should I supplement my protein?

PurpleMilly

I'm a 40+ yo 250+ lb woman who recently decided to try (again) to lose weight & get fitter. I'm tracking my eating on MFP, aiming for a 500 calorie a day deficit. I'm doing more exercise (running, swimming) and I've made an appointment to see a trainer about setting up a programme for me in the weights room at the gym. So far (40 days in) I've lost 13lb. I'm not aiming to be a body builder but I do want to tone up & avoid having lots of loose skin when I've lost weight, hence including strength training.

I'm never eating the amount of protein MFP tells me I need to - it recommends 20% of my calories come from protein, currently about 81 g a day. I'm a vegetarian but I do try to include protein in my diet eg yoghurt (greek or soya) at breakfast, brazil nuts or apple & peanut butter snacks, including eg eggs, quorn, chickpeas etc in meals. But still, not hitting the protein recommendation. My diary is open (I think), if you do have a look please ignore the last couple of days that have been atypical. I am still struggling after many years of disordered/binge eating and still have have 'bad' days - I aim to meet my calorie goals over a week, some days are up.

tl;dr not hitting my recommended protein, should I include protein supplements to up my protein intake?

DeguelloTex

I don't know your target weight or how much lean mass you have so it's hard to know what a reasonable target for your protein is but, yeah, I'd say that if you are having trouble meeting your target then supplementation would probably be a good idea.

I have no real idea about vegetarian protein powder but I think I've seen it mentioned around here before. Protein powder in Greek yogurt is pretty good stuff. You might look into that, as it's a very low effort way to bump up your protein and it can taste really good, too.

Azexas

Vega makes a vegan protein powder.

http://www.gnc.com/Vega-Sport-Performance-Protein/product.jsp?productId=41841936&cp=3593187.45670596.49608406

Your diary isn't open. If you go to the home page, then to settings, then to diary settings, you can click to make it public.

I am not a vegetarian, so I'm not going to be very helpful with food suggestions.

PurpleMilly

thanks for the replies, I have opened my diary now.

I'm a vegetarian not a vegan, so I am fine with whey based protein powders. My question is not what kind but whether I need to take these at all. How accurate/realistic is MFP's default protein recommendation?

IsaackGMOON

PurpleMilly wrote: »

thanks for the replies, I have opened my diary now.

I'm a vegetarian not a vegan, so I am fine with whey based protein powders. My question is not what kind but whether I need to take these at all. How accurate/realistic is MFP's default protein recommendation?

You only need to supplement your protein if you're already finding it hard to hit your protein macro. If you look at my diary, I don't use whey protein or any other protein anymore because I can just hit the goal with actual food.

As far as MFP's recommendation, I'm not sure whether its accurate at all. You can change your macros completely to suit your needs.

kshama2001

When you said "eg eggs" - is that a vegetarian version of eggs or a typo?

MFP's default protein recommendation is too low for me. I need less carbs and more protein. However, the question is how much protein do YOU need to feel satisfied?

I lived in vegetarian communities for three years and there were plenty of healthy vegetarians at a healthy weights. In fact, there were less overweight people there than in the population at large. I wouldn't attribute that solely to the diet - these were yoga communities.

IsaackGMOON

kshama2001 wrote: »

When you said "eg eggs" - is that a vegetarian version of eggs or a typo?

I think eg means example?

PurpleMilly

yes, eg = e.g. = for example. Eggs *are* vegetarian (although not vegan).

having eaten in a very disordered way for years, I have no idea what 'satisfied' feels like. How I feel about food & appetite is not a reliable guide for me.

How do I decide what my protein macro should be?

kshama2001

My protein powder contains one ingredient - pea protein concentrate. I am a foodie, so chose something with a neutral flavor so I could add my own. I put it in strawberry-banana-egg and peanut-butter-banana-egg smoothies.

I'd consider whey if it came from dairy cows that were humanely treated, and not given antibiotics or recombinant bovine growth hormone (rBGH).

Emilia777

PurpleMilly wrote: »

thanks for the replies, I have opened my diary now.

I'm a vegetarian not a vegan, so I am fine with whey based protein powders. My question is not what kind but whether I need to take these at all. How accurate/realistic is MFP's default protein recommendation?

A common recommendation is .8g of protein per pound of body weight, though the jury is still out on whether this much is really necessary. Some people say eat more, some less. I like to eat a lot of protein because (1) it helps maintain lean body mass during weight loss, (2) it’s tasty (and I don’t just mean meat), and (3) it keeps me full very well.

In terms of food, maybe consider cottage cheese as well - it’s a great source of protein. I’ve been eating the same thing for lunch for weeks now: dry pressed cottage cheese, greek yogurt, avocado, two eggs: it’s around 550 calories and 57g of protein, and lots of yummy fats.

I used to have protein shakes, but I’m getting so much protein from food I don’t need to anymore. I also love Quest bars: they’re around 200 cals and 20g protein, and delicious snacks!

