Get More Protein (Better Results, More Muscle, Less Fat)
If you’re trying to lose weight, eating more protein is often the difference between success and failure.
Studies have shown that increased protein intake makes fat loss more effective, it prevents muscle loss and, under the right conditions, it can even lead to an increase in lean mass.
For those who have reached their goal weight, high-protein diets preserve hard-earned losses and help prevent regaining the weight in the future, while certain types of protein promote healthy aging.
Fortunately, losing weight and getting enough protein go hand in hand. You don’t have to eat mass quantities of beef or chicken and it only takes a few minutes to ensure you’re making the most of your diet. When you eat more protein, satiety levels are higher, so staying on your diet is easier.
Here’s a guide to help you get enough protein each day:
Plan your day’s eating the night before. It’s too hard to do it on the fly or before eating your first meal of the day.
Start by choosing the type of protein you’re eating at each meal.
Once you’ve decided on the protein, fill in carbs, veggies and fats based on the type of cuisine you’re preparing.
Adjust the amounts until you hit your protein target but never at the expense of going over on calories.
Calories come first, then protein.
It’s best if carbs and fats hit their targets, but it’s okay to vary them a bit as long as you keep calories and protein on the mark.
If you’re eating out, a good rule of thumb is to work to double the amount of protein normally served while trying to halve the amount of starchy carbs and fats. This will pump up the protein while keeping calories in check.
When it comes to the amount of protein you need each day, we’ve found you’ll be most successful eating at least 0.8 grams of protein per pound of body weight whether you’re dieting or maintaining your weight. Ideally, a gram per pound, or more, if needed for satiety, will keep you feeling full and both protect and promote muscle gain, especially when resistance training in a calorie deficit. But if you’re 250 or 275 pounds, a gram of protein per pound of body weight can be hard to do without tossing a couple of chickens or a side of beef on your plate every day, so 35%-40% of your calories from protein is usually sufficient in that case.
Here’s a list of proteins you can use in your daily meals:
Protein shakes, an egg white omelet, whole eggs and Canadian or turkey bacon, cereal with protein powder added to the milk, steel or rolled oats with protein powder added, Greek yogurt, a cold-cut sandwich, beef or turkey jerky, protein bars, cottage cheese with fruit, beef, chicken, pork, turkey, fish or shrimp, venison, bison, tofu, tempeh and seitan.
The flavor and texture of meats like beef, chicken or pork can be dramatically altered depending on how they’re seasoned and prepared. I don’t think anyone would argue that lean ground beef in a good, old-fashioned burger is completely different than when it’s served over artisan pasta in a delicious red sauce. The same can be said for shrimp tacos and a shrimp salad or barbeque chicken and Asian stir-fry. If you can cook chicken with seven different flavors, then eating it every day of the week, if you really had to, wouldn’t be a problem.
Kick it up a notch with different flavors and textures throughout the week.
Egg whites boost the protein in an omelet and foods like Greek yogurt or pancakes are greatly enhanced, both in flavor and protein content, with the addition of a protein supplement. You can do the same thing with milk in your cereal, and pure carbs like oatmeal are made into a better option by adding protein powder. But the cleverest trick of all is making protein ice cream with a Ninja Creami. There’s nothing better than a decadent-tasting dessert that boosts your daily protein intake.
Here’s a menu with a different protein at each meal:
(As an experiment, write down the proteins you eat each day and total them up for the week. You’ll probably be surprised how many times you have each of them over a seven-day period.)
Breakfast
Egg white omelet with a whole egg on top or whisked into the whites
Canadian bacon, ham or turkey bacon
Cereal with protein powder shaken up in the milk (Protein cereal is a bonus!)
