Pls help me understand need for protein?
Replies
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emmamcgarity wrote: »I try to get 3 servings per day since I am over 50. I start each day with a cup of skim milk and a piece of whole grain toast for my commute. Then I have 8 ounces of yogurt with fruit at my desk at work. A piece of low-fat cheese with fruit in the afternoon gets me another half serving. That puts me only a half serving short before dinner. I use plain Greek yogurt as a substitute for sour cream sometimes. Other days I try to justify ice cream as a half serving....
What do you consider a serving to be? It doesn't really matter how often or how many servings as long as the total is a reasonable one for your goals.
I use the recommended serving sizes that Weight Waychers defines in an article called “Milk Matters” which is the same as what my sister’s doctor recommended for her with the DASH diet for hypertension
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emmamcgarity wrote: »emmamcgarity wrote: »I try to get 3 servings per day since I am over 50. I start each day with a cup of skim milk and a piece of whole grain toast for my commute. Then I have 8 ounces of yogurt with fruit at my desk at work. A piece of low-fat cheese with fruit in the afternoon gets me another half serving. That puts me only a half serving short before dinner. I use plain Greek yogurt as a substitute for sour cream sometimes. Other days I try to justify ice cream as a half serving....
What do you consider a serving to be? It doesn't really matter how often or how many servings as long as the total is a reasonable one for your goals.
I use the recommended serving sizes that Weight Waychers defines in an article called “Milk Matters” which is the same as what my sister’s doctor recommended for her with the DASH diet for hypertension
And that is how many grams or ounces? For those of us not familiar with the dash diet or weight watchers.2 -
For a dairy serving 8 ounces of milk or yogurt is a serving. I think the serving size for hard cheese was listed as 1.5 ounces but will find the article when I get home.emmamcgarity wrote: »emmamcgarity wrote: »I try to get 3 servings per day since I am over 50. I start each day with a cup of skim milk and a piece of whole grain toast for my commute. Then I have 8 ounces of yogurt with fruit at my desk at work. A piece of low-fat cheese with fruit in the afternoon gets me another half serving. That puts me only a half serving short before dinner. I use plain Greek yogurt as a substitute for sour cream sometimes. Other days I try to justify ice cream as a half serving....
What do you consider a serving to be? It doesn't really matter how often or how many servings as long as the total is a reasonable one for your goals.
I use the recommended serving sizes that Weight Waychers defines in an article called “Milk Matters” which is the same as what my sister’s doctor recommended for her with the DASH diet for hypertension
And that is how many grams or ounces? For those of us not familiar with the dash diet or weight watchers.
For protein I have been working toward increasing my protein to 100 grams per day. Most days I land around 80 which is better than the 50-60 I was at a month ago. I am definitely feeling better with the increased protein. My current weight is 153 lbs
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I’ve included 600ml today and managed to get up to 73g protein
Yay! You've gotten a lot a great advice. I wanted to also mention that (while not specifically relevant in this situation, but you never know in future) protein is incredibly important in the healing process. Low protein is one of the contributing factors in post surgical complications.8 -
cwolfman13 wrote: »https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/how-much-protein-do-you-need-every-day-201506188096
The Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) for protein is a modest 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight. The RDA is the amount of a nutrient you need to meet your basic nutritional requirements. In a sense, it’s the minimum amount you need to keep from getting sick — not the specific amount you are supposed to eat every day.
I'd imagine that most people would wish more than that for themselves - I want to be healthy, not just not sick.
OP, most of the recommendations around here are for 0.8g per lb, not 0.8g per kg. Unless you have a medical condition that requires you to limit your protein intake, I'd calculate both of those amounts, then definitely not eat less than the lower one but lean more towards the higher end of the range.
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emmamcgarity wrote: »emmamcgarity wrote: »I try to get 3 servings per day since I am over 50. I start each day with a cup of skim milk and a piece of whole grain toast for my commute. Then I have 8 ounces of yogurt with fruit at my desk at work. A piece of low-fat cheese with fruit in the afternoon gets me another half serving. That puts me only a half serving short before dinner. I use plain Greek yogurt as a substitute for sour cream sometimes. Other days I try to justify ice cream as a half serving....
