Protein Argument?

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Replies

  • _lyndseybrooke_
    _lyndseybrooke_ Posts: 2,561 Member
    holly55555 wrote: »
    ceoverturf wrote: »
    Protein doesn't give you abs.

    That should end the thread right there.

    I understand that, I am doing all the things to get abs already. Eating at a deficit, weight lifting, abs exercises, etc. My question was about how much protein I need to accommodate this activity level with my goal of getting more muscle/abs.

    Unfortunately, you're going to get a different answer from pretty much everyone. Standard in bodybuilding is 1g/lb of body weight. That's probably not entirely necessary in my opinion (even though I eat more than that). 1g/lb of lean body mass is probably a decent rule. I don't know where your trainer got 70g, but that's pretty low. I don't understand how people have trouble getting in their protein. Even without a protein shake, I get 1g/lb of lean body mass easily.

    Gaining muscle requires eating more calories than your body is burning. In other words, gaining muscle/abs while eating at a deficit probably isn't going to happen. I'm 5'5" and down to 116 lbs and I still don't have visible abs. My guess is that I'd have to go through a bulk cycle and then another cut in order to get them. Genetics have something to do with it, too.
  • tephanies1234
    tephanies1234 Posts: 299 Member
    ^ What she says. If you think you have large enough abs, then eat in a deficit to reveal them by losing fat, if you don't think you have large enough abs to show through, eat in a surplus and lift heavy for awhile, then cut to reveal them.
  • amusedmonkey
    amusedmonkey Posts: 10,330 Member
    edited May 2015
    If you haven't heard it enough yet, protein does not give you abs. Protein recommendations are all over the place, from 47 grams in your case as per FDA minimum requirement to 2 g per lb in the protein shake boom era (260 in your case), to anywhere in between, so it's natural to see your bf and your trainer push for different numbers. My personal recommendation for you is this: focus on sustainability more than pure numbers. The perfect amount of protein for you would be as much as you could comfortably eat without having to jump through hoops or sacrifice too much. It's more important to keep a sustainable amount of protein than it is to keep up to some random number for a little while then burn out and quit the whole thing.
  • DopeItUp
    DopeItUp Posts: 18,771 Member
    Split the difference and shoot for 100. I would say 70 would be the BARE minimum for you. So it sounds like you're right on target already.
  • amusedmonkey
    amusedmonkey Posts: 10,330 Member
    holly55555 wrote: »
    ceoverturf wrote: »
    Protein doesn't give you abs.

    That should end the thread right there.

    I understand that, I am doing all the things to get abs already. Eating at a deficit, weight lifting, abs exercises, etc. My question was about how much protein I need to accommodate this activity level with my goal of getting more muscle/abs.

    Unfortunately, you're going to get a different answer from pretty much everyone. Standard in bodybuilding is 1g/lb of body weight. That's probably not entirely necessary in my opinion (even though I eat more than that). 1g/lb of lean body mass is probably a decent rule. I don't know where your trainer got 70g, but that's pretty low. I don't understand how people have trouble getting in their protein. Even without a protein shake, I get 1g/lb of lean body mass easily.

    Gaining muscle requires eating more calories than your body is burning. In other words, gaining muscle/abs while eating at a deficit probably isn't going to happen. I'm 5'5" and down to 116 lbs and I still don't have visible abs. My guess is that I'd have to go through a bulk cycle and then another cut in order to get them. Genetics have something to do with it, too.

    Sadly, I've been cursed with not liking most of animal proteins and an egg allergy. It's just that to some people increasing protein over a certain threshold can be stressful.
  • Mr_Knight
    Mr_Knight Posts: 9,532 Member
    The LM guideline is going to be (plus/minus) 1g per pound LBM. Figure you're somewhere around .8 of 130 -> call it 100g of protein/day.

    Getting the number exactly will never happen, so just work towards a reasonable average in that range, bouncing over/under it, and keep lifting.

    :drinker:
  • Springfield1970
    Springfield1970 Posts: 1,945 Member
    alexgcherk wrote: »
    ceoverturf wrote: »
    Protein doesn't give you abs.
    It's generally recommended somewhere in the neighborhood of 0.8g per pound of body weight (or alternatively 1g per lb of lean muscle mass)

    This is incorrect 0.8g per kilo (not pound). So, you are 130lbs = 59kilos*0.8g = you need 47 grams of protein a day


