In this post, we show you why eating more protein can help you lose weight and feel great.

I will also share realistic ways to eat more protein and what this means for your goals :)

Why You Need Protein:

TEF (Thermic Effect of Food)

When you eat food, your body uses energy to digest it. This is called the thermic effect of food (TEF).

Protein uses more energy to digest than other foods.

For example, if you drink a 100-calorie protein shake, your body burns about 20-30 calories digesting it.

That means you only get about 70-80 calories from it!

Other foods, like carbs, use less energy (5-15%), and fats use even less (0-5%).

Burn More Calories After Eating

Eating protein can help you burn extra calories after a meal.

You know how some gyms say you keep burning calories after you work out?

Well, eating protein can do something similar!

If you don’t eat protein at every meal, you might be missing out on burning more calories!

Feel Full for Longer

Protein can help you feel full longer.

Women often worry about feeling hungry on their weight loss journey.

But with protein in your meals, you can fight those hunger feelings!

Build Muscle

Eating more protein can help you build muscle.

Muscle burns more calories even when you’re resting.

Some studies showed that just eating more protein helped people build muscle without exercising!

Eating protein will help with your goals to tone your body. And don’t worry, you won’t become too bulky!

Recover After Workouts

If you are lifting weights to lose weight, eating protein can help your muscles recover.

This means you won’t feel as sore after your workouts, and you will be ready to go for your next one!

How to Get More Protein Each Day

Eat Protein at Every Meal

Next time you eat, try to eat protein first. Then eat your veggies, and if you're still hungry, have some carbs and fats.

Add More Protein

If you find it hard to get enough protein in your meals, just eat a bit more of what you are already having.

For example, if a 4-ounce chicken breast has 20 grams of protein, you can have two of them to get 40 grams of protein.

Protein Shakes

Protein shakes are not magic, but they can make your life easier!

They have a lot of protein for fewer calories.

You can have a protein shake between meals or at breakfast to start your day off well.

Spread It Out

Try to spread your protein throughout the day. If you aim for 120 grams of protein, you can eat about 40 grams at each of your three meals.

Pair Protein with Carbs

You can still enjoy carbs! For example, if you love burgers, choose bread with more protein, like Dave's bread, which has 5 grams of protein per slice.

Adding protein to your meals with carbs also helps reduce sugar crashes.

Start with Your Protein Goals

To find out how much protein you should eat each day, use this simple equation:
0.8 x your weight (in pounds).

For example, if you weigh 150 pounds:
150 x 0.8 = 120 grams of protein each day.

Start at 100 grams per day!
If your daily goal is higher than what you are used to, start at 100 grams for your first month.

You will still eat more protein than before, which will help you see results.

Decide on Your Meals

If your goal is 120 grams of protein daily, try to spread it out over three meals. That’s about 40 grams per meal.

100 grams per day is also great to spread out about 33 grams over 3 meals.

Prepare in Advance

Go shopping on weekends to get ready for the week.

Have protein snacks handy for when you're busy and can’t make a full meal.

Always keep protein powder and ready-to-drink protein shakes around.

Conclusion

That’s why you should eat more protein, how to do it, and where to start!

Eating more protein can help you lose weight and feel strong.

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