Protein

Protein – The Miracle Nutrient
By Justin Levine

I have been noticing in most individuals that they are lacking protein in their diet. They are eating plenty of carbohydrates, getting their good sources of fat, but are really limiting the amount of protein in their nutrition plan. Protein is a nutrient that our body needs for building lean muscle, increasing metabolic function, stabilizing blood sugar levels, efficient fat burning, and strengthening bones and muscles. Without it, your results will be stagnate and inconsistent.
Types of protein can be from a natural food source such as egg whites, lean deli turkey, chicken breast, and fish or it can come from a supplement source like a whey or soy protein. Almost anyone I talk to will not get the sufficient amount of protein their body needs to sustain the amount of lean muscle they have, let alone try to build lean muscle mass. When this happens, your body will go into a catabolic state and will breakdown its own muscle tissue as part of trying to build what you lose everyday. This will counteract what you are trying to do in the gym, which is build lean muscle mass and speed up metabolism. If you are constantly sacrificing your muscle tissue, your body will never get into a consistent function of trying to build lean muscle and burn unwanted body fat. You will continually dig yourself into a hole that will be hard to get out of.
Whether you are trying to gain weight or lose weight, you need to increase your lean muscle mass. By doing so, you need more protein in your diet. If you are trying to gain weight, you need between 1-1.5 grams of protein per pound of body weight. So, a 200 pound male needs between 200-300 grams of protein depending on his goals. If you are trying to lose weight, you need between ¾ - 1 gram of protein per pound of bodyweight. So, a 150 pound woman needs between 112-150 grams of protein depending on her goals. It sounds like a lot of protein, I know, but if you are constantly thinking about getting in your protein sources, it will add up quickly. Below are some examples of getting in at least 100 grams of protein a day:

3 egg whites: 12 grams
5 slices of lean turkey meat: 35 grams
1 whey protein shake (8 oz. milk): 28 grams
6 oz. lean chicken breast: 30 grams
Total: 105 grams of protein

1 whey protein shake (8oz. milk): 28 grams
2 tablespoons of natural peanut butter: 7 grams
3 oz. salmon: 25 grams
1 cliff bar: 10 grams
6 oz. lean chicken breast: 30 grams
Total: 100 grams of protein


Moral of this story is to eat MORE PROTEIN! Wake up and eat protein, go to bed and eat protein. You will see the benefits and your results will soar! Good luck!