What do you consider a serving to be? It doesn't really matter how often or how many servings as long as the total is a reasonable one for your goals.
I use the recommended serving sizes that Weight Waychers defines in an article called “Milk Matters” which is the same as what my sister’s doctor recommended for her with the DASH diet for hypertension
And that is how many grams or ounces? For those of us not familiar with the dash diet or weight watchers.
I promised to get back to you with the info now that I am home. The Weight Watchers article I was referencing does define 8 ounces of milk or yogurt as a serving size, 1.5 ounces of hard or semi-soft cheese, 1/2 cup of ricotta, or 2 cups of cottage cheese. The article itself is publicly available if you have interest in reading it.
https://www.weightwatchers.com/util/art/index_art.aspx?tabnum=1&art_id=43141&sc=3002
As for the DASH diet my sister's doctor recommended that has helped her with hypertension. They are recommending fat free or lowfat dairy. They define it as 1 cup milk or yogurt, 1½ oz cheese with it listed as a major source of calcium and protein. If you have interest in seeing the source document for DASH, I'll gladly include that as well.
https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health-topics/dash-eating-plan
The turning point for me on protein was after listening to a podcast interviewing Lyle McDonald that I found fascinating. When condensing his message to older women, his main points were 1.) eat more protien and 2.) lift weights (possibly not in that order). He mentioned Greek yogurt as being a fantastic source. I bought some, and I honestly don't care for it by itself. But, I do like mixing it in other dishes to boost the protien. I decided to give his advice a try and am working to increase the protein bit by bit.
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emmamcgarity wrote: »emmamcgarity wrote: »emmamcgarity wrote: »I try to get 3 servings per day since I am over 50. I start each day with a cup of skim milk and a piece of whole grain toast for my commute. Then I have 8 ounces of yogurt with fruit at my desk at work. A piece of low-fat cheese with fruit in the afternoon gets me another half serving. That puts me only a half serving short before dinner. I use plain Greek yogurt as a substitute for sour cream sometimes. Other days I try to justify ice cream as a half serving....
What do you consider a serving to be? It doesn't really matter how often or how many servings as long as the total is a reasonable one for your goals.
I use the recommended serving sizes that Weight Waychers defines in an article called “Milk Matters” which is the same as what my sister’s doctor recommended for her with the DASH diet for hypertension
And that is how many grams or ounces? For those of us not familiar with the dash diet or weight watchers.
I promised to get back to you with the info now that I am home. The Weight Watchers article I was referencing does define 8 ounces of milk or yogurt as a serving size, 1.5 ounces of hard or semi-soft cheese, 1/2 cup of ricotta, or 2 cups of cottage cheese. The article itself is publicly available if you have interest in reading it.
https://www.weightwatchers.com/util/art/index_art.aspx?tabnum=1&art_id=43141&sc=3002
As for the DASH diet my sister's doctor recommended that has helped her with hypertension. They are recommending fat free or lowfat dairy. They define it as 1 cup milk or yogurt, 1½ oz cheese with it listed as a major source of calcium and protein. If you have interest in seeing the source document for DASH, I'll gladly include that as well.
https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health-topics/dash-eating-plan
The turning point for me on protein was after listening to a podcast interviewing Lyle McDonald that I found fascinating. When condensing his message to older women, his main points were 1.) eat more protien and 2.) lift weights (possibly not in that order). He mentioned Greek yogurt as being a fantastic source. I bought some, and I honestly don't care for it by itself. But, I do like mixing it in other dishes to boost the protien. I decided to give his advice a try and am working to increase the protein bit by bit.
Great, thanks.1 -
If your question is "would I benefit from increasing the amount of protein in my diet?" then the answer is probably yes. If you are asking if you will fall I'll and die with your current protein consumption level I'd say that evidently not.6
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livingleanlivingclean wrote: »
OP, most of the recommendations around here are for 0.8g per lb, not 0.8g per kg. Unless you have a medical condition that requires you to limit your protein intake, I'd calculate both of those amounts, then definitely not eat less than the lower one but lean more towards the higher end of the range.
