Galahad's

     When people think of protein, they’re often drawn to thoughts of body builders and fitness freaks. When do you ever see an advertisement for protein that is not geared towards those trying to gain mass? It doesn’t help things either that to most people protein means meat.

 

     Most people do not consume enough protein. This equation, unlike the one to figure out your BMR, is very easy. You should consume 1.2g of protein for every kg of lean mass every day.

 

[(Weight in lbs – Body Fat %) ÷ 2.2] X 1.2 = Daily Protein Intake

 

EXAMPLE: [(175lbs – 18%) ÷ 2.2] X 1.2 = 78.3g a day

 

     I would take this number and round it up to the nearest multiple of 10.

 

     Just like your BMR, the more muscle you have at a given weight, the more protein you should consume. If you become very active, especially if you want some big muscle development, bump it up to 1.5-1.8g per kg of lean mass.

 

     If you can fuel your body with plenty of protein, you will not only feel fuller quicker and longer, but you will put a stop to any muscle deterioration caused by a caloric deficit and force your body to take the additional energy from your fat cells, rather than your muscle.

 

     Protein is used and is essential to so many aspects of our body, but unlike fat, we cannot store it as easily. If your body is low on protein for other areas, it will break down your muscles to get it. Therefore, it is very important to obtain the necessary proteins from your diet on a daily basis.

 

     Although there is quite a bit of protein found in meat, there are many other sources. Eggs, dairy products, legumes and nuts are also great sources of protein. If you are finding your daily quota a little hard to hit, taking a protein supplement, like a whey protein isolate, is perfectly fine.

 

     Which leads me to my next topic...