Have you ever found yourself wondering, how many grams of protein should I eat in a day?
The answer to that can be relatively simple or complex. There are some questions you should ask yourself before you ask how many grams of protein should I eat in a day? Ask yourself, what are my goals? Do you lead a sedentary or active lifestyle? Once you have decided what kind of goal you have in mind and have answered what kind of lifestyle you lead then you can have a better understanding of “how many grams of protein should I eat in a day?”
Active vs. Sedentary Lifestyle General Guidelines:
Although daily estimates for how many grams of protein should I eat in a day varies, a general guideline for people that lead a sedentary lifestyle is that you need to consume about 0.8 grams per kilogram (2.2 pounds) of ideal bodyweight (the weight you would like to be). A general guideline for the more active person who is looking for gains in strength should be to consume 1.2 to 1.4 grams of protein per kilogram of ideal bodyweight.
If you are a sedentary male weighting 140lbs you should be consuming 50.4 grams of protein per day.
Calculation= (140lbs/2.2) * 0.8 = 50.4 grams
If you are an active male weighing 140lbs you should be consuming 76.36 to 89.1 grams of protein per day.
Calculation= (140lbs/2.2) * 1.2 = 76.36 grams
Calculation= (140lbs/2.2) * 1.4 = 89.10 grams
What is your Goal?
The question of “How many grams of protein should I eat in a day” really depends on your goals. Do you want to lose weight, gain strength, increase performance or just increase your quality of life?
Dieting and your ideal bodyweight:
Using the above formulas can also help you answer the question of “how many grams of protein should I eat in a day?” if you want to lose weight.
If you lead an active lifestyle and currently weigh 140lbs you should be eating about 76 to 89 grams of protein per day (based on the above calculations). If you want to decrease your body weight to 130lbs you should be eating 71 to 83 grams of protein per day.
If you lead a sedentary lifestyle and currently weigh 140lbs you should be eating about 50 grams of protein per day (based on the above calculations). If you want to decrease your body weight to 130lbs you should be eating 47 grams of protein per day.
Strength and Performance:
If you want to gain strength or increase your performance more than likely you will want to eat more protein than the average person. Consuming about 1.2 to 1.4 grams of protein per kilogram of ideal bodyweight (what you want to weigh) is the advice usually given by seasoned bodybuilders. Just remember to balance your protein intake with the right amount of carbohydrates.
If you lead an active lifestyle and currently weigh 140lbs you should be eating about 76 to 89 grams of protein per day (based on the above calculations). If you want to increase your body weight to 160lbs you should be eating 87 to 102 grams of protein per day.