    Sorry you're wrong. No no no.
  • DerROK
    DerROK Posts: 14 Member
    Probably easiest to read Jim Stoppani's free info on weight loss on bodybuilding.com and how to get Abs "Shortcut to Shred". He will give you advice that is v similar to your bf, but will also cover your Fat and Carb Macro reqs. Alternative is to buy Will Brink's eBook "Fat Loss Revealed", that not only covers this stuff but tells you the scientific studies that support the Protein consumption and Fats and Carbs (study group A vs study group B etc). It's well researched and for a European like me, we aim for 1.8g per kilo of lean or 1.7g kilo of body mass. Some PTs will even advise higher, coz to burn body fat you have to oxidise etc etc: why sorting your Fat Macro and Carbs Macro is just as important as your Protein Macro for Fat Loss to get BF% down.
  • alexgcherk
    alexgcherk Posts: 5 Member
    edited May 2015
    ceoverturf wrote: »
    alexgcherk wrote: »
    ceoverturf wrote: »
    Protein doesn't give you abs.
    It's generally recommended somewhere in the neighborhood of 0.8g per pound of body weight (or alternatively 1g per lb of lean muscle mass)

    This is incorrect 0.8g per kilo (not pound). So, you are 130lbs = 59kilos*0.8g = you need 47 grams of protein a day

    I'm sorry but you are incorrect. 47g of protein a day is woefully inadequate for most people's goals.

    47g of protein = only 188 calories per day from protein, or less than 10% of most people's calorie budget.

    Well, this is where I get my info : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Protein_(nutrient)

    Also, please do your math - MyFitnessPal calculates your protein intake accurately, considering 0.8g/kg and not per pound.

    And yes, excess protein gets converted to FAT, but at higher MBR price than carbs.
  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
    edited May 2015
    alexgcherk wrote: »
    ceoverturf wrote: »
    alexgcherk wrote: »
    ceoverturf wrote: »
    Protein doesn't give you abs.
    It's generally recommended somewhere in the neighborhood of 0.8g per pound of body weight (or alternatively 1g per lb of lean muscle mass)

    This is incorrect 0.8g per kilo (not pound). So, you are 130lbs = 59kilos*0.8g = you need 47 grams of protein a day

    I'm sorry but you are incorrect. 47g of protein a day is woefully inadequate for most people's goals.

    47g of protein = only 188 calories per day from protein, or less than 10% of most people's calorie budget.

    Well, this is where I get my info : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Protein_(nutrient)

    Also, please do your math - MyFitnessPal calculates your protein intake accurately, considering 0.8g/kg and not per pound.

    I explained the kg vs. lb difference already (it depends on goals, but for the OP's goals kg is wrong and lb is right), but MFP doesn't do either. MFP has a set percentage of total calories (which you can change).
    And yes, excess protein gets converted to FAT, but at higher MBR price than carbs.

    Not when you are at a calorie deficit. At least no one net gains fat at a calorie deficit, so there's no worry about being too high in protein when at a deficit and thus still gaining fat, as the prior poster seemed to be claiming.
  • juggernaut1974
    juggernaut1974 Posts: 6,212 Member
    alexgcherk wrote: »
    ceoverturf wrote: »
    alexgcherk wrote: »
    ceoverturf wrote: »
    Protein doesn't give you abs.
    It's generally recommended somewhere in the neighborhood of 0.8g per pound of body weight (or alternatively 1g per lb of lean muscle mass)

    This is incorrect 0.8g per kilo (not pound). So, you are 130lbs = 59kilos*0.8g = you need 47 grams of protein a day

    I'm sorry but you are incorrect. 47g of protein a day is woefully inadequate for most people's goals.

    47g of protein = only 188 calories per day from protein, or less than 10% of most people's calorie budget.

    Well, this is where I get my info : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Protein_(nutrient)

    Also, please do your math - MyFitnessPal calculates your protein intake accurately, considering 0.8g/kg and not per pound.

    And yes, excess protein gets converted to FAT, but at higher MBR price than carbs.

    However, this recommendation is based on structural requirements, but disregards use of protein for energy metabolism.

    Not a minor point to ignore.

    So yes. If you're going to lie in a coma all day, you can probably get by with 47g of protein daily. If you actually expect to, you know, do anything resembling activity, you might want to up it a bit.

    I have no idea what you're talking about WRT MFP calculations. The only thing MFP does is take your chosen protein % x your calorie goal divided by 4 (4 calories per gram of protein) to give you a suggested protein goal.

    EG If your goal is 2000 calories and you've chosen 25% protein as your goal, it's going to tell you to eat 125g of protein a day.
  • Mr_Knight
    Mr_Knight Posts: 9,532 Member
    alexgcherk wrote: »
    And yes, excess protein gets converted to FAT, but at higher MBR price than carbs.

    As a standalone statement, that is incorrect.

    Before anything can be stored as fat, you need to be in a caloric excess. In a caloric deficit, nothing is going to be stored as fat, even if you ate 100% of your calories as protein.
  • yarwell
    yarwell Posts: 10,477 Member
    http://caloriesproper.com/nutrient-partitioning-a-very-high-protein-diet/

    RDA: 0.8 g/kg

    Active individuals: 1.2-2.0 g/kg (via ISSN)