Steel cut oats with protein powder
Morning Snack
Protein bar
Cottage cheese with fruit
Protein shake with fruit
Lunch
Sandwich with nitrate-/nitrite-free deli meat and low-fat cheese
Salad with grilled chicken or shrimp and a hard-boiled egg
Lean beef burger or turkey burger
Afternoon Snack
Beef or turkey jerky
Tuna with crackers
Dinner
Beef, chicken, pork, turkey, venison, bison or shrimp by themselves with a carb and veggies or in burgers, tacos, pasta, stir-fry or a salad
Fleshy white fish such as cod, halibut, flounder or shark, swordfish and Orange roughy
Seitan, tofu or tempeh in burgers, tacos, pasta, stir-fry or salad
Dessert
Ninja Creami protein ice cream
Protein powder in water or skim milk with a snack-size candy bar
Protein mug cake
Start with proteins and add carbs and fats to complete each meal.
While there are carbs and fats that contain protein, some of them, like legumes, nuts and seeds, contain high-quality protein. They’re an excellent addition to a healthy diet, but it’s important to note that they’re not proteins. The protein from these sources has been shown to reduce the risk of developing chronic diseases and to fight cognitive and physical declines as we age, but trying to hit your protein target solely by using them will result in too many calories.
Carbs that are high in protein, like legumes, normally have at least twice as many carbs as they do protein. Since they both have 4 calories per gram, you’re still getting twice the calories from carbs, despite the quality of the protein.
High-protein fats such as flaxseed, nuts or cheese have a 1:1 ratio of protein to fats, at best. Since fat has over twice the calories as protein (9 per gram compared to 4 per gram), you can see the difficulty keeping your calories on target while getting enough protein for the day.
While it’s much easier controlling calories from carbs than fat, the result is still the same, and it’s one of the reasons we recommend you do your planning the night before.
Not all proteins are created equal when it comes to fat content. Salmon is a great source of protein – and one of the healthiest fats you can consume – but it’s high concentration of omega-3 fatty acids will send your calories through the roof compared to eating shrimp or halibut. There’s a difference between chicken breast and chicken thighs just like there is between a ribeye and a filet or 80/20 and 96/4 ground beef, and that difference is the amount of fat it contains.
The same goes for restaurant beef. It might come from a cow but it’s not the same animal compared to what you get from the grocery store. It’s much higher in fat so stick with a lean cut like a strip or the filet.
And keep an eye on “protein bars” because you’ll find most of the time, they’re fat or carb bars. We’d like it to have at least 20 grams of protein and, if the highest percentage of calories doesn’t come from protein, then it’s not a protein bar.
Remember, it’s the amount you eat (calories) that determines whether you lose weight or not. If you’re feeling hungry, add more protein and cut back on carbs or fat. Getting into trouble from eating too much protein is rare these days. It’s almost always the other way around.
Protein helps preserve muscle and more muscle is always better. Having plenty of it leads to a life that defies aging when everyone else around you needs assistance. You don’t have to look like Arnold, but putting on muscle is hard, so we need to protect what we already have at all costs.
Lifting weights with a high-protein diet is the most effective way to protect and grow muscle. It’s been proven to be one of the best things you can do for your health and longevity and for losing weight. That makes protein your best friend because proteins contain amino acids that function as the building blocks of every cell in your body. If you’re lifting heavy (relative to you) and consuming enough protein, you’re protecting the muscle you have while giving yourself the best chance of adding more, even while you’re in a calorie deficit.
As always, see yourself as someone who is healthy and makes good choices and your mind will lead you there. Stay in the fight, learn the tough lessons and do the hard work required to build a healthy lifestyle.
Plan the next day’s meals by choosing the protein for each one the night before, then organize everything else around it. You’ll spice up your diet while hitting your targets. When that happens, the results you’ve imagined aren’t far away and you’ll be amazed how good you look when you get there.
Enjoy your food but always make it work for you. You can do both.
I promise, it’ll be worth it…
Regards,
Henry
Our goal when we started Shifting Years was to give clients the advice we wish we’d received. Our programs deliver white glove treatment with an unforgettable coaching experience. You’ll be guided through a total body transformation that includes business travel, holidays and vacations. We’ll help you develop a program that works for you based on your individual lifestyle, eating habits and goals. We’ll show you how to do it and you’ll realize the new way is far better than anything you’ve tried before.
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