The protein number 90% of new clients miss
When I open a new client's food log, the first thing I check is one number. Nine times out of ten it is too low — and fixing it changes everything.
By Andy Torres
The number
Roughly 1.6 to 2.2 grams of protein per kilogram of bodyweight, every day. For a 75 kg man training seriously, that is around 130 to 160 grams a day. Hit that consistently and you have solved most of what people think they need supplements for.
Why most people undershoot
The mistake is almost always the same: protein gets added on top of a normal day instead of designed into it. People eat their usual breakfast, snack, lunch, and dinner — then bolt on a shake at the end. They end up around 80 grams a day and wonder why nothing is changing.
What 150 grams actually looks like
Two whole eggs and a Greek yoghurt at breakfast. A chicken breast at lunch. Cottage cheese and a piece of fruit mid-afternoon. Salmon or steak at dinner. That is your day, give or take a shake.
You do not need exotic foods. You need to plan four touch-points that each deliver 30 to 40 grams.
The change you will feel first
Hunger drops within a week. Strength holds during a cut. Recovery between sessions improves. Most clients tell me by week three they feel "fuller for longer" — which is just protein doing its job.
This is not optional. If you are training seriously and your protein is low, nothing else you change matters.