How Much Protein Do You Actually Need?

As a dietitian, when working with clients, one of the most common areas of improvement that we work on is increasing protein intake. Why? The functions of protein are often misunderstood and protein often tends to be the least exciting macronutrient to a meal or snack. 

Many clients express concerns that protein will make them bulky, they think that only athletes need protein or they share they simply do not know how much protein they actually need. 

 Let’s discuss! 

Why Protein is Important

Protein is essential for life so no matter young or elderly, no matter male or female– you need protein! Protein is best known for the role that it plays in muscle growth and recovery. However because protein is made of amino acids it supports the immune system and basic bodily functions such as maintaining bones, skin, nails, and hair. It all helps with the production of hormones, enzymes, neurotransmitters, and other chemicals used by our body.  

How Much Protein Do You Need?

The US Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) for adults is 0.8 g/kg, however, this recommended amount does not establish the ideal amount, rather it identifies the minimum intake needed to prevent malnutrition.  So how much protein do you need each day? There are many factors that are considered when determining how much protein someone needs.  While each person is unique there are recommendations that we can use as a jumping-off point or use to help us get a general idea of “how much” we need. 

         

Having the gram amounts is all well and good but HOW do you know if you are getting about how much you need?  Let’s discuss!  

  • Include a protein source in each meal, this includes breakfast!
  • When building your plate, aim for ¼-⅓ of your plate to be protein OR have about 1 palm size amount of protein.
  • Add high-protein foods to your snacks by looking for snacks that have 10g + of protein listed on the nutrition label.
  • Utilize protein supplements (drinks, bars, shakes)


Protein Meal Ideas

     

Have questions about how much protein you may need, how to increase protein or just need help with nutrition in general?
Just email hillary@hillaryervin.co

Pre-Op Nutrition Strategies

PRE-OP NUTRITION STRATEGIES

WHO IS IT FOR?
All ages & genders
All major or minor surgeries
Outpatient or inpatient surgeries

BENEFITS
→ Supports the healing process
→ Reduces the risk of common complications
→ Reduces the rate of muscle atrophy/breakdown
→ Low-cost / high-reward strategy to implement
→ Realistic for individuals to apply

QUESTIONS TO ASK YOUR DOCTOR

→ Can I consult with a dietitian to discuss nutrition strategies before surgery?
→ What can I (if anything) consume on the day of surgery?
→ Will my current weight impact the outcomes of surgery?

FUELING STRATEGY

  • Keep eating – don’t cut calories
    If your activity levels have changed, it may be tempting to eat less. Healing, both before & after surgery, requires more calories. Keep eating!
  • Build a balanced meal
    A balanced meal consists of a protein + carbohydrates + fat and vegetable (bonus!). To help with building a balanced meal, you can use the plate method.
  • Eat protein
    Protein is crucial in preventing muscle loss, preserving your muscle mass, and aiding in the healing process. Aim to include in both meals & snacks.
  • Choose complex carbohydrates
    Complex carbs such as whole grains, beans, lentils, oats, and potatoes can help to reduce metabolic stress, decrease inflammation and prevent hypoglycemia.

 

HOW TO BUILD YOUR PLATE

 

 

 

The Impact of Sleep

Each day many of us juggle work, training, and the demands of day-to-day life.  It may feel like there are simply not enough hours in the day to get everything done. So in an attempt to add more hours to the day, it is not uncommon to take time away from the hours spent sleeping. The popular phrase “I’ll sleep when I’m dead” may initially be motivating but it really misses the mark when we are looking at our long-term goals and health.  Sleep might be one of the most powerful and underutilized tools we can use to train harder in the gym, change our physique and simply feel better each day.

 

HOW CAN A PROLONGED LACK OF SLEEP IMPACT YOU?

Weight Loss

Research has shown that lack of sleep over a period of time can impact hunger levels while also potentially increasing circulating levels of ghrelin while reducing concentrations of leptin.  Ghrelin signals to your brain that you are hungry and leptin signals to your brain that you are full, so if ghrelin levels are up and leptin levels are down, it becomes far more difficult to stay within your caloric goals.  With the possible change in leptin and ghrelin levels and when we are operating in a state of poor or insufficient sleep, it becomes increasingly difficult to make choices surrounding food choices that are in support of our long-term health and goals and as a result, we may have a very difficult time adhering to our diet.

Energy expenditure outside of the gym also plays a role in weight loss however when you are operating in a chronic sleep deficit your energy expenditure can decrease.  Less movement outside of the gym can decrease your non-exercise activity thermogenesis (NEAT) which is the energy you expend for everything that is out of the gym and not sleeping related.  Less NEAT which in turn can negatively impact weight loss.

Insufficient sleep may also make it more difficult to maintain lean body mass and promote retention of body fat so if you are training hard and you are spot on with your nutrition, yet you are consistently getting poor quality sleep or not enough sleep, you may see that your progress is slow or stagnant.

 

Performance

If you have one night of not-so-great sleep, it’s unlikely that it will have an impact on your training session, however, if you are training with prolonged sleep deprivation, it is possible that you will see a decline in your performance, especially with more skill-related movements.

When we are looking at performance, we cannot discount the impact that our mood has on the quality and enjoyment of our workouts. Research has shown that mood can be greatly impacted by lack of sleep which can result in lackluster training sessions and mustering the motivation to even step foot in the gym can be a challenge.

 

HOW CAN YOU IMPROVE YOUR SLEEP?

 

Create a routine

Work to go to bed and wake up around the same time each day.  This isn’t going to be a perfect practice and there may be times where life happens and you can’t stick to your “norm” but creating a routine that allows you to unwind and slow down around the same time each night can be really powerful.  Consider journaling, breathwork, stretching, or reading as practices to add to your routine. 

Change your environment

To help with the quality of your sleep and your ability to stay asleep, work on keeping your room cool and dark. So if you live in a city or an area with a lot of light, look to invest in blackout curtains and a fan to keep the light and external noise out.

Mind your tech usage

Watching TV or using tablets, smartphones, laptops, or other electronic devices can disrupt your ability to get to sleep or you may find yourself staying up later because you lose track of time. Trust me, I know that it’s NOT easy to put away your phone or turn off the TV because those devices can help you unwind. However, turning off screens about 30 minutes before bed can make such a big difference in your quality of sleep and your ability to get to sleep. 

Learn

Understanding how sleep impacts you and what works for you allows you to adjust your routine to fit your needs and your lifestyle.  It may seem a bit trivial, but making time to learn “why” sleep is important for you can open up the doors for you to work on making changes in your day to day life. 

 

 

References

Kawada, T. (2017, July 1). Sleep Duration and Impaired Glycemic Control. American Journal of Medicine, Vol. 130, p. e311. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.amjmed.2017.01.042

Beccuti, G., & Pannain, S. (2011, July). Sleep and obesity. Current Opinion in Clinical Nutrition and Metabolic Care, Vol. 14, pp. 402–412. https://doi.org/10.1097/MCO.0b013e3283479109