How Much Protein Do You REALLY Need? (And Why I’m Not Changing My Mind)

Everyone’s talking about protein again… and now the narrative is shifting.

“Studies say you don’t need that much.” “0.7g per pound is enough.” “Stop overdoing protein.”

Sounds convenient, doesn’t it?

In this episode of Midlife Mayhem, I break down exactly why I’m not changing my stance—and why aiming for 1 gram of protein per pound of goal weight still stands strong.

Because this isn’t just about muscle. Not even close.

Yes — research shows that around 0.7–0.8g per pound can support muscle protein synthesis.

But here’s the problem: 👉 That’s only measuring one outcome — muscle building from training.

And I don’t coach for just one outcome.

You want results from your training — protein delivers that.

But that’s just the baseline.

If you only eat:

• 90g protein = 360 calories

Where are the rest of your calories coming from?

👉 Carbs and fats.

And that’s exactly where most people:

• Overeat
• Stall
• Or gain fat

Protein isn’t just a target — it’s a control mechanism.

When protein goes up:

• Hunger drops
• Cravings disappear
• Food noise quiets down

This isn’t theory — I see it every single time.

Within 2–3 days, people go from: 👉 “I can’t stop eating” to 👉 “I can’t finish my meals”

That’s physiology, not willpower.

Let’s be clear:

• Carbs → can be stored as fat
• Fat → easily stored as fat
• Lean protein → not converted to fat

There’s no efficient pathway for it.

So if you're going to “overeat” something?

👉 Protein is the safest place to do it.

If you’re 40+:

• You digest protein less efficiently
• You absorb less
• You require MORE per meal for the same effect

A 25-year-old and a 55-year-old do not play by the same rules.

So those studies?

👉 Who were they testing?

Because it matters.

People don’t struggle with protein because they can’t eat it.

They struggle because: 👉 They don’t want to

And those are very different things.

• Appetite stabilizes
• Body composition improves
• Training results accelerate
• Food preferences shift
• Everything becomes… easier

That’s the goal.

The studies aren’t wrong.

They’re just incomplete.

And I’m not coaching for “just enough.” I’m coaching for results, control, and longevity.

👉 Programs & Coaching: www.joannelee.com

👉 Supplements (5-Amino-1MQ & SLU-PP-332): www.joanneleestore.com

👉 YouTube (Live every Sunday): Search Joanne Lee Cornish and subscribe

📩 Questions: hello@joannelee.com

Leptin: The Hormone That Can Make You Hungry… or Not

Hello Midlife Mayhem—

Today we’re talking about something that explains a LOT when it comes to fat loss and appetite:

👉 Leptin

And I’ll start with this—

I recently did a podcast on appetite, and while the information was solid… I didn’t fully acknowledge the people who are:

👉 Hungry all the time 👉 Fighting cravings constantly 👉 Being told “just eat less” when it feels impossible

This episode fixes that.

Leptin is your body’s appetite regulator, produced by your fat cells.

👉 More fat = more leptin 👉 Less fat = less leptin

And your brain responds like this:

High leptin:

• Eat less
• Burn more

Low leptin:

• Eat more
• Burn less

👉 Perfect in theory… frustrating in real life.

As you lose weight:

• Leptin drops
• Your brain senses “less stored energy”
• You get hungrier
• Your metabolism slows

👉 This is why those last pounds feel so difficult.

It’s not you. It’s physiology.

This is where it really matters.

👉 You have plenty of leptin… but your brain doesn’t recognize it.

So instead of saying: “we’re fine”

Your brain says: 👉 “we’re starving”

And the result:

• Constant hunger
• Lower calorie burn
• Strong drive to eat

👉 This is not a willpower issue.

These medications reduce appetite—and for many people, that’s life-changing.

But then comes a fork:

• No real habit change
• Appetite returns
• Weight comes back

• Better food choices
• More protein
• Strength training
• New identity

👉 Same tool. Completely different outcome.

Strategically increasing calories (especially carbs) can signal:

👉 “We’re not starving”

This can help:

• Keep fat loss moving
• Reduce metabolic slowdown
• Improve adherence

And yes—

👉 It needs carbs to work properly.

Leptin can:

• Help regulate appetite
• Or completely override it

So if you’ve ever thought:

👉 “Why am I always hungry?”

There may be a real physiological reason.

If appetite has ever felt like a constant battle— this one will connect a lot of dots.

I go live on YouTube every Sunday— breaking all of this down in real time.

👉 Subscribe here: @joanneleecornish

👉 www.joannelee.com

👉 hello@joannelee.com

NNMT, Cancer Risk & 5-Amino-1MQ – Where Science Ends and Assumptions Begin

Alright… this one is interesting.

Because I talk a lot about 5-Amino-1MQ— mainly in the context of fat loss, metabolic health, and keeping weight off long term.

But recently, I was in a conversation with a doctor… and he told me he personally takes it because his mother died from a glioblastoma.

And his reasoning?

👉 It inhibits NNMT 👉 NNMT is involved in certain cancers 👉 So… maybe there’s something there

Now before we go any further—

I am NOT saying 5-Amino prevents or treats cancer. And neither was he.

What he was doing… was taking a known biological pathway and making an informed assumption.

And honestly?

It’s a fascinating one.

NNMT (Nicotinamide N-Methyltransferase) is an enzyme involved in how your body manages:

• Energy production
• NAD+ levels
• Metabolic function
• Aging processes

When NNMT is elevated, it’s associated with:

• Fat storage
• Insulin resistance
• Slower metabolic function
• Lower NAD+ availability

👉 This is why it shows up so strongly in midlife weight gain

And it’s also why I talk so much about 5-Amino-1MQ— because it inhibits NNMT, which can shift the body away from storing fat and toward using energy.

NNMT doesn’t just show up in metabolism.

It’s also upregulated in certain cancers, including:

• Glioblastoma
• Pancreatic cancer
• Bladder cancer
• Ovarian cancer

In these environments, NNMT appears to support:

• Tumor growth
• Cell survival
• Metabolic adaptation

👉 In simple terms: cancer cells may use NNMT to survive.

So researchers have asked:

What happens if we inhibit NNMT?

In early-stage research (cells + animal models), 👉 inhibiting NNMT has shown reductions in tumor growth.

That’s real.

But here’s the key…

We have:

• NNMT is involved in metabolic disease
• NNMT is involved in some cancers
• 5-Amino inhibits NNMT

So the leap becomes:

👉 “Does taking 5-Amino reduce cancer risk?”

And the honest answer is:

We don’t have evidence to say that.

No human trials. No prevention studies.

What we have is a mechanistic connection— and a very interesting one.

Here’s where it gets even more compelling…

NNMT increases with:

• Age
• Obesity
• Insulin resistance

And those same conditions are associated with:

• Higher cancer rates
• More chronic disease
• More metabolic dysfunction

So now we’re looking at a broader picture:

👉 A metabolic environment that becomes more vulnerable over time

And NNMT may be one of the players in that shift.

Not the cause. Not the cure. But part of the story.

This is not a recommendation.

This is not a protocol.

This is simply a lens.

• One enzyme
• One molecule that inhibits it
• Two very different areas of research that overlap

👉 That intersection is worth understanding.

Just remember:

Interesting ≠ proven Mechanism ≠ outcome

If you’ve been following my work, you already know I use and talk about:

• 5-Amino-1MQ
• SLU-PP-332

You can learn more or get them here:

👉 www.joanneleestore.com

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