Protein Power Plan Cheat Sheet
Your cheat sheet is below, but first its important to know WHY you need protein, what it is, and where you can find it. Then it’ll make the cheat sheets make more sense!
Protein is found in every part of your body including your organs, tissues, muscles and even your hormones.
Here are a few cool things to know about protein:
Protein supports lean muscle retention
When losing fat without enough protein, your body will get the protein that it needs by using its own muscle tissue, so you’ll lose muscle along with fat. We obviously don’t want that!
Protein is made up of amino acids
These are essential for the building of muscle in the gym and the repairing of muscle on recovery days.
Your organs and daily body processes also need these amino acids to function
These amino acids are also used to repair organ and muscle damage from day to day wear and tear
Protein has the highest thermic effect of food
Your body uses between 15-30% of the calories in protein to digest and absorb it for use
Protein keeps you full!
It’s much easier to stick to your weight loss and nutrition goals when you aren’t hungry
Click the image for your Protein Power Plan Cheat Sheet!
A Note on Protein Powders
Protein supplements are fabulous if they are used in the right circumstances. They can be a great way to quickly and conveniently hit your protein target, but they should not be relied on for too much of your protein.
If you’re finding that you’re hungry between meals it could be because you’re drinking your protein instead of eating it. There is something to be said for chewing your food!
My favorite protein brands:
Premier protein from Costco/Sams for premixed shake
Vega Sport for a non-dairy option
Quest (available in any supplement store) or Trutein for powder (online) - both are available in sample sizes
True Nutrition to customize your own blend
Some people like to use collagen creamer or a pre-mixed protein shake in their coffee.
Check out my blog post on my favorite protein shake recipes! You can also mix protein powder into oatmeal or yogurt - this is great for when you are traveling.
And here’s more information on Protein Bars!