The Cigarette Diet in the 1920s,
The Cabbage Soup Diet of the 1950s,
The Atkins and SlimFast diets of the 1980s,
The list goes on.

When these “magical” fad diets have  “worked,” it is because they create a calorie deficit.

When they disappeared from daily banter, it was because they were just another fad in the ever-evolving world of nutrition.

Now, where does protein fit into this conversation?!

A huge part of my mission as a nutrition coach and educator is to help you become knowledgeable about your nutrition, your needs, and your habits so that you can easily distinguish fact from fad.

But here’s where it gets weird sometimes:

Some things we talk about often may seem like a fad and may have fad-like aspects (thank you, tricky marketing tactics), but are truly important to our overall health and goals.

The biggest one I’m thinking of here: you & your protein intake.

We talk so much about protein that it can feel like a gimmick - something that isn’t actually that important or necessary.

Random desserts and snacks in the grocery store now tout “high protein” on the label - whether they contain 5 grams of protein or 50 grams.

But the importance of protein for our overall health as well as any aesthetic or performance goals we may have is so very real.

WHY PROTEIN INTAKE IS IMPORTANT

Every food we eat is made up of a combination of three essential macronutrients: protein, carbohydrates, and fat. While all three macronutrients have their own unique roles, protein is often considered the most important.

It’s easy to think that eating protein is only important for bodybuilders and elite athletes, but it plays a crucial role in all of our bodies, regardless of our age or athletic ability. Adequate protein intake helps us stay full and satiated after a meal, it helps us recover from workouts and build muscle mass, it helps us maintain bone and skin health, and it plays a role in many other essential processes in our bodies

Protein also plays a significant role in changing body composition.

PROTEIN AND THE BATTLE BETWEEN FAT LOSS AND WEIGHT LOSS

If you have a goal to improve your body composition (get leaner, drop a pant size, etc.), focusing on weight loss isn’t always the best way to go. Rather, you should really be focusing on fat loss.

If you are losing body weight, that may mean that some of your weight loss is a product of losing muscle mass or bone density. That’s not something we want! When losing weight, we really want to make sure that we are still staying strong and healthy, not completely withering away.

Focusing on losing body fat, as opposed to just weight, is what will allow you to make positive changes in your body composition while still maintaining your body composition and feeling your best. To do that, eating in a calorie deficit while also consuming enough protein (the important macronutrient that promotes the maintenance and building of muscle mass) is key.

PROTEIN AND OUR NUTRITION GOALS

Now, I want to make it clear that protein is not only important in the pursuit of aesthetic goals (nor are aesthetic goals superior in any way, shape, or form).

Our protein intake is relevant to any goal we may have of improving our nutrition, our eating habits, and our relationship with food and our bodies.

When eating for general health, adequate protein intake keeps us full (remember, it’s the most satiating macronutrient!), feeling strong, and functioning optimally in all of the many complex processes our bodies execute daily. 

When eating for performance goals, protein is absolutely essential for our recovery and optimal performance. When we exercise, we are actually damaging muscle fibers. Protein plays an important role in repairing damaged muscle and rebuilding new muscle tissue. If you are working towards improving performance, protein is essential for building lean mass.

And, as we touched on above when eating for aesthetics, adequate protein helps you maintain your lean mass so that the weight you lose is a product of losing body fat, not losing muscle mass or bone density. Protein also requires more energy to digest and, as a result, can keep you full when you are eating in a deficit. 

CALCULATING YOUR INDIVIDUAL PROTEIN NEEDS

Your (general) protein needs are about 0.7 to 1 gram of protein per pound of body weight.  

0.7 x your body weight (in pounds) = low end of suggested protein range

1 x your body weight (in pounds) = high end of suggested protein range

I say general, because this may vary for those with exceptionally high or low body fat percentages, or depending on medical constraints. 

But this basic calculation gives us a range we can work within to figure out what adequate protein may look like for us.

After you do this quick calculation, you may wonder where in this range to start. 

The first thing to consider: what does my current protein intake look like?

If current protein intake is quite low, spend a week shooting for the low end of that range and see how it feels. Anywhere in that range is a good place to be, so there is no need to stress yourself out thinking you must shoot for the high end of the range when more isn’t necessarily always better!

Our goals must be realistic to be sustainable, and that’s especially important when it comes to fueling ourselves with adequate protein intake.

Next week’s blog post will dig into how we can feasibly hit our protein target and create habits that make it easier rather than effortful. 

In the meantime, here are some high-protein resources you may find helpful!

• A great fall recipe for high-protein turkey chili

• Plant-based protein sources

• 7 high protein overnight oats breakfast recipes

• High protein snacks for on the go

For absolute simplicity when it comes to tracking your macros (and hitting your protein target!), make sure to grab a free copy of Everyday Macros: our macro-friendly meal prep cookbook.