I was scrolling through r/nutrition last night when I stumbled across a thread that stopped me in my tracks. The original poster asked something I've heard a hundred times: "Why is it so hard to get enough protein from real food?"
What got me wasn't the question itself. It was the comments. Real people sharing their actual struggles with something that fitness influencers make look effortless. And honestly, it reminded me why I built BodyBuddy in the first place.
What The Reddit Thread Revealed
The discussion was raw and honest. People weren't making excuses or looking for shortcuts. They were genuinely struggling with something that's supposed to be "simple."
One person wrote about how they eat chicken and eggs regularly but still only hit about 60g of protein per day when they need 120g. Another talked about the mental fatigue of constantly calculating protein in every meal. Someone else mentioned they're spending $200+ per month just trying to hit their protein targets with whole foods.
But the comment that really got me was this: "I meal prep on Sundays, I track everything, I'm doing all the right things. But by Wednesday I'm exhausted and ordering takeout because I can't face another plain chicken breast."
That's the real problem nobody talks about.
The Math Problem Everyone Faces
Let's be honest about what it actually takes to get, say, 150g of protein per day from real food:
Option 1: The Chicken Route
- 8 oz chicken breast (breakfast): 56g protein
- 6 oz Greek yogurt (snack): 18g protein
- 8 oz chicken breast (lunch): 56g protein
- 3 eggs (snack): 18g protein
- That's 148g, but you're eating chicken twice a day, every day
Option 2: The Variety Route
- 3 eggs (breakfast): 18g protein
- 1 cup cottage cheese (snack): 28g protein
- 6 oz salmon (lunch): 34g protein
- 1 cup lentils (side): 18g protein
- 6 oz lean beef (dinner): 42g protein
- That's 140g, but look at that grocery bill
Someone in the thread did the math. Getting 150g of protein daily from whole foods costs about $12-15 per day just for the protein sources. That's $360-450 per month. For one person.
No wonder people struggle.
The Real Struggles People Described
The Cost Factor
Multiple people in the thread mentioned having to choose between hitting protein goals and staying within their grocery budget. One person shared they started buying rotisserie chickens and eating them over 3 days just to make the numbers work. Another said they basically live on eggs and canned tuna because they're the only affordable high-protein foods.
When you're trying to get 30-40g of protein per meal, you can't just add a little chicken to your pasta. You need chicken to BE the meal. That changes everything about how you shop and budget.
The Time Commitment
Several commenters talked about the prep time. It's not just cooking. It's:
- Planning meals around protein targets
- Shopping for enough protein sources to last the week
- Prepping everything so it's ready to eat
- Cleaning up after cooking 2-3 pounds of meat at a time
- Doing it all over again in 3-4 days
One person said they spend about 4 hours every Sunday just on protein prep. That's not sustainable for most people with jobs, families, or lives.
The Monotony Problem
This came up again and again. People start strong with variety, then default to the same 2-3 protein sources because they're easy and affordable. Chicken, eggs, Greek yogurt, repeat.
As one commenter put it: "I know chicken breast is the answer. But I'm so tired of chicken breast that I'd rather just not eat protein."
That's when nutrition plans fall apart. Not from lack of knowledge, but from flavor fatigue.
The Consistency Challenge
Maybe the biggest insight from the thread: it's not hard to hit your protein target for one day, or even one week. It's hard to do it consistently for months.
Life happens. You travel for work. You get sick. You have a busy week. You go out with friends. And suddenly your carefully planned protein system falls apart.
As someone wrote: "I can be perfect for 2 weeks, then one bad week ruins everything and I have to start over."
Protein Timing Matters (But Not How You Think)
A few people in the thread mentioned the whole "30g protein every 3 hours" thing. Let's clear this up.
Research shows you can probably absorb 40-50g of protein per meal just fine. The real reason to spread it out isn't about absorption limits. It's about practicality.
Trying to eat 150g of protein in 2 meals means each meal needs 75g. That's roughly:
- 14 oz of chicken
- Or 12 eggs
- Or 2.5 cups of cottage cheese
Per meal. Good luck with that.
