Oct 15

Oct 15 Are You Sure You’re Getting Enough Protein?

Hi, I’m Liz Moser, a Mayo Clinic and National Board-Certified Health and Wellness Coach and when someone discovers I’m a whole-food plant-based eater, the most often asked question I receive is,

“Are you sure you’re getting enough protein?”

Depending on my mood and my relationship with the other person, I either answer politely,

"Yes, I eat enough protein. Thanks for your concern!”

Or teasingly,

“Well, gee, I think I do. How much protein do you think I should eat?” 😉

And that last answer is a sure-fire way to change the topic of conversation because most people don’t really know how much protein we should eat!

Now, disclaimer time, I’m not a trained nutritionist, but I did learn the basics of healthy eating during my wellness coaching training at the Mayo Clinic and,

They taught us that most Americans, particularly men, consume twice as much protein as they need. Let me repeat that most Americans consume twice as much protein as they need.

OK, I’m not suggesting you simply figure out your protein intake and then cut it in half. No, the protein guidelines are a bit more nuanced than that.

So, here we go:

According to the Mayo Clinic, the recommended dietary allowance to prevent protein deficiency for an average adult is 0.8 grams per kilogram of body weight. For example, if you weigh 150 pounds or 68 kilograms, you should consume 54 grams of protein per day.

People who exercise regularly have higher needs, about 1.1-1.5 grams per kilogram. For our 150 lb./68 kilo example, that’s somewhere between 74 gr. and 102 gr. of protein.
Those highly active individuals who lift weights regularly or are training for a running or cycling event need 1.2 to 2 grams of protein per kilo of body weight. For our 150 lb./68 kilo example, that’s somewhere between 82 gr. and 136 gr. of protein.
And lastly, according to the Mayo Clinic, excessive protein intake would be more than 2 grams per kilogram of body weight each day.
For our 150 lb./68-kilo example that would be greater than consuming 136 gr. of protein per day.

OK, so now let’s all figure out our protein needs together, shall we?

Grab your calculators or phones and first figure out your weight in kilos by multiplying your weight in pounds by .45. For example, I’m 52 kilograms.

Then, multiply your weight in kilos by .8 to find your recommended dietary allowance of protein to prevent an average adult's protein deficiency. That number for me is 42 grams of protein.

If you exercise regularly, multiply your weight in kilos by 1.1 and 1.5. That’s your protein consumption range if you exercise regularly. For me, that range is between 57 and 78 grams of protein.

If you are highly active, multiply your weight in kilos by 1.2 and 2. That’s the protein consumption range if you are highly active. For me, those numbers are 62 and 104.

And lastly, the Mayo Clinic recommends you don’t exceed 2 grams of protein per kilo. That number for me that the Mayo Clinic recommends I don’t exceed is 104 grams of protein per day.

So, for me, the range of protein I should consume is:

Somewhere between 42 gr. and 104 gr.
Between 57 gr. and 78 gr. if I exercise regularly
And,
Somewhere between 62 gr. and 104 gr. if I’m highly active.

As I shared in my vlog from May 17, 2020: What I Eat for a Typical Breakfast Lunch and Dinner, I consume, on average, 62 grams of protein a day, which is a number that falls in the middle of the recommendation for a regular exerciser and on the low end of the recommendation for a highly active individual.

Since I filmed that vlog five months ago, I decided to swap out some of my nuts at breakfast for some Garden Of Life protein powder, thereby decreasing my fat and increasing my breakfast protein intake. Research shows that increasing your breakfast protein improves satiety throughout the day and may help maintain muscle mass while supporting fat loss.

I find this higher protein/less fat breakfast is easier to digest, I have more energy and less hunger throughout the day, and my weight has dropped a few pounds to the lower part of my weight range. All wins for increasing my protein at breakfast!

Now a few caveats to these protein guidelines:

If you are overweight and want to lose a few pounds, please work with a nutritionist to develop a food plan with the correct macronutrient ratios where your protein intake isn't based on your current weight.

Also, the elderly should consume more protein than these ranges I discussed here. For instance, my slim healthy mother, who is in her early 80's her doctor recommends she consume 75 grams of protein a day to stave off muscle wasting even though she isn’t a highly active individual.

In sum, a person's protein needs depend mainly on their activity level. Perhaps experiment with upping your protein at breakfast to increase your satiety throughout the day. And lastly, no matter what these Mayo Clinic guidelines suggest, make sure you follow any specific recommendations from your nutritionist or doctor as my mother is doing.

I’m Liz Moser, a Mayo Clinic and National Board Certified Health and Wellness Coach, and thank you for watching this “Are you sure you’re getting enough protein?” video. If you have any questions about health and wellness, about this video, or wellness coaching with me, please reach out via my website at lizmosercoaching.com.