Tara Cosgrove-Pompetti

The women that come to see me have a few things in common… They are moms & busy professionals, they eat healthy most of the time and already work out. Yet they all struggle to lose fat, tone up and get rid of cravings.

Do you want to know another thing they all have in common?

Most of them don’t do anything near their daily recommended protein intake, which could help with all the above factors!

Here are 3 GOOD REASONS WHY WOMEN NEED MORE PROTEIN:

BUILD AND MAINTAIN LEAN MUSCLE:

Women begin to lose 1% of lean muscle each year past 30. Women must increase their protein intake with age & activity to preserve lean muscle while keeping their metabolism fired up. Lean muscle keeps women toned, slim and fit.

FEEL FULL FOR LONGER:

Protein takes longer to digest, which sustains hunger & keeps cravings at bay. By including some protein in each meal and snack women will feel more full and satisfied making it easier to achieve their health goals.

Depending on our age, body composition, physical goals, activity type, intensity, and duration, as well as our health status, our protein requirements will change.

PROTEIN REGULATES HUNGER HORMONES:

Ghrelin, a hunger hormone that promotes appetite, can be decreased by protein. Protein also increases the body’s production of peptide YY, a hormone that makes us feel full. So when it comes to reducing cravings, sometimes just a little bit more protein can go a long way!

So the actual question is: How much protein should women eat?

There is no one size fits all method for macronutrient distribution.

Depending on our age, body composition, physical goals, activity type, intensity, and duration, as well as our health status, our protein requirements will change. With that said, a fair starting point for the majority of active women is 1 gram per lb of body weight. This much protein may typically be consumed by women each day by spreading it out among three main meals and two snacks.

I typically aim for 30 grams in meals and 10-15 grams in snacks for my clients and to encourage muscle growth and recuperation on workdays, I will add an extra meal with 30 grams of protein after their workout with good quality carbs. Of course, these figures are only estimates and should be modified to suit each person’s needs.

Nonetheless, for someone just starting out, this is an excellent starting point to ensure that they get enough protein to develop lean muscle and decrease body fat without having to battle overwhelming cravings!

For quick and flavorful high-protein meals

DOWNLOAD MY FREE RECIPE BOOK TODAY!

Photo By: Mick Vh

Keep Reading

Before you read the post, please look at the photos below.

This is the same young woman, my client ISABELLE PARISIEN.

Isabelle at 26 years old, was 115 lbs at the time.

Isabelle finished her 6-month transformation in our program and is also 115 lbs. While she has not made much progress in 10 years, her shape has completely changed in only 6 months!

Now you may be wondering, how does this happen… Let me explain

In simple terms – Looking fit and toned has less to do with weight and EVERYTHING to do with body composition. A person can be healthy on the scale while still having a high body fat percentage.

This is usually the result of a low-quality diet, the wrong exercise type and poor lifestyle choices. It’s pretty common for people that are misinformed to take desperate measures in attempts to lose weight rather than address the root cause.

We will look at each point in detail along with Isabelle’s feedback to better understand.

Low Quality-Diet
Poor food choices, processed foods, low-quality carbs, low-calorie diets and lack of protein.

For a long time, I fed myself breakfast and lunch with a meal replacement shake and had only fruits for snacks. Only at supper would I have a big meal with wine and sometimes, a lot of unhealthy snacks at night. From barely ate and could not understand why my body would not change.

Today, I’m in the best shape ever and eat over 2000 calories! I learned that my body needs nutrients every 2 to 3 hours. This keeps my cortisol and blood sugar at a good level, preventing cravings and big energy drops. I eat way more protein than I used to and realized I can eat a lot of carbs as long as they are good, unprocessed carbs and not all consumed in one big portion. Through this process, I learned to cook with fine herbs and spices and discovered pretty good recipes! Protein powders are an excellent choice to make sure you get all the protein you need in fitness nutrition.

Looking fit and toned has less to do with weight and EVERYTHING to do with body composition. A person can be healthy on the scale while still having a high body fat percentage.

Wrong exercise selection
Too much cardio, activities other than resistance training or even worse being sedentary and relying on diet alone…

I did a lot of running and jogging and some home workouts but not on a regular basis. After listening to Tara telling me I had to go to the gym to gain more lean muscles, I listened!

In August 2022, I started working out at Goodlife Fitness. Another game changer. Not only do they have more equipment that helps me work different muscles on different levels, but the sensation of training in a gym was also a big game changer. It helps me disconnect from every other life obligation.

Lifestyle factors
High stress, lack of sleep, alcohol consumption

I have been dealing with stress and anxiety for longer than I remember. Actually, I don’t even think I knew that anxiety had been part of my life for most of it. Like most people of my age, I enjoyed drinking and partying. I can tell now that alcohol was also an easy way I found to deal with anxiety. Do I have to add that my sleep schedule was messed up? I never slept very well and alcohol surely did not help. I was also going to school and working crazy hours at that time, doing double time and night shifts.

When I started with Tara, I was encouraged to reduce my alcohol consumption, practice yoga and try some meditation. That really helped me calm down and stay focused on my goals and priorities.

Today at age 36, Isabelle is healthier, happier and fitter than ever.

Yet…she’s the exact same weight!!

I hope this article will help other women live in alignment with their goals while using objective methods to measure progress to stay motivated!

Keep Reading