foods loaded up on carbs, they are likely going to take more calories to fill you up. Thus, you have consumed more calories & will store that unused energy as fat.
Placing your focus on eating protein & consuming those types of foods first in your meal will lead you to eat less
Now, protein creates this satiety because is takes longer to be broken down than other macro-nutrients.
Protein also has a higher thermogenic effect, or thermic effect on food (it requires your body to expend more energy to break down protein than it does for other macros).
Reason #2: Proteins role in our physique & health
Without enough protein, our bodies will not function or perform at the levels they should & are capable of. Protein is made up of amino acids which produce important molecules like enzymes, hormones, neurotransmitters, and antibodies that are vital for our health & performance.
Not getting enough protein from your diet requires your body to make up for this deficit by taking protein from other sources like our muscles. This will result in a decrease in your lean body mass/muscle mass. This is especially true if your energy balance (calories in – calories out = energy balance) is negative, or you are using more energy than you are consuming.
For every pound of weight loss, about 25% of that comes from lean tissue, like our muscles. (Varady, 2011). To combat this, resistance training while “dieting” will help preserve you lean body mass (Garthe et al. 2011). So, if your health, performance, & muscle mass & gains are important to you, ensuring you are eating an adequate amount of protein to back up your training is going to help preserve your lean mass on your weight loss journey.
Building muscle is hard work, so you want to do your best to keep your results!
How Much Protein Should I Eat?
Simply put, a serving of protein is about the size of your palm. So, aim for 1-2 palm-sized servings with each meal.
The right amount of protein is going to be pretty individual. If you’re want a more precise answer to how much protein you should be eating, check out Precision Nutrition’s calorie & macro calculator for a better idea.
If you are interested in getting the most out of your training & nutrition, check out my Tier 2 Training + Nutrition Coaching. If you want to dive deeper into working on solely your nutrition & developing other habits, like eating protein with each meal, I use Precision Nutrition’s ProCoach system to deliver the best Nutrition Coaching software/service in the industry. Check it out or contact me if you are interested.
