[MACROS] Are all about one thing.. Protein
I love the science of how our bodies work. Why do you even need more protein?
Protein is the number one building block for every single cell in your body. When you up your protein your cells regenerate faster, and you look younger. Your bones are stronger, your muscles will start to grow and build, and your hair gets shinier.
The cool thing about having more muscle is that you burn calories faster than someone who has very little muscle. It takes your body more energy to keep up the muscle than it does the fat. Muscle tissue burns 7-10 calories and fat tissue only burns 2-3 calories. Having more muscle sets your metabolism on fire. That's my goal for you! Make your body work smarter, not harder.
Not eating, or eating too little can force your body to remove any muscle. It always attacks the muscle first and then the fat. It’s how women can get “skinny fat.” In my program, I am here to teach you how to build long, lean muscles and change your body composition so you can enjoy life and feel good in your skin.
Protein is the most underrated macronutrient. The average American Woman doesn’t get the daily amount needed to sustain her body and most women lack so many vitamins and nutrients that their metabolism slows down which causes an array of problems just from not eating enough protein, and/or eating enough in general. Examples of issues that will arise from eating too little protein in the day;
Fatigue
Thyroid issues
Hair loss
Muscle Loss
Bone Loss
Neurological disorders
Sickness
Sickness more frequently
Slow healing injuries
Swelling
Giiirll, I have had all of those and let me tell you they are not fun. I finally got my Thyroid in remission this year and was able to go off Thyroid meds. A few years ago my body had so much inflammation I had no idea how much I was eating or how many nutrients I was lacking and it was screwing up my entire system. It was awful. I thought I was eating "healthy," I thought I was eating low sugar, but I was far from it. That's why I love and teach my clients how to track macros. It's the best thing for you. Seeing your daily nutrition in an app is a game changer. At least it was for me and I hope it can be for you. In my app, you can see all of your daily nutrition and track all of your macros and workouts.
1. Eat high protein early in the day
Load up on protein earlier in the day so you aren’t eating all your calories late at night. Eating late at night will also throw off your other macros and you might end up overeating because you’re still hungry. You’ll also go to bed feeling full and it will throw off your sleep schedule.
Let’s start with breakfast, in my morning coffee I love a good Protein Collagen Creamer. That will add 10 grams of protein just in your morning cup of joe☕️.
Or you could use ½ of a Quest premade shake for 15 Grams of protein in place of a creamer.
Now let’s move on to food, while having your morning egg scramble, Two Eggs are 12 grams of protein, add in ¼ cup of Parm Cheese for 9 grams of protein.
Add a White Cheddar Rice cake with ½ Cup of Cottage Cheese and Tomatoes on top with Everything Bagel Seasoning for 5 added grams with ½ side of avocado.
The total for breakfast is 37.5 grams of protein. You can also leave off the avocado and still get 32 grams for breakfast.
Studies have shown that your body’s best absorption per meal to grow adequate muscle is 20-30 grams of protein spaced evenly throughout the day.
It was proven more successful than eating all your protein in one sitting or 2 big meals or
meals with only 10 grams of protein.
That’s why I encourage clients to hit 20-30 grams of protein so that they can hit their Body Composition goals faster.
2. Add-ons that Will help you hit 20-30 grams each meal
Grab a Protein Smoothie after a workout- 20-30 grams of protein
Add on Cheese cubes or Cottage Cheese to a meal 5-9 grams of protein
12 Almonds for 3.5 grams of protein
1 oz of Peanuts are 7.5 grams of protein
1 oz of Walnuts are 4.32 grams of protein
Make a small batch of Protein Ice cream for 15 grams of protein
1 Container of Oikos Greek Yogurt has 15 grams of protein
Quest Chocolate Chip Cookie bar has 21 grams of Protein
Quest Chips have 18 grams of Protein
3. Get familiar with reading Nutrition Labels
Reading labels can be fun because then you can easily create servings and see what you’re getting in your meals and treats.
Also, you will learn that food marketed as “healthy” food may not be better than regular items at the store not marketed as healthy.
The reason Macro tracking is so successful is that you see what is going into your body and it’s balanced instead of just looking at Calorie Count. Eating fewer calories does not mean you will automatically lose weight if it’s an imbalance of Macros and nutrients. Feeding your body well, will boost your immunity and speed up your metabolism to do the work it was meant to do.
4. Eat Whole Foods first and then add in pre-packaged food
It’s so much easier to hit your macros eating whole foods than pre-packaged foods because of the Macro count of the items. It's also more nutritious.
For example, one 3 oz Chicken Breast is 26 grams of protein. If you add on a 1/3 Cup of Rice add 2 more grams of protein and a ⅓ cup of Peas adds on 3 grams of protein. So just in that meal, you have 31 grams of protein.
Another example is 3 oz Wild Caught Salmon which has 17 grams of protein, ¼ cup of Cooked Quinoa is 5 grams and 1 and ⅛ cups of Edamame has 11 grams of protein for a total of 33 grams of protein.
Eating whole foods will keep you fuller longer and you won’t feel the need to snack.
5. Eat meat with every meal
Most people when they start eating any diet automatically go to a Chicken and broccoli meal. But I like to use all the protein sources to ensure I'm getting the vitamin and mineral benefits my body needs. Some meats have a higher fat content, if you're worried about that, just make a smaller portion. The best way to get an accurate reading of Macros is to weigh all your food. I use this scale: https://amzn.to/45d08AT
Meats to add to your weekly menu:
Each one has special vitamins and nutrients your body can use to fuel your day.
Salmon
Shrimp
Beef
Chicken
Eggs
Ground Beef
Ground Turkey
Pork
Turkey
Steak
Tuna
Bison
Fish
Tofu(for my non-meat eaters)
Check out the recipes on my blog to help you hit your Daily Macros.
Following these tips will help you hit your goals faster, stay satiated, and hit your daily nutrition goal for your body to work efficiently and effectively. You will also have more energy and this will help boost your metabolism.
What's your favorite protein? Let us know below⤵️ Personally I'm a beef and salmon girl!
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