How I shut my Caveman down and became pro protein.

Recently I’ve been trying to drop a few pounds. To do that I’ve been exercising and following the Mediterranean diet which isn’t really a diet as much as it is a healthy-eating plan (see this blog post). So, am I on the right track? Well yes, but here’s where I have veered off the fat burning freeway and into the ditch. I’m not very patient. It was quick and easy to pack on those extra pounds, but like that ugly sweater vest I got from my well-intentioned aunt, I want to pack those pounds up and return them for a full refund faster than you can say chips and dip. But short of rolling through for a little liposuction, (I’ll do that once they’ve developed drive-thru liposuction) losing weight is a longer-term proposal.

Always on the lookout for a faster route, I thought that skipping a meal would be an easy way to shed that excess weight. I could drop breakfast in a heartbeat. To be clear, I’m talking about skipping the toast part, not the coffee! I want to lose weight, not my mind. I can easily wait until noon to eat and then have a decent, healthy lunch and dinner. What could be wrong with that? Turns out, there’s a few flaws with that plan which would likely send me back to the ditch. You see as we get older, it’s not such a great idea to ‘skip the dishes’ – especially at breakfast time. I’ll get into exactly why but first a short primer:

I want to acknowledge that inside each of us we have different versions of ourselves operating within one body. We have the modern versions with our iPhones, gel polished nails and secret sports betting accounts no one knows about (oops!). In my case it’s “Mod Dave” who’s hooked on the western diet, collecting travel points and reruns of Downton Abbey. Then there is the primal version of ourselves. That version accounts for how our bodies operate despite our modern ways and ideas. It’s also the version that hasn’t had a software upgrade since we were drawing on cave walls by firelight. We’ve evolved, just not that much. For fun, we’ll call that version “Cave Dave”. Now back to the blog.

What I hadn’t considered when I decided to skip breakfast was that our metabolism naturally slows as we age. That means it’s less efficient in converting food into energy. You see Cave Dave figures he’s finished trying to reproduce and moves into “preservation” mode. You can kick back a little in preservation mode. So, with a reduced need for energy (no more getting busy with the cave girls) the extra calories we take in, but don’t burn, are stored as fat. That’s why many of us have expanding waistlines even if we haven’t changed the amount we eat. Skipping a meal makes a bad situation (for losing weight) even worse.

When we skip a meal, to reduce calories, Cave Dave pulls the alarm and says, “hey, we’re not eating! This means trouble – maybe there’s a famine. Stop burning calories. Slow everything down! Go into survival mode.” Cave Dave overreacts because he doesn’t understand that Modern Dave’s muffin top is spilling out between his ZZ Top t-shirt and his baggy Levi’s making him look downright dumpy. Modern Dave wants to lose weight, but Cave Dave says, not on my watch. So, by skipping a meal, we’re eating less but, we might actually be gaining weight.

In this instance it is better to have three meals but with a reduced calorie count at each. The idea is to get into a calorie deficit (and burn stored fat) without setting off any alarms. This way Cave Dave thinks it’s business as usual and doesn’t slam the breaks on our metabolism.

Our metabolism is more active in the morning. Studies have shown that our metabolism is more than twice as efficient in the morning as it is in the evening. You see after a night of fasting Cave Dave is ready to eat. Way back in the day dropping a Pop-Tart into the toaster wasn’t an option. Food had to be hunted or foraged. Because of this, energy needs were high in the early part of the day – finding food was a chore. So, the body responded by cranking up the metabolism. In fact, the same study showed that people who ate a big breakfast burned twice as many calories as people who ate a big dinner. They also had fewer cravings for snacks & sweets and were not as prone to over-eating. See, good things happen when you keep Cave Dave happy!

So if breakfast is now back on the menu, let’s consider what’s in my bowl. Most mornings I’ll have oatmeal or granola with fruit, which I know is healthier and packs more punch than a couple of slices of white toast and Nutella. But it still may not be enough.

Add protein to your breakfast. Say what? This is this like the ‘new math’ from my high school days – you add more to weigh less? It’s true that adding protein, particularly to your morning meal, can be helpful in managing your weight. Proteins not only help us feel full longer, but they’re also the building blocks for cells and are critical for maintaining muscle mass. As we age, we naturally lose muscle. Remember Cave Dave has us kicked back in preservation mode. But even if you don’t aspire to become the Rock, we need to continue building muscle to maintain our metabolism. Muscles need energy to function, fat doesn’t. If we work to preserve and build muscle our metabolism will rev up to meet demand. That’s a key to managing weight. But there’s more. Keeping our muscles strong is vital in fending off frailty, weakness, and loss of mobility. These are conditions we want to avoid as they cause the falls and fractures that plague older folks. The goal is to stay strong!

That must mean I can pile on the sausage and bacon, lose 10 pounds, and not spill out of my Speedo by spring? Not so fast cave man! Too much animal protein, particularly processed meats, can lead to a host of other health issues like heart and kidney disease as well as some cancers. So, what to do?

Choose more plant-based and dairy proteins. I always thought nuts were just football watching food, and yogurt was skinny girl’s ice-cream. Turns out they’re both protein powerhouses! Nutritionists suggest we aim to get 25-30% of our daily calories from proteins which sounds simple but what exactly does that mean? And how are you supposed to figure that out? Okay, this is a two-part equation – first calculate how much protein you need then where you’re going to get it from. Part A, simply multiply your weight by .36. For example, let’s just say someone, no one in particular, maybe a blog writing friend, is 184 lbs. My friend would need about 66 grams of protein a day (184 x .36 = 66.24). Bear in mind, this is just a guide as things like your fitness and activity level and your current body composition will also factor in. So, it’s always a good idea to consult with your health care team on what’s best for you.

Here are a few great ways to answer part B of the equation by adding lean protein to your breakfast:

Eggs – particularly egg whites – they’re low calorie and pack about 10g per serving
Beans – You know what they say about beans? Beans, beans are full of proteins – 8 to 10 g per serving. They’re also good for your heart.
Greek or Icelandic yogurt – these varieties have more protein than regular yogurt – around 18g per serving. Go for plain yogurt over the flavoured variety as they can have a ton of added sugar. It can be a little bitter tasting, so you have to get used to it. I add just a spoon full of honey to make the yogurt go down.
Nuts – throw a small handful onto your oatmeal to add 6-10g.
Soy Milk – add a cup to your cereal or shake for about 8g
Hemp Hearts – Yes, hemp. It’s the cousin of pot/weed/marijuana without the “make-you-high” bits. These babies will add about 10 g of protein per 3 tablespoons. (P.S. you eat them you don’t smoke them – they’re too hard to light anyway…not that I’ve tried.)
Protein Powder – a high quality protein powder can pack a whopping 33g per scoop – heck that’s half my daily requirement…I mean my friend’s requirement.

With a high protein breakfast under my belt, I can keep Cave Dave happy and in his..ah…cave. Add some exercise to the mix and my metabolism is stoked. Goodbye beer belly, hello mankini. That’s what I call progress. Stay tuned and I’ll update you on some dandy ideas for snacks (yes, we can have snacks!) and how I’m adjusting other meals. The goal is to eat well and feel satisfied while still managing to trim down. It may take longer than I’d like but keeping the Dave’s on the road and out of the ditch will keep everyone happy.

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