Why would you need all that protein for each pound of fat? A person weighing 350lbs would have to eat 280 grams of protein at 1120 calories per day. I believe it is per kilogram unless you are trying to add lot of muscle mass. .8 per pound does also factor in if you are looking at lean body mass I believe.
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livingleanlivingclean wrote: »
OP, most of the recommendations around here are for 0.8g per lb, not 0.8g per kg. Unless you have a medical condition that requires you to limit your protein intake, I'd calculate both of those amounts, then definitely not eat less than the lower one but lean more towards the higher end of the range.
Why would you need all that protein for each pound of fat? A person weighing 350lbs would have to eat 280 grams of protein at 1120 calories per day. I believe it is per kilogram unless you are trying to add lot of muscle mass. .8 per pound does also factor in if you are looking at lean body mass I believe.
Many of us feel, based on research we've read, that people need more protein (more than the RDA) when losing weight, when active, when getting much of one's protein from plant sources, and in various other situations that are more common here on MFP than in the general population.
I agree that we don't need protein to maintain our fat mass: It's only needed to help our lean mass thrive.
Since many of us lack a good estimate of lean mass, 0.8g per pound of a healthy goal weight is often proposed as a reasonable target (and it's a rough approximation of 1g per pound of lean body mass). 0.8g per kg of healthy body weight is around the RDA. 0.8g per pound of healthy body weight, a bit over twice as much, is more like a risk avoidance amount for people who are losing weight and active.
Extra protein, within reason, won't hurt a healthy person. (I define "within reason" as not so much that it prevents getting sufficient fats and veggies/fruits within calorie goal.)
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Thanks everyone, I am really confused now about how much I should aim for...I’m 154 and my goal is around 133-140 so do I need to be aiming for about 100g a day? That seems an awful lot? I’m going to focus on just increasing it as much as I can for now, would love to know what the minimum I absolutely have to make sure I get each day is though.0
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cwolfman13 wrote: »https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/how-much-protein-do-you-need-every-day-201506188096The Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) for protein is a modest 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight. The RDA is the amount of a nutrient you need to meet your basic nutritional requirements. In a sense, it’s the minimum amount you need to keep from getting sick — not the specific amount you are supposed to eat every day.
I think this puts my minimum at 56g?1 -
And I think this puts me nearer 120?livingleanlivingclean wrote: »cwolfman13 wrote: »https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/how-much-protein-do-you-need-every-day-201506188096
The Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) for protein is a modest 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight. The RDA is the amount of a nutrient you need to meet your basic nutritional requirements. In a sense, it’s the minimum amount you need to keep from getting sick — not the specific amount you are supposed to eat every day.
I'd imagine that most people would wish more than that for themselves - I want to be healthy, not just not sick.
OP, most of the recommendations around here are for 0.8g per lb, not 0.8g per kg. Unless you have a medical condition that requires you to limit your protein intake, I'd calculate both of those amounts, then definitely not eat less than the lower one but lean more towards the higher end of the range.
So I’m going to aim for 90 (I think?) I’m fairly certain I will struggle with that
I found the milk really easy yesterday but I had quorn for lunch and fish for tea - both made my stomach really uncomfortable and I’m bloated today.
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livingleanlivingclean wrote: »
OP, most of the recommendations around here are for 0.8g per lb, not 0.8g per kg. Unless you have a medical condition that requires you to limit your protein intake, I'd calculate both of those amounts, then definitely not eat less than the lower one but lean more towards the higher end of the range.
Why would you need all that protein for each pound of fat? A person weighing 350lbs would have to eat 280 grams of protein at 1120 calories per day. I believe it is per kilogram unless you are trying to add lot of muscle mass. .8 per pound does also factor in if you are looking at lean body mass I believe.
Many of us feel, based on research we've read, that people need more protein (more than the RDA) when losing weight, when active, when getting much of one's protein from plant sources, and in various other situations that are more common here on MFP than in the general population.
