Eat at Least .5g of Protein per Pound of Body Weight (or 150g if you weigh 300lbs or more)
One of the keys to burning fat and maintaining a low body fat % long term is maintaining your lean muscle mass. The more lean mass you have, the higher your metabolism will be, and the more calories you will burn at rest. Every day you should try to get plenty of protein so that you are able to maintain, and possibly even build lean muscle. Shoot for .5g or more per pound of body weight. Those who are doing heavy strength training and looking to put on muscle mass may shoot for .8g or more per pound of body weight. Getting your protein through lean meats (chicken, fish, lean pork, lean ground turkey, lean beef) is the best source. After lean meats, egg whites and low fat dairy (skim or 1% milk, low fat mozzarella cheese and Greek yogurt), and then of course you can supplement through protein powders/shakes. Protein is also the most satiating macro-nutrient, so it will make you more full than carbs and fats.
Basic Info about Protein Supplementation
I've had someone ask me a few questions about protein supplementation, so I thought this post was appropriate to address some of those questions.
Should I take protein powders?
If you are unable to obtain enough protein through your diet, then I think supplementing through protein powders is a good strategy. If you are able to get enough protein without supplementation, then save your money.
Which is better, whey or casein?
The primary difference between whey and casein protein is the speed at which your body is able to break it down and utilize it. Whey protein is absorbed faster and therefore is usually the choice by most people who workout as a pre and post-workout supplement. Casein breaks down more slowly, and is usually marketed as a supplement that you take before bedtime that your body will break down slowly while you sleep. Is one better than the other? Eh...not really. Many protein powders actually offer a mix of whey and casein, such as MusclePharm Combat Protein. There are also powders made with Soy protein, but generally that is considered a lower quality protein, and from my experience, the taste is terrible.
What brand is best?
Depends on which supplement company you ask :) There are plenty of good protein blends out there. Everyone has their own preferences, so I'd probably just leave it at that...find something you like. The only piece of advice I'd offer is look at the nutritional values. You want to find something that has very few carbs and fats...and is primarily protein. Optimum Nutrition is one of the cleanest (low calories, carbs and fat) protein powders I've found that also tastes good.
Should I take protein powders?
If you are unable to obtain enough protein through your diet, then I think supplementing through protein powders is a good strategy. If you are able to get enough protein without supplementation, then save your money.
Which is better, whey or casein?
The primary difference between whey and casein protein is the speed at which your body is able to break it down and utilize it. Whey protein is absorbed faster and therefore is usually the choice by most people who workout as a pre and post-workout supplement. Casein breaks down more slowly, and is usually marketed as a supplement that you take before bedtime that your body will break down slowly while you sleep. Is one better than the other? Eh...not really. Many protein powders actually offer a mix of whey and casein, such as MusclePharm Combat Protein. There are also powders made with Soy protein, but generally that is considered a lower quality protein, and from my experience, the taste is terrible.
What brand is best?
Depends on which supplement company you ask :) There are plenty of good protein blends out there. Everyone has their own preferences, so I'd probably just leave it at that...find something you like. The only piece of advice I'd offer is look at the nutritional values. You want to find something that has very few carbs and fats...and is primarily protein. Optimum Nutrition is one of the cleanest (low calories, carbs and fat) protein powders I've found that also tastes good.
How you know if you are performing Rule #8 successfully
Pretty simple. Track your protein and eat at least .5g every day. Or, if you weigh 300lbs or more, you will want to get in 150g of protein, but no real need to go above that. If you eat less than that, you don't get credit for completing rule #8 and no points for you!
Helpful Tip
Build all of your meals around a good lean protein source (meat). Consider boiling some egg whites and eating those if you are needing to fit some more protein in (6g protein per egg white). Low fat mozzarella cheese sticks have about 8g of protein and are usually about 80 calories.
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