Hello Fabulous Friends!

If you keep feeling like you're failing at protein, 𝘆𝗼𝘂’𝗹𝗹 𝘄𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀.

Protein is key ... crucial ... numero uno ... you get the point 😆😉 ...

...Especially as we get older and want to build or preserve muscle.

But somewhere along the way, this supposedly evidence-based recommendation turned into 𝗮𝗻𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗼𝗻 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘄𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗻 𝘁𝗼 𝗳𝗲𝗲𝗹 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘆’𝗿𝗲 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗱𝗼𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗲𝗻𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵.

Maybe you’ve thought—or even said out loud (careful, our brain hears what we say to ourselves & out loud):

𝘐 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸 𝘐 𝘥𝘰𝘯’𝘵 𝘦𝘢𝘵 𝘦𝘯𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘵𝘦𝘪𝘯.

𝘐 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸 𝘐 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘦𝘢𝘵 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘵𝘦𝘪𝘯.

𝘐 𝘥𝘪𝘥𝘯’𝘵 𝘩𝘪𝘵 𝘮𝘺 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘵𝘦𝘪𝘯 𝘨𝘰𝘢𝘭 𝘵𝘰𝘥𝘢𝘺.

𝗜𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘄𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗿𝗲𝗺𝗼𝘃𝗲 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘀, 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗼 𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗿 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗹𝗶𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗮𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗶𝘀 𝘀𝗮𝘆𝗶𝗻𝗴.

Research looking at resistance training + protein has found that additional muscle-building benefits start to level off at around 1.6 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight per day. What does that mean? They can't find additional muscle growth and strength benefits beyond 0.7 grams per pound per day. This is not just one study. This is in multiple studies who tried and fail to prove the additional benefit.

​Morton RW, et al. Br J Sports Med. 2018;52:376–384. Systematic review, meta-analysis and meta-regression of protein supplementation during resistance training.​
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​For a 130 lb woman that's roughly 95 grams per day.

So where does the “1 gram per pound of ideal body weight” recommendation come from?

It’s not a bad recommendation. It’s a simple, all-encompassing target that gives us some wiggle room.

It accounts for people who aim for it and fall short, older adults whose muscles may not respond as strongly to the same amount of protein, athletes with higher demands, and those in a calorie deficit trying to preserve muscle.

But it’s a target—not a minimum requirement for results.

That doesn't make 1.6 g/kg (or 0.7g/lb) a magic number or mean eating more protein throughout your day is bad.

Our needs shift with age, training, calorie intake, illness, injury and your individual circumstances.

What it DOES mean and how it applies to us ladies:

We can stop treating protein targets like a test we either pass or fail.

If you ate 75 grams instead of 100 today, you didn't blow it.

Take the pressure off.

When we're informed, we can adjust instead of force and that's where results happen easier—and usually better.

𝗡𝗼𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗲 + 𝗰𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗰𝘁 𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗮 𝗼𝗻 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂’𝗿𝗲 𝗱𝗼𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗳𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁 (𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗽 𝘀𝗸𝗶𝗽𝗽𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗽!) → 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗱𝘀 𝘀𝘂𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁 → 𝗮𝗱𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗽 𝗮𝘁 𝗮 𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲.

That's very different from:

Target → miss it → criticize yourself → try harder tomorrow.

Protein is a tool for supporting the body. It was never supposed to become another way to judge it.

That’s the upgrade in how you think and make decisions—so you can feel and look better.

What’s your protein target—and how does this knowledge shift the way you make food choices and talk to yourself about them? Hit reply and let me know or ask me a question! Forward this email to a friend who would benefit from reading!

Cheers to thriving together,
​Alyssa
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