Getting enough protein??

mscallyanne91

I started eating a vegetarian/vegan diet for over a month. I usually fall in between 45-80 grams of protein a day. I am supposed to get almost 200 grams a day. Will it negatively impact me to not get the full amount I am supposed to get for my weight? Any tips on how to get more protein in every meal while having a busy lifestyle?

lemurcat12

Where'd you get 200 grams as what you need? That sounds really high.

There seem to be some benefits (especially for maintaining muscle) when eating at a deficit and being active to eating up to .6-.8 grams per lb of healthy body weight (.7 x goal weight works for this, if within the healthy BMI range).

It doesn't specifically matter for weight loss or health so long as you are over .8 g/kg (around .36 g/lb), except that for many people protein is satiating and so eating more can make it easier to keep a calorie deficit and feel satisfied.

For a vegan legumes are a great option for protein (including soybeans), and of course there is some in nuts, seeds, grains, vegetables. Beyond that, I'll let other vegans jump in and explain what they do, as I am not a vegan or vegetarian.

sunnybeaches105

Are you lifting weights? If not you don't need 200 grams a day. Why are you vegetarian? Is it for ethical/moral reasons or do you believe that's the magic bullet for weight loss/healthy eating?

Skyle33

Def agree with 200 being a little high. Anywhere between .7 to 1 times your (lean) body mass is great. I put lean in parentheses because not everyone knows their lbm but if you do, its a better approach. The easiest way to be protein is definitely by shakes. I have to get 265 grams a day, and 120 come from two double scoop shakes. By adding one in the morning, you will surely come closer to your goal. There are also vegan/vegetarian proteins (none I could recommend since I consume whey) but a little research can help that. Stay healthy and keep getting that protein so you stay strong and energized!!

seska422

Skyle33 wrote: »

Def agree with 200 being a little high. Anywhere between .7 to 1 times your (lean) body mass is great. I put lean in parentheses because not everyone knows their lbm but if you do, its a better approach. The easiest way to be protein is definitely by shakes. I have to get 265 grams a day, and 120 come from two double scoop shakes. By adding one in the morning, you will surely come closer to your goal. There are also vegan/vegetarian proteins (none I could recommend since I consume whey) but a little research can help that. Stay healthy and keep getting that protein so you stay strong and energized!!

Are you 17 feet tall? No living human needs 265 grams of protein per day.

IMO, if you have to resort to protein powder to reach your protein goal, you need to reevaluate your protein goal.

cwolfman13

You don't need 200 grams of protein. 0.6 - 0.8 grams per Lb of your body weight is more than enough...the high end of that puts most people in the neighborhood of 1g per Lb of LBM...outside of bodybuilding, you really don't need to go higher than that...and even then, I think it's questionable if it's necessary.

Most vegetarians I know who have high protein targets supplement with a vegetarian protein supplement because they generally can't get enough with eggs and egg whites, soy products, and things like legumes and lentils, etc. Hell, I'm a meat eater and I still have to supplement with whey if I want to be at the upper end of my target. Ideally, I'm around 140 - 145 grams...I'm usually probably closer to 120 - 130 most days, and I'm just fine.

mscallyanne91

Thanks for all the feedback everyone! I assumed I needed that much from what the app told me. I also did the math wrong before. So now I got it down, lol. I am definitely doing this for moral reasons and my health. Losing weight would just be a plus to that. Thanks again!