Dear Kayla,
All this “you must eat 150 grams of protein a day!” stuff is getting in my head. I’m 5’0 and 189 lbs. I’m still 30 lbs away from my goal. I struggle with overeating at my meal, worrying I’m not getting enough protein.
How do I get enough protein in? Also, the RDA is to avoid nutrition deficiency, it’s not an optimal range. I think I only need technically 60 grams a day, but let me know your thoughts.
Signed,
Overwhelmed in Ohio
Dear Overwhelmed,
I used to drive myself crazy about all this stuff, too. There was so much information out there about nutrition and weight loss and metabolism, and I felt like it was my job to understand it all if I wanted to lose weight. But all that knowledge also led to a lot of worry. When I heard about intermittent fasting, the what-ifs attacked.
What if I develop a deficiency?
What if I mess up my metabolism?
What if it leads to an eating disorder?
What if it messes with my hormones?
The what-ifs kept me stuck. I stayed obese and miserable. Then one day, I decided to go on a low information diet. As an information addict, this seemed almost impossible at first. But what if there’s a real problem? my inner voice cried. So I made myself a deal. I was allowed to research an actual problem when it manifested in my life. Otherwise, no research.
Instead of spending time researching, my new strategy was to take massive action on my weight problem. Instead of reading 5 different articles about the pros and cons of HIIT exercise, I’d get out in my yard and run sprints. Instead of looking at 15 different studies about the efficacy of various diets on belly fat, I’d eat less food.
That’s when the pounds started dropping. Also, my life got a whole lot more enjoyable, because I was living it instead of glued to a screen, burying myself in information that only served to keep me up at night.
And guess what. All those what-ifs that I had? They never materialized.
It sounds like this whole 150 grams of protein thing is making you miserable. You’re allowed to stop doing things that are keeping you stuck.
You have to make a decision about what you believe about protein. And then you must act in accordance with your beliefs. Until you do that, you’ll keep driving yourself crazy.
Sincerely,
Kayla
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