Protein does a body good
especially with fat loss
Hello, and Happy New Year 🎉
Hope you had an incredibly awesome holiday season, filled with joy and surrounded by your favourite peeps and pets.
By the way, have you managed to squeeze in a workout yet this year?
If not, no worries! I just unleashed not one, but two kick-butt, absolutely fabulous workouts this week. So, once you finish reading this, make a beeline to your workout space and let’s get sweating!
Now, let’s talk about fat loss – since it has been one of the top New Year’s resolutions since the beginning of time.
I don’t often chat about fat loss; however, I do have one pointer I would love to share that could jumpstart your goal.
Protein helps you lose body fat, even without conscious calorie restriction.
In one study of 19 overweight individuals, increasing their daily protein intake to 30% of calories caused a massive drop in calorie intake (PubMed).
This is because eating more protein:
- Leads to reductions in carvings
- Reduces the desire for late-night snacking
- Reduces your appetite, making you eat fewer calories throughout the day
- Makes you burn more calories by increasing your metabolism
- Changes the levels of several weight-regulating hormones. A higher protein intake increases levels of the satiety (appetite-reducing) hormones GLP-1, peptide YY and cholecystokinin, while reducing your levels of the hunger hormone ghrelin.
In the study I mentioned above, the participants lost an average of 11 pounds over a period of 12 weeks by only adding protein to their diet.
They did not intentionally restrict anything else.
That’s pretty incredible.
According to most of the studies, aiming for protein at 30% of your calories is very effective for fat loss.
You can find the number of grams by multiplying your calorie intake by 0.075. For example, on a 2000-calorie diet, you would eat 2000 * 0.075 = 150 grams of protein.
You can also aim for a certain number based on your weight. For example, aiming for 0.7-1 gram of protein per pound of lean mass is a common recommendation (1.5 – 2.2 grams per kilogram).
It is also best to spread your daily protein intake by eating protein with every meal, and keep in mind that these numbers don’t need to be exact; anything in the range of 25-35% of calories should be effective.
I aim for 25-30 grams of protein for my 3 main meals, and then I usually have a protein shake for my afternoon snack with protein powder and 5 grams of creatine. I’ve eaten like this for decades, and I very rarely have cravings or feel the need to snack late at night.
To help you out, I have attached a high-protein Berry Cottage Cheese Overnight Oats that our nutritionist on Over Fifty Fitness released to the group a few months ago.
Give it a download, and let me know what you think!
Hi, I’m PJ Wren.
I’ve been working with people of all ages, all fitness abilities, and varying fitness goals for over two decades.
I’ve helped thousands of women over the years who are just like you, feel more energized, stronger, and more confident in their bodies. I turn gym goers and non-believers of getting fit at home into believers, with at-home workouts that will give you the results you want, no gym equipment or crazy diet required!
I’m passionate about women over 40 because I am over 40 myself.
I know what it feels like to be middle-aged, and what it’s like to have a hot flash while looking for my bloody reading glasses.
I’m honoured you choose me, in the HUGE ocean of fitness professionals, to help you get fit, get strong and get fierce.
I promise to only give it to ya straight while listening to what you want, and what you need.
ox PJ
