How Much Protein Do You Need? Dietitians Set the Record Straight
glamour.commeaning my Reddit homepage is filled with post after post reiterating the importance of increasing protein while on it.Adequate protein is important for everyone, but especially people on , since it can help combat the less ideal side effects like hair thinning and muscle loss.
Unfortunately, the latter actually happened to me: My doctor recently informed me that I had little to no muscle and needed to start and boost my intake accordingly.Such was and is the case regardless of whether I stay on the medication (I'm tapering off now), and can happen to anyone for a variety of reasons, such as extreme weight loss, insulin resistance, inactivity, and eating improperly while working out.
Now, both my sister and I are on protein-fueled, muscle-building journeys, and I've noticed an influx of protein-themed content all over my TikTok For You Page, where fitness and beauty creators share protein-packed hacks to benefit , muscle mass, and energy levels.After calculating how much protein I'm supposed to eat daily (more on that later), I was shocked to discover my intake was far below what's necessary for my height, weight, and activity level.I've since increased my protein in every way possible: into my coffee, swapping out carb and fat-heavy meals for more protein-rich ones, and even finding ways to turn my baking hobby into protein hacks, like making protein-rich peanut butter cookies.As for how I feel after a few months?
Well, my energy levels have improved so much that it kind of makes me mad at myself. If I had known that combatting my chronic fatigue was as easy as making a few simple swaps throughout the day, I could've saved myself a whole lot of exhaustion over the years.I've even managed to muster the energy and strength to start weight training alongside my cardio.
