Recently I sat down with a handful of people and talked with them about our up coming 6 week best self challenge. One of the benefits of the program is the nutrition resources and guidance.
I got into a bit more depth of flexible dieting & macro style eating. The one macronutrient I went into a bit more depth on was Protein. Some of our current clients reading this know exactly what I am talking about when I say, you probably are not eating enough protein in your diet.
So why is protein so important? First of all, after a workout the first 10-30 minutes is your window of “gainz” so to speak. If protein is taken after your workout you immediately release the amount of stress hormones (cortisol). This has a huge impression on belly fat! A good goal post workout is anywhere from 20-40 grams of Protein. Your best and easiest form is some sort of Whey Protein (however supplements are only good if you have real food down first), this can be easily digested and consumed at the gym while your chatting with your friends. Protein helps repair muscle tissue and limit muscle soreness after those tough training days.
A good goal for everyone that is currently training at Southwest Strength is roughly .7 to 1 gram of protein per body weight. Now I generally say that, as if someone weighs 180 lbs, but knows they need to lose 30-40 lbs you myswell not be eating 180grams of protein. A good goal for that person would 140-150 grams of protein. Now its important to note that you NEED TO EAT THIS EVERYDAY! Consistency always wins! You have probably heard Sara or I say this numerous times about your workouts and nutrition, sorry consistency is always KEY. “Oh you feel like crap today, your not going to workout”? You should come in and get some work done, in the long run your going to be better. The same goes for nutrition.
Eating relatively higher protein (1g/lb of body weight) leads to a much more leaner body composition. Especially when weight loss is your goal. I always use the Danielle Davies transformation post (have a read here). She came to us and we talked to her about increasing her protein intake daily, 5 months later she weighed the same but the inches she had lost and the amount of lean muscle she had gained was very impressive. Thats why the scale is not the end all be all.
We recommend tracking and recording your food intake daily. Best way to be consistent is to track and actually see how much you are getting in a day. A good app that we would recommend is “Fat Secret“. You can get this on your iPhone or Android, or use their website. We have found it to be quite accurate.
Here is a list of healthy proteins that we would recommend you including in your daily intake:
Any fish (tuna, salmon, etc…)
Any seafood (shrimp, scallops etc)
Chicken breast
Turkey breast
Lean ground beef
Steak
Eggs/egg whites
Pork (think lean here)
Whey Protein
If you have any quesitons or want to sit down and talk nutrition. Send me an email – nathan@southweststrength.com