High Protein Diet for Weight Loss?

paigeski7

Hello, out there! Long time user, first time on the discussion boards.

Started a high protein diet on 3/28, due to some blogs that suggested this would aid in women-who-workout's weight loss. My main goal isn't actually to tone, but to lose weight and make sure I can stay at ~1200 calories/day without getting hungry! My thought is that this will help me curb some of my overeating tendencies more easily than a Green Smoothie Cleanse or Detox would.

Just looking to see if others have had experience with this. My GI system is having a hard time adjusting to an attempted 45% protein/35% fat/20% carb diet. I realized this would mean fewer grains, but I never realized how many sugars/carbs are in my favorite veggies & fruits. I'm adding greens to protein smoothies, and am eating one vegetable side with dinner, but it doesn't seem to be enough.

Thanks, and happy healthing -
Paige

rosebarnalice

My experience is that the main advantage of a high-protein diet is that protein can make you feel satisfied and full longer, which can reduce snacky urges between meals. Weight loss happens because you're eating fewer calories that you expend--and protein helps you feel full longer so you don't get hungry.

At least that's the theory.

I actually find that FIBER is key to me feeling full. A half a chicken breast just doesn't feel like a meal to me: but half a chicken breast on a HUGE pile of spinach greens and napa cabbage with only the tiniest amount of dressing or basalmic vinegar? NOW I feel full!

I eat lots and lots of raw and lightly sauteed veggies--mostly in the for m of BIG salads and and BIG bowls of water/broth-based soups. I easily go through a pound of mushrooms, a big head of napa cabbage, a bundle of celery or bok choy, a bag of spinach, a package of shredded broccoli slaw mix, and 2-3 cans of diced tomatoes every week.

eeejer

You do not have to cut vegetables to cut carbs, most non-starchy vegetables are low carb. In fact it is more important than ever to eat veggies. If you want to be full do not drink your food, eat it. Smoothies are terrible for satiating you. Choose real food over drinks as much as possible. Broccoli, spinach and cauliflower are your friends. Lots of fiber, will fill you up, and lots of good vitamins.

seska422

45% of calories from protein is a lot, especially if you are only eating 1200 calories. If the MFP default of 50%C-20%P-30%F isn't what you want, you might consider trying 40%C-30%P-30%F.

HealthierRayne

rosebarnalice wrote: »

I actually find that FIBER is key to me feeling full. A half a chicken breast just doesn't feel like a meal to me: but half a chicken breast on a HUGE pile of spinach greens and napa cabbage with only the tiniest amount of dressing or basalmic vinegar? NOW I feel full!

Totally agree with this 100%, a high fiber diet will keep you full longer and will also fix the GI issues, protein from animal sources does not have any fiber and is harder on our bodies to pass as a result. The healthiest people in the world have the highest fiber diets. source

pietra38

I have been on a high protein diet since Feb. 9 and so far lost 26 lbs. I do not do smoothies though because I am a diabetic, and have read countless articles about cautioning against them. The only thing that I have given up is bread, white potatoes, rice, pasta and simple sugar. My diet consists of meat fresh veggies nuts and dairy.I love cottage cheese which happens to be very high in protein. I usually have that in the morning with fresh fruit salad from our hospital cafeteria. For lunch I have a tossed salad with whatever dressing I feel like having i.e., ranch or bleu cheese, and a scoop of tuna salad. For dinner meat and a vegetable. If my family has baked potatoes, I have baked sweet potato. If I crave sugar or something sweet, I will have sugar free hot cocoa, or one of those high protein, high fiber bars that have chocolate and peanut butter. Sometimes I will just take a huge TBSP of peanut butter to curb my appetite. Good luck!

cwolfman13

Where did you come up with this 45% target? This seems excessive to me. A high protein diet would essentially have you eating around 1 gram of protein per Lb of lean mass...I would think 45% would have you exceeding that substantially.

40c/30p/30f is a pretty common ratio...it's also called the "zone" or zone diet. In my experience, 30% protein usually gets people in the neighborhood of 1 gram per Lb of LBM...it might not be exact, but it should be within a pretty reasonable range.

