People who struggle with body fat tend to have a poor ratio of proteins, fats and carbohydrates (the 3 macro-nutrients) in their daily diet. The norm that I see with new clients who come to me to help them shed body fat is that their protein intake is far too low and their carbohydrate and fat intake is far to high. By simply fixing this ratio you will see a significant difference with your weight, body measurements and body image.

The question now is why?

And the answer is that calories from fats, carbs and proteins are not all the same. Your fats and carbs are your energy nutrients and energy that is consumed that is not expended will be stored as body fat. Where as protein is your building nutrient and has a greater metabolic boosting effect then the other 2 macros. Quality protein also helps you sustain muscle during weight loss, improves your immune system, build HDL cholesterol (which is your good cholesterol), and enhances insulin and leptin function – all of which help you achieve your goal.

How do you decide how much protein is needed for you?

Its recommended for you to consume 1 to 1.2 grams of protein per lean body weight. This is important to remember because if you are currently overweight and you are using your current body weight as your point of reference, your protein intake will be too high. For example, if you are 200lbs but your estimated lean body mass is 150lbs, you need to be consuming 150 to 180 grams of quality protein on a daily basis and not 200-250 grams of protein.

How to fix this problem:

What we recommend for you is to track your nutrition on an average day and see how much protein you are consuming. It is likely you will have a wake up call that your protein intake is far too low so make to sure increase it by adding good quality proteins through meats, fishes, eggs and if needed a good quality whey protein supplement (I recommend Beyond Yourself Whey Protein or the Isolate Protein) to help you reach your goal.

If you would like to receive a healthy well balanced diet that will be efficient in reaching your goals, we will be happy to help you with our Customized Nutrition Plan!