Spreading protein across 3-4 meals makes it more manageable:
- Breakfast: 30-40g
- Lunch: 40-50g
- Snack: 20-30g
- Dinner: 40-50g
This was one thing several people in the thread figured out. But it also means you're thinking about protein literally all day.
The Cost-Benefit Reality Check
Someone in the thread asked a fair question: "Is protein powder really cheating, or is it just practical?"
Let's look at the actual numbers:
50g protein from whole food:
- 8 oz chicken breast: $4-6
- Prep time: 15-20 minutes
- Cleanup: 10 minutes
- Total: $4-6 and 30 minutes
50g protein from powder:
- 2 scoops quality whey: $2-3
- Prep time: 2 minutes
- Cleanup: 1 minute
- Total: $2-3 and 3 minutes
I'm not saying replace all your protein with powder. But the people in that thread acting like using protein powder means you're not "really" eating healthy? They're missing the point.
If adding one protein shake per day means you can sustainably hit your protein goals without burning out, that's not cheating. That's being smart.
Where BodyBuddy Fits Into This
After reading that thread, I kept thinking about how many of these problems are actually tracking problems disguised as protein problems.
People aren't failing because they don't know chicken has protein. They're failing because:
- They don't know if they're on track until the end of the day when it's too late
- They can't see patterns in what's working and what isn't
- They have no accountability when motivation dips
- They're making it harder than it needs to be
This is exactly why we built BodyBuddy to work through iMessage. You don't need another app to remember to open. You just text what you ate, like you'd text a friend.
BodyBuddy tells you your protein count immediately. You know at lunch if you need a bigger dinner. You know on Tuesday if you're falling into the same pattern you quit last month.
And here's the thing several people in that thread were missing: you don't need perfect. You need consistent.
Hitting 120g protein 5 days a week beats hitting 150g for 2 weeks and then giving up. BodyBuddy helps you see that progress, which makes it easier to keep going.
Practical Solutions From The Thread (And My Take)
Strategy 1: Protein-First Meals
Several people mentioned they stopped building meals around carbs and started with the protein source first. Instead of "pasta with chicken," think "chicken with a side of pasta."
This works. Plan your protein for each meal first, then add everything else around it.
Strategy 2: Batch Prep 2-3 Options
One commenter said they prep 3 different proteins every Sunday (usually chicken, ground turkey, and hard boiled eggs). This gives them variety without cooking every day.
The key is making them relatively plain so you can season them different ways throughout the week.
Strategy 3: Strategic Protein Powder Use
Use protein powder to fill gaps, not replace meals entirely. One shake per day (30-40g) means your meals only need to provide 100-110g instead of 140-150g. Much more manageable.
Mix it into overnight oats, blend it into smoothies, or just shake it with milk. Find what works for you.
Strategy 4: Go-To High-Protein Snacks
Keep these ready always:
- Hard boiled eggs (6-7g each)
- String cheese (6-8g per stick)
- Greek yogurt cups (15-20g)
- Beef jerky (9-11g per oz)
- Cottage cheese (14g per half cup)
When you're short on protein at 8pm, these save you.
Strategy 5: Track Something, Anything
You don't need to weigh every gram of food. But you need to know if you're close to your target. That's where having something like BodyBuddy makes the difference. Quick tracking means you actually do it.
The Bottom Line
That Reddit thread reminded me that most people struggling with protein aren't lazy or unmotivated. They're just dealing with the reality that hitting high protein targets from whole food is genuinely difficult.
It costs more. It takes more time. It requires more planning. And it's exhausting to maintain long-term.
The solution isn't to make it harder on yourself. It's to:
- Be realistic about what's sustainable for YOUR life
- Use tools and strategies that remove friction
- Track enough to know if you're on track (but not so much it burns you out)
- Give yourself permission to use protein powder strategically
- Focus on consistency over perfection
If you're struggling with this stuff, you're not alone. Literally thousands of people in that thread are dealing with the same thing.
And if you want an easier way to track your protein without adding another thing to stress about, check out BodyBuddy. It's literally just texting what you eat. No apps to remember, no complicated logging. Just simple protein tracking that actually sticks.
Because the goal isn't perfect tracking. It's building a system you'll actually use 6 months from now.
That's what sustainable looks like.