Having trouble hitting my protein without carbs/fat going over

GrammaRhon

I am 54, 5 1 1/2" (YES the half inch counts) 140 lbs and trying to lose weight and tone through macro counting and 4x steady state cardio and 4x weight workouts per week. My issue is that I can't seem to hit the protein target esp without putting my fats and carbs over .. which means I am simply not eating enough .. what is everyone doing to get in their protein??
Typical day ..
Carb goal 125 - I usually have 15 or so grams leftover
Fat goal 39 grams - I'm usually bang on
Protein goal 143 grams - I am generally at least 60 grams under

kommodevaran

That's no wonder, your targets are way off. Where did you get those numbers? It's easy to hit MFP's default, have you tried that?

malibu927

That's a pretty high protein goal. I would lower that some to help out. As for getting your number: meat, dairy, legumes, nuts, even supplements if you have to.

GrammaRhon

The macro's came from a personal trainer .. I'm in an 8-week summer shred

kimny72

That is a really high protein goal, it's not necessary for you to get quite that high. Even if you were aiming for 1g of protein per lb of goal body weight (which is the highest recommendation I've heard), that would be unnecessarily high. I mean, there's nothing wrong with it, but there's no reason for you to struggle to get there either!

Having said that, under 60 is really low.

Macro goals are a loose guide, you shouldn't worry if you're a little over on one and a little under on the other.

I get most of my protein from chicken, salmon, canned tuna, eggs, lentils and beans, greek yogurt, string cheese, milk, and protein shakes.

avadahm

Hmmm I’d say fats might have to go higher to accommodate that protein. Like, if you added tuna, you’re still getting more fats. Egg whites might help you (the yolks have a lot of the fats) get close. Tofu/tempeh May also help.

If your trainer thinks that goal is reasonable then ask for suggestions to reach it from him/her. They may even have recipes!

GrammaRhon

kinny72 - thanks .. ok I don't think I'm going to sweat trying to get to the protein goal then .. I'm aiming to get to around 125 lbs ... so I will try to aim more for 100 grams protein

nikkit321

To hit my protein goal, I pre-log my day and insert protein into every meal and snack. Once my protein is taken care of, I then fill in the rest of my day.

steveko89

This was a study done on bodybuilding prep that found some link to higher-than-typically-recommended protein intake and successful muscle retention while cutting fat. https://jissn.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/1550-2783-11-20

One could argue that the program OP is on is mimicking that cutting fat for a bodybuiding event process with a 12 week "shred" plan. Subsequently, what some are considering an alarmingly high protein intake may be helpful in the context of what is trying to be achieved by the trainer. Now, I'm not suggesting that much protein is required, or even optimal, for successful weight loss; only wanting to illustrate there may be some science backing the trainer's recommendation.

I do the same as @nikkit321 in that I pre-log as much of my day as possible around my protein and adjust the rest accordingly to hit my calories and get as close as I can to other macros.

Coincidentally, 60g of protein is exactly 75g-worth of the protein powder I get: MyProtein Impact Whey Concentrate.
MyProtein - Impact Whey Protien (Natural Vanilla), 75 gram - 300cal, 3g carb, 6g fat, 60g protein, 105mg sodium, 3 g sugar. Been using getting it for a few years and have yet to find a better value on quality protein powder. For what it's worth, 75g is the stated amount for 3 scoops, though I've found a packed scoop to be 30g, not 25g, and IMO a packed scoop is the best way to be consistent. And before anyone suggests it, I'm not a paid spokesperson.


Lastly, FIFY:

GrammaRhon wrote: »

trying to lose weight and tone through creating a caloric deficit by macro counting, increasing my calorie deficit with4x steady state cardio and improving my physique with 4x weight workouts per week.

cwolfman13

GrammaRhon wrote: »

I am 54, 5 1 1/2" (YES the half inch counts) 140 lbs and trying to lose weight and tone through macro counting and 4x steady state cardio and 4x weight workouts per week. My issue is that I can't seem to hit the protein target esp without putting my fats and carbs over .. which means I am simply not eating enough .. what is everyone doing to get in their protein??
Typical day ..
Carb goal 125 - I usually have 15 or so grams leftover
Fat goal 39 grams - I'm usually bang on
Protein goal 143 grams - I am generally at least 60 grams under

Your protein target is higher than need be...nothing wrong with it and it's common within the BB community to consume 1 gram per Lb of body weight...but to do it, you're going to need to be pounding down lots of lean protein...lots of chicken, fish, shrimp, lean beef, non-fat greek yogurt, etc.

What are you typically using as your protein sources that you're going to be going over fat and carbs? It really shouldn't be an issue if you're eating lots of chicken, fish, shrimp, lean beef, etc...

AnnPT77

If you need more protein, this is an excellent thread:

http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10247171/carbs-and-fats-are-cheap-heres-a-guide-to-getting-your-proteins-worth-fiber-also

It links to a spreadsheet that lists many, many foods in order by protein efficiency (most protein for fewest calories).

Review your food log, look for choices that have relatively many calories (or many carbs/fats if you prefer to look at it that way), but relatively little protein, reduce or eliminate those foods, and add others you like that have more protein. Over time, that will get you where you want to be.

I tend to think in calories. If I did the math right based on your OP, you're typically eating 1000-some calories, so yes, you need to eat more, especially if you don't add more calories to fuel exercise.

At 5'5", GW 120, CW low 130s, my personal goal is 100g protein daily . . . and that's around twice the USDA/WHO minimums, so some people even here think it's overkill. But I can hit it, usually exceed it, even as a vegetarian. The thread above was a help. I used 0.6-0.8g/pound of goal while losing (which is roughly equivalent to 0.8-1g per pound of LBM for a range of people).

Of course, I'm 62, and my goals don't include shredding anything. I'm just staying active with fun stuff and trying to slowly lose a few off-season pounds in maintenance.