How to effectively add a protein supplement your nutrition program. Before you begin with a protein supplement, it is important to understand a few things. First, how much protein do I need in my diet? Second, how much protein am I already eating, and third how can I combine supplemental protein (powder) with the protein I am getting in my food? Step 1: Figure out your lean body wieght. This is done by getting a body fat composition from your local health club. Once they have given you your body fat percentage, you can then calculate your lean mass. Multiply your body fat percentage by your body weight and that will give you the amount of fat in pounds you have on your body. You then subtract that from your total body weight to get your lean mass. -- Ex: 200lbs (body weight) X .15 (body fat %) = 30lbs // 200lbs - 30lbs = 170 // 170lbs is your simple lean body weight -- Typical protein consumption for an average person who exercises on a regular basis is the amount in grams that matches their lean body weight. In the case above, this person would want to eat 170g of protein each day. Remember, this is baseline information and other factors need to be taken into consideration such as activity level and metabolism when attempting the most accurate calculation. For those lifting weights regularly and are looking to pack on muscle, the amount of protein each day should be raised to 1.5 times your lean body weight. This will help ensure that your muscles are getting the valuable protein they need to repair themselves after a heavy weightlifting regimen. For everyone out there who would just like to add a little protein to their diet and do not excercise, start with just a scoop a day. You'll still the receive many benefits of protein such as muscle and bone preservation and a healthy low calorie snack. Step 2: To determine how much protein you are already eating, start taking a look at your current nutrition program and identify the protein rich sources and add them up. Below are a few of the most popular quality protein sources that you may want to count as significant sources of protein in your program. Granted there are more, but these are some of the basics. Chicken - 3oz = approx 25g - Beef - 2.8oz = approx 25g - Fish - 3oz = approx 22g - Egg - 1 medium = approx 5g - Turkey - 3oz = approx 24g - Cottage Cheese - 1 cup = approx 24g. Step 3: Factor in your supplemental protein to make up the difference in what you are not receiving in your everyday diet and what you need. A few pointers on protein powder is try to schedule one serving as part of your post workout meal to help give your body that much needed protein after a workout to repair muscle. The remainder of your protein shakes can be enjoyed throughout the day! Because eating 4 to 6 small meals a day is important, make sure each of your meals contains a small amount of protein whether from food or supplements to make sure that your protein consumption is divided equally rather than trying to pack it all into one meal. After all, the body can only absorb so much at a time.
