Getting enough protein?
Ofcaliana
Posts: 2 Member
I am struggling to get enough protein in my diet. My goal is 45%, and I barely break 32%.
It seems that even when I choose lean protein - Chicken, fish - I just never have enough.
Any suggestions on how to incorporate more high protein foods that are low fat and no or low carb into a diet?
It seems that even when I choose lean protein - Chicken, fish - I just never have enough.
Any suggestions on how to incorporate more high protein foods that are low fat and no or low carb into a diet?
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Replies
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Protein powder ? 45% is excessive though.0
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Hi, how many grams of protein are you ment to be having a day? I suggest adding in eggs, steak, canned fish such as tuna, salmon and sardines. All of these are protein packed foods with a healthy ammount of fats and little to no carbs.0
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I try and get 1 gram of protein per lb of my body weight which is about 130 grams. It is very hard to hit that every day but these are my "go to's"
canned tuna (I add salsa instead of mayo)
egg whites
egg beaters
protein shake
Quest bar/Quest chips
Isopure zero carb protein drink (vitamin shop of gnc) 40 grams of protein, 160 calories.
cottage cheese
I never worry about fat. I focus on getting my protein and staying at a calorie deficit if I want to lose weight. Fat does not make you fat. Healthy fats such as coconut oil, avocado, fat from salmon etc... have enormous benefits such as being an energy source and keeping you full longer.
Good Luck!!
I want to add I do weight training 5 times/week so I do eat a lot of protein to maintain and even try and build my muscle mass. I think they reccommend .8 grams/lb for the average person.0 -
The dietary reference intake (DRI) for protein is 10-35% of calories. May I ask why you are aiming for 45?
I wish I had some good advice, but anything over 25% is a struggle for me. One thing that helps a bit is using protein containing "fat" foods and "carb" foods, like nuts for fat instead of oil, and beans or quinoa for carbs. It's a small amount of protein, but every bit helps.0 -
Slightly off topic, but 45% might be a little more than is useful for you, depending on your daily calorie goal of course. You may find reducing the grams of prot/day to a more reasonable number and increasing fats would be easier to do (if you're going low carb, and it sounds like you are).
That aside, I try to have a good (in terms of amount) source of protein in every meal plus a protein-y snack. Today, for example includes jerky. If you had 40g of protein with each meal for 3 meals/day plus a 20g protein snack...that would be 140g of protein, which should be sufficient, I'd guess.0 -
My protein is currently at 31% and most of my protein comes from the following -
Grilled chicken (marinated 100 different ways)
Eggs - the whole thing, every which way
Protein shakes - 2 scoops of ON Gold Whey with 12 ounces of 1% milk has 60 grams of protein
Quest Bars - 20 grams of protein
Tuna
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Thanks everyone! I am glad you think it is an excessive goal! I do too!
My calorie intake is 1800, and I am trying to lose fat. I weight train 3x a week, and cardio 3x a week too.
The 45% goal is from my nutritionist, and is supposed to be fairly short term (3mo), but I just can't get there.
I appreciate your tidbits. I am really trying to just find good food sources for heavy protein instead of protein powder. Adding canned fish is great, and only protein heavy carbs is sneaky and a great idea. I will start there. Keep them coming!0 -
I am struggling to get enough protein in my diet. My goal is 45%, and I barely break 32%.
It seems that even when I choose lean protein - Chicken, fish - I just never have enough.
Any suggestions on how to incorporate more high protein foods that are low fat and no or low carb into a diet?
If your eati g chicken or fish you are getting more protein then you think .... 100G fillet of tilapia is. 20g protein and you should eat 2 a sitting because that's 200 calories..
6 onz chicken breast boneless skinless is 55g protein.
Check out my food journals. I am on a high protein diet. Very low carb.. Under 10%.. 50-60% protein and the rest fat.
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Thanks everyone! I am glad you think it is an excessive goal! I do too!
My calorie intake is 1800, and I am trying to lose fat. I weight train 3x a week, and cardio 3x a week too.
The 45% goal is from my nutritionist, and is supposed to be fairly short term (3mo), but I just can't get there.
I appreciate your tidbits. I am really trying to just find good food sources for heavy protein instead of protein powder. Adding canned fish is great, and only protein heavy carbs is sneaky and a great idea. I will start there. Keep them coming!
Canned fish like tuna has less protein in it then fresh or frozen tilapia or halibut.
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My protein is currently at 31% and most of my protein comes from the following -
Grilled chicken (marinated 100 different ways)
Eggs - the whole thing, every which way
Protein shakes - 2 scoops of ON Gold Whey with 12 ounces of 1% milk has 60 grams of protein
Quest Bars - 20 grams of protein
Tuna
Everything you just names would take the carb intake higher. Try egg whites.. Same amount of protein.. No carbs.. And the protein shake with almond milk is less calories more protein and no carbs. And quest bars.. They are ridiculously high in carbs. Avoid them all together
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Slightly off topic, but 45% might be a little more than is useful for you, depending on your daily calorie goal of course. You may find reducing the grams of prot/day to a more reasonable number and increasing fats would be easier to do (if you're going low carb, and it sounds like you are).