I agree that we don't need protein to maintain our fat mass: It's only needed to help our lean mass thrive.
Since many of us lack a good estimate of lean mass, 0.8g per pound of a healthy goal weight is often proposed as a reasonable target (and it's a rough approximation of 1g per pound of lean body mass). 0.8g per kg of healthy body weight is around the RDA. 0.8g per pound of healthy body weight, a bit over twice as much, is more like a risk avoidance amount for people who are losing weight and active.
Extra protein, within reason, won't hurt a healthy person. (I define "within reason" as not so much that it prevents getting sufficient fats and veggies/fruits within calorie goal.)
@NovusDies, I believe recommendations are 1g per lb of lean mass. 0.8g per lb is an easy calculation for people who are unsure their bf%, as a rough estimate of 20% bf. Obviously there are going to be extreme examples where this is not ideal - using goal weight in this circumstance would be a great idea.
Personally I'd rather err on the high side and ensure I've got sufficient protein to do all the things I want my body to do!2 -
And I think this puts me nearer 120?livingleanlivingclean wrote: »cwolfman13 wrote: »https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/how-much-protein-do-you-need-every-day-201506188096
The Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) for protein is a modest 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight. The RDA is the amount of a nutrient you need to meet your basic nutritional requirements. In a sense, it’s the minimum amount you need to keep from getting sick — not the specific amount you are supposed to eat every day.
I'd imagine that most people would wish more than that for themselves - I want to be healthy, not just not sick.
OP, most of the recommendations around here are for 0.8g per lb, not 0.8g per kg. Unless you have a medical condition that requires you to limit your protein intake, I'd calculate both of those amounts, then definitely not eat less than the lower one but lean more towards the higher end of the range.
So I’m going to aim for 90 (I think?) I’m fairly certain I will struggle with that I found the milk really easy yesterday but I had quorn for lunch and fish for tea - both made my stomach really uncomfortable and I’m bloated today.
Heya, I actually went away and did a bunch of reading after seeing this thread (thanks for the posted links all). I've also been struggling getting my protein (although I don't log milk in tea or coffee, so I'm probably getting a little more than I think) with some of my days coming in under the lowest recommended amount for me (even on days when I eat a decent amount of kcals)
From what I've been reading the average person should be eating between 0.8-1.3g per kg bodyweight. I'm going to calculate for myself here, for me that comes in at 56-91g for me. Currently I'm aiming for 70g, and I'm finding that really difficult. However, once I reach my goal weight, that 70g is will be in the higher end of that recommendation, so although I won't actually be aiming for any more protein, it will be closer to the amount I should be eating.
Edit: I find drinking a glass of milk at the end of the day helpful when I'm too low.
Some more reading (with citations, my favourite type of internet articles
):
https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/how-much-protein-per-day2 -
And I think this puts me nearer 120?livingleanlivingclean wrote: »cwolfman13 wrote: »https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/how-much-protein-do-you-need-every-day-201506188096
The Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) for protein is a modest 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight. The RDA is the amount of a nutrient you need to meet your basic nutritional requirements. In a sense, it’s the minimum amount you need to keep from getting sick — not the specific amount you are supposed to eat every day.
I'd imagine that most people would wish more than that for themselves - I want to be healthy, not just not sick.
OP, most of the recommendations around here are for 0.8g per lb, not 0.8g per kg. Unless you have a medical condition that requires you to limit your protein intake, I'd calculate both of those amounts, then definitely not eat less than the lower one but lean more towards the higher end of the range.
So I’m going to aim for 90 (I think?) I’m fairly certain I will struggle with that I found the milk really easy yesterday but I had quorn for lunch and fish for tea - both made my stomach really uncomfortable and I’m bloated today.
Heya, I actually went away and did a bunch of reading after seeing this thread (thanks for the posted links all). I've also been struggling getting my protein (although I don't log milk in tea or coffee, so I'm probably getting a little more than I think) with some of my days coming in under the lowest recommended amount for me (even on days when I eat a decent amount of kcals)
From what I've been reading the average person should be eating between 0.8-1.3g per kg bodyweight. I'm going to calculate for myself here, for me that comes in at 56-91g for me. Currently I'm aiming for 70g, and I'm finding that really difficult. However, once I reach my goal weight, that 70g is will be in the higher end of that recommendation, so although I won't actually be aiming for any more protein, it will be closer to the amount I should be eating.
