Is everyone eating more protein?

MsBonfire

I've noticed that alot of people on here eat alot of protein even though they are not on low carb or high protein diet. My diet consists mainly of carbs for breakfast and carbs for lunch with a bit of protein at dinner. I think this is the reason I'm always hungry. I've just joined yesterday and I'm making a conscious effort to eat protein at every meal. I've tried protein powder in the past and I don't like it that much. I'm just wondering if this is the way you have always ate or are you all eating more protein?

janiep81

I eat more protein and I'm not necessarily on "high protein" diet because it helps me to not feel hungry. Good carbs (high in fiber) help me, too. I tend to do better all day if I get a high-protein, low(ish)-sugar breakfast. I love hard boiled eggs on busy mornings... Often with a piece of fruit. I also like cottage cheese with almonds (don't knock it til you try it. It's great!) when I have more time I like fried eggs with salsa and a little cheese.

arditarose

I strive for about .8 grams per pound of body weight, but end up eating more because I like it. Helps keep me stay full and that's a better bang for my calorie buck. Also, it has helped me preserve LBM while lifting on a deficit.

Quest bar for breakfast, greek yogurt for snacks, shrimp/chicken/tuna for lunch, turkey or ground beef for dinner. There's usually another protein snack in there, or the little things like cheese and stuff adds up too. Anywhere from 115-150 for the day usually.

kshama2001

I upped my protein over the last six weeks and it really helps keep me fuller longer.

http://www.nutrition.org.uk/healthyliving/fuller/understanding-satiety-feeling-full-after-a-meal.html

...The temptation to overeat is everywhere, so in today's society it can be difficult to control how much we eat and maintain a healthy weight. There are countless different weight loss diets around for us to try, but dieting often leaves us feeling hungry and deprived. Could there be another way to help control how much we eat, without going hungry?

Satiety is the feeling of fullness after eating that suppresses the urge to eat for a period of time after a meal. Such feelings of fullness can play an important role in controlling how much we eat. If we feel really full or ‘satiated’ after a meal then we are likely to go much longer before we feel hungry and may eat less at the next meal. But, if we do not feel very full then we are likely to get hungry again more quickly and may be tempted to snack or eat more at the next meal. So, if we can understand how to enhance these feelings of fullness or ‘satiety’, this may help to control how much we eat.

...Tips on how to feel fuller

So how can we best try to enhance these feelings of fullness to help us control how much we eat? Here are some top tips for helping you feel fuller:

1. Foods high in protein seem to make us feel fuller than foods high in fat or carbohydrate, so including some protein at every meal should help keep you satisfied. Foods high in protein include meats such as chicken, ham or beef, fish, eggs, beans and pulses.
2. If you are watching your weight, opt for lower fat versions, using leaner cuts of meat, cutting off visible fat and avoiding the skin on poultry as this will help reduce the energy density of the diet, which can help to enhance satiety (see below).
3. Foods that are high in fibre may also enhance feelings of fullness so try to include plenty of high-fibre foods in the diet such as wholegrain bread and cereals, beans and pulses and fruit and vegetables.
4. Alcohol seems to stimulate appetite in the short-term and therefore drinking alcohol is likely to encourage us to eat more. Alcoholic beverages can make you forget about your intentions to eat healthily by making you lose your inhibitions. Alcoholic drinks are also calorific, so you should cut down on alcohol consumption if you are trying to control your weight.
5. The ‘energy density’ of food has a strong influence on feelings of fullness or satiety. Energy density is the amount of energy (or calories) per gram of food. Lower energy density foods provide less energy per gram of food so you can eat more of them without consuming too many calories. Low energy density foods include fruit and vegetables, foods with lots of water added when cooking such as soups and stews, and lower fat foods. Click here for more information on energy density.

earlnabby

I eat a lot more protein than I used to for two reasons:

1. I was diagnosed T2Dm so I needed to reduce my carbs to a max of 180 g. per day, and I would rather switch to more protein than more fat (although I increased both)
2. I found that I am less hungry on higher protein. I also have not had issues that I had before when trying to lose weight like hair loss and dry, crepe-like skin.

galgenstrick

Protein, especially slow digesting protein like egg, is very satiating. It also provides essential amino acids needed for muscle repair. High protein + proper resistance training helps preserve muscle while losing weight.

lemmie177

I started eating more protein about a year ago. I was used to carb-ing it up before that. I changed my diet because I read that consuming protein and lifting will help preserve muscle tissue while losing weight. I find that I'm way more satiated and have been getting stronger and more fit.

