Let's talk about protein again. Are you getting enough of it? Men have been focusing on eating protein for many years but I think it's still quite new to women. If your goal is to lose weight, I mention this goal since almost everyone is struggling to lose weight after pregnancy, you shouldn't only focus on doing cardio. A much more efficient way in the long run is to build more muscles. Bigger muscles require more energy, hence you will burn more calories if you have gained muscle mass, not only can you eat more, you will also get a stronger and more toned body than if you are only doing cardio. How do you build muscles? By strength straining and by lifting weights. But that's only one part of it, the other part is about feeding your muscles with protein. If you do the exercise but skip the protein your muscles can hardly get bigger. So you need to be focused on getting enough of it. Probably you need to eat much more than you could imagine was possible while losing weight. You just have to do it right. Another great thing about protein is that it helps you feel full for a longer period of time.
How much protein do you need?
Well, it depends on your weight, your body mass (muscles require more protein and body fat less) and your daily activity. Also, pregnant and nursing women require more protein. There are many protein calculators online so it's rather easy to find out, this one for example (in pounds). But I think it's safe to say that at lest you need 1 gram protein per each kilo of body mass (1 kg=2,2 pounds). Many people, especially if they are trying to build muscles, need more than that, perhaps as much as 2-3 gram protein per kilo of bodyweight.
Are protein shakes necessary?
No. You'll find plenty of protein in healthy foods like:
Cottage cheese
Eggs
Beans (like edamame, soy beans, white beans)
Seeds (like sunflower seeds and pumpkin seeds)
Fish (salmon, tuna, cod, mackerel for example)
Chicken
Yoghurt (always choose natural yoghurt to avoid sugar and sweeteners)
Beef Jerky
Nuts
Sunflower seeds on the left and pumpkin seeds on the right.
//Nicole Hellgren
