High Protein Low fat

Boardergurl

Morning Everyone!

So I find that I am ALWAYS going over my fat! Doesn't matter good fat or bad fat I always seem to go over!
Does anyone have suggestions on high protein low fat foods and snacks I can start adding in to up that protein and bring down that fat?

Thanks!!

allyphoe

What are your macro targets in grams or calories?

CelticValentine

I would be interested to know as well!

Boardergurl

My trainer has me at 1600-1700 calories a day (after workout)
50% Carbs
30% Protein
20% Fat

Im open to suggestions of different numbers! But im trying to lose weight with a thyroid issue and am at a stand still!

Any help would be great
Thanks

kommodevaran

Why is your fat goal so low? It sounds very difficult to sustain, and, if not stated otherwise, unnecessary too. And what do you mean by good and bad fat? (My macros are 39% fat, 43% carbs, 18% protein.)

jacksonpt

I'm on a similar breakdown, though slightly more overall cals. Protein powder makes a big difference. Also, chicken and low/zero fat dairy. Beef jerky, certain cuts of beef/fish. Low fat ground beef.

evarga12

Dannon fit & light Greek yogurt (80Calories) - 9 Carb, 0 fat & 12 Protein! You should be able to buy them at your grocery store. Costco has the best deals on these - A container of 18 for 10-11 bucks.

mbcieslak87

I'd talk to your trainer and see if you can up your fat to 30% possibly. Fat does not necessarily make you fat - I find myself much more able to attain my protein goals when I give myself a little more wiggle room with fat. Personally changed my macros to 40c/30p/30f relatively recently and have really found it more fulfilling & satiating. Unless you have a medical condition that dictates low-fat, I'd talk to my trainer/doctor about changing it up some to find what works best for you while still maintaining the deficit.

Otherwise - when I was eating less fat, I incorporated a lot of extra lean ground turkey and boneless skinless chicken breast into my meals to get the protein up and the keep the fat down. Protein powder too, if you can stomach it - not my thing but some love it (I know my husband does). Also quest bars in a pinch.

mbcieslak87

evarga12 wrote: »

Dannon fit & light Greek yogurt (80Calories) - 9 Carb, 0 fat & 12 Protein! You should be able to buy them at your grocery store. Costco has the best deals on these - A container of 18 for 10-11 bucks.

And this! I live on this stuff! And 1% cottage cheese, if I don't want sweet.

Boardergurl

That's just what my trainer told me to strive for!
Its usually from nuts and nut butters... my tofu
so its not like I'm eating cheese that's super high in fat or junk is what I meant!
yes I have a protein powder/meal replacement shake that I just finished this morning, that I'm going to switch out for a high protein powder! that was my first thought!
I cant do the yogurt thing!
Beef Jerky is a good option to!

Thanks for your help

jacksonpt

As a side note... perhaps consider prelogging your foods so you can see which foods work well together to hit your macro goals.

Boardergurl

Thanks for the help Jacksonpt! I have just started doing that!
I just need to change up my foods! I don't think over all I eat bad!

RoxieDawn

jacksonpt wrote: »

As a side note... perhaps consider prelogging your foods so you can see which foods work well together to hit your macro goals.

Just to second this note.. I pre-log and it helps a great a deal. I may not change my plan for that day, but I can certainly look for things to buy at the grocery store that are different than the choices I had been making..

Good luck... Really good info..

questionfear

If you like tofu, you can do what I do with it:

Take one block extra firm tofu, slice it up however you wish into equally sized slices (I like to cut it horizontally into 14 slices, then once vertically for approx 34 squares). Preheat your oven to 450, put parchment paper down on a baking sheet, and toss the tofu squares with whatever marinade you want (I use liquid aminos because i love the salty flavor, but you could do a teaspoon of olive oil with spices instead, or maybe lime juice, etc).

Bake the tofu squares for 20-25 minutes, until they're fairly dried out and browned along the edges. They keep for at least a week, but I end up downing them over the course of 3-4 days.

I usually pack 5-6 squares every day as my midday snack-once they're cooked and cooled they get nice and chewy and satisfying.

CamoGirl1985

I too love greek yogurt! I go for the Chobani Plain, Non-Fat because I am watching my sugar intake. But if you are not worried about sugars, try one of the flavored kinds. Greek yogurt has about twice the protein of regular yogurts. I also eat a lot off egg whites (hard boiled or in omelets). They are pretty much pure protein, with negligible fats and carbs. I have also really liked cooking meals with extra-lean ground turkey. You can put it in spaghetti, chili, soup, etc..... anything that usually takes ground beef. Hope that helps a little! Good Luck!