I totally agree with cottage cheese being an easy (and cheap!) way to get in more protein as long as you can eat dairy. I like to eat it with slivered almonds and fresh fruit, nut butter, or chives. I also buy up chicken when its on sale, cook it all at once, and then freeze it into portions for salads. Canned fish is another easy/cheap/tasty option!

ohmscheeks

I bought a pack of protein bars for next week; which I don't usually eat. But, I have always eaten a lot of meat; which apparently has protein.

TavistockToad

I eat 20-25% of my calories from protein! which is more than before I started to lose weight! but don't think it's loads.

macgurlnet

I, too, find I'm hungrier with mostly carbs vs. higher protein.

I don't do high protein or anything but I do make sure I have at least 15g in each meal. Lunch and dinner are often higher. I'll do eggs & sausage for breakfast, along with a piece of toast or english muffin for my carb fix. That's around 300 cals and keeps me full for 3-4 hours. My bowl of granola with milk for the same number of cals will leave me feeling hungry within 2 hours.

I like greek yogurt and cottage cheese as snacks when I feel hungry, and fruit or veggies if I just feel like eating.

Try upping your protein intake just a little and see if you're less hungry. Veggies can help a lot, too!

~Lyssa

Bshmerlie

I've done my own personal study of what types of meals keep me satisfied longer. I have found that a meal of 8 oz of meat along with a high fiber fruit or vegetable keeps me feeling full for about 5-6 hours. That way I'm not tempted to snack throughout the day or into the night. That results in less calories per day, I'm not hungry all the time and I get a lot of protein which prevents muscle loss.

cwolfman13

protein is important in general and even more so when you're dieting as it helps preserve lean mass. I aim for anywhere between 0.6 and 0.8 grams per Lb of my body weight.

Athijade

I eat more then I used to, but I don't eat "high" protein because of medical reasons (a med I take impacts they way my body can handle it so I have to be careful). I do eat high fat though which keeps me very full with moderate carbs and protein.

Lounmoun

MsBonfire wrote: »

I've noticed that alot of people on here eat alot of protein even though they are not on low carb or high protein diet. My diet consists mainly of carbs for breakfast and carbs for lunch with a bit of protein at dinner. I think this is the reason I'm always hungry. I've just joined yesterday and I'm making a conscious effort to eat protein at every meal. I've tried protein powder in the past and I don't like it that much. I'm just wondering if this is the way you have always ate or are you all eating more protein?

My goal is 20% of my calories as protein.
I don't think I am eating a whole lot more but I am trying to be more concious of the amount of protein I eat and get enough. I try to have something of a balance of food types at most meals. That usually isn't too difficult for me.

barbecuesauce

I get at least 90 grams/day, much more than I did before. My main reason is muscle preservation. I plan to recomp soon and will probably be eating even more.

CherryBerryBunny

I do what I can to eat protein but I'm not doing it as well as I did the first time I lost weight...I'm lifting weights 3-4x a week and protein intake is important. I also discovered that I am not nearly as hungry as when I eat oodles of carbs and low protein. I've always liked foods high in protein and ate it quite a bit, but in much smaller portions (eg I would have tuna on a really yummy but nutritionally void white bread of sorts, now I have it just in a bowl and seasoned or on a whole grain bread if I'm out). I know that a greater % of my diet is protein than it was before, but I don't know about actual grams eaten to know if that's gone up. I do know I eat a lot more fiber now, though!

CoconuttyMummy

I aim for around 0.7/0.8g protein per lb of my bodyweight which works out to approximately 30-35% protein or about 90-105g per day.
Basically i worked out my macros like this: We know a minimum protein intake of 0.7g per lb of bodyweight is desirable to preserve lean muscle mass, preferably 0.8g/lb. I also want a maximum of 50g carbs a day (this keeps my carbs at 15% - low enough to increase fat loss but high enough for me to have energy and clarity). And then whatever is left over goes for fats.

So my macros look like this:-
Daily Net Calories: 1200 cals
Carbohydrates: 15% = 45g
Protein: 35% = 105g
Fat: 50% = 67g

Hope this helps a bit.