The 2 key things I see with women who are trying to lose fat and get healthier are 1. Not doing enough strength training and 2. Not eating enough protein throughout the day.
Here's the thing with protein, if you are only having some at lunch and dinner, you aren't hitting your protein needs.
Protein (aka amino acids...there are 20 of them) is the ONLY thing that is NOT stored in the body in a complete form.
We store fat and we store carbohydrates but protein is limited in the body. What I hear SO much is around the age of 40 women start complaining about belly fat. :( They didn't do anything differently but all of a sudden a muffin top appeared. It's frustrating!
As we age, we lose muscle. And that process speeds up the older we get. Strength training and protein are the 2 things that create a 1, 2, punch to build muscle and BURN FAT (and burn the carbs we eat so they don't get stored as fat!!).
I never eat a meal with just carbs. Oatmeal is awesome on a training day to provide good fuel for training. And while it has some protein, it isn't a complete protein. If it didn't have a mother lol, it's not a complete protein. Your body will end up breaking down its' own muscle (catabolism) to get the amino acids it needs. It's like robbing peter to pay paul. Not good!!
You don't have to skip your oats but make sure they aren't the sugary kind and get yourself some yummy english toffee stevia and ceylon cinnamon for natural sweeter!!
AND, add a simple protein shake. I use either an egg white one (non dairy) or a vegan one that I'll put in my oats and mix all together. I usually do that and add ground flaxseed as well. I like my oats to be thick!
Here are links to Amazon to my 2 favorites right now!
On non-training days I make a shake! I have a blog post with all the ingredients and I'll link to it below! I don't like to drink a cold shake, especially in the winter time so I'll make it and leave it on the counter for 30 minutes or so. I also like it thick and have to eat it with a skinny OXO spatula! Ha!!
The other protein I am LOVING right now is this super yummy dark chocolate collagen. I have it in the afternoon as a 'snack' and it keeps my sweet tooth in check and my appetite. I mix it with unsweetened flax milk that has a little protein in it.
Click on the picture to go to directly to Amazon to check it out!
Bottom line, start your day with protein and have at least a palm size serving with lunch and dinner. Throw in a serving of collagen in the afternoon and your are set!!
The research also shows that including 30 grams of protein at breakfast helps greatly reduce nighttime snacking. It helps to manage blood sugar level.
I hope you found this helpful! Please don't hesitate to send me any nutrition, lifestyle, fitness questions you have my way. I love what I do. Would love to hear from you!
XO!