Edit: I find drinking a glass of milk at the end of the day helpful when I'm too low.
Some more reading (with citations, my favourite type of internet articles ):
https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/how-much-protein-per-day
If you're struggling that much to get protein, considering a supplement isn't a bad idea. You could add a scoop to your milk and bump up the protein easily.... And flavoured milk! Yum!2 -
livingleanlivingclean wrote: »
And I think this puts me nearer 120?livingleanlivingclean wrote: »cwolfman13 wrote: »https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/how-much-protein-do-you-need-every-day-201506188096
The Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) for protein is a modest 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight. The RDA is the amount of a nutrient you need to meet your basic nutritional requirements. In a sense, it’s the minimum amount you need to keep from getting sick — not the specific amount you are supposed to eat every day.
I'd imagine that most people would wish more than that for themselves - I want to be healthy, not just not sick.
OP, most of the recommendations around here are for 0.8g per lb, not 0.8g per kg. Unless you have a medical condition that requires you to limit your protein intake, I'd calculate both of those amounts, then definitely not eat less than the lower one but lean more towards the higher end of the range.
So I’m going to aim for 90 (I think?) I’m fairly certain I will struggle with that I found the milk really easy yesterday but I had quorn for lunch and fish for tea - both made my stomach really uncomfortable and I’m bloated today.
Heya, I actually went away and did a bunch of reading after seeing this thread (thanks for the posted links all). I've also been struggling getting my protein (although I don't log milk in tea or coffee, so I'm probably getting a little more than I think) with some of my days coming in under the lowest recommended amount for me (even on days when I eat a decent amount of kcals)
From what I've been reading the average person should be eating between 0.8-1.3g per kg bodyweight. I'm going to calculate for myself here, for me that comes in at 56-91g for me. Currently I'm aiming for 70g, and I'm finding that really difficult. However, once I reach my goal weight, that 70g is will be in the higher end of that recommendation, so although I won't actually be aiming for any more protein, it will be closer to the amount I should be eating.
Edit: I find drinking a glass of milk at the end of the day helpful when I'm too low.
Some more reading (with citations, my favourite type of internet articles ):
https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/how-much-protein-per-day
If you're struggling that much to get protein, considering a supplement isn't a bad idea. You could add a scoop to your milk and bump up the protein easily.... And flavoured milk! Yum!
I'm seeing how I'm going for the moment. I've only been focusing on protein in the last week or so, when I actually looked at my levels and realised that I was getting the odd day in the 40s. So far I've got every day over my lowest recommended amount since tracking (mostly in the 60s), but considering I do do a reasonable amount of exercise, I should probably be aiming for a higher level.
If I continue to struggle I might consider supplements, I don't enjoy having to think about how much protein I'm getting, so knowing I'm getting a boost will definitely help, however I'd rather fix my diet to get the protein as opposed to relying on supliments2 -
So is it very difficult to work out without an accurate idea of bf%?WholeFoods4Lyfe wrote: »
If I’ve worked that out right I need 60g a day?psychod787 wrote: »The usda recommends 15% or .8grams per kilo of bw me thinks. I like higher personally. Protein helps keep you full. I run about 1.3 per pound of bw, but I am a meat and veggie kind of guy. It's really all up to you. For muscle gain, all you have to do is hit your lucine thresholds.
Should that be based on actual or ideal weight though?
It's .8-1.2 g per Kg of lean body mass. Protein is important not only for building lean mass but also for maintaining it.
No, The RDA for adult men and women is 0.8 grams of protein for every 2 pounds of body weight.
https://healthyeating.sfgate.com/usda-protein-requirements-grams-8619.html
That is a minimum amount. As an older male who lifts, I consume about .8g per pound of bodyweight as I want to maintain/build muscle.2 -
livingleanlivingclean wrote: »
OP, most of the recommendations around here are for 0.8g per lb, not 0.8g per kg. Unless you have a medical condition that requires you to limit your protein intake, I'd calculate both of those amounts, then definitely not eat less than the lower one but lean more towards the higher end of the range.