That aside, I try to have a good (in terms of amount) source of protein in every meal plus a protein-y snack. Today, for example includes jerky. If you had 40g of protein with each meal for 3 meals/day plus a 20g protein snack...that would be 140g of protein, which
should be sufficient, I'd guess.
Your protein intake should be 1gram-1.5grand per pound of body weight. So if your 200lbs you should take in 200-250 g of protein to fuel your body properly. This said. With good fats (from meats and nuts) and under 10% carbs (from only green veggies) is a recipe to shed pounds fast. 27 lbs the first month alone on my end. And when you add your new weight it 73rd calculates the total calorie intake.
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You're all going by ratios so unfortunately, you're all doing it wrong.
Ratios are meaningless. Your body doesn't care about percentages. It cares about actual grams of whole, minimally processed foods from a rich and varied diet.
@nikkyc2 , that is excessive. More like 0.80 grams per 1 lb. bodyweight ...more of you wish to, but it won't do much.
Dietary fat is also hugely important. 0.45 grams per 1 lb. bodyweight is near the bare minimum unless you're obese.0 -
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I am struggling to get enough protein in my diet. My goal is 45%, and I barely break 32%.
It seems that even when I choose lean protein - Chicken, fish - I just never have enough.
Any suggestions on how to incorporate more high protein foods that are low fat and no or low carb into a diet?
If your eati g chicken or fish you are getting more protein then you think .... 100G fillet of tilapia is. 20g protein and you should eat 2 a sitting because that's 200 calories..
6 onz chicken breast boneless skinless is 55g protein.
Check out my food journals. I am on a high protein diet. Very low carb.. Under 10%.. 50-60% protein and the rest fat.
I've just started working towards specific macros ratios (my protein goal is 101g a day). The fish one really surprised me-I had 8 ounces of salmon yesterday and it was 48g of protein, for 200 calories! I'll be eating fish every week now
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You need a little more protein if building a lot of muscle, but excessive protein will do nothing for you other than perhaps be tasty and satiating. You don't need as much protein to maintain the muscles you have, as you do to build.
This article pulls together a number of different study conclusions:
http://bayesianbodybuilding.com/the-myth-of-1glb-optimal-protein-intake-for-bodybuilders/
The default ratio for me on MFP calls for way too much protein.0 -
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supplement...that's a pretty steep protein goal, I don't think I could get there without a couple whey shakes daily.
why does your nutritionist have you at such a high protein target...seems excessive to me.0 -
One does not need to jack protein to lose weight.0
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You're all going by ratios so unfortunately, you're all doing it wrong.
Ratios are meaningless. Your body doesn't care about percentages. It cares about actual grams of whole, minimally processed foods from a rich and varied diet.
@nikkyc2 , that is excessive. More like 0.80 grams per 1 lb. bodyweight ...more of you wish to, but it won't do much.
Dietary fat is also hugely important. 0.45 grams per 1 lb. bodyweight is near the bare minimum unless you're obese.
I actually set my goals by gram per bodyweight, I just shared how that worked out as a percentage, since that's how the OP posted it, so I'm not doing it wrong.
I use 1 gram per 1 lb bw for protein, .45 grams per lb bw for fat, and the rest for carbs. Sometimes if carbs seem to high, or I just don't feel like eating that much in a day, I'll adjust protein up and carbs down on the fly.0 -
That's fine. I just kept seeing the "percentage" recommendation in this thread. I understand MFP limits you to percentages, but in an attempt to avoid confusion for all, I would advise going by actual grams. Get as close to the recommended value for your body as possible.
The most recent scientific evidence shows that 0.80 grams per 1 lb. bodyweight is the upper limit for protein intake (even for bodybuilders). And unless you are obese, dietary fat should be a bare minimum of 0.40-0.45 grams per 1 lb. bodyweight. If you are active, healthy, fit (especially if maintaining or bulking), then it would be wise to hedge your bets with something closer to 0.50-0.70 grams dietary fat per 1 lb. bodyweight. Adequate dietary fat is crucial to hormonal health, for both genders.
Lastly, your body, on a biological level, doesn't care about what specific foods you eat (unless you have an allergy or condition). The main principle for a healthy diet is filling your macros and having a diet that consists of a rich variety of whole, minimally processed foods. Recommending specific foods isn't really helping and it is actually very limiting advice.0 -
Calculate how many grams of protein you need based on Lean Bodyweight.0
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Calculate how many grams of protein you need based on Lean Bodyweight.
Which can be confusing for some people and inaccurate if they undershoot/overshoot.
