Protein and weight loss

[Noreeen]

Hi! 👋🏻

I am in the process of trying to improve my diet and also hopefully losing around a stone in the process. I have been focused for around a month (or so) now but only weighed myself for the first time two weeks ago. I have lost 6.6lbs in the last two weeks. I panicked last week when I lost 4.4lbs and started fretting that I might be losing muscle.

I am 41 and not very strong these days. I am very keen to preserve what muscle I have so I have been trying to focus on eating more protein.

Any recommendations for easy and reliable, and not wildly expensive, ways to to boost my daily protein intake? I am aiming for 100g a day.

I eat a lot of chicken and usually meal prep chicken to take in for chicken salads for lunch at work.
I always have heigh protein Greek yoghurt in the fridge now. I know cottage cheese is probably my friend so I am thinking of adding some of that to my lunches.

Any other recommendations welcome. I have hit my target for the last three days, but I feel like I need some other ideas to make sure I am going to stay consistent.

(Oh and I also have a plan to start doing some strength training soon as I do want to get stronger but I am doing reading at the moment to work out the best way to do this).

Thats the recommended amount for an average size sedentary woman. The OP has stated that she is trying to loose weight and preserve / build muscle. In order to to that she will need more protein.

Thank you. I appreciate that I need to strength train too, but I have ADHD and need to work hard to build sustainable changes in my routine slowly. If I do too much - or try to change too many things at once - then the wheels fall off and I go back to square one of doing literally fuck all as it's too overwhelming. I'm in a good place with my diet now, after a couple of months, and I'm on track to lose a stone in total within the next couple of weeks... so I'm now getting ready to take the next steps. The last couple of weeks I've started running once a week (it's not strength training I appreciate, but another small sustainable change).

I've also just had a timely award at work so I'm purchasing some weights and resistance bands, you will be pleased to hear.

Also - as an aside - from what I've read eating more protein, even without strength training can help protect existing muscle from loss during periods of weight loss. Plus I find eating high protein keeps my fuller for longer and less likely to snack. The only struggle I'm having is getting my fibre up where it should be. I'm currently throwing a lot of pumpkin seeds around.

Anyway - if anyone cares to comment on my plan to start strength training - I'd really appreciate the feedback. I'll be aiming to do this three times a week (although I have yet to work out when I'll fit it into my life but trying not to overthink it and end in a state of perpetual procrastination!). Also any advice or tips for how to ensure good form would be welcomed. I've saved some videos of each of these exercises to watch for guidance. I'm a bit nervous!

Goblet Squats
Quads/Glutes
3 x 12-15
Push-ups
Chest/Triceps
3 x Max (1-2 reps short of failure)
Banded Rows
Back/Biceps
3 x 12-15
Bulgarian Split Squats
Legs/Balance
3 x 10 per leg
Overhead Press
Shoulders
3 x 10-12
Plank
Core
3 x 45-60 seconds

I like cottage cheese in a salad.
I'm aiming for 100g protein a day and my calorie goal is between 1500-1700 calories - I don't always hit exactly on the protein and whether I stick below 1700 calories is variable - if I'm hungry I will always eat more rather than be miserable... but I'm trying to stick to the 80/20 rule and eat sustainably. I've lost around 2lbs or a little less each week (except the week when I dropped 4lbs!), so it seems to be working.

I walk every day and have a semi-active job that involves a lot of stairs. I've just started running again (although only once a week for now) and as above I am planning to start weight training exercises.

I still haven't managed to buy any of that amazing sounding hummus!