How to get more protein in my diet without going over calories

[Gamerkuro]

My weight loss journey has been going pretty successful. I lost about 40 pounds so far. However, I have two rolls of back fat that I would like to get rid off. I did some research and learned the best way to do this is to adjust my marcos/eating habits for fat loss.

Problem is my daily protein is really low. I barely past 50grams a day. Also, my calories intake is 1200 - 1400. So, what I'm trying to figure out now is how to add protein to my diet without going over my intake. 

Some more info on my health/activity if it helps:

I workout 5 times a day (mostly low intensity and mostly cardio. But I have been doing some strength training lately)

I'm on Nutrisystem

I would describe my body as being an endomorph.

I'm not a big fan of protein shakes but if it's the most recommended option I'll do it.

[MagsOnTheBeach]

For me, my body shape shifts more when I add strength training.  I like kettlebells.

To add protein you eat greek yogurt (about 23g) or a lean protein. Lentils, tofu and beans are also good sources.

I don't eat processed food, so I don't use protein powder or shakes or bars.  If you do, they are about 300  calories so you might as well just eat real food.

[Dominique]

First of all, I wouldn’t reject all processed food outright, I think the stress should be on minimally processed food. For instance, low-fat, unflavoured Greek yogurt or cottage cheese are both processed foods: they don’t come directly from the cow, they have undergone some kind of processing (e.g. pasteurizing, removal of some of the fat content, addition of culture, have been put in a sealed container), but it’s the desirable kind.

Secondly, if/when calories are restricted, you can’t beat protein powder. For instance, if I want to get 20 grams of protein from whole eggs, I would need to eat 154 grams, for 220 calories. If I ate egg whites instead, I would need to eat 182 grams, for 95 calories. I could also eat 135 grams of my 0.2% fat cottage cheese, for 91 calories. Or 22 grams of whey protein isolate, for 83 calories. I would still favour "real" food most of the time (especially if/when dieting), because – for the same amount of protein –  I get fuller with real food than with a protein shake. And lean protein sources like egg whites or cottage cheese come quite close to whey protein in terms of protein content for the same amount of calories, as shown above. However, a protein shake is handy when on the go (not so convenient to have egg whites or cottage cheese in your gym bag).

[Dominique]

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@Gamerkuro wrote:

I have two rolls of back fat that I would like to get rid off.

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Just in case: hopefully you are aware of the fact it’s not possible to "spot-reduce" fat. Most of us carry extra fat in various parts of our body, but the only way to get rid of it (or at least some of it) is to be in a caloric deficit and hope for the best (= fat goes away from the "desired" areas). Macros do play an important role for body composition (more on this here and here), and eating a sufficient amount of quality protein is key. Resistance training is also great for maintaining lean mass in a caloric deficit, or even gain some if you are new to it. It looks like you are on the right track!

[Mukluk4]

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@Gamerkuro wrote:

I workout 5 times a day (mostly low intensity and mostly cardio. But I have been doing some strength training lately)

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I would suggest dropping the number of times you are working out and up the intensity (take a class, join a gym, etc).  If you are able to "workout" 5 times a day then you probably aren't really working out.  It will create a bigger deficit for you to adjust your macros accordingly.