Try This – How I Track and Hit My Protein Goals

Long-time readers know that when I turned 40 a couple of years ago, I got serious about increasing my lean muscle mass.

I had a huge wake-up call at 39 when I went in for my first body composition test with my trainer.

Even though I ate super healthy and was pretty active, I measured in at 26 percent body fat. But if you looked at me, you would have never guessed that because I was so skinny! But I was actually skinny-fat, I guess you could say.

As I was trying to make sense of it all and figure out what to do to fix it, it was my friend Dr. Gabrielle Lyon who helped me understand that the real problem was I was under-muscled. 

She emphasized that muscle needed to be my main focus moving forward and that muscle had all sorts of protective benefits that would radically improve my longevity.

But the key was that I needed to a) get serious about resistance training, b) double down on protein, and c) start tracking how much I ate daily.

Like many people who get serious about adding lean muscle mass, especially as they get older, the idea of hitting protein goals can seem daunting. And believe me, it was at first. But tracking my protein consumption was a game-changer.

I had no idea how much I was under-eating on my protein targets until I started tracking. The top educators in this space tell us we need 1 gram of protein per pound of our ideal target weight, and even more if we’re trying to add muscle mass, which was my goal.

Working with my trainer, we put a plan together. For my goal of adding about 0.8 pounds of lean muscle mass per month, I needed to consume 184 grams of protein a day. 

The idea of consuming that much protein felt overwhelming at first, but by tracking my protein using an app and weighing my food, I got the hang of it, and now it’s second nature.

Sometimes, it’s helpful to see what others are doing and how they’re hitting their goals because it inspires you to double down on your own goals. And I know many of you feel that adding more protein to your diet is a priority because you’ve been convinced by the literature.

That’s the goal of this simple email—to show you how I hit my daily protein goals and inspire you to get serious about tracking your protein. Because if you’re not used to doing it, it’s easy to under-eat over the long term.

Just a few quick notes before we jump into an average day of me hitting my goal of 184g of protein in a day…

1. Remember, my goals aren’t your goals. It might be worth working with a trainer or coaching service (I’ll mention a few at the end of the email) to put a personalized plan together.
   

2. You don’t have to track forever, but even tracking for two weeks will give you a helpful “protein audit” to see how far off you are from your goals. And you’ll continue to get better and better at eye-balling how much protein is in various foods.
   

3. Some experts also say an easy rule of thumb for women who don’t have any specific weight goals is 30g of protein per meal and 100g of protein per day. My wife and sisters find this to be an easy rule that simplifies the whole protein conversation.
   

4. For those who are curious, I use the premium version of MyFitnessPal to track my protein and calories. But I’ve also enjoyed the Carbon App in the past. In addition to using an app to track, I also have a super-simple digital food scale to weigh my food so I can accurately understand how much protein is in it.
   

5. Last note: As we’ve learned from Dr. Don Layman in a past podcast episode, 75 percent of adding muscle is regular resistance training, and 25 percent is the protein piece. But Dr. Lyon has reminded us that even if you aren’t resistance training regularly yet, hitting your 1 gram of protein per pound is super important as you age because your body becomes less and less efficient at utilizing protein.

Now, with all those notes out of the way, let’s jump into my day.

Dhru’s Day | Goal: 184 grams of protein

Breakfast
Smoothie | 46g protein

I love starting my day with a protein shake because it’s quick and easy and makes me feel like I’m already well on my way to hitting my protein goals. I’m personally using a beef protein powder right now, but in the past I would use whey protein. My recipe is simple: 2 scoops of protein, 10 ounces of water, a couple of strawberries, and 30 grams of frozen avocado.

3 Deviled eggs | 18.8g protein

I love eggs, and I also love eating a heavier breakfast. So it's not uncommon that after my shake, I’ll have a few eggs with some pickled oils, a tiny drip of olive oil, and some sea salt. My buddy Max once called eggs nature’s perfect food, and I for sure agree.

Workout

As I noted above, protein is only part of the equation when it comes to adding lean muscle. The other part is consistent resistance training and muscle stimulation. Most of my workouts are solo workouts with my trainer, but one major life hack for me is getting in at least one group workout a week with my close friends. It's an opportunity to catch up, push each other, and celebrate our wins.

Photo: Me and my buddies Antonio, Brendan, and Mark

Snack: 2 Maui Nui Venison Sticks | 18g protein

My whole family is obsessed with these venison sticks, and we were obsessed even before they became a sponsor of my podcast. Not only do they taste great, but they are packed with protein, which makes it easy to hit your goals. They are also probably the cleanest red meat on the planet. If you don’t know about Maui Nui, they are doing some amazing work.

Right after my workout is done, they are one of my go-to sources for protein. I typically work out at 10:00 a.m., so I’m not yet ready for lunch, but I’m hungry, so I’ll have one or two of these.

Notes: Between breakfast and my snack, I’m already at 76.5 grams of protein. That’s basically 40 percent of the way there—and I still have lunch and dinner.

Lunch: Wild Salmon with Veggies | 46g protein

My go-to for lunch is typically a nice piece of wild salmon. Sometimes, I make it at home, and sometimes, I pick it up from Erewhone in LA with a side of veggies. It’s packed with protein, and having high-quality fish 4–5 days a week really brings my Omega-3 Index into the optimal range when I test with OmegaQuant.

Snack: 2x Patagonia Provisions Mussels | 18g protein

I’m a big fan of these canned smoked mussels by Patagonia Provisions. They are easy to take the office or travel with, and taste great. I use them quite often, but I’ll be honest—I’m looking for a replacement that doesn’t come in a can. All the conversations around canned foods and canned drinks being lined with endocrine disruptors or plastics are kind of scary. And even though they say they are BPA-free, I’m still trying to reduce my exposure. But hey, it's not about being perfect, it's about evolving in the right direction. I’ll keep you posted if I find something better.

Dinner: Chicken Thighs, Japanese Sweet Potatoes, and Roasted Cauliflower | 25g protein

On this particular night for dinner, I kept things super basic and just mixed some leftover chicken thighs, roasted cauliflower, and Japanese sweet potatoes together with a teaspoon of olive oil. The photo looks pretty bad (lol!) but I promise you it tasted great!

Notes: If you’re following along, you’ll notice that I’m at 171.8 grams of protein, but the thing that I didn’t mention is since I track all my calories using MyFitnessPal, there’s a bunch of miscellaneous protein from my veggies throughout the day that basically brings me to my total protein goal of 184.

Conclusion

I truly believe that seeing is believing, and my hope is that by seeing how I hit my protein goals, you feel inspired to prioritize your own goals!

Lastly, I mentioned that I’d link to a few paid coaching resources for anyone looking to get serious about tracking macros, especially protein. Two that I’ve had a couple of friends use are My Body Tutor and Biolayne Coaching. I have no affiliation with either company.

Also, don’t forget to ask your current functional medicine doctor, nutritionist, or trainer if they could help you put together a plan. Sometimes, we don’t need to pay for something new, we just need to get support from the team we already have.

Let’s get fit together!

Dhru Purohit  

P.S. My friend Dr. Deanna Minich is hosting a pretty amazing summit on all things melatonin! And it's free to sign-up!

Over 12 days, in 12 free interviews, people can listen to discussions with 10 of the top international researchers, clinicians, and experts on melatonin science and application on these topics: sleep, circadian health, glymphatic fluid drainage from the brain, neurodegeneration, chemoprevention, immune effects, and mitochondrial health. Check it out at melatoninmasterclass.com