Still confused on protein

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JeanLaw131
JeanLaw131 Posts: 78 Member
in Food and Nutrition
I am currently 170lbs with a 1430 calorie goal. My macro breakdown is c30/p35/f35. That works out to 125g of protein/day. As I exercise and throughout the day, this goal goes up and I'm never able to catch up to it. Do I just aim for 125 and call it a day? If I keep trying to keep up with the increased protein goal all day, I would wayyy overeat. Am I overthinking this?

Replies

  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,868 Member
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    It goes up along with your calorie target and other macros...so you wouldn't be overeating.

  • JeanLaw131
    JeanLaw131 Posts: 78 Member
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    Right, but I don't eat all those calories back.
  • sunnybeaches105
    sunnybeaches105 Posts: 2,831 Member
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    125 grams is likely fine for you. Just fill in the remaining calories with what you want. This is the problem with using a percentage of calories formula when fat and protein really should be based on grams per pound of total and lean, respectively, body weight.
  • abitofbliss
    abitofbliss Posts: 198 Member
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    I experience the same, I try to just reach my personal goal and ignore what MFP says. Too confusing.
  • nutmegoreo
    nutmegoreo Posts: 15,532 Member
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    How did you decide on that macro split? Just curious because MFP doesn't give that high for protein. If you are working out regularly and trying to preserve muscle mass, then that sounds like an appropriate goal. Personally, I would take the 125 as my lower limit, and as the calories increase with exercise, eat those to whatever macros you want.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,868 Member
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    jluselawrence wrote: »
    Right, but I don't eat all those calories back.

    Ok..but your calories are made up of your macros...that's why everything goes up...your calories can't go up without your macros going up.

    1 gram protein = 4 calories
    1 gram carbohydrate = 4 calories
    1 gram fat = 9 calories
  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
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    Something like .8 g x lb of goal weight is plenty of protein. I'd work out what that is and use that as the lower goal. Nothing wrong with eating more, however, if that works for your regular diet, but I wouldn't worry about eating more just because overall calories went up with workout.

    (I used to eat set g of fat/carb/protein, roughly, and usually mainly increase carbs when I had a huge workout day.)
  • J72FIT
    J72FIT Posts: 5,948 Member
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    sunnybeaches105 wrote: »
    125 grams is likely fine for you. Just fill in the remaining calories with what you want. This is the problem with using a percentage of calories formula when fat and protein really should be based on grams per pound of total and lean, respectively, body weight.

    ^This...
  • JeanLaw131
    JeanLaw131 Posts: 78 Member
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    Thanks, Everyone, for your input! I'll keep my goal at 125g!

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