Adding Extra Protein
When you start to track your nutrition seriously, it can be hard to your macros perfectly. A lot times you can use foods that are primarily one macro nutrient and just adjust portion sizes. But when you are running Fat Shredder, it can sometimes be tough to hit your protein budget. Sometimes you don’t want to add another 4 oz. of chicken to dinner or another scoop of whey. Fortunately there are some crossover foods that area a mixture of macro nutrients!
Carbohydrates that pack on protein!
One of the best ways to find more protein for your diet is to eat carbohydrates that are high in protein. Now these are not as protein packed as a chicken breast or a nice lean steak, but using these foods in place of your typical carbohydrates can add some considerable protein to your day.
Lentils, ½ Cup – 9grams protein
Chickpeas, ½ cup cooked – 6 grams
Soy beans (Edamame), ½ cup cooked – 14 grams protein
Beans (black, pinto, garbanzo, etc) about 7-10 grams protein per 1/2 cup of cooked
Fats can help too!
If you have an extra budget of fat, why not get some protein along with the fat you need?
Peanut butter, 2 Tablespoons – 8 grams protein
Almonds, ¼ cup – 8 grams
Peanuts, ¼ cup – 9 grams
Cashews, ¼ cup – 5 grams
Sunflower seeds, ¼ cup – 6 grams
Flax seeds – ¼ cup – 8 grams
Now for both of these groups, you need to make sure you have the budget left for the carbohydrates and fats that come along with each. But I hope you can see where these can really help. Instead of having 1 cup of rice which has little protein (5g), you could sub it with an equal amount of lentils and pick up 18g protein! Or instead of using some olive oil, have a ¼ cup of peanuts and get 9 grams of protein along the way.
Foods that are a single macro nutrient are still nice for balancing out your days, but with a little planning you can add some variety too! Chicken, rice, and broccoli will only be appealing for so long! Mix it up and try something new. Many of the beans are really easy to pick up in cans (look for the look sodium varieties). It’s really easy to prepare many of these foods. Here’s an easy way to cook lentils without soaking:
1. Measure the lentils you wish to cook. 1 cup of dried lentils yields about 2 cups cooked.
2. Rinse under cold water and drain.
3. Place the lentils in a saucepan and cover with cold water.
Use a 2 cups water to 1 cup lentils.
4. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce heat to simmer.
5. Cook until desired tenderness is reached, anywhere from 15 minutes to an hour.
Drain if necessary.
6. Season if desired. Add salt only after the lentils are completely cooked;
if added during cooking, it can toughen the lentils.
7. Eat as is or use in salads, soups, or other recipes.
Oh and just in case you need a reminder of the protein powerhouses! These guys are almost completely protein. The only place to watch out is with red meat and fish. Make sure you have the fat in your budget.
Chicken – 9g per ounce
Turkey – 9g per ounce
Lean red meat – 9g per ounce
Egg whites – 4g per large egg white
Whey protein ~ 20g per scoop (varies by brand)
Beef jerky – 13g per ounce
Salmon – 7g per ounce
(**Note: all measurements are approximations! Yes your label might say something different. Track everything and you will be all set**)
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Shawn, if you want to mix it up, you just have to play with your numbers in MyFitnessPal. Find another protein source you want to eat and see how it fits in your budgets.
So, is it important to meet protein specs on fat shredder to keep you from snacking on bad food later on, or does having that much protein actually help you lose fat? I'm just wondering because, for instance, today, I planned my meals on MFP as usual, and I've eaten dinner. I'd planned another scoop of whey protein after dinner, but I'm satiated. I'll wait a bit a drink it anyway, but I'm just curious because it seems odd to consume 100 extra calories when I'm not even hungry.
Marie, protein is extremely beneficial in losing weight and maintaining muscle. I would work at getting it in. The important thing about one last dose of protein is that it fuels recovery during the start of the night.
Coach Where can I find that big ripped/ small ripped article? Thanks Don
Sorry Don, I thought I attached it! Here you go: http://teamripped.com/big-ripped-or-small-ripped
Coach Im Taking in about 2500 calories a day. I'm 42 yrs old, 6-2 tall, 195 lbs and fit after 3 rounds of p90x but not ripped and would love to see my abs as well as gain muscle mass. Any advice. Thanks! Don
Then Don you need to run a bigger deficit. Get you abs and then worry about gaining weight. I would recommend being on Fat Shredder and running at 1900 calories. Did you check out the Big Ripped/Small Ripped article?
Coach I'm taking in excessive protein. I'm not running a deficit. What happens to that extra protein in my body? Does it get stored as fat? Don
Don how many calories are you taking in daily? Any extra calories, from any source, can be stored as fat. It can also be converted into muscle, that is what protein and its amino acids are used for.
