MyFitnessPal Protein Target Hacks
If you caught last week’s video, I challenged you to start tracking your food intake using an app to build awareness of your daily protein intake. The goal is to see if you’re hitting your daily protein target.
For women, I recommended at least 100g of protein per day, and for men, at least 150g. If you’re already hitting that, and you’ve got body composition goals, aim for a more personalized target: within 20g of your body weight in pounds. For example, if you’re a 200lb man, aim for at least 180g. If you’re a 160 lb woman, aim for at least 140g. Again, these are ball-park goals, and if you sign up for our 6-week FIIT program I’lll give you your personalized macro prescription of not just protein, but fat and carbohydrate targets also.
To accurately track your protein intake, you need to log everything you eat and drink throughout the day. Consider pre-logging your meals to get a sense of whether you’re close to hitting your protein goals and adjust as needed. Once you’ve logged your meals, tap “Nutrition” at the bottom left of the screen.
From there, you’ll see three options: Calories, Nutrients, and Macros. Tap on “Nutrients,” and at the top, you’ll find your total protein intake. Compare this to the minimum targets I mentioned: 100g for women and 150g for men. If you’re already reaching that, aim for within 20g of your body weight in pounds, like our earlier example of a 200lb man aiming for 180-220g.
Focus on hitting your total protein target for now, rather than relying on the default MyFitnessPal goals, which might not be ideal for maintaining lean muscle or losing fat.
If you’re falling short on protein and need some ideas, head over to our Instagram later this week for a handy infographic of very lean protein sources to help you reach your targets without blowing your total day’s calorie budget. Spoiler alert….what should your daily calorie goal be? Come to our FREE info session for our 6-Week FIIT program THIS Wed Sept 11, 7:15pm via Zoom. Register with info@pitraining.ca.