Hard time reaching proten goal- Vegetarian

rainingribbons
rainingribbons Posts: 1,051 Member
in Food and Nutrition
Hi guys! As the title says, I'm a vegetarian who is currently having a hard time reaching my protein goals. I'm 5'10 and 140lbs and because I do weight training 4 times a week and am trying to build muscle and shed fat my current calorie intake is 1650 cals and macros are 35p/45c/25f- 140g protein, 160g carbs, and 50g fats. I'm having a hard time getting so high in protein without going over on carbs. Before I started having a protein shake post workout, I was only hitting maybe 70, 80-85 on a good day. Now I'm getting around 100-110 but it still isn't getting quite there. :/ Does anyone have any suggestions that might help? Food diary is open if you want to take a look and see what I'm eating.

Replies

  • zoeysasha37
    zoeysasha37 Posts: 7,088 Member
    I don't eat meat either so I know how challenging this can be.
    This is what I did- Google a list of high protein foods and print it out.
    Cross off everything you know you'll hate.
    Buy what is left on the list :)
    I know it sounds corny but that is seriously what I had to do to find some higher protein foods that I liked.
    I eat a lot of greek yogurt, protein powder and bars and beans.
  • redraidergirl2009
    redraidergirl2009 Posts: 2,560 Member
    edited July 2016
    Why do you need more than 100g of protein? I'm confused. Also if you're trying to gain muscle you need to eat more.
  • seska422
    seska422 Posts: 3,217 Member
    The RDA for adequate protein for most adults is 0.8 grams per kilogram of ideal weight. That's about 46 grams of protein per day for non-pregnant, non-lactating women and 56 grams for men.

    Dietary Reference Intakes: Macronutrients

    The recommendation I've seen for optimal protein (especially if body building or losing weight) is 1 gram of protein per pound of lean body mass or 0.8 grams per pound of your ideal weight (middle of normal BMI).

    Personally, I aim for about 70 grams per day which falls between adequate and optimal but works for me. If you are really struggling to reach your protein goal, you might want to think about aiming for a lower goal.
  • rainingribbons
    rainingribbons Posts: 1,051 Member
    The thing is I'm trying to build muscle but lose fat, and you only lose fat in a calorie deficit so I don't want to eat even more- I already feel as though I'm full all the time, haha! And that's a lot of protein, but I was eating more protein because since I'm eating in a deficit, I don't want my body to burn muscle instead of fat, you know? Though if I am eating way too much, what's a more realistic goal in terms of macros? Since I'm trying to burn fat I don't want to increase my fat intake, but I also don't want my carbs to skyrocket either because won't that make me just gain weight?
  • zoeysasha37
    zoeysasha37 Posts: 7,088 Member
    Carbs do not cause people to gain weight. A calorie surplus causes weight gain.

    Eating fat won't make you fat. A calorie surplus does.
  • rainingribbons
    rainingribbons Posts: 1,051 Member
    Oh. Right.
    If that's the case I guess I should try adjusting my macro goals then? What would more reasonable goals be?
  • BlueberryWatermelon
    BlueberryWatermelon Posts: 73 Member
    Greek yogurt and 4% cottage cheese are my go-to snacks when I need more protein. Have you tried fake meat products, like vegetarian sausages, tofu dogs, etc? They usually contain decent protein without adding lot of calories.
  • seska422
    seska422 Posts: 3,217 Member
    rainingribbons wrote: »
    Oh. Right.
    If that's the case I guess I should try adjusting my macro goals then? What would more reasonable goals be?

    Have you logged your normal eating to see where your macros naturally fall? As long as you get enough protein and fat, macros are more a matter of personal preference.

    You might want to try 25p/45c/30f if you want a mix to aim toward.

    Also, you can't really build significant muscle and lose fat at the same time. It's really one or the other since you need a calorie surplus to build muscle. That's why bodybuilders bulk and cut.
  • rainingribbons
    rainingribbons Posts: 1,051 Member
    I use fake meats usually in one meal a day- I try not to do use too much because I'd rather get my nutrients from whole foods. But I do definitely use them!
    And I did, but I thought it was wrong with the goals I was trying to accomplish- my protein was around 80g and I think my carbs were over 200g. I thought I wasn't getting enough protein with weight training and therefore tried to re-adjust.
  • sunnybeaches105
    sunnybeaches105 Posts: 2,831 Member
    If you're not vegan add egg whites. They have high bioavailability and a very high protein to calories ratio
  • rainingribbons
    rainingribbons Posts: 1,051 Member
    Egg whites are my usual breakfast- love them with spinach and mushrooms! Thanks! (:
  • seska422
    seska422 Posts: 3,217 Member
    rainingribbons wrote: »
    I use fake meats usually in one meal a day- I try not to do use too much because I'd rather get my nutrients from whole foods. But I do definitely use them!
    And I did, but I thought it was wrong with the goals I was trying to accomplish- my protein was around 80g and I think my carbs were over 200g. I thought I wasn't getting enough protein with weight training and therefore tried to re-adjust.
    IMO, since you are a vegetarian, those sound like good macro amounts to me even if you are weight training. Vegetarians are naturally going to be carb-heavy because veggies are mostly carbs.
  • snerggly
    snerggly Posts: 112 Member
    I started eating a plant based diet two weeks ago. Before I did, I did a lot of research on it, James McDougall, MD and Esselstyn, "Forks over knives" have great ideas on how to get more protein from plants.
  • redraidergirl2009
    redraidergirl2009 Posts: 2,560 Member
    Your body isn't ting to want to build muscle at a calorie deficit though not matter how much protein you eat.

