Let’s talk protein — not just for bodybuilders, but for you.
Whether you're trying to lose fat, build muscle, recover faster, or simply age well, protein is your nutritional MVP. But chances are, you're not getting enough — or not spreading it out in a way that works best.
Let’s fix that 👇
🍗 Why Protein Matters (Even If You Don’t Lift Weights)
Protein isn't just about “gains.” It’s about:
- Building and maintaining lean muscle
- Supporting hormone and immune function
- Keeping you full and satisfied
- Helping with fat loss (yes, really)
- Slowing age-related muscle loss (critical over 30)
No matter your goal, protein is key.
🔢 How Much Protein Do You Actually Need?
A good rule of thumb:
👉 0.8–1 gram of protein per pound of body weight
(Example: If you weigh 150 lbs, aim for 105–150g daily.)
Trying to lose fat? Stick to the higher end to preserve muscle.
Just staying healthy? The lower-to-mid range works great.
🥩 Best Protein Sources (Whole Foods First)
Here’s your protein power list:
Animal-Based:
- Chicken, turkey, lean beef
- Eggs and egg whites
- Greek yogurt, cottage cheese
- Fish (especially salmon, tuna, cod)
Plant-Based:
- Tofu, tempeh
- Lentils, chickpeas, black beans
- Edamame, quinoa
- Plant-based protein powders
💡 Pro Tip: Aim for 25–35g per meal to stimulate muscle repair and stay full longer.
🕒 When to Eat Protein?
- Post-workout: Muscle recovery is highest — don’t skip it.
- Every meal: Helps regulate appetite and energy.
- Before bed: Casein (found in cottage cheese) can help overnight repair.
Consistency > perfection. Spread your intake throughout the day.
❗ Bonus: Protein Myths, Busted
- “Too much protein hurts your kidneys.”
✅ False — not in healthy people. Totally safe.
- “You can only absorb 30g at a time.”
✅ Myth — your body uses protein over time, not just in one burst.
- “I’m not an athlete, I don’t need that much.”
✅ Wrong — everyone benefits from strong muscles and better recovery.
🔥 Final Thought:
If there’s one nutrition change to make this week, it’s this: focus on protein.
It’s simple, powerful, and sets up everything else — better workouts, better recovery, and better long-term health.
📥 Want help hitting your protein goals? Hit reply and we’ll send you a free meal guide to make it easy.
To your success,
Coach Travis Barrett MS, CSCS
P.S. If you’ve found any of this helpful, please be sure to share, like, subscribe to this channel (and my YouTube channel listed below). DHP is exclusively built on word of mouth. We need your help in order to continue to grow and help more people!
P.P.S. - Whenever you're ready, here are 2 ways I can help
1) Subscribe to the DHP YouTube Channel for our most up to date free information about training, nutrition, and recovery
2) Private Coaching
Check out these testimonials below
Traci Counley said “I have been working with Travis for 6 years and he is an amazing coach! I have had several personal trainers over the last 15 years and by far Travis is the most dedicated, thorough, and up to date trainer I have ever had the pleasure to work with. He programs workouts for me on a really progressive and easy to use iPhone app and I do the workouts in my home gym. I love this flexibility and the ability to track my workouts easily. He really gets to know you as an individual and focuses on your goals and how best to achieve them. Travis has an extensive background in kinesiology, various training methods and power lifting and is constantly adapting to the needs of his clients to get them in the best shape of their lives. He consistently seeks out additional training and workshops to expand his fitness knowledge and then passes that onto his clients with new workouts. If you are committed and follow his scheduled workouts and put in a little extra time for mobility work, I guarantee you will be satisfied with your fitness goals. I am in the best shape of my life in my mid 40’s and the strongest I have ever been and the reason why is because Travis has me on a program that changes every 4 weeks and uses different exercises with different rep ranges, intensity and volume each block. He is amazing at coming up with new exercises that work muscle groups in different ways so that you are consistently making gains. He also uses the concept of periodization effectively to maximize strength but also works in appropriate deloading weeks. I cannot say enough great things about Travis not only as a strength and conditioning coach but as a human being. He is one of the kindest people I have ever met and is very easy to talk to and work with. Working with Travis has been the best decision I’ve ever made. Make the commitment now to the best trainer out there!
Emma Price said “Travis has been phenomenal to work with! As an avid runner and a stay at home mom, I was struggling to find a workout routine/program that wasn’t all “fluff” workouts and cardio, yet was also nervous to do anything at the gym beyond a treadmill due to a 15 yr old chronic back injury. Enter Travis! He has 100% met me where I’m at and created a path forward. I’m an absolute novice, and he’s helping me become comfortable in the gym, has handled all my questions and concerns, and most important to me, is helping me get stronger and more limber without hurting or aggravating my injury. Travis is extremely knowledgeable and attentive to detail, which I highly appreciate. As well as meeting in person, he uses a great coaching app we can communicate through and where he can share videos of the workouts I need to do and in return I can share my videos so he can check my form. I’m just a regular person, not a gym rat or body builder, so I was a bit hesitant to seek out a personal trainer, but it has been one of the best decisions I’ve made! Travis is just all around a great guy and amazing coach!!”
Fredrick Lee said “Travis is an absolute professional! I’ve been in special operations for over 12+ years and have had many injuries. I was about to get another back surgery when I started working with Travis. Within 6 months I was pain free, 6 months later I was reaching performance and strength I haven’t seen in years!”