Anyhow, congrats on your success so far, and best of luck. Sounds like you have the right idea: strength training and good protein intake will help maintain your muscle mass, which is great.

Edited to add: when I say I eat a lot, I mean around 110-150g per day, and I’m at 124lbs.
Edited to add some more: A great way to get more protein is to make a Greek yogurt and protein powder snack: it comes to around 300 cals and 40g of protein, depending on your ratios. I sometimes add vanilla or chocolate whey to yogurt, stir it up, and maybe top it with berries. It’s really yummy.

Azexas

PurpleMilly wrote: »

yes, eg = e.g. = for example. Eggs *are* vegetarian (although not vegan).

having eaten in a very disordered way for years, I have no idea what 'satisfied' feels like. How I feel about food & appetite is not a reliable guide for me.

How do I decide what my protein macro should be?

You could try 0.6-0.8g per pound. So take your current weight and multiply it by let's say 0.7 because it's right in the middle Lol. And try that. Your fat and protein macros can be viewed more as minimums and your carb goal as a maximum.

kshama2001

PurpleMilly wrote: »

yes, eg = e.g. = for example. Eggs *are* vegetarian (although not vegan).

having eaten in a very disordered way for years, I have no idea what 'satisfied' feels like. How I feel about food & appetite is not a reliable guide for me.

How do I decide what my protein macro should be?

I just upped my protein, fiber, and exercise and decreased simple carbs until I stopped having sugar cravings
I have a lot more energy now, which makes it easier to exercise. I was sweeping the floor at 11 PM the other night, lol.

I have found that a 900 calorie meal doesn't keep me fuller for much longer than a 300 calorie meal, so eat small meals and stop. Sometimes I have a dried plum as a dessert to signify that the meal is over, but really am no longer troubled by sugar cravings.

The fruit smoothies also satisfy my sweet tooth. (I go easy on the bananas - 2-3 ounces (56 - 85 grams) instead of a whole banana - as they are higher in sugar than other fruits. I chop up ripe bananas and freeze them so I always have pieces to use in smoothies.)

CockneyLady2014

Hi PurpleMilly. First and foremost it depends on what your aims are as to how you want to distribute your macros. I have a personal trainer and he wants me to increase my protein to build more muscle which will help to burn more calories. I am on 1423 calories a day and my split is 30% carbs and protein and 40% fat. Therefore 107 g of protein and I find this hard to achieve by food alone, while keeping withing my calorie allowance. I have 1 scoop of whey isolate powder per day. When I train I have two.
The choice is yours. My PT is of the opinion that if it is working no need to change.
Hope this helps.

kshama2001

I'm going to look in your diary but am pausing to give you positive feedback for your tagline: "just keep swimming, just keep swimming."

I lose weight the fastest when swimming is my primary exercise!

jgnatca

I'd keep working on hitting that protein target to keep you strong. I think a protein supplement whey based or Vega One would do great. Make a tasty shake with frozen banana, almond milk and more fruit.

kshama2001

Jordans - Crunchy Oat Granola - Tropical Fruits sounds yummy but may have too high a glycemic load and convert too sugar to quickly for you to stay satisfied.

I'll look for an overnight muesli with yogurt recipe for you later - not liking the ones I'm finding so far. It's basically rolled oats, yogurt, nuts, and fruit that sits overnight in the frig to "cook" the oats.

Meanwhile, here's Jamie Oliver's: http://www.jamieoliver.com/recipes/fruit-recipes/bircher-muesli/#S6b88cLPyEqtLrbK.97

I think he's saying this recipe, which includes 100 g of oats and two ripe pears is one serving, but I'd probably get 2-4 servings out of it.

ETA: I think I used to make something like this: http://www.katheats.com/favorite-foods/overnightoats

Overnight oats are just oats soaked overnight that absorb the liquid you put them in – any kind of liquid you like! The most common mixture is equal parts raw rolled oats, milk and yogurt (I like 1/3 or 1/2 cup of each). You can use any kind of yogurt or milk. Put in the fridge overnight (uncoverd or covered, your choice) and let ’em soak up the liquids.

That’s the base, and toppings are endless. Add the toppings the night before or the next morning – either way works. Just don’t put anything in you don’t mind getting soggy (i.e. crunchy cereals). There is NO COOKING involved at all!

Basic KERF Recipe

• 1/3 cup rolled oats
• 1/3 – 1/2 cup milk [depending on how thick you like it]
• 1/3 cup plain yogurt
• 1/2 banana (I think I'm going to try 1/3 C blueberries)
• 1/2 tbsp chia seeds
• Pinch salt
• Pinch cinnamon

Directions

Stir everything together in a bowl. Place in fridge overnight. In the morning top with something crunchy and something with healthy fats – like nut butter or nuts.

Read more at http://www.katheats.com/favorite-foods/overnightoats#TrvcIOqQpyEETF2Y.99

kshama2001

I just whipped some up. Will let you know how it comes out.