This is going to be a very short blog because I could elaborate on it with a bunch of sciency terms and whatnot, but that’s not important. The importance is that you just understand eating more ANIMAL protein is ESSENTIAL for two reasons.Reason Number 1: If you want to lose weight. Yes. If you want to LOSE BODY FAT, you NEED to be eating more animal protein. How much exactly? 25-45g per meal depending on body weight. If you’re a smaller person, 25g per meal is a good place to start. If you’re a bigger person, 35-45g per meal is a good place to start. ANIMAL protein, and yes it’s clear that we make that distinction, has essential amino acids that are important for building muscle but the key reason for eating more of it is that it helps KEEP YOU FULL. BODY FAT loss at the end of the day is still dependent on caloric restriction. You will have to have less calories than your body needs to maintain its weight. There’s a baseline for everyone. Is there an exact way of knowing? Not really, but ultimately most people are somewhere between 1200-2500 calories per day. So, if you’re going to restrict calories and NOT succumb to hunger pains then you better be eating something that doesn’t have a lot of calories tied to it that you can still eat a lot of. What magical food is this you ask? ANIMAL PROTEIN. Reason Number 2: More protein generally means more lean body mass which generally means more muscle and better function of that muscle. We’ve discussed this before, but I’m sure it bears repeating ad nauseum. Muscle is a reserve for blood volume and nutrients to be used later for activity. IF you do not have muscle, those excess nutrients and sugar floating in your bloodstream need to be stored SOMEWHERE. Guess where? That’s right, body FAT. If you have low quality muscle, you will store ANYTHING you eat as body fat. The body NEEDS a reserve of sugar and blood in case anything serious happens to you. This is why people who are well muscled that get into car accidents tend to survive. The body will use muscle to preserve heart function and supply blood to vital organs. Of course you have to exercise also, but most of you don’t have a problem making it to the gym. However, I’m sure A LOT of you are severely lacking in getting adequate amounts of protein every day. EAT MORE PROTEIN.