Angelfire365

cwolfman13 wrote: »

Where did you come up with this 45% target? This seems excessive to me. A high protein diet would essentially have you eating around 1 gram of protein per Lb of lean mass...I would think 45% would have you exceeding that substantially.

40c/30p/30f is a pretty common ratio...it's also called the "zone" or zone diet. In my experience, 30% protein usually gets people in the neighborhood of 1 gram per Lb of LBM...it might not be exact, but it should be within a pretty reasonable range.

I've seen this frequently, but I've never found out how a 205lb woman (me) would tell what my 'lean mass' is?

Angelfire365

paigeski7 wrote: »

Hello, out there! Long time user, first time on the discussion boards.

Started a high protein diet on 3/28, due to some blogs that suggested this would aid in women-who-workout's weight loss. My main goal isn't actually to tone, but to lose weight and make sure I can stay at ~1200 calories/day without getting hungry! My thought is that this will help me curb some of my overeating tendencies more easily than a Green Smoothie Cleanse or Detox would.

Just looking to see if others have had experience with this. My GI system is having a hard time adjusting to an attempted 45% protein/35% fat/20% carb diet. I realized this would mean fewer grains, but I never realized how many sugars/carbs are in my favorite veggies & fruits. I'm adding greens to protein smoothies, and am eating one vegetable side with dinner, but it doesn't seem to be enough.

Thanks, and happy healthing -
Paige

WATER. Water like there's not tomorrow. I upped my protein substantially, and was having issues until I doubled my water intake.

paigeski7

@rosebarnalice @HealthierRayne Love it. I'll definitely have to change things up. Will try as much green as I can get in!

@eeejer Thanks so much! I guess I was just surprised that broccoli - which I thought to be more water-based, had 10g carbohydrates in one serving. Looking at the breakdown now, I'm thinking it's less about the 2.5g sugar, and more about the carbs from the fiber. But, there's also more protein in broccoli than I thought too -
"Total Carbohydrate 10 g 3%
Dietary fiber 3.8 g 15%
Sugar 2.5 g
Protein 4.2 g 8%"

@seska422 @cwolfman13 It is a lot! Very difficult to get in that much protein. I was pulling from this blog: http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/macro-math-3-keys-to-dialing-in-your-macro-ratios.html
I think I'm going to have to switch some things up, though... Good recommendations, thanks! Also, I'm with @Angelfire365 on this one - how do you find LBM?

@pietra38 Thanks!! I love cottage cheese too, and have definitely been doing peanut butter too.

Thanks, y'all!

eeejer

paigeski7 wrote: »

@eeejer Thanks so much! I guess I was just surprised that broccoli - which I thought to be more water-based, had 10g carbohydrates in one serving. Looking at the breakdown now, I'm thinking it's less about the 2.5g sugar, and more about the carbs from the fiber. But, there's also more protein in broccoli than I thought too -
"Total Carbohydrate 10 g 3%
Dietary fiber 3.8 g 15%
Sugar 2.5 g
Protein 4.2 g 8%"

Ah, but you see, fiber is indigestible, we worry about NET carbs. So that is total carbs minus fiber. People who eat keto diets (which is basically under 50g carbs a day) eat tons of fibrous veggies.

Here is a list of low carb veggies. You should try to eat at least one serving every meal http://lowcarbdiets.about.com/od/whattoeat/a/whatveg.htm

paigeski7

@eeejer Super helpful, thank you!!

AnnPT77

Angelfire365 wrote: »

cwolfman13 wrote: »

Where did you come up with this 45% target? This seems excessive to me. A high protein diet would essentially have you eating around 1 gram of protein per Lb of lean mass...I would think 45% would have you exceeding that substantially.

40c/30p/30f is a pretty common ratio...it's also called the "zone" or zone diet. In my experience, 30% protein usually gets people in the neighborhood of 1 gram per Lb of LBM...it might not be exact, but it should be within a pretty reasonable range.

