QUESTION 3 : How Much Protein Do I Need Every Day? 

    The secret to figuring out how much protein you need is not by just taking some number

you found like 30g and apply it to yourself.  If everybody had the same needs we would 

all be the same.  And we both know that just isn‟t true.  Each person is slightly different. 

   Let me explain.  We‟ve all heard that a person can only digest 25-30g of protein in one 

sitting.  B.S.! 

  Just think about it.  Does an IFBB professional bodybuilder intake the same amount of

  protein as the guy who's 135 lbs just starting out?

Even if there is a 200 lb weight difference? 
The answer might shock you.  NO 

    Needless to say, so many people just take some number, multiply that by their body 

 weight and that's what they think  they need a day. Tell me, if a person is 35% body fat,

 should they use their weight or their lean weight to figure out how much protein they need?

 Simple.  Lean weight.  Your daily protein requirements are based on your lean body weight.

 And how do you figure out your lean body weight? Use the skin fold caliper home test.

Step 1: 

Take your body weight in pounds 
Example:  194 lbs 

Step 2: 

 
Example:  15.7% (which is .157 for the step below) 
Step 3: 

Take your body weight in pounds and subtract the % body fat 
Example:  194 lbs – (194 x .157 = 30.45 lbs of fat) = 163.54 lbs of lean body weight 

Step 4: 

Take your lean body weight and multiply by 1.14 
Example:  163.54 lbs x 1.14 = 186.4g of protein a day 
   
Step 5: 

 Divide your daily protein requirements by 5-6 meals and that is what your protein target

 is for each meal. 
 

 Example:  186.4/6 meals = 31.07g of protein per meal 

 As you will see, a person who is 286 lbs of lean body weight will require a lot more protein.

 And a person who is  286 lbs should not be consuming the same amount of protein if their

 percentage of body fat is 35%. 

But why use 1.14 for protein requirements? 
The Recommended Daily Allowances (RDA) is 0.8g of protein.  But thats been shown to

be too low for active athletes. 

 Some sites will recommend 2.0g of protein. But that seems a bit high and your body will

 have trouble absorbing that not to mention you will probably have a lot of excess calories

 which can lead to fat gains. 

 1.14-1.5 is the most efficient range for most active, healthy adults.  This range will help

 build muscle but not lead you into a high protein diet. Feel free to adjust within that range

 if you feel you need more protein.