Thank you. I enjoy eating but am overwhelmed by the amount of food required to get all this protein. Yikes. For example 2 eggs with some veggies in a flour tortilla and my morning latte is all I can do. I’m usually not that hungry between meals but see your great suggestion to get protein as snacks and will try it. Hoping protein powder can be my friend to get me to the finish line. Would love to hear some recommendations for good protein powders- what to look for, avoiding chemicals and sugar, etc. a nutritionist recommended a whey powder Protien but I’m not sure why.
Hi, thanks for your comment. As for protein powders, whey is a good choice because it is an excellent source of leucine. Protein is made up of amino acids. Leucine is the amino acid that triggers muscle cell growth. If you don’t want an animal-based protein powder (whey comes from cow’s milk), soy-based powders work well, too. I prefer whey protein with no added ingredients, such as sugar or sweeteners. NOW is a reliable brand.
Great article! As a weight loss Dietitian, I completely agree with all of this. However, I want to highlight that for those seeking weight loss, simply increasing protein alone will not produce results. You ALSO must maintain a CALORIE DEFICIT! This means if you eat Avocado Toast for Breakfast now and you add 2 eggs, you are yes adding protein but also adding ~140cals. You must adjust for calories. The avocado toast is great, don't get me wrong, (plus this is just a very quick example), and you can certainly eat that, but maybe eat 1/2 the amount of your avocado toast and add in the 2 eggs. This is often missed and not talked about enough.
Right. You can’t just pile on the protein. You need to figure out your protein requirement and make it part of an eating plan that has the right amount of calories for you.
Please address protein requirements from active menopausal women who are lifting weight 3-4 times a week and getting 150 mi s of aerobic exercise. Thanks!
Hi Debra, You can go as high as 1.6 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight as suggested in my article, but you probably won't get an advantage going higher than that. This is what I say in the piece: "If weight loss is your goal, or you’re very physically active, you could eat as much as 1.6 grams of protein for every kg (0.72 grams per pound) of body weight daily." Does that answer your question?
Thanks so much for your quick response. I have been reading other recommendations from Stacy Sims and Bill Campbell that 1 gr/body weight is ideal for women who lift in order not to lose lean mass. It’s confusing!
I would follow Dr Bill Campbell, Dr Brad Schoenfeld, and Dr Don Layman. As everyone (men and women) get older, our ability to metabolize protein becomes harder and we need more to make up for this. Brad Schoenfeld, recently posted a new study. Check it out!
I know! It's confusing! I haven't seen research that says you need 1 gram per pound of body weight. That would be 170 grams for someone who weighs 170 pounds, and quite frankly, that would be difficult to maintain. At 1.6 grams per kilogram of body weight, a 170-pound person would need 123 grams of protein daily, which is more doable. People can't just add protein. They need to balance it with carbohydrate and fat intake to keep within a calorie limit, which everyone has. 170 grams of protein is 680 calories. I think it's reasonable to stay within 100 - 125 grams of protein daily because you want to be able to do this for the long haul. This resource may be helpful: https://www.acsm.org/docs/default-source/files-for-resource-library/protein-intake-for-optimal-muscle-maintenance.pdf
Nice article, but I would just add that the PROT-AGE group suggests 1.2 - 1.5 gm/kg protein for people with acute or chronic illness. In a world with chronic Lyme, long Covid, Crohn's, MS, Parkinson's UC, MS and ALS, there are truly lots of people needing the message that more protein is a good idea.
Yes, I mention that in the piece under the section showing the calculations for protein based on body weight. When calculating for a larger body size, dietitians use adjusted body weight. Let me know if you have any questions about that section!
Thank you. I enjoy eating but am overwhelmed by the amount of food required to get all this protein. Yikes. For example 2 eggs with some veggies in a flour tortilla and my morning latte is all I can do. I’m usually not that hungry between meals but see your great suggestion to get protein as snacks and will try it. Hoping protein powder can be my friend to get me to the finish line. Would love to hear some recommendations for good protein powders- what to look for, avoiding chemicals and sugar, etc. a nutritionist recommended a whey powder Protien but I’m not sure why.
