Why does MFP limit my protein?

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2

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  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
    edited May 2017
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    nutty2chat2016 wrote: »
    I do realize there is no penalty for going over the macros. Lol. I'm just trying to learn how to eat right. I'm assuming if MFP is suggesting I'm eating too much protein, there is a reason.

    It's a minimum/suggested balance. MFP is not saying you should limit protein. It's also a default, not the one best way to set up macros. MFP's protein target is quite low if you are at low calories.
  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
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    jgnatca wrote: »
    Zero carbs is really, really hard to do. Especially for a carb lover like me.

    No bread, veggies, fruits at all?

    That's what she has left, so she would have had close to 50% carbs.
  • jgnatca
    jgnatca Posts: 14,464 Member
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    Oops, read that wrong.
  • Gamliela
    Gamliela Posts: 2,468 Member
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    Recommended protien is .6 to .8 grams per pound of body weight or 1 gram of protien per kilo of body weight.
    WHO has a lower number and also UK and European countries has set it lower than most of the advisories in North America.
  • sijomial
    sijomial Posts: 19,811 Member
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    Gamliela wrote: »
    Recommended protien is .6 to .8 grams per pound of body weight or 1 gram of protien per kilo of body weight.
    WHO has a lower number and also UK and European countries has set it lower than most of the advisories in North America.

    @Gamliela

    You do realise that there are 2.2lbs in a kilo?
  • Sunna_W
    Sunna_W Posts: 744 Member
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    I suck at math. I found a website that discussed Paleo / Keto (high protein and fat with low carbs and sugar). It said that the ratio should be 45% protein, 40% fat and 15% carbs.

    Here is a website that explains it: https://ketodietapp.com/Blog/page/KetoDiet-Buddy

    That is what I put in my macros and MFP did the rest. on a 1400 calorie diet that works out to 158 g Protein (Impossible); 62 g fat (Doable); 53 g carbs (Usually, I am over).

    Interesting facts about protein metabolism here:

    https://www.muscleforlife.com/the-truth-about-protein-absorption-how-often-you-should-eat-protein-to-build-muscle/
  • Gamliela
    Gamliela Posts: 2,468 Member
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    sijomial wrote: »
    Gamliela wrote: »
    Recommended protien is .6 to .8 grams per pound of body weight or 1 gram of protien per kilo of body weight.
    WHO has a lower number and also UK and European countries has set it lower than most of the advisories in North America.

    @Gamliela

    You do realise that there are 2.2lbs in a kilo?

    Yes, and that is what is advised as sufficient protien.

  • Gamliela
    Gamliela Posts: 2,468 Member
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    www.food.govuk sets protien guidlines for qdults at 55 grams per day.
  • sijomial
    sijomial Posts: 19,811 Member
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    Gamliela wrote: »
    sijomial wrote: »
    Gamliela wrote: »
    Recommended protien is .6 to .8 grams per pound of body weight or 1 gram of protien per kilo of body weight.
    WHO has a lower number and also UK and European countries has set it lower than most of the advisories in North America.

    @Gamliela

    You do realise that there are 2.2lbs in a kilo?

    Yes, and that is what is advised as sufficient protien.
    @Gamliela
    Check your maths.
    This -
    .6 to .8 grams per pound of body weight
    Doesn't match this -
    1 gram of protien per kilo of body weight
  • Gamliela
    Gamliela Posts: 2,468 Member
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    The efsa, european food safety association, sets protien needs at .83 grams per kilogram of weight, not per pound of weight.
  • Alatariel75
    Alatariel75 Posts: 17,959 Member
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    Gamliela wrote: »
    sijomial wrote: »
    Gamliela wrote: »
    Recommended protien is .6 to .8 grams per pound of body weight or 1 gram of protien per kilo of body weight.
    WHO has a lower number and also UK and European countries has set it lower than most of the advisories in North America.

    @Gamliela

    You do realise that there are 2.2lbs in a kilo?

    Yes, and that is what is advised as sufficient protien.

    I think the point is that the math doesn't work out - if the recommendation is .6 to .8 grams per lb, shouldn't it equate to 1.3 to 1.7 grams per kilo?
  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
    edited May 2017
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    Gamliela wrote: »
    Recommended protien is .6 to .8 grams per pound of body weight or 1 gram of protien per kilo of body weight.

    These are very different numbers. For me, the low end of the first is 75. The second is 57 g.

    The first is the one usually recommended by sources other than those who set the normal RDAs for people physically active or losing weight. (There are a number of sources for it in the examine.com article I often cite.) It also lines up well with around 1 g/lb of LBM.

    The second is similar to the RDA/minimum often recommended (.8-1 g/kg). It doesn't take into account the benefits for someone on a cut.
    WHO has a lower number and also UK and European countries has set it lower than most of the advisories in North America.

