Struggling to get enough protein

aortegasep

I'm having problems to get enough protein by day. I was on a 1,500 calories with 150g of protein and barely reach it. Now I have just increased calorie intake to 1,700 and to keep same macros I need 170gr of protein by day.
I already have two scoopes of whey protein in a day, one in breakfast and another after training.
With 3 meals and 2 snacks per day I need 34g of protein on each!!
Please suggestions

janejellyroll

Why do you need to keep the same macros?

mmapags

janejellyroll wrote: »

Why do you need to keep the same macros?

Agree. Why so high on protein?

aortegasep

I want to retein as mush muscle as I can while in deficit. Protein intake it's supposed to be between 0.8 - 1 gr/lb of body weight so @0.8gr/lb will be 150gr and @1gr/lb will be 192gr. So my logic says that increasing from 1,500 to 1,700 cals I should also increase protein in same rate, right?

janejellyroll

aortegasep wrote: »

I want to retein as mush muscle as I can while in deficit. Protein intake it's supposed to be between 0.8 - 1 gr/lb of body weight so @0.8gr/lb will be 150gr and @1gr/lb will be 192gr. So my logic says that increasing from 1,500 to 1,700 cals I should also increase protein in same rate, right?

First, the protein goal is usually based on *lean* body weight, not total body weight.

Secondly, once you've calculated how much you need, you don't need to increase it just because you're deciding to eat more. If you are calculating your goal based on your weight, you don't also need to adjust it based on how many calories you're eating. The way you're doing it now is that you're deciding to eat a certain amount and then increasing the protein based on an unrelated factor.

So basically, your initial goal is higher than it needs to be. There is no reason to eat that much protein unless you enjoy it or find it helps you hit your calorie goal. It doesn't sound like either of those things are happening right now.

aortegasep

Soooo.... my last scale reading is 197lb with 25.8% body fat that takes me to 146lb of lean body mass so I think my initial 150gr of protein is ok, right?
Fats I have set 0.35g of total body mass.
So the increase in calories should come only from Carbs?

Panini911

i add in snacks including jerky, egg whites and full fat greek yogurt to increase protein. I don't worry about it daily and try to keep it at 90-100. i'm at about 1400 cals.
some days are less, i don't worry about it.

janejellyroll

aortegasep wrote: »

Soooo.... my last scale reading is 197lb with 25.8% body fat that takes me to 146lb of lean body mass so I think my initial 150gr of protein is ok, right?
Fats I have set 0.35g of total body mass.
So the increase in calories should come only from Carbs?

Scales are not a reliable way to measure body fat.

I'm not saying your increase in calories "should" come from anything in particular. I'm just saying that you don't *need* to increase protein just because you are increasing calories. There is a certain amount of protein we need to meet our needs and you don't need more of it just because you're eating more calories.

But ultimately if you're setting your goals for things like protein and fat in grams based on your body weight, if you want to eat more calories then carbohydrates (or alcohol) is all you have left.

aortegasep

what would be a reasonable macros distribution considering I need to cut body fat, still loose around 10-15lb and keep muscle mass?
I've been reading a some articles and trying to set those numbers but I prefer to ask first.

lemurcat2

Reasonable: .8g-1g of protein per lb of lean mass. This is probably more than necessary, but is a good goal.

Fat and carbs to fill up the rest as you prefer (more protein is fine, but you don't need to worry about it).

Exercise appropriately (progressive strength training would be best for muscle maintenance).

Eat a healthy diet that helps you feel energetic and recover well.

Macro percentages are not actually important for the vast majority of people. Total grams is the important thing, and fat vs. carbs matters only if it affects a health condition or training.

kimny72

OP, many people go by 0.8g of protein per goal weight. Still probably higher than your current lean mass, but more realistic. You don't have to micro-manage macros, just look at them as a general guide.