Am I Eating Enough Protein?

World wide Web | Am I Eating Enough Protein? | It's inspiring to see that you are interested in your health to such a degree that you would be trying to find out whether you are eating enough protein or not. Many people have no clue what protein is (other than having heard the word on TV or read it in a magazine), so you should give yourself a pat on the back for standing out from the crowd.

To answer your question, I would need to know whether you are male or female. Depending on your gender, you will have slightly different dietary needs when it comes to protein.

If you're a guy, then you will need to consume more protein, mostly because guys usually have more muscle mass on them than women do. And because protein is the primary building block for muscles, it would be smart to make sure that your body always has access to enough of this macronutrient to keep your muscles in good shape - this is particularly true if you are lifting weights in the gym. With that in mind, you should aim for anywhere between 0.8 and 1.2 grams of protein per pound of your body weight per day. For example, if your current weight is 180 pounds, you should aim to consume anywhere between 144 and 215 grams of protein on a daily basis. It's good to keep in mind, however, that if you are currently highly overweight, or even obese, you can aim for the lower end of that range - 0.8 to 0.9 grams per pound of body weight will suffice.

If you are a girl, then you most likely have less muscle mass on you than the average male. Therefore, you should make due with 0.7 - 0.9 grams of protein per pound of your body weight per day, regardless of your body-fat levels. For example, if your current weight is 130 pounds, you should aim to consume between 91 and 117 grams of protein per day.

At this point it would be worth for me to note that eating enough protein is a good idea even if you do not lift weights on a regular basis. In that case, you are going to be safe by shooting for the lower end of the ranges described above. This is mostly to make sure that you do not lose any muscle mass that you already have on you, which can sometimes happen to individuals with a protein-deficient diet.

Also, if you have ever heard of the Mayo Clinic's recommendation for consuming anywhere between 50 and 170 grams of protein per day, you should understand that the lower end of this range is suitable only for teens, or people who naturally have very little muscle mass on them. This is exactly the reason why I recommend that you calculate your daily protein intake requirements based on how many pounds you weight.

Hope this helps!

Article Source: EzineArticles