Hi, thanks for your comment. As for protein powders, whey is a good choice because it is an excellent source of leucine. Protein is made up of amino acids. Leucine is the amino acid that triggers muscle cell growth. If you don’t want an animal-based protein powder (whey comes from cow’s milk), soy-based powders work well, too. I prefer whey protein with no added ingredients, such as sugar or sweeteners. NOW is a reliable brand.
thank you SO much!
My pleasure!
Great article! As a weight loss Dietitian, I completely agree with all of this. However, I want to highlight that for those seeking weight loss, simply increasing protein alone will not produce results. You ALSO must maintain a CALORIE DEFICIT! This means if you eat Avocado Toast for Breakfast now and you add 2 eggs, you are yes adding protein but also adding ~140cals. You must adjust for calories. The avocado toast is great, don't get me wrong, (plus this is just a very quick example), and you can certainly eat that, but maybe eat 1/2 the amount of your avocado toast and add in the 2 eggs. This is often missed and not talked about enough.
Right. You can’t just pile on the protein. You need to figure out your protein requirement and make it part of an eating plan that has the right amount of calories for you.
How do you feel about protein powder?
I think protein powder is fine for filling in small gaps in the diet.
Thanks - yeah I’m trying to get more from food! Thank you for this amazing substack!
Thank you Emily! I appreciate your comment.
Thank you so much for sharing
It's my pleasure. Thanks for reading it!
Please address protein requirements from active menopausal women who are lifting weight 3-4 times a week and getting 150 mi s of aerobic exercise. Thanks!
Hi Debra, You can go as high as 1.6 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight as suggested in my article, but you probably won't get an advantage going higher than that. This is what I say in the piece: "If weight loss is your goal, or you’re very physically active, you could eat as much as 1.6 grams of protein for every kg (0.72 grams per pound) of body weight daily." Does that answer your question?
Thanks so much for your quick response. I have been reading other recommendations from Stacy Sims and Bill Campbell that 1 gr/body weight is ideal for women who lift in order not to lose lean mass. It’s confusing!
I would follow Dr Bill Campbell, Dr Brad Schoenfeld, and Dr Don Layman. As everyone (men and women) get older, our ability to metabolize protein becomes harder and we need more to make up for this. Brad Schoenfeld, recently posted a new study. Check it out!
I know! It's confusing! I haven't seen research that says you need 1 gram per pound of body weight. That would be 170 grams for someone who weighs 170 pounds, and quite frankly, that would be difficult to maintain. At 1.6 grams per kilogram of body weight, a 170-pound person would need 123 grams of protein daily, which is more doable. People can't just add protein. They need to balance it with carbohydrate and fat intake to keep within a calorie limit, which everyone has. 170 grams of protein is 680 calories. I think it's reasonable to stay within 100 - 125 grams of protein daily because you want to be able to do this for the long haul. This resource may be helpful: https://www.acsm.org/docs/default-source/files-for-resource-library/protein-intake-for-optimal-muscle-maintenance.pdf
Great article! very informative. I have to increase my protein intake using protein supplements and notice the improvement quickly.
Thank you! I’m glad it was useful!
Nice article, but I would just add that the PROT-AGE group suggests 1.2 - 1.5 gm/kg protein for people with acute or chronic illness. In a world with chronic Lyme, long Covid, Crohn's, MS, Parkinson's UC, MS and ALS, there are truly lots of people needing the message that more protein is a good idea.
Great point, Charlie! Thanks.
Great article, Liz!
Thank you!
Another great article!
Thank you, Rita! Do you have any questions about protein?
Do we adjust protein needs for larger body sizes? …such as for a woman who weighs 250 pounds?
Yes, I mention that in the piece under the section showing the calculations for protein based on body weight. When calculating for a larger body size, dietitians use adjusted body weight. Let me know if you have any questions about that section!
Great article. Getting a lot of protein is something I struggle with.
Thank you Julie. Glad to help!