Low BUN- increase protein struggle

generallyme2

Hi! So I have continued to have low BUN levels and we're trying to increase my protein, decrease my weight to see if that helps. I was aiming for 70+ grams of protein a day (typically I'm in the 30s so this is hard for me).

The problem is, when I exercise, mfp then tells me I need even MORE protein to hit my "daily goal". Do I really need to hit the the mfp goal or is hitting my own personal 70+ grams enough? For the record, I do try to eat back half of my exercise calories but currently my exercise cals aren't much as I'm easing back into things.

Corina1143

If your average is 30, 70 is going to be hard enough for you. Just keep trying. See how you feel.

PAV8888

Protein goal in grams is fine.
Are you vegan or no milk products?
If you aren't, Greek yogurt 0% gives a good kick. Whey powders can also be had with little more than the protein calories.
There exists a list of (ranked) protein sources floating around

generallyme2

I'm not vegan or no milk but I naturally tend toward vegetarian meals. I do eat greek yogurt and I've been mixing it with PB powder. The last 2 days that I've been actively working toward getting to my protein goal, I have been able to do it (with meat, eggs, beans, yogurt, cheese) and I picked up a couple of protein bars/powders in case I need something fast. But I don't really like most of those foods so I have to really put work into it. If I could do veg, fruit, and carbs all day I would!

PAV8888

Hmm. Greek 0% Yogurt with fruit = dessert! I like dessert! I can easily have 600 calories of dessert and call it a meal 😉 I do "cheat" and use liquid sucralose. Cinnamon or pumpkin spice would be more universally non-objectionable. Vanilla varieties add about 20 Cal per 175g which contain about 17.8g of protein. The defatted peanut butter protein is nice. And if you like the taste, awesome. But whey and casein are more complete and i believe bioavailable. So it is taste vs quantity for the calories per preference!

I was hoping Ann would drop in and link the protein spreadsheet!!!🤷‍♂️

frhaberl

I agree that a target in g is perfectly fine vs trying to hit a certain %. And it's good to remind yourself you're making progress, even if you're not hitting that target every day.

My current food obsession is apple slices dipped in Greek yogurt (76g) with PB powder (32g) mixed in and a bit of granola. It's how I end most days above my current protein target (100g/day).

Another trick I've been using to get my protein up is trying some of the Keto versions of bread products. They often have higher protein as well as fiber and through some magic/science they don't seem to differ much from the "regular" version.

It's not a huge protein add, but I also have substituted quinoa for rice.

I have also increased the amount of meat/beans I add to my soups and salads and even found a higher protein recipe for sourdough bread (uses pureed white beans in addition to the regular ingredients).

Hang in there and keep researching protein sources. It can take a bit of intentionality and creativity, but you will get there.

AnnPT77

PAV8888 wrote: »

Hmm. Greek 0% Yogurt with fruit = dessert! I like dessert! I can easily have 600 calories of dessert and call it a meal 😉 I do "cheat" and use liquid sucralose. Cinnamon or pumpkin spice would be more universally non-objectionable. Vanilla varieties add about 20 Cal per 175g which contain about 17.8g of protein. The defatted peanut butter protein is nice. And if you like the taste, awesome. But whey and casein are more complete and i believe bioavailable. So it is taste vs quantity for the calories per preference!

I was hoping Ann would drop in and link the protein spreadsheet!!!🤷‍♂️

Hey, it was a busy day, and I'm not a genie who emerges when someone rubs the protein lantern, y'know?

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

@PAV8888, it's in the Food and Nutrition stickies ("Most Helpful Posts" heading), if you ever need to link it.

@generallyme2, I'm able to hit my 100g daily protein minimum eating entirely vegetarian foods. (I'm ovo-lacto, but don't eat many eggs.) It was slightly less than that when I was eating reduced calories during loss, but still around 80s-90s grams daily. Now, in maintenance, I often get 120g or so without stressing about it.

What helped me was what it sounds like you're doing now: Just working at revising my routine daily habits in positive directions. Eventually, I got my protein where I needed it, and because it was built into my routine, it doesn't require much thought now.

