Fact or Fiction? Now that you have added weight training to your workout regime you need to become a carnivore to get enough protein in your diet. Mostly Fiction!
Once you start any exercise program you will need more protein than a sedentary person would but assuming you are not a body builder you probably don’t need quite as much as some people may lead you to believe. The standard recommendations today are that you need approximately 15-30% of your calories to come from protein or anywhere from 0.8-1.8 grams per kilogram of body weight. Read below to see how you can calculate this for yourself.
How to Calculate Your Protein Needs by Using Your Weight:
1. Weight in pounds divided by 2.2 = weight in kg
2. Weight in kg x 0.8-1.8 gm/kg = protein gm.
Use a lower number if you are in good health and are sedentary. Use a higher number (between 1 and 1.8) if you are under stress, are pregnant, are recovering from an illness, or if you are involved in consistent and intense weight or endurance training.
Example: 135 lb female who is a regular exerciser and lifts weights
135 lbs/2.2 = 61kg
61kg x 1.8 = 109.8 gm protein/day
How to Calculate your Protein Needs by Using your Caloric Consumption:
Another way to calculate how much protein you need is by using daily calorie intake and the percentage of calories that will come from protein. To do this, you’ll need to know how many calories your body needs each day. There are a number of online calorie calculators, just google "how many calories do I need" and take your pick!
For that same woman her caloric intake might be 2000 calories, protein=20%:
2000 x .20 = 400 calories from protein. Since 1 gram of protein = 4 calories, divide protein calories by four:
400/4 = 100 grams of protein per day.
Getting the Right Kind of Protein
More importantly than getting the right amount of protein, is getting the right quality of protein. Foods that contain all of the essential amino acids are called complete proteins. These foods include beef, chicken, fish, eggs, milk and just about anything else derived from animal sources. Incomplete proteins do not have all of the essential amino acids and generally include vegetables, fruits, grains, seeds and nuts. So, if you’re a vegetarian, does this mean you can’t get complete protein? Not at all. Below is a chart listing some incomplete proteins. To get all of the essential amino acids, simply choose foods from two or more of the columns.
| Grains | Legumes | Seeds & Nuts | Vegetables |
| Barley | Beans | Sesame Seeds | Leafy Greens |
| Corn Meal | Lentils | Sunflower Seeds | Broccoli |
| Oats | Peas | Walnuts | |
| Rice | Peanuts | Cashews | |
| Pasta | Soy Products | Other Nuts | |
| Whole Grain Breads |
Christine is a yoga instructor, personal trainer and nutritionist who specializes in weight loss and womens health at Four Forty Fitness for Women in Burlington, Ontario. Check out the website at www.fourfortyfitness.ca