Why would you need all that protein for each pound of fat? A person weighing 350lbs would have to eat 280 grams of protein at 1120 calories per day. I believe it is per kilogram unless you are trying to add lot of muscle mass. .8 per pound does also factor in if you are looking at lean body mass I believe.
Since most people have no clue what their bodyfat % is I'm assuming the recommendation is based on some population assumption.1 -
Packerjohn wrote: »livingleanlivingclean wrote: »
OP, most of the recommendations around here are for 0.8g per lb, not 0.8g per kg. Unless you have a medical condition that requires you to limit your protein intake, I'd calculate both of those amounts, then definitely not eat less than the lower one but lean more towards the higher end of the range.
Why would you need all that protein for each pound of fat? A person weighing 350lbs would have to eat 280 grams of protein at 1120 calories per day. I believe it is per kilogram unless you are trying to add lot of muscle mass. .8 per pound does also factor in if you are looking at lean body mass I believe.
Since most people have no clue what their bodyfat % is I'm assuming the recommendation is based on some population assumption.
The 0.8g per pound is a recommendation is for lean body mass. However because it's used by people who are trying to build muscle those people tend to have lower bf% anyway, so that part tends to get missed out when it's reiterated.0 -
Packerjohn wrote: »No, The RDA for adult men and women is 0.8 grams of protein for every 2 pounds of body weight.
https://healthyeating.sfgate.com/usda-protein-requirements-grams-8619.html
That is a minimum amount. As an older male who lifts, I consume about .8g per pound of bodyweight as I want to maintain/build muscle.
And since there are 2.2lbs per Kg... 0.8g per Kg of body weight also works. :-)Protein is used to build and repair your hair, skin and nails, along with other structures in your body. Oh, and your heart is a muscle. A young body can cope with a lot of crappy conditions, but as you age and all the systems in your body age, the ability to make up for poor nutrition diminishes. That's why women are encouraged to get lots of calcium and vit D when they are young to build strong bones, because as you get into your 40's your bones will thin, and the more you start out with, the less damaging that loss is. Just like you can eat a crap diet in your 20's and not feel the effects, but as you get older you find yourself at a disadvantage because of it. All the hens come home to roost as you move thru your 30's and 40's
I know plenty of women in their 40's and 50's who ate the typical low protein diet food of the 1970's and 1980's who have thinning hair, brittle nails, lack of endurance, and are desperately trying to build muscle now so they don't end up frail and helpless.
This, times a million. Might not have many negative effects now, in your 20s... just wait until you're in your 40s and 50s and older... you'll be cursing your younger self. Brittle hair and nails, thinning hair, very slow ability to heal from wounds, very low muscle mass so carrying your own weight is difficult. You don't want to be a hairless old lady in a Rascal with brittle nails and unhealed wounds.
If you are able and willing to open up your diet to more sources of protein, you'll hit your gram goals more easily. Eggs, milk and Greek yogurt are good. Consider adding a whey protein powder to your milk.. those can add 20-30g of protein in just one 8oz serving! You can get nearly 30g of protein in just 4oz of boneless/skinless chicken breast. Pork tenderloin is another good one, lean and about 5g of protein per ounce.
Don't like animal meats much but eat fish, consider Mahi-mahi, Tuna, Tilapia, scallops, shrimp.. all will give you tons of protein per ounce. Cheeses offer a surprisingly large amount of protein per ounce as well- look for low sodium varieties. Tofu, as much as I don't like it at all, has a lot of protein, about 10g in just over 4oz.
I look to wild game meats myself, venison (that I have harvested and butchered), bison (my favorite), elk.. harder to do if trying to avoid red meats in general, and depending on location.
