The Protein Mistake Keeping You From Getting Toned

00:00You want a tighter body, a stronger metabolism, and muscle is what creates that look. Muscle is what gives you shape. Muscle is what gives you that firmness. Muscle is what makes that body look more quote-unquote toned. I just want to keep saying it like that because a lot of women want to get toned, but they don't want to put in the work that it takes to get toned because they have this misconception about what it means to build muscle. They're afraid muscle is going to get them bulky, but when you say you want to get toned, what you actually mean is you want to build more muscle.

00:30What's going on, everybody? Hey, you guys. Welcome back to another episode of The WarriorBabe Show with your host, Nikkie Stott. On these episodes, we talk about mindset, methodologies, and tactics that will help you lose body fat, build muscle, be strong, and feel insanely confident. Today is episode number 338, and today I'm going to get a little bit more technical with you guys.

01:00This was inspired because I was on, and if you guys aren't yet a part of, our Warrior Babe free community, I highly recommend you guys go check it out. Go to Facebook, type in Warrior Babe, and then you'll see a Warrior Babe community come up. Or you can even go to facebook.com forward slash groups forward slash Warrior Babe community, and that you can just join. And every week on Thursday, we go live and we talk about educational topics. I'm bringing this episode to you guys because it's inspired from one of those calls that I had with the Warrior Babes in that community where a bunch, we do a Q&A after all of these weekly calls.

01:40And so many of the Biebs were asking about incomplete protein versus complete protein. So that's what I want to dive in today with you guys. And I think it's going to, I hope that it makes total sense for you guys. And I think it's going to also help change the way that you look at food. Because you guys know, I've been saying it over and over and over and over and over again in many, many, many episodes. You need more protein, right?

02:11You've heard it from me. You've heard it everywhere. You probably see it online. You're seeing it on social media. You've seen it from coaches preaching and saying the same thing, right? Eat more protein. Hit your protein goal. Protein helps you to get toned and build that muscle. But I want to educate you guys on how protein is not all the same. Once you understand that, it's going to change the way that you see how to build muscle, how you recover, how you feel. And also how strong your metabolism becomes over time. So we're going to dive into that topic today.

02:42And I hope that you guys walk away, you know, understanding it. Because once you guys walk away understanding it, I believe that everything will click for you guys. Not everything. I shouldn't say everything. But some things will click for you in terms of your nutritional perspective. Okay? So before we even dive into it though, but before we dive into the incomplete versus complete, I want to like zoom out for a second. Because protein isn't just a macro in my opinion. Protein, again, is just a reminder what your body uses to build muscle, to repair tissue, to support hormones, to support your metabolism, to support your longevity, to support your immune function, to support your hair, skin, and your nails.

03:21And so it's the king of all macronutrients in my opinion. And it's just so much more than just a macronutrient. Because it does all those things. So protein is made up of building blocks called amino acids. I'm sure that you guys have heard of those before. I want you to think of amino acids like Legos. Your body takes the protein that you eat. It then breaks it down into amino acids. And it uses those pieces to rebuild and repair your body.

03:57So in total, there are 20 amino acids. Out of those 20 amino acids, nine are called essential amino acids. Meaning that your body cannot make them on its own. And that you must get them from food. And this is where the difference between complete and incomplete protein comes from. Okay? So let's dive into what complete protein is first.

04:30A complete protein is a protein source that contains all nine essential amino acids that your body needs. These are proteins that fully support that muscle growth, that fully support that muscle repair, that fully support strength progression, body recomposition, all those things. And what complete proteins are typically are chicken, turkey, beef, eggs, fish, Greek yogurt.

05:05And I'm going to say it because on that call, so many people are like, gross. I don't want to eat it. But cottage cheese has nine essential amino acids in it. And whey protein. These are all considered high quality proteins. Because they give your body the full set of building blocks that it needs to do the things in layman terms. To basically get the appearance that you want with your body. By eating these things, this will help support the goal of changing your body composition. This is why when women start prioritizing these foods,

05:39they suddenly notice a difference in their strength. They have better strength. They have better recovery. They have more muscle tone. And they have less hunger. Because their body finally is getting what it needs to rebuild, to feel satiated, to support hunger hormones, to support your body to have the strength that it needs inside the gym. Okay? So again, let me just read those off. Because what I'm about to dive into in incomplete proteins is what a lot of women think. Why a lot of women think they eat enough protein.

06:11Because of the incomplete protein realm. You need, it's not even a negotiation. You need to make sure that you get chicken, turkey, beef, eggs, fish, Greek. And I know some of you guys really put on vegetarian and vegan. There's seating out there. There's options that can support that lifestyle too. But mainly saying you need these things that, because they have the complete proteins. And this is where they're found typically in, in those food groups, or food items.