1 gram protein per 1 lb. lean bodyweight will roughly be identical to 0.80 grams per 1 lb. bodyweight, which is a more simple formula and just as accurate.0 -
Calculate how many grams of protein you need based on Lean Bodyweight.
Which can be confusing for some people and inaccurate if they undershoot/overshoot.
1 gram protein per 1 lb. lean bodyweight will roughly be identical to 0.80 grams per 1 lb. bodyweight, which is a more simple formula and just as accurate.
But how close to the norm do you have to be for that to be true? I mean, I presume that basing anything off bodyweight is going to get increasingly inaccurate as someone goes further toward the obese end end of the spectrum.
I'm currently 207 lbs. So, 165g of protein seems reasonable.
But
If I'm 280lbs (and the difference is mostly fat), then I'd be at 224 g of prot daily, which seems unnecessary.
Not saying you're wrong to suggest that method, but there probably should be a caveat for people on the extremes.
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Only protein can spare protein.You need a little more protein if building a lot of muscle, but excessive protein will do nothing for you other than perhaps be tasty and satiating. You don't need as much protein to maintain the muscles you have, as you do to build.
This article pulls together a number of different study conclusions:
http://bayesianbodybuilding.com/the-myth-of-1glb-optimal-protein-intake-for-bodybuilders/
The default ratio for me on MFP calls for way too much protein.
You have it backwards. Your demand for enough protein is higher when dropping weight than it is when you bulk (add muscle). Protein takes a back seat to carbs on a bulk and they are protein sparing.
Cutting - Higher protein
Bulking - Not as high0 -
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Calculate how many grams of protein you need based on Lean Bodyweight.
Which can be confusing for some people and inaccurate if they undershoot/overshoot.
1 gram protein per 1 lb. lean bodyweight will roughly be identical to 0.80 grams per 1 lb. bodyweight, which is a more simple formula and just as accurate.
But how close to the norm do you have to be for that to be true? I mean, I presume that basing anything off bodyweight is going to get increasingly inaccurate as someone goes further toward the obese end end of the spectrum.
I'm currently 207 lbs. So, 165g of protein seems reasonable.
But
If I'm 280lbs (and the difference is mostly fat), then I'd be at 224 g of prot daily, which seems unnecessary.
Not saying you're wrong to suggest that method, but there probably should be a caveat for people on the extremes.
165 grams is actually not unreasonable for your weight. That's what you should be getting. I'm 166 lbs. and I get 134 g/day.
Unless you're morbidly obese, the 0.80 g/lb. guideline is accurate.0 -
Calculate how many grams of protein you need based on Lean Bodyweight.
Which can be confusing for some people and inaccurate if they undershoot/overshoot.
1 gram protein per 1 lb. lean bodyweight will roughly be identical to 0.80 grams per 1 lb. bodyweight, which is a more simple formula and just as accurate.
But how close to the norm do you have to be for that to be true? I mean, I presume that basing anything off bodyweight is going to get increasingly inaccurate as someone goes further toward the obese end end of the spectrum.
I'm currently 207 lbs. So, 165g of protein seems reasonable.
But
If I'm 280lbs (and the difference is mostly fat), then I'd be at 224 g of prot daily, which seems unnecessary.
Not saying you're wrong to suggest that method, but there probably should be a caveat for people on the extremes.
165 grams is actually not unreasonable for your weight. That's what you should be getting. I'm 166 lbs. and I get 134 g/day.
Unless you're morbidly obese, the 0.80 g/lb. guideline is accurate.
Yes, thank you for agreeing with the entirety of my post...I guess? Perhaps you misread it, or I don't understand the intent of your response.
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This content has been removed.
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Calculate how many grams of protein you need based on Lean Bodyweight.
Which can be confusing for some people and inaccurate if they undershoot/overshoot.
1 gram protein per 1 lb. lean bodyweight will roughly be identical to 0.80 grams per 1 lb. bodyweight, which is a more simple formula and just as accurate.
But how close to the norm do you have to be for that to be true? I mean, I presume that basing anything off bodyweight is going to get increasingly inaccurate as someone goes further toward the obese end end of the spectrum.
I'm currently 207 lbs. So, 165g of protein seems reasonable.
But
If I'm 280lbs (and the difference is mostly fat), then I'd be at 224 g of prot daily, which seems unnecessary.
Not saying you're wrong to suggest that method, but there probably should be a caveat for people on the extremes.
165 grams is actually not unreasonable for your weight. That's what you should be getting. I'm 166 lbs. and I get 134 g/day.
Unless you're morbidly obese, the 0.80 g/lb. guideline is accurate.
Yes, thank you for agreeing with the entirety of my post...I guess? Perhaps you misread it, or I don't understand the intent of your response.
I understood you. I was agreeing with you and made a point to emphasize your point for others ITT. If you're anoerexic or morbidly obese, there are likely going to be different protein guidelines. You should consult with your doctor if you fall within those extremes. Going by lean body mass could still be quite inaccurate for that crowd.0
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