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An athlete asked me this question in the gym last week,  and I figured that many of you would want to know the answer! So, here’s a whole blog post 🙂

The question: Based on my goals and my lean body mass, l need XX blocks/grams of protein per day. How many pounds of meat do I buy each week?

The answer:

There are two ways to calculate this: Zone Blocks or Grams of Protein. Both are great.

Zone Blocks

In this formula, you will count protein with blocks as the unit.

Use the Zone calculator to see what your Zone prescription is. 1 block equals somewhere between 1 and 1.5 ounces of meat, depending on which sources you choose. We’ll assume that you eat a lot of beef & chicken breast (the basics), and for those, 1 ounce = one block.  If you eat a lot of ground turkey or ground beef, you may want to use 1.5 ounces here. Remember that this is one ounce of of cooked meat, so multiply by 1.17 to find out how much raw meat you would need to buy at the store.

The formula:

your block prescription multiplied by 1 ounce = total ounces of cooked meat needed per day.

Multiply this number by 1.17 to found out how many ounces of raw meat you’ll need per day.

Divide this number by 16 to find out how many pounds you’ll need per day. Multiply this number by 7 to find out how many pounds of meat you need to buy at the grocery store every week.

Grams of Protein 

In this formula, you will count protein with grams as the unit

If you don’t want to do Zone, but you do see the value in getting adequate protein (everyone should!) this option may be easier and possibly more precise. Use this link for the calculator. It’s from the site, ‘If It Fits Your Macros” and it will allow you to tweak your macro nutrient ratios around a bit, based on your goals. “Macronutrient ratio” is just a fancy way of saying what percentage of your daily calories are coming from carbs, proteins, and fats. In The Zone, you eat 40% carbs, 30% protein, 30% fat. A lower carb ratio would be 35% fat, 25% carb, 40% protein. The Zone is a great place for anyone to start, but other ratios have their place.

The formula:

Number of grams of protein you need per day divided by 96. This tells you how many pounds (or what % of a pound) of meat you need each day. Multiply this by 7 to find out how many pounds you need per week.

Remember that this is all to help you get a rough number. One pound of lean steak has more protein than a pound of 75% lean ground beef…not all meat is created equal! You also have non-meat options, including eggs, protein powder, and some dairy options. Check out this site for more information on that. When possible, choose the leanest cuts of meat that you can find, and get a variety of sources in each week. And by all means, get enough! 🙂

So, you’ve done the underwater weigh and you’ve set your goals. Now, you’re ready to win the competition! You want to lose weight fast, right? Have I got a secret for you!

It is, in fact, possible to lose weight fast. It’s not very complicated. Basically, you’re going to do several hours of cardio every day and eat as few calories as possible. If you do this, you will likely lose weight fast.

However, you will also (just as quickly) gain fat fast as soon as you return to your normal lifestyle. So, beyond the fact that cutting too many calories makes you hangry (not hungry, hangry), you also lose precious muscle mass, and muscle mass is the key to keeping your metabolism up and running long term.

Weight Loss does not equal Fat Loss.

Weight loss is based on deprivation, countless diets (that don’t work), endless cardio followed by food binges, and an obsession with the scale.

Fat Loss is based on achievement and abundance, limitless food & exercise variations, resistance exercise + high intensity exercise, and consistent progress toward realistic goals.

Ready to make a lifestyle change? Ready to chase fat loss, and not just weight loss?

1) Chose whole, nutrient dense foods. Kale salad, steamed salmon, roasted sweet potato wedges, a few almonds. These foods will keep you feeling full and satisfied, without packing on the pounds.

2) Exercise! Choose short, high intensity intervals, paired with heavy weight training. See: Crossfit. This type of exercise builds muscle while blasting fat.

3) Manage stress, get plenty of sleep, drink enough water, and remember that this game is one part nutrition, one part exercise, and one part mindset.

You may have seen this image before. It shows one girl at three different weights. As she gains muscle and loses fat, she weighs a little more overall, but she is leaner, tighter, and more fit. It wasn’t fast, but it was effective. Chase fitness performance, not weight loss.  You may gain a little muscle, lose a little fat, and stop caring about the scale in the process!

In the previous post, we discussed a few lessons about paleo zone that I learned the hard way. We also explained the easiest, lowest time commitment, cheapest way to eat Paleo Zone. (Hint: cook in bulk & make your own freezer meals). Now that you know all of that, you might be ready to embark on this adventure. Want me to plan your first week of bulk cooking for you? Check out this potential week in your paleo life.

Saturday: Make a Grocery List.

Sunday: Shop & Cook in bulk. Portion out your meals for the week, and then freeze the rest. It’s best to freeze in individual portions. An option would be putting each portion in a sandwich size bag, labeling, and laying it flat in the freezer. Then, you can pull it out in a few weeks when you’re ready for it. Avoid freezing in bulk–it’s much easier (and faster) to defrost in single servings.

A note on freezing: Meat is very easy to freeze, defrost, and often tastes just as great when re-heated. Since the veggies eating experience relies a lot on texture, I’d avoid freezing these dishes (with the exception of perhaps a veggie soup) and simply make these every week.

Monday-Friday: Enjoy the fruits of your labor by simply reheating your preservative-free fridge and freezer meals throughout the week.

Remember how we discussed the merits of choosing your meals based on 1) the ingredients and 2) the preparation method? You want a variety of protein/fat/carb sources, and you want to choose a bunch of meals that can all be cooked at once. Here are a few options:

Proteins:

Beef + One Pot: Robb Wolf Paleo Chili

Multi Protein + One Pot: Primal Jambalya

Eggs + One Pot: Nom Nom Frittata

Pork + Crockpot: Pulled Pork Chili

Chicken + One Tray: Smoky Chicken Thighs

Chicken + One Tray: Siracha Lime Chicken

Even Easier: Hot Plates! Cook all of your proteins and add some spices! Vary the proteins, vary the spices. Very Easy!

Carbs:

Low Density Carbs:

Broccoli: Add some oil, salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and coconut aminos into a bowl with the broccoli. Massage gently, then spread it on a cookie sheet and place it in the oven at 400 for 30 minutes.

Brussels Sprouts: Add oil, salt, pepper, and chopped uncooked bacon in a bowl. Mix well, then spread it on a cookie sheet and place it in the oven at 400 for 40 minutes.

Kale: Rough chop it, toss with peppers & tomatoes,some dressing, and make a salad. Make this salad a few days in advance…the dressing helps to soften the kale.

Spinach: Toss with a few strawberries and walnuts, and make a salad!

High Density Carbs:

Sweet Potato: Cut into wedges, add oil and seasonings (I like paprika or rosemary), cook at 350 for 20 minutes, and then at 400 for 20 minutes.

Carrots: Coat in oil and dill weed. Roast at 400 for 20 minutes.

Fruit: apples, blueberries, etc. These are so yummy and are pre-prepped for you!

Fats:

You’ll want protein, carbs and fat at each meal. Fat often comes included in the rest of your foods (most non-ultra lean protein has fat, and most carb/veggie sources are cooked in fat) but you may need to add fat if you don’t have enough. Almonds and avocados are great choices here.

Want more? Check out these four posts!

EDCF Nutrition Part1 : Let’s Define “Clean Eating”

EDCF Nutrition Part 2:  Paleo Zone is the Way to Go! 

EDCF Nutrition Part 3: The Easiest Path to Paleo Zone

EDCF Nutrition Part 4: One Week of Meal Prep