The Art of the Tweak: Protein

I got tipped by my friend Liz to this article, which emphasizes protein's importance to weight loss, especially in women. While it is a good introductory article, it does what most mainstream articles do: puts information out there (good) without a lot of context (bad).

In particular, and this was noted almost immediately in the comments section of the article, was the fact that people's bodies process macronutrients in different ways. Some people can eat a breakfast made almost entirely of protein and have no issues whatsoever. The next, having eaten the mentioned 2 eggs + 1 cup cottage cheese, would find themselves passed out under their desk at half past 9.

There is so much information out there on nutritional ratios, food timing, food combining. The list is endless and mind-numbing, contradictory and seems to undergo a 180-degree shift in thinking every 5-8 years (are eggs good or bad for us right now, I can never remember, but I eat 'em because they are a whole food and that simplifies things for me).

It is discouraging and sometimes scary to have a bad reaction to a dietary change, and hard to figure out what went wrong or what to change first to keep progressing to better eating.

Thus, the art of the tweak.

1. Change only one or two things at a time. This should be the title of every one of my blogs. Trying to change eleventy-billion things at once does you no good if you can't figure out what is working and what is not. If you want to transition to eating more protein, lower your carbohydrate/fat intake slightly and add a little more protein at breakfast. If that works out, do the same with another meal, etc. until you've transitioned to the intake point you want to reach. Increasing your protein intake too quickly can lead to stomach upset and low blood sugar (from cutting carbohydrates too drastically).

2. Take notes. Choose your goal - to get to a specific number of protein grams per day, to simply eat more protein overall, to move to leaner proteins - and keep track of how you feel during the transition. They can be mental notes, yes, but the point is to know if what you're doing is working over time. Anything else is just a guess.

3. Don't give up carbohydrates or healthy fats. Balance your meals with a mix of lean protein, whole-grain carbohydrates and healthy fat. Ratio is up to whatever works for you, but your carbohydrates should not fall below 40% of your daily calories (or you're flirting with Atkins territory and no one likes a gassy, angry dieter). Keep a fast-acting carbohydrate with you until you feel you have found the right combination, in case you end up a little hypoglycemic.

4. Beware processed soy. If you are male, this goes double for you. Unprocessed soy is good for you (tempeh, miso, edamame) but tofu, veggie burgers and TVP are highly concentrated soy foods and are not natural (natural = found in nature or occurring through natural processes).

5. Leave your comfort zone. I know I said in my last blog not to change things if you have never been one for certain types of foods, but let me clarify: Start off with what you know, then consider the options. With protein, there is a lot of variety to be had. Try quinoa or make red beans & rice for complete, lean, vegetarian proteins. Dump the Luna bars (too much processed sugar and soy) and bring along some Greek yogurt with fruit or a PB & J on whole wheat bread. (Oh man, they use the term "extruded" to describe the process of making TVP. My least favorite word. Ew.)

Think it through and make your move, tweak it and twerk it!