How much protein should you eat a day to lose weight? 2022

The importance of protein for health:

 

the obvious and not-so-obvious reasons  

Many have heard that protein must be eaten, but not everyone is aware of what important functions it performs in the human body. Most often, there is an opinion that it is important for muscles, and athletes who are gaining mass often eat a lot of protein. But what about ordinary people who do not build a sports career? What is the role of protein in the human body? Here are some reasons.

Affects muscle mass

Let's start with the athletes. Yes, protein is a building block for muscle and its intake matters. Protein during training will contribute to the growth of muscle mass and improve athletic performance.

However, protein food is needed not only for athletes. Loss of muscle mass can happen when losing weight , especially sharp, as well as against the background of illness. In this case, foods with a high protein content will come in handy: they can be eaten both to restore and to prevent muscle loss.

In addition, protein is important for better adaptation to stress and faster recovery after training: so after intense training, it makes sense to snack on a protein bar or chicken breast to start the process of repairing damaged muscle fibers. Even more speed up the recovery process will help compliance with the water regime during training, before and after them

How are proteins arranged

Proteins are the main building material in the body. They are necessary for muscle tissue, but are also important for other organs. Proteins are involved in the construction of new tissues and the regeneration (repair) of damaged ones

Proteins are polymeric compounds that are made up of amino acids. All proteins in the human body are made up of 20 basic amino acids. Some of them are irreplaceable: this means that these amino acids cannot be synthesized in the human body and must be supplied with food. The rest of the amino acids can be synthesized by the body

The lack of essential amino acids can lead to the fact that the synthesis of a number of proteins, the very ones that make up these amino acids, can be disrupted. This is fraught with a variety of problems, for example, a decrease in immunity or memory impairment

What foods contain protein

Protein foods include

1. meat
2. a bird
3. fish
4. eggs
5. milk
6. cheese

So, the protein content in some types of cheese may be higher than in beef or chicken

But the list is not limited to animal foods. A lot of protein contains

1. legumes
2. nuts
3. seeds
4. soy

The protein content of fruits and vegetables is quite low. It is widely believed that vegetarians suffer from a lack of protein, as they deliberately refuse food of animal origin. Indeed, they have a rather high chance of protein deficiency, since there is less protein in plant-based products than in meat ones. But with a properly selected menu, which will include enough protein foods, it can be minimized

How much protein should you eat dail

The optimal amount of protein for an average healthy person is 0.8 g per 1 kg of body weight. It means that

the average man should eat about 56 grams of protein daily

the average woman is about 46 grams of protein daily

Importan

This amount can change: after an illness, during an intense training cycle, or when carrying a child, the body may require more protein

During pregnancy, the amount of protein consumed really increases: a woman needs at least 1.2 g of protein per kilogram of body weight. Since pregnancy weight increases week by week, the amount of protein consumed must increase to meet the needs of both the expectant mother and the baby

Breastfeeding is also a reason to increase your protein intake. For nursing mothers, the protein intake rate is calculated as follows: 1.3 g of protein per kilogram of weight + another 25 g of protein daily Gives saturation

Of all three macronutrients, proteins are the best at fighting hunger, ensuring satiety for a long time. In general, all those who would like to fill up and suppress their appetite for a long time should pay attention to foods with protein: this way you can eat less and stay full longer.

The thing is that the protein eaten suppresses the production of ghrelin , which is also known as the hunger hormone. But protein food enhances the synthesis of the YY peptide - this substance just affects the feeling of satiety. Simply put, the appetite is suppressed, the feeling of hunger goes away, you don’t want to eat longer than if you had eaten not protein, but carbohydrate food.

In one study, it was calculated that increasing protein intake from 15 to 30% (as a percentage of the daily value), reduced the number of calories consumed by 400.

Protein foods help fight overeating, unscheduled snacks, and nighttime cravings. Everyone knows the overwhelming feeling of eating something delicious (and often unhealthy) right now. Such a state has nothing to do with hunger, it is an impulsive desire, which, unfortunately, often leads to a set of extra pounds and makes it difficult to fight existing ones. One way to combat these impulses is to eat more protein. It really works: in one experiment, increasing the proportion of protein reduced the frequency of nighttime snacking by almost half. Not bad, agree?

In general, those who are interested in weight loss should definitely pay attention to protein products.