Boardergurl

Oh that sounds amazing questionfear!!!! I am going to do that on Sunday when I meal prep!
I love tofu!!!

cwolfman13

Boardergurl wrote: »

That's just what my trainer told me to strive for!
Its usually from nuts and nut butters... my tofu
so its not like I'm eating cheese that's super high in fat or junk is what I meant!
yes I have a protein powder/meal replacement shake that I just finished this morning, that I'm going to switch out for a high protein powder! that was my first thought!
I cant do the yogurt thing!
Beef Jerky is a good option to!

Thanks for your help

While nuts and nut butters do have protein, they are generally considered sources of dietary fat more so than sources of protein. Lean sources of protein are chicken breast, pork tenderloin, lean cuts of beef like tenderloin, flank steak, London Broil (top round), fish, etc. Also non-fat Greek Yogurt is good...eggs and egg whites, etc.

3laine75

How much fat is that? 20% of 1600/1700 sounds pretty low to me (not sure though as your diary's private). Maybe ask your trainer if there's some leeway between carbs and fat.

If not, white fish, chicken, turkey, Greek yoghurt, whey etc.

Boardergurl

Yes I do eat chicken, tofu and eggs lol! that's all from your list!
I need to get in the mind set of just eating yogurt cause its good for me lol

minizebu

Losing weight is a function of calorie balance (intake vs. expenditure). If you are at a stand still with your weight loss, it is because you are not achieving a deficit, and instead are at a maintenance calorie level. Reexamine how much you are eating and how much you are burning. People usually underestimate intake and overestimate expenditure.

Your macro ratios, in and of themselves, do not affect your weight loss, calorie balance does. However, your macro ratios do affect hunger/satiety, mood, blood glucose levels, how much muscle you retain as you lose weight, and other aspects of health.

Having a higher fat goal may make it easier for you to comply with your calorie goal and therefore help you to stay in a deficit. You might experiment with lowering your carbohydrate goal slightly and raising your fat intake to see if you find it easier to hit those targets and stay within your calorie budget.

Generally, it is better to determine your macro goals based on your weight and not based on percentages. You might want to check out one of the many threads regarding setting macro goals: http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/819055/setting-your-calorie-and-macro-targets/p1

juggernaut1974

Is your trainer also a registered dietitian? If he/she isn't I wouldn't take their diet 'advice' as gospel.

That's not to say that there aren't trainers who are exceedingly knowledgeable, but there's just as many who are great at the exercise/training part of their job, and wallow in Bro-Science on the dietary side.

Boardergurl

She is a raw food chef and has done nutrition courses yes.
I lost 80 pounds on weight watchers so I know the balance. I have kept almost all off minus 20 pounds and its been 4.5 years.. and in that time had two miscarriages and a healthy baby! And as much as I don't want to use it as an excuse and people keep saying it to me your body changes after kids.
I am trying to find that balance to get in the weight loss mode again!
I work out daily and weigh and measure my food and nothing is changing
So on to new plans and new things to try and change that

minizebu

If you continue to find it difficult to meet the macro targets that your raw food chef/trainer has set for you, then, perhaps one of the new plans and new things you could try is to set your macro targets based on your body weight and lean body mass, as described in the link above.

Boardergurl

Yes that is an option that's why I came here to ask for help

psuLemon

I would question the need to limit fats. In fact, I generally think fats as a minimum level thing, especially if you are getting a lot of foods that contain omega-3s, or polyunsaturated fats as they have been linked to lowering cholesterol. And in all reality, if your overall diet is balanced with whole-nutrient dense foods, then it's all good.

brenni76

I saw you mentioned that you have a thyroid issue. You should probably up your protein and dial down the carbs and fats. I have Hashimoto's disease and my doctor and nutritionist have recommended a diet of 40% protein, 30% carbs and 30% fat. I am eating roughly 1600 calories a day. If you have thyroid issues, carbs are not your friend. Since I started eating higher protein, I feel amazing. My energy is much higher, I don't feel hungry, and I'm having fun playing with different flavors without adding fat. My fats mostly come from avocado, coconut oil, or olive oil. For high protein snacks, I like combat bars. My favorite is the peanut butter crunch one. It doesn't have that weird protein aftertaste. If you like iced coffees, chike protein drinks are awesome. I like the mocha ones. With one packet and 10oz of skim milk, it's 30gm of protein (and it tastes great and has 2 shots of espresso in it). For quick meals, grilled chicken tenders, black beans, quinoa, diced tomato and Mexican spices...so yummy. Or throw a can of tuna on a salad.