General help regarding macros

Kieranova1994

I am 226.8 pounds, from my understanding i need 1g of protein per pound. Which is 226.8 do i still incorporate that into my diet and split the rest between fat and grams to total my weight loss or do i set it 185 grams per day because thats what i would like to weigh in then end?

If that makes sense.

rosebarnalice

The resources I've seen say more like .33-.36 grams per lb of body weight which would mean your goal would be about 80 grams per day

Kieranova1994

See i keep reading different things some say a pound some say 1.5 others say as far as 3.

StealthHealth

1lb per lb of lean mass.

so this:

Kieranova1994 wrote: »

185 grams per day because thats what i would like to weigh in then end?

TavistockToad

0.8g per pound of body weight, or 1g per pound of LBM.

SezxyStef

TavistockToad wrote: »

0.8g per pound of body weight, or 1g per pound of LBM.

This...

SezxyStef

rosebarnalice wrote: »

The resources I've seen say more like .33-.36 grams per lb of body weight which would mean your goal would be about 80 grams per day

This would be the minimum recommended amount...

singletrackmtbr

As you can see, you're going to get a lot of different answers. I would agree on getting somewhere around a gram per pound of lean body mass. That said, there are some other considerations:

Are you doing a lot of strength training? In this world the protein recommendations are much higher. There are many who are taking well over a gram/lb. LBM, and some extremists are taking 2-3 gms/lb. of body weight.

I wouldn't recommend going this high, but research varies on the effects of this. There are many out there who start shouting about kidney failure, but if you have healthy kidneys and see a doctor regularly, and drink plenty of water, it isn't really a concern.

From what I've seen, below are more likely concerns with too much protein:

1. Many say a very high protein intake is a waste of your time. Excess protein is typically never used, and is excreted in the urine.
2. By taking too much protein, you're not taking enough carbs and fat. Both are important not just for energy and weight loss, but contain nutrients you won't get from protein rich foods.
3. Good sources of protein often are high in cholesterol. Cholesterol isn't necessarily evil, but taking massive amounts of it will surely affect you down the road.
4. Extreme protein diets have been shown to lead to other health issues (gout, osteoporosis, etc).


I'm not an expert, this is information I've obtained while scouring the web to answer the same question you're asking. I personally have too much protein in my diet (I usually take about 200 grams for a LBM of 136#). The hardest thing for me is to ignore the macro pie chart once I hit my protein goal.

The best recommendation I've gotten is to set a protein goal (mine is currently 1gm/pound of LBM) and a fat goal (.4 gms/pound total body weight). The rest of your diet should be complex carbs. Once you start getting into eating back your exercise calories, try to maintain a reasonable balance but don't aim to keep the macros intact.

Your best bet is to research reliable sources. MFP is great but you're going to get advice from a very large contingent of people who may or may not know what they're talking about (maybe I don't, who knows?).

Here's a good quick first article: http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/expert-answers/high-protein-diets/faq-20058207

Good luck!