Many know that protein is a vital component of any diet, especially for those who are looking to gain muscle, strength, improve performance, and so on. However, many fail to acknowledge the importance it holds for those who are trying to lose weight.

It is important to understand that building muscle is going to drastically change one’s ability to lose weight and to do so effectively. Muscle mass is where your metabolism lives.
You don’t need to have the kind of muscle mass a bodybuilder has, but you will need to have lean muscle. This will allow you to get the most out of your workouts with increased output.
The differences of lean muscle mass compared to atrophied muscle is a game changer.
The ability of a lean muscle to process and absorb nutrients is something one must understand to appreciate the necessity of lean muscle and the role it plays in your weight loss journey.
Protein Intakes and Lean Muscle
Building lean muscle mass doesn’t mean you need to eat a lot of protein. To turn your atrophied muscle into the lean muscle you need to adhere to a strength training regimen. You can get some pointers here to get you started with this article.
Eating the right amount of protein to facilitate the building and repair of your muscles is another vital piece to the puzzle.
Unfortunately, this is where many tend to self-sabotage their weight loss goals. Ending up on one side of the spectrum or the other. They are either eating too much protein, which means they are potentially consuming too many calories, or they aren’t eating enough and their muscle isn’t getting what it needs to repair and grow.
Typically speaking, you will want to ensure that 15% of your daily calories come from protein sources such as:
- Nuts and seeds
- Fish
- Beans
- Milk
- Lean meat
Studies show that you can only digest 20-35 grams or 80-140 calories from one meal, so you are recommended to eat 3 meals of 20-35 grams daily or add in a protein snack.
It is also shown that the protein can be from all plant-based sources or from animal sources and it will be able to maintain muscle mass regardless of the source.
The following guidelines are for Protein Intake for 15% of active adult metabolism:
Active Males: 60 – 110g Protein per day
Active Females: 60 – 82g Protein per day
If you are not meeting your goals and having a hard time understanding why you aren’t seeing results, look at your protein intake. Many times, there are little to no results because of one of the many factors that revolve around an individual’s protein intake.
In this M3 channel YouTube video, you will see a brief description of what the differences are between lean and atrophied muscle.
Watch on YouTube with this link, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4nH5ACCSLGk
Too much or too little can sabotage your ability to get results.
Protein intake is an essential nutrient
Eating less than 60 grams of essential protein each day will result in losing valuable muscle mass and thus metabolism. See evidence, https://academic.oup.com/ajcn/article/105/3/714/4569695
You can start by asking yourself these questions to see where you may need to start making changes in protein intake:
– How much protein are you getting daily?
– Based upon the recommendations above, how much protein should you be getting each day?
– From what sources are you getting your protein?
– Have you added a strength training regimen to assist in your lean muscle development?
After you have answered these questions you will have a clearer picture of where you are with your protein intake and how it may be affecting your weight loss goals. Contact us today for more help or to get more information about how MindMuscleMemory can assist you with your weight loss journey.