06:41Okay, so complete protein. Complete protein, again, is a protein source that contains all nine amino acids that your body needs. Incomplete protein is a protein source that does not contain all nine essential amino acids. Don't get me wrong. It's still protein. And yes, it still has value. But it's missing one or more of the key building blocks that your body needs in order to achieve said goal that you want to accomplish, right? So common non, or common incomplete proteins include food items like nuts, seeds, rice, oats, vegetables, beans, lentils.

07:29And like I just said, this is where it gets a little bit tricky because many, many women think, oh, I'm eating enough protein because they, and then they start rattling off. I eat oatmeal. I eat rice. I eat peanut butter, right? But most of their intake is coming from these incomplete sources. Like peanut butter, like almonds, like avocado toast, like salads with chickpeas in it. They're not building, they're not strong muscle building proteins on their own.

08:01Again, because they don't have complete equals nine essential amino acids. Incomplete equals not consisting of nine essential amino acids. And then a lot of women think they're eating healthy or having enough protein because they eat the food groups, food items that I just named off. These foods are healthy, yes, but they're not the type of food items that you need to build, to achieve the goal you want, which is building more muscle. And building more muscle is what's going to make you look more toned once you decrease the body fat around the muscle, right?

08:35Quick break. If you're finding this episode helpful so far, it would mean a lot if you could hit pause for just a second, leave a quick rating or a review, or share it with someone who could benefit from it. Your support helps more women discover these tools to build muscle, lose fat, and feel confident. Thank you so much for being a part of this journey with me. And this is why too, like women like, I eat clean, I eat healthy, I eat plant-based most of the day. But again, you're still not, you're not building muscle, you're not getting strong, you're not feeling full all the time because your body isn't getting the full amino acid profile that it needs.

09:09So let me, let me just also just put this in a little bit of a present for you and tie it up in ribbon and put a bow on top. This part, why it matters so much for fat loss, and for you wanting that, aka, that, that quote unquote toned look, that more defined, lean, fit look. You want that. You want a tighter body, a stronger metabolism. And muscle is what creates that look. Muscle is what gives you shape. Muscle is what gives you that firmness. Muscle is what makes that body look more quote unquote toned.

09:42And I just want to keep saying it like that because a lot of women want to get toned, but they don't want to put in the work that it takes to get toned. Because they have this misconception about what it means to build muscle because they're afraid muscle is going to get them bulky. But when you say you want to get toned, what you actually mean is you want to build more muscle. Again, muscle is you, when you focus on fat loss, which was an episode like two weeks ago, you are decreasing the body fat around the muscle that you have on your body or are continuing to build on your body.

10:13And when you do that, you're going to reveal that toned look. That's what it means. It means muscle gives you firmness. Muscle is what gives you that toned look. And to build muscle, your body needs that full amino acid profile. That's why complete proteins and those food items that I named off are so powerful because they signal to the body, okay, I'm good to repair because I'm getting these nutrients to help repair. I'm good to grow. I'm good to rebuild. I'm good to feel satiated. I'm good X, Y, and Z because I'm getting the amino acid profile that I need in order to do these things.

10:47And over time, that is what's going to change your body composition. This is also why two women can eat the same calories but look completely different, have completely different results. If one eats eggs, chicken, lean meats, Greek yogurt, fish, and then the other eats oats, nuts, beans, granola, both, don't get me wrong, are healthy. But one has much and is getting much higher quality protein and that matters.

11:18Now, all in all to say this is that I'm not saying incomplete proteins are bad. They're not. They're part of a balanced diet. I have all of those foods items that I just named off. But they shouldn't be your primary protein source if your goal is to build muscle, if your goal is to improve your metabolism, if your goal is to be fit, to get toned, and for longevity to have just overall a healthy, strong body. The foundation should be complete proteins at most of your meals. And then incomplete proteins can be laid on top, right?

11:49Like I make sure that I have egg whites and I'll have it with oatmeal. Or if I ever am out in a restaurant and I get avocado toast, I will always ask for a side of egg whites. So, for example, naming or to continue on with examples, making sure you have chicken and then you have that rice. Or making sure you have eggs and you have that oatmeal that I just said. Or you have a Greek yogurt and you have granola mixed in with fruit. Or you have salmon and you have quinoa as a side, right? It's not just that I eat quinoa and that has protein in it.

12:21It's an incomplete protein. That's why I feel like because when I say this out loud too, not only like speaking to the women that don't eat meat, I feel like America or the food FDA or whoever is in control of our foods, they need to make more protein sources. Like that's a very short list of all of the things that are out there. And then I could just dive into being like, why is that? But that's neither here nor there.

12:52But yeah, we need a broader, more expansive list of protein options. Okay? But anyway, I digress. Just to also remind you guys why, going off on a little rant, why this topic becomes so much more important for women that are, you know, my age or over 40, 45, 50. Because as I shared with the community, again, on these two Thursday calls that we do, and you guys join the Facebook community, come on in. You're more than welcome, even if you aren't a part of our product or our VIP coaching.