    Why do you think the NA numbers are higher? The RDA in the US is pretty much the g/kg number. But again that's a different issue than what can be beneficial for someone maximizing physical performance or losing weight (and needing to protect against muscle loss).
  • Gamliela
    Gamliela Posts: 2,468 Member
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    Well sorry I can't produce links but look above at the rcommended amou ts set by the European union and the uk. I don't know where everybody gets one gram per body weight, as in pounds. Well, I just thought the USA and Canada had different and higher values for protien as compared to what the guidlnes are here in Europe.

    Th WHO also is lower, I can't remember exactly but I recall it works out to 50 60 grams a day for me.

    I'm not arguing about how much is actually necessary, just that other countries seem to have different values attached to protien requirements.
  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
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    Gamliela wrote: »
    I don't know where everybody gets one gram per body weight, as in pounds.

    People don't usually recommend so much here (some bodybuilding sites, sure). They recommend 1 g/lb of LBM which IS the .6-.8 g/lb number you gave for most people.

    The US RDA is .8 g/kg, but that's not an ideal amount, it's what most generally need to have sufficient. Here's one source that's pretty typical: http://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/how-much-protein-do-you-need-every-day-201506188096. There are links focusing more on what's beneficial for weight loss at examine.com, as I mentioned.

  • Gamliela
    Gamliela Posts: 2,468 Member
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    EFSA sets population reference intakes for protein

    EFSA has published population reference intakes (PRIs) for protein, completing the latest stage of its work on dietary reference values (DRVs).

    A PRI indicates the amount of an individual nutrient that the majority of people in a population need for good health depending on their age and sex. EFSA’s Panel on Dietetic Products, Nutrition and Allergies set PRIs for protein for adults, infants and children, and pregnant and breast-feeding women, as follows:

    Adults (including older adults) – 0.83 g per kg of body weight per day.
    Infants, children and adolescents – between 0.83 g and 1.31 g per kg of body weight per day depending on age.
    Pregnant women – additional intake of 1 g, 9 g and 28 g per day for the first, second and third trimesters respectively.
    Breast-feeding women – additional intake of 19 g per day during the first 6 months of lactation and 13 g per day thereafter.

    So that is what is recommended in Europe by the european union.
  • Gamliela
    Gamliela Posts: 2,468 Member
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    This is from the site www.food.gov.uk providing the protien requirments the advise:

    Nutrient
    1-3yrs
    4-6yrs
    7-10yrs
    11-14yrs

    15-18yrs
    Protein
    15g
    20g
    28g
    42g
    55g


    Sorry about the way it reproduced, but the adult requirment for protien is 53 grams per day, a bit lower than for the 18 year old at 55 grams. I was wrong there, thinking mine was 50 to 60 according to this one.

  • cmriverside
    cmriverside Posts: 34,130 Member
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    ...and MFP gives me way more than @Gamliela's above recommendation by default. @nutty2chat2016, the defaults are already higher than the recommended amounts discussed above. For instance, I would be given 53g if using the above calculation. This site gives me 75g by default.

    All this conversation is saying is that if you want to eat higher protein go for it. Try to squeeze in some vegetables and a little fat every day and you're good.

    It took me months to figure all this out. In the meantime I was losing weight eating what I wanted to eat.

    You're already doing it right if you stay within your calories. The macros and micros are more of a Rubik's Cube, and it comes with time.
  • Gamliela
    Gamliela Posts: 2,468 Member
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    So, a question I have is : If a moderately active person in maintenance eats sufficient protien, what would be benefit of eating more than enough? Other than if that is simply a taste factor? Does it benefit th body in a way that eating just sufficient protien and plenty of veg and fruit does? Is there an argument for eating more protien than 53 grams a day as the UK guidlines state?
  • Gamliela
    Gamliela Posts: 2,468 Member
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    cmriverside wrote: »
    ...and MFP gives me way more than @Gamliela's above recommendation by default. @nutty2chat2016, the defaults are already higher than the recommended amounts discussed above. For instance, I would be given 53g if using the above calculation. This site gives me 75g by default.

    All this conversation is saying is that if you want to eat higher protein go for it. Try to squeeze in some vegetables and a little fat every day and you're good.

    It took me months to figure all this out. In the meantime I was losing weight eating what I wanted to eat.

    You're already doing it right if you stay within your calories. The macros and micros are more of a Rubik's Cube, and it comes with time.

    Yeah, you can eat whatever you want! :)

    I don't see an advantage to eating more than the sufficient amount. By the way, I'm always over that 53 grams, but I have thoght of modifying my choice of foods and including more carbs instead of always going over on th protien.

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