But in terms of whey powders, all of the seafood available, plus dairy... you can do it!3 -
Thanks everyone, I am really confused now about how much I should aim for...I’m 154 and my goal is around 133-140 so do I need to be aiming for about 100g a day? That seems an awful lot? I’m going to focus on just increasing it as much as I can for now, would love to know what the minimum I absolutely have to make sure I get each day is though.
1g per 1lb of lean body mass.
100g really isn't much either. 1 protein shake, averages about 20g, and one low fat greek yoghurt can give you anything from 10g-20g (I eat the Fage brand which has 17.5g per pot). That's already close to 40g without even touching on the main protein staple - chicken!2 -
Thanks everyone, I am really confused now about how much I should aim for...I’m 154 and my goal is around 133-140 so do I need to be aiming for about 100g a day? That seems an awful lot? I’m going to focus on just increasing it as much as I can for now, would love to know what the minimum I absolutely have to make sure I get each day is though.
You don't have to stress too much about specifics, just start to slowly raise it. Personally, I'd suggest multiplying your goal weight in lbs by 0.6 and make that amount your first goal. Once you start regularly hitting that easily, multiply your goal weight by 0.7 and raise your goal to that. You get the idea. There is no 100% scientifically proven "best amount" but I think there's enough data to suggest that where you are is too low. Don't get lost in the weeds
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livingleanlivingclean wrote: »
OP, most of the recommendations around here are for 0.8g per lb, not 0.8g per kg. Unless you have a medical condition that requires you to limit your protein intake, I'd calculate both of those amounts, then definitely not eat less than the lower one but lean more towards the higher end of the range.
Why would you need all that protein for each pound of fat? A person weighing 350lbs would have to eat 280 grams of protein at 1120 calories per day. I believe it is per kilogram unless you are trying to add lot of muscle mass. .8 per pound does also factor in if you are looking at lean body mass I believe.
Many of us feel, based on research we've read, that people need more protein (more than the RDA) when losing weight, when active, when getting much of one's protein from plant sources, and in various other situations that are more common here on MFP than in the general population.
I agree that we don't need protein to maintain our fat mass: It's only needed to help our lean mass thrive.
Since many of us lack a good estimate of lean mass, 0.8g per pound of a healthy goal weight is often proposed as a reasonable target (and it's a rough approximation of 1g per pound of lean body mass). 0.8g per kg of healthy body weight is around the RDA. 0.8g per pound of healthy body weight, a bit over twice as much, is more like a risk avoidance amount for people who are losing weight and active.
Extra protein, within reason, won't hurt a healthy person. (I define "within reason" as not so much that it prevents getting sufficient fats and veggies/fruits within calorie goal.)
I think this is one area where it wouldn't hurt to be more precise in replies. I cannot even count how many times I have seen ".8g per lb" and it can be very confusing because it is not scalable. It would make much more sense to include "goal weight".
I am not trying to call anyone in particular out on this so this is not directed at @livingleanlivingclean . It is a message board and things are not always precise. This one caused me some doubt about my own situation some time ago because staying healthy is a priority as I lose.2 -
There's always a debate around how much protein is needed. What the RDA recommends for normal everyday people to meet their base needs vs what is recommended for people losing weight and wanting to retain muscle differs. I'd rather err on the side of caution, plus I've never had a problem meeting my protein goal (currently 150g/day) so I go with the higher amounts.
FWIW, here's a good post about protein: https://www.strongerbyscience.com/reflecting-on-five-years-studying-protein/2 -
livingleanlivingclean wrote: »
OP, most of the recommendations around here are for 0.8g per lb, not 0.8g per kg. Unless you have a medical condition that requires you to limit your protein intake, I'd calculate both of those amounts, then definitely not eat less than the lower one but lean more towards the higher end of the range.
Why would you need all that protein for each pound of fat? A person weighing 350lbs would have to eat 280 grams of protein at 1120 calories per day. I believe it is per kilogram unless you are trying to add lot of muscle mass. .8 per pound does also factor in if you are looking at lean body mass I believe.
Many of us feel, based on research we've read, that people need more protein (more than the RDA) when losing weight, when active, when getting much of one's protein from plant sources, and in various other situations that are more common here on MFP than in the general population.
