I received this question after my last Fitness Friday chat about learning that insulin resistant individuals lose their body protein at twice the rate of other people as they age. I have always thought that women with PCOS needed more protein than other people, for a variety of reasons, and this simply served to confirm that sentiment.
I do like the"40-30-30" rule (carbohydrates, protein, fat), and here are the calculations for the grams of protein you would need at a variety of representative calorie levels if you're striving to have 30% of your diet's calories come from protein.
1200 calories 90 grams
1300 calories 97 grams
1400 calories 105 grams
1500 calories 113 grams
1600 calories 120 grams
1700 calories 127 grams
1800 calories 135 grams
1900 calories 143 grams
2000 calories 150 grams
2100 calories 158 grams
2200 calories 165 grams
2300 calories 173 grams
2400 calories 180 grams
2500 calories 188 grams
Most clients I work with are surprised to find that it takes a concerted effort to actually reach this, and that it can be challenging on a vegetarian diet. If you're having trouble, this is a great reason to make an appointment with one of our inCYSTers, trained to help you find ways to get the protein you need to maintain your muscle mass and fight that dreaded insulin resistance.