Wherever you are on your fitness journey at Beckwith, you have one thing in common with every other gym-goer: you’d love to see a little more from the effort you’re putting in. The bottom line? It’s all about what you’re eating, and protein plays a big role in seeing results.
What Is Protein, and Why Does It Matter?
For gym-goers, protein’s main job is repairing and growing muscle. Whenever you lift weights, do a resistance workout or push yourself in a class, you challenge your muscles, and that tells your body to adapt. Your muscles need protein to rebuild and come back a little stronger. If you don’t eat enough of it, your progress can be held back, however hard you train.
Think of it as a simple team effort:
- Training gives your muscles a reason to grow.
- Protein provides the raw materials for rebuild and repair
- Rest and recovery give your body time to do the work
All three are important, and when they work together, the results start to show.
You’re Probably Eating Less Protein Than You Think
Many people are surprised to discover how little protein they actually eat. Lots of food contains protein, just not as much as we tend to assume…
So how much should you be aiming for?
For people who exercise regularly, research commonly points to around 1.6-2.2g of protein per kilogram of body weight a day (roughly 0.7-1g per pound). For someone who weighs 10 stone (about 64kg), that works out at roughly 100-140g a day.
If that sounds like a lot, don’t worry! Think of it as something to work towards to support your body, not a number you need to hit perfectly every day.
A Little Tracking Goes A Long Way
One of the easiest ways to see where you’re starting from is a little light tracking. And we really do mean light!
Try jotting down roughly what you eat for a week or so, either in a free app like Cronometer or in the notes app on your phone, and checking out the protein per meal from there.
Most of us enjoy the same favourite meals week in, week out, so it doesn’t take long to learn roughly how much protein is in the foods we eat most.
To make this even easier, you can find loads of free high-protein recipes online, like on BBC Good Food here.
Protein-Packed Favourites
You’ve probably already got plenty of protein-rich foods in your kitchen, including:
- Chicken (a palm-sized chicken breast alone provides around 30g!)
- Turkey
- Lean beef
- Fish, such as salmon, cod, tinned tuna
- Eggs – a handy all-rounder at roughly 6-7g each
- Greek yoghurt
- Skyr
- Cottage cheese
If you’re plant-based, or just fancy mixing things up, tofu, tempeh, edamame, lentils, chickpeas, beans and seitan are all fantastic options. Eating a variety of them across the day helps you get a good balanced nutrition.
Keep a few of the above in your weekly shop and reaching for protein will soon feel like second nature.
As a bonus, protein helps you feel fuller for longer!
A Little More Protein, A Lot More Progress
Eating a little more protein doesn’t have to be complicated or time-consuming.
You’re already doing the hardest part by showing up at the gym. A few small changes on your plate can help make sure that every session counts!
Need Support with Your Workouts & Nutrition?
If you’d like some help with creating a workout and nutrition plan tailored to you and your goals, Beckwith’s PTs can help.
You can book one of these Goal Setting appointments directly in the club – why not take the planning out of it and focus on the doing? Learn more about our PTs here!
