Protein

[liddell316]

I've been reading on the internet about how important protein is for your diet and the best for getting lots of it is through fish and chicken....but what other foods would you guys suggest for getting a good protein intake every day?

[Clint]

Your best sources:
Chicken
Fish
Lean beef
Lean ham
Milk
Nuts (although not complete proteins)

[The Sundance Kid]

if your worried about not getting enough protein there are many shakes and supplements that you can get over the counter at any grocery store

[liddell316]

Also, is taking in a lot of protein important for just trying to build muscle, or does it help weight loss as well?

[Hypergit]

Originally Posted by liddell316

Also, is taking in a lot of protein important for just trying to build muscle, or does it help weight loss as well?

Too much can make you fat, as it is calorific. Also, too little can make you fat in a round about way so yes it can help weight loss...

Muscle mass burns a lot of calories even at rest, so it is good for fat loss to build some muscle (which requires enough protein in your diet).

If you're very low on protein you can actally lose muscle as its amino acids are stripped for use in the immune system and for general repairs etc. This will reduce your metabolism and more of your food could be stored as fat.

git.

[Clint]

Also, it's good to mention that protein requires a decent bit of energy to be converted into glycogen and then into bodyfat. So if you eat 100 calories of fat and 100 calories of protein. You will in a roundabout way be intaking fewer calories with the protein.

Liddell316: You should have protein at every meal if you are trying to lose weight or gain it. The difference comes down to total calorie intake.

[liddell316]

So lets say I'm taking in around 2000 calories a day....how much protein should I be eating a day?

[Legend]

Originally Posted by liddell316

So lets say I'm taking in around 2000 calories a day....how much protein should I be eating a day?

That really depends on how much you weigh. I would say around 1 to 1.25 grams for each pound you weigh. That is if you trying to gain muscle. Not sure if it would be the same if your trying to just lose weight.

[Clint]

There are alot of factors to this question but I would say protein should compose 30-40% of your diet (with fat being 30% and carbs the otehr 30-40%). So for 2000 calories per day, that is 150 - 200 grams per day.

Are you looking to lose weight or gain muscle because 2000 honestly sounds low if you are trying to gain muscle and are training fairly hard.

[Donny77]

Protein powders with soy ingriedient are a really good source of protein with much less fat intake.