SS 211 – Do You Need 1g of Protein Per Pound When Losing Fat?

Episode 211 Show Notes

Grant and Heavey tackle macro counting- specifically whether you should really hit the 1g protein per pound a day requirement. Does it work for everybody? Should you load on protein shakes to hit that target? All this and more! Plus, our duo gives some great insights into why you need to decompress from time to time and how you can actually do it on a regular basis.

[05:15] The Art of Disconnecting and Decompressing

Heavey recently got back from a trip to Mexico to decompress. He learned what it takes for him to fully unplug without having to travel. Another way to decompress is when you put yourself in an environment with friends where you guys could be cooking together, enjoying the process and each other’s company.

Most importantly, the most challenging thing yet the best thing you can do is to pull yourself away from technology during this time of unwinding. Sure, you want to post the most beautiful image but this could become a stressor, called FOMO (fear of missing out). Instead of worrying about what to put on your feed, focus on the moment you might miss out on when you’re there with people you love.

It could really be tempting to pull out your phone when something exciting happens, but that keeps you from being present. Catching yourself doing it is a huge step so you’d learn to step back.

Allow yourself to decompress. Allow yourself to let go and not look at work emails and not even use that free time to catch up social media which can be almost like a job sometimes.

[12:00] TVs vs Social Media Feeds

Watching TV used to be shunned saying it’s so bad because it was stealing quality time away from family. But nowadays, Grant craves sitting down and watching TV because he considers this as a time to bond with people. At the end of the episode, you could talk about how great that was and have a shared experience. Sure, there’s an electronic device there but you’re sharing the experience of watching it vs. scrolling through your feeds separately.

This touches a bit on the Stress Management pillar, but it does come back around to our fifth pillar which is Human Connection.

[13:50] When Was the Last Time You Felt Most Relaxed?

Heavey considers his trip to Mexico as the most relaxed he has felt in 2018. Grant admits having trouble getting to that point, that even when he gets to chill, it’s still a “planned” chill. He’d compare this to a pressure cooker that builds up. For instance, he’d go out for a night out and let pent-up stress dissipate with his energy by drinking and laughing, etc. He knows this isn’t healthy. However, it was on the day after his wedding where he got to really chill with his wife at the ranch and really felt relaxed.

[15:50] Scaling It Down to Relaxing Regularly

Some people get tied up around the idea that you need to travel in order to feel like yourself again. But what was it during that trip that you can actually replicate on a smaller scale on a more frequent basis? You could probably do this every week, even at home.

However, Grant raises a good point that there are a million thoughts in your head about all the things you still have to do, and if you ignore them so you can relax, you can’t help but feel irresponsible.

[21:22] A Question from Andrew

“I’m trying to count macros for weight loss. I’m going with a gram of protein per pound of weight. I’m 255 pounds now. And I’m finding it difficult to hit that much protein. Is it necessary to hit that everyday, and if so, should I slam some protein shakes throughout the day to help hit that mark? I usually hit one or two a day but I didn’t know if that was good to drink that much.”

[22:30] Macro Counting for Weight Loss

Andrew’s goal here is weight loss and the tool he’s using to accomplish that is through macro counting. His struggle is hitting one gram of protein per pound of body weight. That’s a shit load of protein!

First, everybody is different. The question here is whether it’s necessary to hit that per day and should you be slamming protein shakes to help you hit that mark.

[24:47] Is It Bad to Take Too Much Protein Shakes per Day?

Essentially, it’s not bad, but one potential issue is that some protein products are not as clean as we might think they are. Some products have been found to include trace metals you don’t want to have in your body.

Anytime we’re using some sort of isolated product, we’re setting ourselves up for potential issues depending on the quality control performed on the product. If you’re going to be consuming a lot of a given supplemental product, it’s a good idea to make sure you’ve done your homework and are sure that the product doesn’t include things that the human shouldn’t consume. Check out Labdoor.com that does independent testing of these products and gives grades for different products. You can look up whey proteins and see how the product you’re consuming rates. Another thing they rate on there too is how accurate the label is. Those two things are pretty valuable if you’re going to be consuming a lot of product to get your protein.

[26:48] Do You Need to Hit 1g Protein per Pound per Day?

The larger question is do you even need that protein? Is it essential for you to hit that protein number per day? It’s also important to keep in mind that your goal is weight loss. If you’re full at the end of the day, those extra calories are not going to help you lose weight. Hence, the one gram protein per pound of body weight is not applicable to everybody.

There’s a huge genetic component to how much one needs for protein. On the minimum side, you can try 0.7 grams per pound. You can start there if you’re having trouble consuming lots of protein to something more attainable.

Another factor to consider if your goal is fat loss is how much muscle you have and how much you are willing to lose.

The benefits of consuming protein are to build muscle, preserve muscle, and to make sure you’re minimizing hunger while on a calorie count. If you’re not hungry and don’t have a problem with the ratio of muscle and fat you’re losing currently, then there is no reason to consume that much protein shakes. If you are concerned about muscle mass, you need to take more care in considering your target protein level, but you may still be okay with the 0.7 grams.

Ultimately, everything depends. This number is a great baseline to work toward to or aspire to but it’s not necessarily appropriate for everybody.

Links:
Labdoor.com