Nutrition guide
High protein diet for weight loss
Losing weight is easy to do badly. A high protein deficit is how you make sure the number on the scale comes off fat rather than the muscle you spent years earning.
Why protein does the heavy lifting in a deficit
Three things happen when protein is high while calories are low: you stay fuller per calorie, you burn slightly more digesting it, and your body has far less reason to break down muscle for fuel. That is the whole mechanism.
Set protein at roughly 1 gram per pound of bodyweight, keep lifting heavy, and the deficit takes fat instead of hard-won tissue.
The deficit that actually finishes
Aim to lose 0.5 to 1% of bodyweight a week. For a 190 lb athlete that is one to two pounds — slow enough to keep training quality, fast enough to see it on the weekly average.
A crash deficit costs you strength, sleep and adherence in that order. The plan you can run for twelve weeks beats the plan you abandon in twelve days.
| Bodyweight | Rough daily calories | Protein | Weekly loss target |
|---|---|---|---|
| 150 lb | 1,900 | 150 g | 0.8 – 1.5 lb |
| 180 lb | 2,250 | 180 g | 0.9 – 1.8 lb |
| 210 lb | 2,600 | 210 g | 1.1 – 2.1 lb |
A day that hits it
High volume, high protein, low fuss. Every meal below is built around a protein anchor with the carbohydrate placed near training.
- Breakfast — Greek yogurt, berries, three eggs
- Lunch — chicken, potatoes, a large salad with measured olive oil
- Pre-training — banana and a whey shake
- Dinner — white fish or lean beef, rice, vegetables
- Evening — cottage cheese if protein is short
What stalls a cut
Almost every stall is one of four things, and none of them require a new diet.
- Untracked oils, sauces and drinks — the easiest 300 calories to miss
- Weekend eating that erases the weekday deficit
- Dropping training volume, so there is no reason to keep the muscle
- Judging a single morning weigh-in instead of the seven-day average
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On your feet, 3–5 sessions a week
Fat loss — 1,700 kcal a day
Maintenance is about 2,070 kcal at 175 lb and moderate activity.
- Protein
- 175 g
- Carbs
- 125 g
- Fat
- 55 g
Training day: 1800 kcal
Rest day: 1600 kcal
A day on this plan
- BreakfastEggs, oats and fruit430 kcal45 g protein
- LunchProtein, rice or potatoes, vegetables510 kcal55 g protein
- Around trainingYogurt and a banana, or a shake260 kcal25 g protein
- DinnerProtein, starch, salad with olive oil510 kcal55 g protein
Drink around 2.6 L of water a day, more in heat. General guidance, not medical advice.
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