How Much Protein to Eat for Weight Loss

Knowing how much protein to eat for weight loss is one of the most important foundations that you need to understand to achieve long term success.

Out of the thousands of women I’ve worked with over the past 12 years, I can only recall a small number of women who were actually eating enough protein before they started working with me.

Before I explain how to work out the optimal amount of protein you should be consuming for you and your goal weight, let me explain why protein is so important.

The protein we eat breaks down into amino acids. These amino acids are some of the core foundations of our health. Every body system needs adequate protein to thrive.

Without adequate protein we can develop:

Hormone imbalance
Sluggish metabolic function
Gut health issues
Sluggish detoxification
Skin issues
Mood disorders

Common symptoms like fatigue, sugar cravings, fluid retention, anxiety, period issues or menopausal symptoms and brain fog typically tend to improve when we begin to optimise protein and nutrient intake.

Regardless of the other underlying drivers that may be making weight loss a challenge, eating enough protein is often one of the first and most impactful steps you can take to begin resolving these underling challenges.

The Problem With Restrictive and Low Calorie Diets

Most restrictive diets work by cutting out major macronutrients like fat or carbs, or by drastically reducing caloric intake.

The problem with this is, every macronutrient (protein, carbohydrates and fat) is essential for optimal health and metabolic function. When we drastically reduce the amount of calories we consume from it can be difficult to reach our minimum protein requirements.

This can lead to rapid weight loss through muscle wasting which ultimately lowers our metabolic rate, accelerates ageing and makes it easier to regain all the weight we lost plus more.

If this isn’t bad enough, low muscle mass makes subsequent weight loss attempts even more difficult and it is one of the reasons why women express that they have never been able to lose weight again after going on a restrictive diet like the HCG Diet, the Fast 800, Sure Slim or after using weight loss drugs like Duromine which also lead to muscle loss.

By focusing on eating enough protein, we can ensure you are protecting and preserving muscle. This may mean weight loss is slower but we can be more confident in knowing that the weight you are losing is fat and not valuable, metabolically supportive muscle.

How Much Protein to Eat for Weight Loss

Working out how much protein you should be eating for weight loss is easy. The basic equation is, you should aim to eat 1.5g – 2g of protein per kilo of optimal body weight.

For example, if you currently weight 80 kilos and your goal weight is 60 kilos you need to aim to eat 90g – 120g of protein each day. Based on my personal and clinical experience, I have noticed better, faster and easier results can be achieved when we aim for the upper end (2g per kg of body weight)

For those that may have more than 20kgs to lose, for example, if you weigh 120 kilos and your goal weight is 80 kilos, calculate your protein intake on a 20kg loss (so 100 x 2g protein per day) then when that milestone has been achieved, recalculate your intake to 80 x 2g and maintain that until your ultimate goal has been achieved.

Eating the optimal amount of protein for your goal weight will:

Significantly reduce hunger and cravings
Improve your metabolic rate
Support muscle growth and maintenance
Improve energy levels and motivation
Support long lasting weight loss

Of course we must also ensure you are eating enough carbs, fats and fibre along with also addressing any other underlying challenges but eating enough protein is a simple strategy that you can implement right away.

Working out your optimal protein intake is the easy part. Eating it is the challenge.

Most women are shocked to discover how much protein their body needs each day for optimal health.

Foods that are rich in protein include: beef, chicken, eggs, cheese, yoghurt and protein supplements like collagen, gelatin and whey protein isolate.

Other foods that contain protein include vegetables like broccoli and green beans, legumes like chickpeas and lentils and vegetarian sources like soy, tofu and pea protein.

When it comes to weight loss, focusing on animal sources of protein makes it easier to reach your target. These proteins are also more nutrient dense and contain essential vitamins and amino acids that cannot be found in plant foods. If you are vegan or vegetarian, supplements can be used to fill in the gaps but an optimal diet ideally contains animal sources of protein.

How to Make Sure You’re Eating Enough Protein

I’m not a fan of weighing, measuring and obsessing over food, however, I do recommend weighing your protein portions until you develop a clear understanding on how much protein you need to achieve your weight loss goals.

Along with weighing your protein to ensure you are eating enough, it is important to know how much protein is in the foods you choose to consume. I will outline the protein content in some common foods below:

Common Animal Sources of Protein

150g Rump Steak (raw) = 30.3g of Protein
150g Chicken Breast (raw) = 46.5g of Protein
95g Sirena Tuna in Springwater (Small Tin) = 17.2g of Protein
1 Egg = 6.6g
200g Full Fat Greek Yoghurt (Jalna) = 7.6g of Protein
250mL Full Fat Milk (Paris Creek Farms) = 8.5g of Protein
100g Low Fat Cottage Cheese = 10g of Protein
1 Scoop (30g) Whey Protein Isolate = 26.4g of Protein
1 tbsp (12g) Nutra Organics Collagen Powder = 11.7g of Protein

Common Plant Based Sources of Protein

150g Tofu = 17.9g of Protein
150g Chickpeas = 9.5g of Protein
30g Almonds = 5.9g of Protein
1 Scoop (30g) Pea Protein = 25.9g of Protein
100g Broccoli = 4.4g of Protein
50g Rolled Oats = 5.5g of Protein

It is easy to see how difficult it can be to reach your minimum protein requirements on plant based sources of protein, the volume of food required is far larger than animal protein and the bioavailability of plant based protein may not be as optimal as animal sources.

A woman who has a goal weight of 70 kilos could eat approximately:

3 large eggs for breakfast = 19.8g
150g of chicken breast for lunch = 46.5g
150g of steak or lean mince for dinner = 30.3g
200g Greek yoghurt + 1 scoop of whey protein isolate as a snack = 34g

PLUS fruit, vegetables, carbs and healthy fats EVERY DAY

For many of the women I work with, they fear that this is too much food and worry that they will not be able to lose weight eating this amount.

The reality is, eating the correct amount of protein for you will support you to lose weight in a way that is far easier than you have experienced in the past. During a consultation, I can help you to uncover how much protein you need to eat for weight loss while providing you with guidance around healthy fats, carbs, meal ideas and strategies to manage underlying imbalances that have prevented weight loss in the past.

Starving and restricting your way to weight loss is an outdated, ineffective method. It’s time to choose a sustainable approach.

Conclusion

Eating enough protein is one of the basic foundations of weight loss that is often overlooked and misunderstood.

If you’re seeking support to understand how you can break free from yo-yo dieting and start working towards your weight loss goals sustainably, here are 3 ways I can help:

1. Work with me! Book a consultation in person (Evandale, SA) or AUS + NZ wide online via Zoom

2. Listen to the Holistic Weight Loss Podcast

3. Connect with me on Instagram | Pinterest | YouTube | LinkedIn | Facebook