Protein While Losing Weight Charleston SC - Protect Your Muscle | Hope Integrative Medicine
October 30, 2026 · 1:12
Why weight loss can cost muscle, how much protein to aim for under the current guidelines, how to fit it in when your appetite is small, and why strength training matters.
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Transcript
Protein while losing weight: how to protect your muscle. Here are three things to know. When you lose weight, some of what you lose can be muscle rather than fat, whether you eat less, take a medicine such as semaglutide or tirzepatide, or both. Muscle keeps you strong and steady and helps your body use blood sugar. The two key tools are enough protein and regular strength training. The current Dietary Guidelines set a target of 1.2 to 1.6 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight per day. For someone who weighs 170 pounds, that is roughly 90 to 125 grams a day. Your provider may set a different target, especially if you have kidney disease. A solid source of protein at every meal is easier than one large dinner. On low-appetite days, eat the protein on your plate first, and try yogurt, eggs or a protein shake. Add two or three strength sessions a week, with weights, resistance bands or squats and wall push-ups. Read the full article at hopeintegrativemed.com.
Frequently Asked Questions
Muscle keeps you strong and steady and helps your body use blood sugar, so protecting it matters while you lose weight.
A 170-pound person weighs about 77 kilograms, which works out to roughly 90 to 125 grams of protein a day under the current guidelines. Your provider may set a different target based on your health, especially if you have kidney disease.
Eggs, Greek yogurt and cottage cheese; chicken, turkey, fish and shrimp; lean beef or pork; beans, lentils, tofu and edamame; and milk, cheese and nuts as add-ons.