    Aim for about 55g minimum and try adding leaner proteins like tofu, seitan or tempeh instead of a lot of faux meat products which are higher in sodium and junk.
  • Vegplotter
    Vegplotter Posts: 265 Member
    Don't worry about it. US RDAs are based on what the average American eats, not what they should eat. You'll be fine eating lower levels of protein and higher levels of complex carbohydrates.
    Look at the Japanese, the healthiest nation in the world. Many people would say that's because they don't eat so much protein.
    Don't believe the myth that protein eaten =muscle growth. The body makes its own protein for that. As long as you are 'regular' in the bathroom, you are eating enough protein for you. ( Faeces are excess protein (plus a few other things) )
  • Kdp2015
    Kdp2015 Posts: 519 Member
    Hey, we're quite similar - I'm 5'10 and currently 147. I strength train 2 or 3 times a week and very little intentional cardio although I'm fairly active. I struggle with protein and rely on shakes for training days especially, otherwise I use quorn pieces/burgers, baked beans, eggs, Greek yoghurt. Feel free to add me, my diary is open if you want a look.
  • Kdp2015
    Kdp2015 Posts: 519 Member
    Vegplotter wrote: »
    Don't believe the myth that protein eaten =muscle growth. The body makes its own protein for that. As long as you are 'regular' in the bathroom, you are eating enough protein for you. ( Faeces are excess protein (plus a few other things) )

    Really??
  • VividVegan
    VividVegan Posts: 200 Member
    Vegplotter wrote: »
    Don't worry about it. US RDAs are based on what the average American eats, not what they should eat. You'll be fine eating lower levels of protein and higher levels of complex carbohydrates.
    Look at the Japanese, the healthiest nation in the world. Many people would say that's because they don't eat so much protein.
    Don't believe the myth that protein eaten =muscle growth. The body makes its own protein for that. As long as you are 'regular' in the bathroom, you are eating enough protein for you. ( Faeces are excess protein (plus a few other things) )

    Where did that come from?? I haven't been regular in ages but get more than enough protein. Same with fiber, water, etc.
  • AmandaHugginkiss
    AmandaHugginkiss Posts: 486 Member
    You're in a calorie deficit. Upping your calories a couple hundred will help you add muscle. I disagree that you can't in a deficit (untrained individuals certainly can), but you're small and will have trouble without more calories.
  • feisty_bucket
    feisty_bucket Posts: 1,047 Member
    Vegplotter wrote: »
    Don't worry about it. US RDAs are based on what the average American eats, not what they should eat. You'll be fine eating lower levels of protein and higher levels of complex carbohydrates.
    Look at the Japanese, the healthiest nation in the world. Many people would say that's because they don't eat so much protein.
    Don't believe the myth that protein eaten =muscle growth. The body makes its own protein for that. As long as you are 'regular' in the bathroom, you are eating enough protein for you. ( Faeces are excess protein (plus a few other things) )

    This is completely wrong.
  • Zewwy
    Zewwy Posts: 11 Member
    Hey OP, I'm in the same boat! I've been a lifelong vegetarian but now that I'm tracking my food, I'm noticing that my protein is about half of what mfp says it should be. It is hard to add it in!

    Just wanted to say I feel your pain and thank you for this thread, following for other great suggestions!
  • Wophie
    Wophie Posts: 126 Member
    Hey I'm also a vegetarian, however I'm not currently focusing on the muscle gain as much. I do however eat the following on a typical day to try and get my protein up:

    Greek yoghurt
    Protein granola

    Nuts

    Salad with cheese or tofu
    Sometimes with extra nuts/quiona/edamame beans

    Graze protein snack

    Tofu/fake meat with whatever else I have planned for dinner


    Mine is by no means high protein or anything, but I do consciously try to add extra protein to my day.
  • rainingribbons
    rainingribbons Posts: 1,051 Member
    Thank you for all the tips, everyone! A few of you have mentioned upping my calorie count to build muscle- will that help the fat go? It's mostly some excess in my legs and midsection- I know normally it does help but I don't know it will go fast enough, I'm trying to loose as much as I can of it in the next 5.5 weeks. Or should I be upping my cardio?

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