I've seen this frequently, but I've never found out how a 205lb woman (me) would tell what my 'lean mass' is?

Consider trying 0.8g per pound of goal weight, or if you don't have a goal weight, 0.8g/pound of the weight in the middle of your 'normal' BMI range. That may be a little over 1g/lb LBM, but as a rough guide may work, if you don't know a current realistic body fat percentage for yourself.

ilex70

paigeski7 wrote: »

@rosebarnalice @HealthierRayne Love it. I'll definitely have to change things up. Will try as much green as I can get in!

@eeejer Thanks so much! I guess I was just surprised that broccoli - which I thought to be more water-based, had 10g carbohydrates in one serving. Looking at the breakdown now, I'm thinking it's less about the 2.5g sugar, and more about the carbs from the fiber. But, there's also more protein in broccoli than I thought too -
"Total Carbohydrate 10 g 3%
Dietary fiber 3.8 g 15%
Sugar 2.5 g
Protein 4.2 g 8%"

@seska422 @cwolfman13 It is a lot! Very difficult to get in that much protein. I was pulling from this blog: http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/macro-math-3-keys-to-dialing-in-your-macro-ratios.html
I think I'm going to have to switch some things up, though... Good recommendations, thanks! Also, I'm with @Angelfire365 on this one - how do you find LBM?

@pietra38 Thanks!! I love cottage cheese too, and have definitely been doing peanut butter too.

Thanks, y'all!

The easiest is to use an online calculator w/your weight and measurements. Not the most exact, but better than no idea for sure, and from what most people report here better than the bio impedance scales.

Here is one example:

fitness.bizcalcs.com/Calculator.asp?Calc=Body-Fat-Navy

blues4miles

rosebarnalice wrote: »

I actually find that FIBER is key to me feeling full. A half a chicken breast just doesn't feel like a meal to me: but half a chicken breast on a HUGE pile of spinach greens and napa cabbage with only the tiniest amount of dressing or basalmic vinegar? NOW I feel full!

This! Also I find fat gives me that satiated feeling.

I aim to get 100g of protein a day (this is semi-arbitrary, I had been consistently getting less than this, so I'm just working on 100 as the next goal, my real goal should probably be higher). That's for fullness and for muscle preservation. Secondarily, I work on 25g of fiber. And thirdly, I don't restrict my fat in any way and try to add healthy fat sources to my meals. Carbs is an afterthought, I neither worry about it being too high or too low.

Haven't had much in GI issues, but then my digestive system is already pretty broken so eating more protein doesn't seem to mess it up in any way.

100g on my current MFP setting of 1210 calories comes out to 35% protein for reference for other folks trying to figure out what 45% might be.

Angelfire365

ilex70 wrote: »

paigeski7 wrote: »

@rosebarnalice @HealthierRayne Love it. I'll definitely have to change things up. Will try as much green as I can get in!

@eeejer Thanks so much! I guess I was just surprised that broccoli - which I thought to be more water-based, had 10g carbohydrates in one serving. Looking at the breakdown now, I'm thinking it's less about the 2.5g sugar, and more about the carbs from the fiber. But, there's also more protein in broccoli than I thought too -
"Total Carbohydrate 10 g 3%
Dietary fiber 3.8 g 15%
Sugar 2.5 g
Protein 4.2 g 8%"

@seska422 @cwolfman13 It is a lot! Very difficult to get in that much protein. I was pulling from this blog: http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/macro-math-3-keys-to-dialing-in-your-macro-ratios.html
I think I'm going to have to switch some things up, though... Good recommendations, thanks! Also, I'm with @Angelfire365 on this one - how do you find LBM?

@pietra38 Thanks!! I love cottage cheese too, and have definitely been doing peanut butter too.

Thanks, y'all!

The easiest is to use an online calculator w/your weight and measurements. Not the most exact, but better than no idea for sure, and from what most people report here better than the bio impedance scales.

Here is one example:

fitness.bizcalcs.com/Calculator.asp?Calc=Body-Fat-Navy

Thank You!!