Protein by grams per lb of weight or Percentage?

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erica_denton
erica_denton Posts: 5 Member
in Food and Nutrition
I am so confused on this topic, When I do percentages for calculating macros I try to do about 30-40% for protein and this would mean I eat about anywhere from 124 to 172g of protein depending on my calorie range. I have read so many articles that say you only need about .8-1.4g per lb of bodyweight....So which do you go by and why?

I don't want to overeat protein but I do weight lift 3 days a week at least and i don't want to lose my lean gains...

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  • elvensnow
    elvensnow Posts: 154 Member
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    the 40/30/30 carbs/protein/fat is a pretty standard one. I don't think you can go really wrong with it (maybe tweak 5% here or there) unless you are looking for specific dietary needs.

    Things like IIFYM use the 1g/lb. You can read their site as to why, but basically protein is an important nutrient and helps you feel fuller longer, etc. I don't use that calculation, because I weigh 181 and eating 180g of protein a day at my calorie intake is just not feasible for me. I would basically have to eat a very low carb diet which I'm just not willing to do.

    The 0.8g/lb are usually trying to make you eat 1g protein per lb of lean body mass and the 0.8 is a rough indicator. Or you can vary it based on how much fat% you think you are. At least that's how I understand it.

    Eating more than 1g/lb I think is more if you are trying to bulk or otherwise have other dietary needs.

    I say all this with the understanding that I am by no means an expert and is just what I know from researching.
  • jasonp_ritzert
    jasonp_ritzert Posts: 357 Member
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    I go by the 1-1.5 g/lb of bodyweight as the base for my macros. That means I will take in on average 250 g of protein/day and then I just build the rest of my day around that. If I feel like going fat-heavy, I lower my carbs, if I feel like eating more carbs, I reduce my fat intake. On average, I am for a 40/40/20 split of protein/carbs/fat.
  • erica_denton
    erica_denton Posts: 5 Member
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    I have been trying to lower my protein down to 1g per bodyweight and it's really really hard for me! When I do this I am usually only eating around 1200-1300 cals a day when I am needing more like 1700 at least a day. It's either my carbs or my protein is super high when I try to reach the 1700 mark though
  • erica_denton
    erica_denton Posts: 5 Member
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    Thank you for the response! I think my macro ratios are currently set up for 40/30/30 actually :)

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