Protein Intake

[Patronick328]

I'm sure the answer to this questin is in ISWF, however, my copy is currently on loan, but what is the reasoning behind the size of protein portion coming from an animal source? A palm full sized portion looks to be maybe about 6oz. Now I'm a bigger guy and used to eating 16-20oz steaks to go along with a plate full of veggies, so I was just curious why we limit the animal protein during a meal, especially if it is from a local, responsible supplier?

[Susan W]

Actually it is a palmful or two. Nobody is limiting your protein. I am a small woman and my palm is probably 6-8 oz.

[Kirsteen]

Hi Patronick, personally I don't think the idea is to limit the amount of protein so much as to make sure people are getting enough. Many people come to W30 with a history of calorie counting, weighing, measuring, eating miniscule portions, being afraid of red meat etc. The meal template makes sure they're getting enough protein to really nourish their bodies. when it comes to protein and fat, I'd always rather err on the side of being a bit too generous than a bit too mean, so enjoy your steak.

[Tom Denham]

Kirsteen is absolutely right about how the guideline applies to most people, but it applies to enthusiastic meat eaters too.

I am one of the people who can happily eat a steak that fills my plate. The problem with doing such a thing is not so much that the amount of protein is bad for you, but that all the meat forces important nutrition from vegetables off the plate. We need variety in our diets. Meat offers important nutrition, but so do vegetables. By working with protein portions the size of our palms, we leave room for eating a variety of fresh vegetables that we need for optimum health.

[Meg Hamilton]

Solution = get a bigger plate!!

[LindaLee]

What if you increase the amount of veggies? I love protein, I freely admit it, and I probably overeat it at breakfast - I pretty regularly have a version of the turkey apple hash from the Success Guide. I just vary the veggies depending on what's available. For lunch I often have a similar dish (no apple) plus a big salad with greens, cucumbers, tomatoes and celery topped with Paleo mayo.

[angekfire]

I was worried I was going a little overboard with protein for a while, as my meals are usually probably 8-10oz of meat. I am a fairly big guy though, and I do resistance training daily, so I figured my body could use more protein. I still lost 10lbs of fat while on the diet, not to mention fat that was converted to muscle.