EATING PROTEIN - THE HOW WHAT AND WHERE FOR FAT LOSS

5 Mistakes you are probably making if you are struggling to loose fat on a High protein diet.

You are eating high protein, or so you are thinking and you are still not seeing the results. Here is why you are sabotaging your efforts

• PROTEIN QUALITY

  • You are consuming low quality protein sources. A Quality protein is defined by its amino acid profile, having all 9 essential amino acids, and particularly the most important one responsible for Muscle protein Synthesis (Muscle Growth): Leucine! This means animal foods, or the correct supplementation. and if you are plant based combining correct foods to become a complete profile, which in all honestly a lot of vegans and vegetarians don't get right. Plant based foods are poor in leucine per calorie profile. Veggies and plants are excellent for carbs, fibre and minerals not your complete protein efforts.

    
    

• PROTEIN DENISITY

  • You eat protein sources that are super high in fat and not high enough in protein. Examples include, bacon, sausage, regular minced beef/lamb/pork, cheese, full fat Greek yoghurt, or fattier cuts of meat like pork with fat on, fattier cuts of beef or lamb or veal. If you rely on high fat foods for protein, chances are you are eating too many calories.

• NOT EATING BREAKFAST OR NOT ENOUGH PROTEIN FOR BREAKFAST

  • Breakfast is your most important meal of the day, it sets up your day and if you have a high protein breakfast those snacking munchies will be kept at bay. It also sets up your muscle protein synthesis for the day, and helps our bodies retain that muscle we have. A lot of us likes having egg on toast - maybe two...IT'S NOT ENOUGH PROTEIN! 1 egg has 6 grams of protein, so 2 will have 12 grams. It is suggested that we eat a minimum of 30 grams of protein for breakfast. So if we count it in eggs.... its 5 EGGS!!! This is where supplementation comes in, with either some Whey, soy, or combination pea protein added to a smoothy or a lot of people consume a meal replacement smoothy. Don't like that, why not look at some low fat Greek yoghurt, cottage cheese in addition to your eggs. AND no one ever said its illegal to have some of last nights left overs for breakfast! Bottom line - cereal and milk alone will not maintain those muscles. cereal with your protein shake in now we can start talking.

• CALORIE HOARDING

  • You know that you are going out for supper so cut your calories at breakfast and lunch, and don't have that 20-30g of protein in those meals, then when you get home YOU ARE STARVING, you open the fridge and start snacking on anything you can find, BEFORE YOU GO OUT FOR DINNER.
    

    BOOM you have just consumed your day's calories in snacks before dinner and messed up your whole day. Now you feel guilty and have a salad for dinner where you were actually looking forward to that steak. What then also happens is the next day you stay hangry and have snack attacks because your body is playing catch up! Sticking to the 20-30g of protein per meal with 10-15g of protein per snack rule will keep you from over consuming and unnecessary snacking.

• EATING TOO MANY PROTEIN BARS OR STORE BOUGHT PROTEIN SNACKS

  • While a protein bar or protein snack can be a life saver at times, relying on them daily can be a calorie trap, and slow down our progress Most of them have around 200-300 calories per bar and most of them contain about only 10-15g of protein, and 9 out of 10 brands tastes like dried cardboard. To me that just doesn't make sense to consume daily. As I can have a wholesome meal with some beef or chicken for 300 calories with 40g of protein, that will keep me fuller for longer. Will aid your appetite regulation and regulate your hunger hormone Ghrelin.

    
    
    
    
    
    

• TAKE HOME SUMMARY

  
  

  • Protein is an essential macro nutrient that aids muscle protein synthesis that is essential for muscle growth and retention. We need a minimum of 1 - 2g of protein per KG of body weight for us to keep our muscle mass.

  • Sticking to the 20-30g of protein per meal with 10-15g of protein per snack rule will keep you from over consuming and unnecessary snacking.

  • Stick to low fat, clean and complete protein sources and supplements.

  • slow down on those protein snacks and rather do some planning and get in a proper balanced meal