Coach, I have been tracking my diet with the myfitnesspal app. I noticed I have been exceeding my sodium and protein intake. I have been using the Amplified Wheybolic Extreme Protein power that you recommend. A 3 scoop serving of that has 300mg of sodium. Should I be concerned about that? Also, I have exceeded my average daily protein intake by approx. 150g? Is that bad? Doesnt excess protein get stored as fat? Please advise. Thanks Don
Don have you changed your goals to reflect Fat Shredder? Check out: http://teamripped.com/myfitnesspal-set-up If you are running a deficit, nothing is getting stored as fat.
Coach Wayne, So my father has been looking for a nitrogen supplement called NX6 and I figured if anyone would know where to get it, it would be you. I didn't know if you could buy it online or not, so I was hoping you could help me out. Thanks(:
Autumn, http://www.completenutrition.com/all_products/product_detail?object=5885&node=7542 Hope that helps!
coach wayne qik q.yesterday start of p90x2 was the first time i wrote down every single thing i ate!on the fat shredder.my qustion is wart if u go over ur daily carbs and caloriees by lets say 50 to 25 or more .should i jog them off or would i still have success?thnks
Jonathan, over 25 to 50 calories or grams? If you are 25-50 calories over, no worry. But if you are 25-50g, that is 100-200 calories. See where you are getting your carbs and eat less.
What are your thoughts on supplementation? I'm on a 1500 cal a day fat shredder diet (I'm 5'5" @165lbs) and I sometimes find it difficult to eat so much chicken or fish so I supplement with Gnc - Pro Performance Amp Amplified Wheybolic Extreme 60 Chocolate.
That is a perfect use of whey Angel. I am all for it. Whey makes it easy to hit those budgets. Try adding some of these carbs too to bump your protein up!
I am actually doing a double at work tonight, so this article helps alot!
Great post CW! For those of you that are ravenous oatmeal eaters, I recently switched to hodgson mills oat bran. There is more fiber, slightly more protein, a few less carbs, and about 30 less kcal/40g. serving. Check 'em out! They bulk up quite a bit, and if you mix in a bit of egg white after preparing the oat bran, whisking until the residual heat cooks the egg whites and throw in some dymatize rich chocolate elite whey protein isolate, you'll have a protein-rich powerhouse of a post-workout meal. You can even throw in some banana or other fruit to replenish liver glycogen if you don't use a recovery drink; talk about delicious! I use a variation of this for pre-workout sometimes too if I wake up much earlier than I usually do for my early a.m. workouts. Also, egg whites can be incorporated into nearly any dish if you get creative or like to use the oven, I probably eat my weight in those things lol! Again, awesome post, Coach!
You can add Bison meat. It's a lot leaner than red meat. It packs 42 grams of protein per 6 ounce. Bring it!!
Roger that... Thanks coach!
Great article CW!
sorry mean 6 oz not 60 haha
Hey Coach on tracking the approximates.. would it be wise to track the label ? or Take what you said and say 60z chicken breast @ 54g of protein .. or if the label says its only 30g at 6oz ... Thoughts?
Rob always trust the label.
I love this cheat sheet! I'm on fat shredder and my days tend to run with too little fat/carbs so this will help me add some variety and balance my budget better. Thanks for another great post Coach.
Coach, Thanks for the article. This is one reason why I always put the food I am going to eat in MFP the night before. This helps a lot when I am trying a new recipe or a new food to make sure I am getting as close as I can to all my nutritional goals for the day. I am looking forward to the day that I reach my BF% goal so that I can finally add back some calories and maintain a weight. I am finally seeing a light at the end of the tunnel :-)
excellent post Coach! The carbs with high protein are perfect for the fat shredder plan, especially since they also packed with so much fiber! Very necessary for a plan that is low carb fiber can be very crucial at that stage.. :) Thanks for putting it so well.!!
Note to all: Make sure if you use raw lentils or beans that they are fully cooked before you eat them!!!! Undercooked beans while are eatable even though they are a little tough, can give you the WORST gas in the world. The kind that clears the floor of a house. Happened to me a few days ago and I had to look it up as to why it was happening because my parents were pretty mad lol. If curious, some info: http://www.livestrong.com/article/522115-types-of-beans-that-cause-excess-gas/
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Hey Coach Wayne. I'm 5'6 122lb and I'm trying to shed off all the fat on my abs while trying to gain size on my arms and chest. EVERYDAY I've been eating chicken tenderloins for lunch and salmon for dinner, sometimes eggs at breakfast if not peanutbutter or veggies. I've been eating the same thing, for a while now. Is that okay? I'm getting really bored of just chicken and salmon. I eat 1600 cal a day, and I don't want to throw off the numbers. :s help
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