Week 7 - Focus on Protein!

Week 6 is over!  We lost a whopping 9 lbs as a group, our lowest yet.  I know for many of us it was a struggle to stay on board.  But it's a new week, so let's kill it!

Some interesting sources of protein, but not on a 30% level...

For Week 7, we are focusing on eating more protein. Focusing on percentages and grams is called measuring your macros, or macro-nutrients.  Macro-nutrients are protein, carbohydrates, and fats.  As we try to increase muscle mass and lose fat, it's important to know how protein helps.  A typical diet should be made up of 15% protein, but for weigh-loss purposes, 30% is optimal.

Protein keeps you feeling full longer with less calories per gram.  It aids in the recovery and building of muscle.

"Proteins are the main building blocks of the body. They're used to make muscles, tendons, organs and skin. Proteins are also used to make enzymes, hormones, neurotransmitters and various tiny molecules that serve important functions. Without protein, life as we know it would not be possible." authoritynutrition.com

It seems daunting to eat more protein, especially if you think it only involves plain chicken breast.  But it goes so far beyond chicken!  Try adding the following to your daily diet:

Low-Fat Cottage Cheese: add to scrambled eggs, or eat topped with fruit
Protein Powder: add to smoothies, pancakes, oatmeal, or drink it like chocolate milk
Protein Bars: they aren't a Snickers bar, but when they have more protein than carbs, you know you've chosen right
Eggs, egg whites, or egg beaters: make a breakfast sandwich, breakfast burrito, fritatta, or omelette; so versatile you can have them for any meal
Meat of any kind: turkey, salmon, shrimp, trout, cod, chicken, beef, turkey sausage, sandwich meat, steak, roast, tuna, canned chicken, beef jerky...aim for lean meat, or drain and rinse your ground beef.
Greek Yogurt: this yogurt is higher in protein than regular; be careful which you choose, many have more sugars than protein so choose light, low-carb, or plain options
Soy beans, tofu, edamame, beans: these are vegetarian options if you can't handle meat; they have lower amounts of protein for the amount of carbs; they are great for topping salads and adding interest!

This is a great article that shows the top 10 sources of protein and their protein-to-calorie ratio.

The important factor is to add protein to EVERY MEAL and usually one snack.  This way you're not staring down the barrel of a 10 oz chicken breast for dinner, to meet your protein goal for the day!

Protein smoothies are a great source.  Adding 1 cup of milk, almond milk, or water, 2 handfuls of spinach, 1/2 banana, a chunk of pinapple or tablespoon of orange juice give you a couple fruits/veggies and a large dose of protein.

Here is a link to 13 Quick & Easy Protein Shakes from Daily Burn

And here's a link to 9 High-Protein Smoothies that Taste Like a Milkshake from Greatist.  These are definitely on my list of smoothies to try!  Amond-Joy?  I'm there...

BE CAREFUL WITH SMOOTHIES!  Even though they are fruits and veggies they can carry a HUGE amount of calories!  Be aware of ingredients and how many you're adding.  A typical recipe serves 2-4, so don't down the whole thing yourself!

Protein Smoothies are a great meal replacement, but also beware of drinking all your meals.  I am one who needs to chew my meals.  I can down a smoothie and then eat a whole meal 30 minutes later, at which point I've completely blown my calorie count!

Protein smoothies are a great post-workout meal or snack.  Muscles break down during exercise and protein rebuilds them.

I'm a lazy kind of gal during the day, so my go-to protein drink is 1 scoop of chocolate protein powder, 1 scoop of vanilla protein powder, and 1 cup of skim milk, shaken up in a pint mason jar with a lid.  Nothing fancy.  No cleaning the blender.  Made and gone in 5 minutes.

So get more protein with every meal and think outside the box!