Flexible Dieting 101: Protein is Your Anchor

This is email 2 of 5 of my Flexible Dieting 101 email course.

If calories are the primary driver of your body weight, protein is one of the primary drivers of how you look at that weight (along with strength training).

A lot of the trends in the health and fitness space are a bunch of BS, but protein is definitely one worth leaning into. A high protein diet is an integral aspect of flexible dieting.

Benefits of a high protein diet: Muscle preservation. Improved body composition. Regulates hormone function and promotes satiety (feeling full). High thermic effect of food. Stabilizes blood sugar. Supports recovery from training.

How much protein? Evidence-based research recommends 0.7-1.0 grams of protein per pound of your target body weight to promote optimal body composition.

0.7g per pound is really all you need. But going up to 1 gram per pound of target bodyweight can be an effective strategy - easy ratio to remember and it helps with satiety and appetite regulation when trying to shed fat. Going above that amount is simply unnecessary.

To determine whether a food is actually a high protein food: look at the nutrition label. If you are getting at least 10 grams of protein per 100 calories, it passes the test.

My favorite high protein foods: Egg and egg white combo. Chicken. Turkey. Lean ground meats (chicken, turkey, 90/10 beef). Lean steak like sirloin and filet. Tuna. Salmon (packed with healthy fats too). Shellfish like shrimp, crab, and lobster. Whitefish like halibut, mahi mahi, cod. Protein powder. Nonfat yogurt. Cottage cheese. Black beans. Lentils.

But Hal, what about carbs and fats? They matter way less than you think. More on that next time.

Until then, stay well, Hal the Health Coach