I agree that we don't need protein to maintain our fat mass: It's only needed to help our lean mass thrive.
Since many of us lack a good estimate of lean mass, 0.8g per pound of a healthy goal weight is often proposed as a reasonable target (and it's a rough approximation of 1g per pound of lean body mass). 0.8g per kg of healthy body weight is around the RDA. 0.8g per pound of healthy body weight, a bit over twice as much, is more like a risk avoidance amount for people who are losing weight and active.
Extra protein, within reason, won't hurt a healthy person. (I define "within reason" as not so much that it prevents getting sufficient fats and veggies/fruits within calorie goal.)
I think this is one area where it wouldn't hurt to be more precise in replies. I cannot even count how many times I have seen ".8g per lb" and it can be very confusing because it is not scalable. It would make much more sense to include "goal weight".
I am not trying to call anyone in particular out on this so this is not directed at @livingleanlivingclean . It is a message board and things are not always precise. This one caused me some doubt about my own situation some time ago because staying healthy is a priority as I lose.
I've gone into quite a few threads in the past to say just that, i.e., "healthy goal pounds, not overweight/obese pounds", especially when "0.8g/lb" or even "1g/lb" (with no clarification as to which weight to use), was being quoted at an obese woman striving for 1200 calories (which is a whole 'nother discussion - the 1200, I mean). A 230 pound woman told to aim at 1g/pound of current weight is going to be spending 920 calories on protein, which makes balanced nutrition (around 450+ cals of fats, plus veggies/fruits, plus that protein) pretty much literally impossible.
I'm getting bored with doing the clarification (and weary of being woo-ed, and claimed to be confusing pounds with kilograms because I like 0.8g/lb of goal weight, and the common RDAs are close to 0.8g/kg, among other things).
Feel free to take over clarification duty. 6 -
I really have appreciated this discussion. It has given me lots to consider.3
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livingleanlivingclean wrote: »cwolfman13 wrote: »https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/how-much-protein-do-you-need-every-day-201506188096
The Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) for protein is a modest 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight. The RDA is the amount of a nutrient you need to meet your basic nutritional requirements. In a sense, it’s the minimum amount you need to keep from getting sick — not the specific amount you are supposed to eat every day.
I'd imagine that most people would wish more than that for themselves - I want to be healthy, not just not sick.
OP, most of the recommendations around here are for 0.8g per lb, not 0.8g per kg. Unless you have a medical condition that requires you to limit your protein intake, I'd calculate both of those amounts, then definitely not eat less than the lower one but lean more towards the higher end of the range.
I was just illustrating to the OP that she's not even meeting the minimum for basic nutritional requirements with what she was talking about. For the OP, that's probably a good place to start.
I personally eat a fairly high protein diet.5 -
I'm getting bored with doing the clarification (and weary of being woo-ed, and claimed to be confusing pounds with kilograms because I like 0.8g/lb of goal weight, and the common RDAs are close to 0.8g/kg, among other things).
Feel free to take over clarification duty.
I don't have your credibility so get back to clarifying!!
2 -
livingleanlivingclean wrote: »
OP, most of the recommendations around here are for 0.8g per lb, not 0.8g per kg. Unless you have a medical condition that requires you to limit your protein intake, I'd calculate both of those amounts, then definitely not eat less than the lower one but lean more towards the higher end of the range.
Why would you need all that protein for each pound of fat? A person weighing 350lbs would have to eat 280 grams of protein at 1120 calories per day. I believe it is per kilogram unless you are trying to add lot of muscle mass. .8 per pound does also factor in if you are looking at lean body mass I believe.
.8 grams per Lb of a healthy goal body weight equates roughly to 1 gram per Lb of LBM for most people, give or take...which is at the high end. I'm typically somewhere between .6g and .8g.
The RDA is a minimum for a sedentary person. Someone losing weight is going to benefit from more protein to preserve lean mass. Active people also need more, not just body builders. Someone who is really active is tearing down muscle tissue and protein helps to rebuild.4
This discussion has been closed.
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