Protein Question
caradack1985
Posts: 254 Member
I've seen it mentioned in several places that you should eat 0.6-0.8 g of protein for every lb of bodyweight. This would put me eating 135g of protein a day. I can barely manage to get up to 50g most days. Is that correct? Would I be better to try and up my protein intake?
I'm happily losing weight at a good pace for my size so this isn't about stalls or anything like that, now I've got the calorie counting down I'm looking into ensuring I get a good nutrient balance. Would increased protein be beneficial for my health?
I'm happily losing weight at a good pace for my size so this isn't about stalls or anything like that, now I've got the calorie counting down I'm looking into ensuring I get a good nutrient balance. Would increased protein be beneficial for my health?
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Replies
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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.4 -
caradack1985 wrote: »I've seen it mentioned in several places that you should eat 0.6-0.8 g of protein for every lb of bodyweight. This would put me eating 135g of protein a day. I can barely manage to get up to 50g most days. Is that correct? Would I be better to try and up my protein intake?
I'm happily losing weight at a good pace for my size so this isn't about stalls or anything like that, now I've got the calorie counting down I'm looking into ensuring I get a good nutrient balance. Would increased protein be beneficial for my health?
The recommendation is actually 1g protein per KG body weight for sedentary individuals or .8-1.2g per pound of LEAN body mass in athletic individuals.1 -
The increased amount of protein will support a few thing; 1. increase chances of muscle maintenance, and 2. satiety. And if you can preserve muscle, you will being losing more fat, will have a tighter body and can help maintain metabolic functions. But it's definitely more important during weight loss. Personally, I would consider increasing protein.
Side note, resistance training is the other part of the equation for muscle maintenance.2 -
There is a lot of conflicting advice when it comes to protein amounts vs weight loss. Obviously you need a certain amount to function properly and though I don't know the figures 50g does sound low. Eating a decent amount of protein will help limit muscles loss as you lose weight as well, (though some is inevitable - unfortunately not all the weight loss is fat!).0
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rainbowbow wrote: »caradack1985 wrote: »I've seen it mentioned in several places that you should eat 0.6-0.8 g of protein for every lb of bodyweight. This would put me eating 135g of protein a day. I can barely manage to get up to 50g most days. Is that correct? Would I be better to try and up my protein intake?
I'm happily losing weight at a good pace for my size so this isn't about stalls or anything like that, now I've got the calorie counting down I'm looking into ensuring I get a good nutrient balance. Would increased protein be beneficial for my health?
The recommendation is actually 1g protein per KG body weight for sedentary individuals or .8-1.2g per pound of LEAN body mass in athletic individuals.
And the RDA is based on weight maintenance.1 -
MFP has me at 143g! 175 pound man on slow bulk. (I know it's different than for ladies, only stating for balance.) It's darn hard to hit it. I've been touching it up with protein powder.0
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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.
OK, 0.8 g per pound of ideal body weight (which I've estimated at 120) would have me at 96g of protein a day, about twice my current consumption! Either way it looks like I do need to up my intake considerably. I really don't want to lose more muscle mass than I have to, partly because I will eventually be swapping to building muscle and partly because for health reasons I need every ounce of muscle I can spare, they're doing their own job plus the work of my ligaments.1 -
caradack1985 wrote: »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.
OK, 0.8 g per pound of ideal body weight (which I've estimated at 120) would have me at 96g of protein a day, about twice my current consumption! Either way it looks like I do need to up my intake considerably. I really don't want to lose more muscle mass than I have to, partly because I will eventually be swapping to building muscle and partly because for health reasons I need every ounce of muscle I can spare, they're doing their own job plus the work of my ligaments.
that sounds about right to me.
The most important factor (along with consuming enough protein) is consistent strength or resistance training during this period.0 -
caradack1985 wrote: »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.
OK, 0.8 g per pound of ideal body weight (which I've estimated at 120) would have me at 96g of protein a day, about twice my current consumption! Either way it looks like I do need to up my intake considerably. I really don't want to lose more muscle mass than I have to, partly because I will eventually be swapping to building muscle and partly because for health reasons I need every ounce of muscle I can spare, they're doing their own job plus the work of my ligaments.
As an FYI, the .6 to .8g is a translation of what the studies say; .8 - 1g per lb of lean body mass. If you are lean, it would be up to 1g per lb of weight.
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I'm doing convict conditioning twice a week and low impact aerobics three times a week.0
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robdowns1300 wrote: »MFP has me at 143g! 175 pound man on slow bulk. (I know it's different than for ladies, only stating for balance.) It's darn hard to hit it. I've been touching it up with protein powder.
MFP is based off of government guidelines (20% of calories), which is actually based on weight maintenance. During a cut, you need more; during a bulk, you need a good combination of protein and carbs.2 -
caradack1985 wrote: »I'm doing convict conditioning twice a week and low impact aerobics three times a week.
That is probably a good start. At some point you might want to considering one of the programs in this list (yours is in there too) if it works with your heath issues.
http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10332083/which-lifting-program-is-the-best-for-you/p10 -
The increased amount of protein will support a few thing; 1. increase chances of muscle maintenance, and 2. satiety. And if you can preserve muscle, you will being losing more fat, will have a tighter body and can help maintain metabolic functions. But it's definitely more important during weight loss. Personally, I would consider increasing protein.
Side note, resistance training is the other part of the equation for muscle maintenance.
