How to Calculate Protein Needs for Women 40 and Over
Protein is one of the three macronutrients (carbs, fat, protein) and is crucial for weight loss and over health.
Why is protein important?
Can assist in in in creasing lean body mass.
Increased metabolism.
Improves body composition during weight loss.
Supports hormone health.
Consuming adequate protein is essential for building and manning muscle. As we age and have a decline in hormones it becomes harder to build muscle.
Muscle burns more calories at rest than any other and can assist with fat loss.
It can also help with satiety (feeling full longer), help with weight loss by managing hunger, and is essential for building and repairing muscle tissues.
Maintaining muscle is essential for longevity and health. It can help with everything from weight management to staying independent as you age. And if you like toned arms, it helps with that too.
While maintaining and adding muscle means resistance training it also means eating enough calories and protein too.
How to calculate your own protein needs.
General protein recommendations suggest protein intake is about 50 grams of protein per day based on a 2,000 calorie diet. The problem with this number is that it is based on a sedentary individual to function not to thrive.
To thrive and consider activity, active women should aim for .8-1 gram per pound of body weight. If you have more than 20 pounds to lose aim for your goal weight.
Example for a 150 pound woman.
150 x .8-1 =120-150 grams per day
Women in the menopause transition should shoot for even more, closer to 1 gram per pound of bodyweight especially if you are very active.
Example for a 150 pound woman.
150 x 1 = 150 grams per day
Also, if you have a weight loss goal and are cutting calories, higher protein intake will help you keep lean mass, and lose body fat.
Need more help? Take the guesswork out of it and grab my FREE Protein Guide with recipes and meal ideas to help you started. You can download it here.
