Protein is one of those words that everyone thinks is the answer to all your dietary needs. If you’re trying to lose weight or build muscle you are often told to incorporate more protein in your diet. Protein is an essential part of your nutrition as it builds and repairs muscles after workouts and produces hormones.
The main question for everyone is how much protein should you be eating each day? This number requires some math as the recommended daily value for protein intake is about 0.36 grams per body weight pound. These numbers also depend on your health and fitness. For those who are wanting to lose weight and are exercising, you can increase that amount up to 0.7 grams per body weight pound. For muscle gain, it’s 0.8 grams per body weight pound.
The best sources of protein come from lean meats, fish, eggs, beans, nuts, and grains. If you aren’t eating enough protein during the day then start adding in some protein supplements, like shakes and bars.
If you want to increase your protein for weight loss and muscle growth then you have to eat fewer carbs and fat in each meal to make up for the extra protein calories you are consuming. Keep a check on how much you are eating at each meal with the MyFitnessPal app.