13:26But this, as we age, our muscle loss, it naturally, we naturally lose muscle. Every decade, we lose anywhere from like 3% to 8% of our muscle mass. Our recovery slows down, our metabolism becomes more sensitive. And this is why protein quality matters even more. Because your body becomes less efficient at building muscle. So it needs a stronger signal. And complete proteins provide that signal by providing it the amino acid profile that it needs. It meaning your body.

13:56And this is one of the reasons why, like, I talk about protein so much. And I'm hoping that this episode just hits on a different level. Because I can talk, you know, and say protein is so important. Protein is so important. Here's why. Because it helps you to build muscle, yada, yada, yada. It's a macronutrient god. It's, it does all these cool things. Why it's so important is because it's not just about like hitting a number. It's about giving your body the right building blocks that it needs to work from, essentially, to get you to your goal.

14:26But also just to be healthy in general. So, all in all, like, if I could just sum up this episode in one thought, it would be don't focus on so much on how much protein you eat. Because like, in this, like, I could totally spiral and go to the protein bars, like the Clif bars or the bars that are similar in protein profile as those Clif bars. And I could even talk about the difference between like the different whey proteins.

15:00And, and, and diving into that bucket, but I'm not going to do that on this episode, just keeping a high level in terms of food. The Clif bars are 10 grams of protein. That is not enough protein. And if you look at like the ingredient profile, it's coming, it's not, it's not coming from the right ingredients that it needs in terms of giving your body the amino profile that it, that it needs. So, off on a little tangent there, but because what I'm saying is a lot of women think that they're eating enough protein when they see 10 grams of protein on a, on a meal,

15:34or on a, on a nutritional label, they see eight grams, they see 12 grams. I don't want to knock that thought, but your body needs so much more protein than that. And where you're going to be able to get the quantity of protein for the quality of it as well. Like you're more bang for your buck is getting in those food items that I said, for example, like chicken in three ounces is like 20 to 22 grams of protein. Four ounces is 25, right?

16:05You're, so you're getting way more protein in those complete protein sources. So anyway, off on a tangent, but if I had to sum it up, start paying attention to what type of protein you're eating, right? Make sure that you're, you're including meals that have strong, complete protein sources, because alone, once you do that and you steer away from the snack, more snackier items that I said, like the incomplete protein, like the, the nuts, the seeds, the oatmeal, the avocado toast, the peanut butter, X, Y, Z, and you start incorporating more of the complete protein,

16:37you're going to notice in a big improvement, your strength, a big, big improvement, your recovery, and overall just a big improvement, your body composition and the way that you're seeing results that are going to support fat loss that are going to support longevity. And like, if there's anything that like, I could just encourage you guys to, to focus on is, yeah, like strength workouts, working out, getting under the barbell, getting the dumbbell are so important to building your body that you, that building a strong body and putting that metabolic stress on your muscle in order for it to get stronger.

17:11But if there's one thing that you could just start paying attention to, this one shift could be the missing piece in terms of a nutritional aspect that, you know, you don't even need to start tracking, you don't even need to start like weighing your foods. Like if you are just trying to take a step in the right direction with your nutrition, this is where I would start with looking at what type of protein are you eating? And are you giving your body the essential amino acids that you now have just learned that come from complete proteins? Are you giving your body enough of those food items?

17:43And really look at it really like, be honest with yourself. Okay, because it's going to help you that this could be a missing piece. If you just start making these small tweaks, you're going to feel different. You're going to feel good. And I know that kind of just like totally breeze through this episode. Um, and that this is one of the topics like I feel like can seem so small, but it can create such a big shift once you do understand it. Because if you give your body the right building blocks, it will finally, it finally has what it needs to change. And that's what your journey is all about, right?

18:16It's not starving the body, it's supporting it. And giving your body the right nutrients, it's going to help you to get to your goal that you want to get to. Because again, like you could be working out, you'd be crushing it, you could be doing all these awesome things, you could be nailing it. But there could be an aspect of like where you feel like you're still stuck. And sometimes you just need to actually, a lot of times you just need to dial into the nutrition aspect. It makes a huge difference. All right, everyone, I hope you guys enjoyed this episode. I hope maybe maybe you need to play it back just to remind yourself of some things that

18:46I said, come in and join our free community, facebook.com forward slash groups forward slash worry babe community. Or go to Facebook, go to groups, look at warrior babe and find the one that has like black banner and it says warrior babe community. Come on in. Join us. Because every Thursday at 6pm Eastern Standard Time, we go live. And it's just we're educating you guys on all of the things like this topic that I'm talking about right now. All right. Love you guys. And I'll see you in the next episode. Peace out. Real quick.

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