How much Protein do I need to eat?
According to the Food and Nutrition Board of the Institute of Medicine’s RDI you should consume 10-35 % of your daily calories from protein.
To support new muscle growth, while participating in a strength training program several independent research studies conducted by Dr. Michael Colgan, Dr. M. Tarnopolsky and Dr. Peter Lemon suggest a range of 1.7 to 2.4 grams of protein /kg of ideal lean body weight. Since there is 2.2kg in one pound then we can safely average that to approximately l gram of protein per pound of ideal lean body weight. Since protein is the necessary macronutrient required to build and repair muscle tissue which is essential to burn fat, I support a range of 25%-40% of your daily calories from protein.
First you have to decipher your goal or ideal weight. You can use the BMI calculations from your assessment to help you. The weight that you choose should be within a healthy BMI range of 18.5-24.9. Let’s use Nicole, a 5’5 female with a goal weight of 140lbs as an example. Using the BMI calculation in the assessment section or on the www.thehollywoodtrainer.com website you calculate that with a height of 5’5 and a weight of 140lbs is a healthy BMI of 23.3. After Nicole successfully chooses her goal weight, she then has to subtract the body fat to have the ideal lean body weight. Nicole’s body fat is currently 38% and her goal is to decrease her body fat to 28%. Nicole multiplies 140lbs times .28 which is 39.2lbs of fat. Nicole then subtracts the fat weight from the total weight to find her goal lean weight which is 140lbs – 39.2 lbs = 100.8.
Nicole’s goal lean weight is 100.8lbs. Therefore she should be consuming approximately 100grams of protein per day. Her daily protein intake will look like this:
Breakfast: Two free range organic Eggs = 12.5 grams protein, 3 slices of turkey bacon = 7 grams of protein
Snack: ½ cup of non-fat organic cottage cheese =14 grams of protein
Lunch: 4 oz Canned Tuna = 29 grams of protein
Snack: ½ cup of organic walnuts = 9 grams of protein
Snack: 6 ounces of plain non-fat yogurt = 7.5 grams of protein, ¼ cup of All Bran with extra fiber = 1.9 grams of protein
Dinner: 4 ounces chicken breast = 28.5grams of protein, 1 cup of broccoli = 4.6 grams of protein, 1 cup of carrots = 1.7grams of protein
Nicole’s Daily Total of Protein= 115.7 grams of Protein.
There is 4 calories in each gram of protein= 462 calories from Protein.
Nicole consumes 1400-1600 calories a day for her metabolic rate and activity level so that she can lose approximately 2 pounds per week.
Using the 1gram of protein per pound of ideal lean weight, Nicole will consume 29%-33% of her daily calories from Protein.
Remember: A body fat > 25% in males and > 32% in females indicates increased risk for disease, according to the ACSM.
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