This. I average a little over 1 kg per pound of body weight, simply because I feel more satisfied eating extra protein than carbs.0 -
robdowns1300 wrote: »MFP has me at 143g! 175 pound man on slow bulk. (I know it's different than for ladies, only stating for balance.) It's darn hard to hit it. I've been touching it up with protein powder.
MFP is based off of government guidelines (20% of calories), which is actually based on weight maintenance. During a cut, you need more; during a bulk, you need a good combination of protein and carbs.
Still working on the carbs. hard to hit that too. (356 for me) Losing weight was way easier!0 -
I've upped my protein allowance on here to 90g, which is just under ideal. Now I just need to find ways to hit that allowance!0
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open your diary- I find it harder to hit my carbs than Protein0
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The RDA recommends (.36 per pound of body weight). The 46 g for females is based on the reference weight of a 126 lbs woman.
Are you vegetarian? It is not recommended to eat more then 6 oz of meat a day (won't go into that here). So 6 oz of skinless chicken is around 50 g and 250ish calories. The rest you can get from whole grains, protein shakes, legumes, and beans (there is also some protein in vegetables and fruit).0 -
I've opened my diary, although you need to know that I eat OMAD. I'm not vegetarian but I don't eat a massive amount of meat and when I do its red meat rather then white. I eat a fair amount of veg, but I could definitely up my bean and legume amounts.0
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Also I've eaten a fair enough of chocolate the last few days but that's a time of the month thing, it will be going back down to normal in the next day or two!0
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The RDA recommends (.36 per pound of body weight). The 46 g for females is based on the reference weight of a 126 lbs woman.
Are you vegetarian? It is not recommended to eat more then 6 oz of meat a day (won't go into that here). So 6 oz of skinless chicken is around 50 g and 250ish calories. The rest you can get from whole grains, protein shakes, legumes, and beans (there is also some protein in vegetables and fruit).
That is false.
OP, what is OMAD? And below is a list of protein sources.
http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/926789/protein-sources1 -
One meal a day. And thanks.0
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I'm the same as you - started with kcal and now focussing on protein and fibre targets. I'd look out for higher protein veggies like soya beans and peas, and eggs can help boost protein. Although I struggle without including yogurt/milk/jerky/protein powder as a boost to hit that level.
As for chocolate - there's a snickers protein bar! Haven't actually tried it yet, but under 200kcal for 18g protein it might hit two birds with one stone!1 -
caradack1985 wrote: »One meal a day. And thanks.
And there is the problem. It's going to be extremely difficult to get 90g of protein in one meal. By looking at your diary, you do have a few snacks. So you will need to replace those with high protein sources to achieve that.1 -
berolcolour wrote: »I'm the same as you - started with kcal and now focussing on protein and fibre targets. I'd look out for higher protein veggies like soya beans and peas, and eggs can help boost protein. Although I struggle without including yogurt/milk/jerky/protein powder as a boost to hit that level.
As for chocolate - there's a snickers protein bar! Haven't actually tried it yet, but under 200kcal for 18g protein it might hit two birds with one stone!
The snickers protein bars are really good.0 -
I'm surprised how much protein milk has. Two percent is richer than whole milk. Cheese, too. I mean I know it's in there but when you do the math, it's really a lot. Ten grams a serving for milk, a glass is twenty. I've never loved milk, but I'm drinking more lately.0
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50g of protein shouldn't be hard at all. I aim for 1g/lb of body weight every day. That's about 240g. Also not hard if you pick the right food.0
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The snacks are more dessert than snacks, but I'll swap out chocolate for a higher protein dessert. Yesterday I had fruit with Yoghurt to start and I have chia seeds I can add to that which would give me another small boost. And with the main meal component I'll just have to cut the carbs and add more beans and legumes, or use things like quinoa instead of noodles. None of which I can do today as we're off on holiday tomorrow so today's meal is a cleaning out the fridge one, fortunately I have lots of sausages to use!0
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berolcolour wrote: »I'm the same as you - started with kcal and now focussing on protein and fibre targets. I'd look out for higher protein veggies like soya beans and peas, and eggs can help boost protein. Although I struggle without including yogurt/milk/jerky/protein powder as a boost to hit that level.
As for chocolate - there's a snickers protein bar! Haven't actually tried it yet, but under 200kcal for 18g protein it might hit two birds with one stone!
I saw this about the Snickers protein bar and got super excited! And then I googled and realized it's a UK product. *sadpanda*
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KatieJane83 wrote: »berolcolour wrote: »I'm the same as you - started with kcal and now focussing on protein and fibre targets. I'd look out for higher protein veggies like soya beans and peas, and eggs can help boost protein. Although I struggle without including yogurt/milk/jerky/protein powder as a boost to hit that level.
As for chocolate - there's a snickers protein bar! Haven't actually tried it yet, but under 200kcal for 18g protein it might hit two birds with one stone!
I saw this about the Snickers protein bar and got super excited! And then I googled and realized it's a UK product. *sadpanda*
Finally, a win for UK folk!!3 -
KatieJane83 wrote: »berolcolour wrote: »I'm the same as you - started with kcal and now focussing on protein and fibre targets. I'd look out for higher protein veggies like soya beans and peas, and eggs can help boost protein. Although I struggle without including yogurt/milk/jerky/protein powder as a boost to hit that level.
As for chocolate - there's a snickers protein bar! Haven't actually tried it yet, but under 200kcal for 18g protein it might hit two birds with one stone!
I saw this about the Snickers protein bar and got super excited! And then I googled and realized it's a UK product. *sadpanda*
I can assure you that the snickers marathon protein bars are in the US. I eat them every time I go to WAWA.0
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