10 Strong
Commandment 5
PROTEIN
“Protein: Your Best Friend for Fat Loss and Lean Muscle After 40.”
The single most important nutrient for losing fat, keeping muscle, and feeling full—without blowing your calorie budget.
Learn The Basics
Why Protein is the King of Nutrients
If there’s one nutrient men over 40 can’t afford to ignore, it’s protein.
Here’s why:
• Preserves muscle while losing weight
• Builds new muscle when paired with strength training
• Keeps you fuller longer (reducing cravings)
• Burns more calories during digestion than carbs or fat (the “thermic effect” of food)
Fun fact: Your body uses 20–30% of the calories from protein just to digest it—meaning 100 calories of protein only nets about 70 usable calories.
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How to Find Your Protein Target
We keep it simple:
• Start with your goal weight in pounds
• That’s roughly how many grams of protein you should eat each day
Example:
Goal weight = 175 lbs → 175 g protein/day
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Buying Protein with Calories
Think of your calories as currency. If you have a budget of 2,000 calories (fat loss target), you “buy” your protein first—then spend the rest however you like (ideally on whole foods).
Example:
• Goal: 2,000 calories/day
• Protein target: 175 g (700 calories from protein)
• Remaining “budget”: 1,300 calories for carbs and fats you enjoy
When you hit your protein target consistently, you protect muscle, recover faster, and make fat loss easier—no matter what the rest of your diet looks like.
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Protein Food Hacks
Here are high-protein, low-calorie staples that deliver at least 10g of protein per 100 calories:
• Nonfat Greek yogurt (15–20g protein / 100–120 calories)
• Lean chicken breast (22–25g / 100 calories)
• Egg whites (10g / 50 calories)
• Canned tuna or salmon (15–20g / 100 calories)
• Low-fat cottage cheese (12–14g / 100 calories)
Throw these into 2–3 meals a day and you’ll hit your numbers without trying.
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The 10 Strong Way: Progress Over Perfection
Protein isn’t about restriction—it’s about protection. Protecting your muscle, your metabolism, and your ability to look and feel your best while dropping fat.
