protein intake ?

squishprincess

i'm always confused because i read so many things that conflict each other about how much is too little or too much. i get anywhere from 35-60 something grams of protein a day from things like tuna/salmon, eggs, beans, lots of veggies, pb etc. i haven't really been that active in the last month or so. is getting into the 50s and 60s too high for a 5 foot tall female who is lightly active or sedentary? i never know what to believe online

sympha01

If you are sedentary and are not eating at a big caloric deficit then the traditional (rather low) protein guidelines of 0.8 grams of protein per KG of total bodymass are sufficient for you. You didn't mention your weight, but at 5 ft tall I'd still guess that the 60s is not going to be "too high," unless you already have a known medical problem with your kidneys.

More protein is called for when you eat at a caloric deficit to help protect your existing lean bodymass from being burned up along with the fat mass as you lose weight.

Also, more protein is called for when you are active, particularly with load-bearing exercise (e.g. walking) and any resistance exercise, for a similar reason. Both of those types of exercise will tend to pound your lean bodymass, and getting plenty of protein in the diet will help your body rebuild and repair muscle mass when you use it a lot.

squishprincess

ah okay! makes sense. i've been fluctuating between 101-103 pounds lately, i'm already pretty lean i guess. currently i'm eating at the standard deficit, so i think my protein intake would be ok, plus more on days where i exercise. mostly i try to get a good protein intake most days as last year i was not & had many health issues. so i was trying to improve that area.

just wanted to make sure i was heading in the right general direction. thanks!