The basic concept, for me, is to plan major protein source in each meal (as omnivores tend to do), but then also get small amounts of protein from many other things I eat: Side dishes, grains, beverages, snacks, veggies, fruits. Some of those sources are not as complete (in essential amino acids) or bioavailable, but varying the sources helps with EAA completeness, and the small amounts add up through the day. I don't personally use protein powder or bars, not because I think they're bad/wrong, but because I don't find them tasty/satisfying. (I prefer to spend my calories on food, glorious food!)

I did find the spreadsheet linked in the thread I mentioned above to be very helpful. Many of the foods at the top of that spreadsheet - the most protein for fewest calories - are meaty/fishy things. Keep scrolling through the spreadsheet, and you'll find plant sources further down (with some codes that help identify protein quality).

Also, read labels at the store. There are foods in many categories that have more protein than others. See if you like those, use them if you do. You might use different values, but my rough rule of thumb is that a simple food with no more than about 10 all-source calories per gram of protein is a pretty good vegetarian protein source, and a pre-made dish (like a frozen meal) with maybe 20-30 all-source calories per gram of protein is OK-ish, too. That's not the only thing I care about when evaluating foods, but it's a quick way for me to see if it's worth trying as a protein improvement, based on a quick label analysis at the store.

I've consistently had enough calories (even when losing) to eat large quantities of yummy carbs (veggies, fruits, etc.), in addition to getting adequate protein and fats. YMMV.

Best wishes!

PAV8888

Thank you internet auntie genie!😍

generallyme2

@AnnPT77 thank you! I'll check out the link! I am going to definitely have to be more intentional to look for protein sources rather than the other things I used to prioritize. I still need to look out for calories and keep certain vitamins up but now I have another component to think about. I have a few vegetarian recipes that are already decent on protein that I might be able to tweak with keto tortillas or pasta to boost them a bit more too.

Rockymountainliving

Also double check that MFP is "crediting" you the right amounts of protein for the foods. Several times on granola bars, I found the product and input it and went on my merry way. Lately I've been looking at the protein and MFP put way less than the label says. I had to go back in and find a "high protein bar" with the same calories and protein or find a high protein one and even put 1 1/8 bar to get to the right calories and protein.

cmriverside

Rockymountainliving wrote: »

Also double check that MFP is "crediting" you the right amounts of protein for the foods. Several times on granola bars, I found the product and input it and went on my merry way. Lately I've been looking at the protein and MFP put way less than the label says. I had to go back in and find a "high protein bar" with the same calories and protein or find a high protein one and even put 1 1/8 bar to get to the right calories and protein.

99% of all food items in the database are entered by users just like yourself.

They enter what's important to them, mistakes are made or intentional half-servings are entered etc.

You do have to check EVERY food item the first time. Once you pick one it will be in your Frequent or Recent list when you go to add food.

Alternately, rather than spend a lot of time searching for one that is correct, you can edit any existing food item in the database OR enter it as a new item yourself. Then it's in your MY FOODS and easy to find forevermore.

zebasschick

i'm a vegetarian, and most days i go over 120 grams of protein, but this is partly because i work out and want to fuel my muscles.

if you're shooting for 70 grams, greek yogurt is a good way to go about it. can you add one more serving of greek yogurt somewhere in your day? cottage cheese? and egg white omlet? a serving of edamame or tempeh? you can cook them in a sauce or put one on them to disguise the taste. on some days, i eat a LOT of cauliflower and protein bars and protein powder in milk or water - and believe me, some taste way better than others!

btw, the database entries really are often incorrect. two days ago i ate a new food. there were 9 database entries for that food, and every one of them was wrong. i kid you not. always find a database entry that matches the label on your food or the FDA info. ignore the verified database entries, as they're often wrong, too.

emmamcgarity

Protein is one of those items I’m also really trying to focus on. I’ve managed recently to get it up to 100ish grams per day by tweaking things over time. Greek yogurt is definitely your friend here. Another overlooked source for me was bread products. I did a lot of label reading across different brands. If items are similar in texture and taste I’m opting for the item with and extra gram or two of protein.

Another strategy I used in myfitnesspal was to look at my nutrition tab for the day, select protein and look at which of my daily meals had the most/least protein. Then I’d focus on that one meal and consider how I might boost the protein the next time I plan that meal.

kshama2001

Here's my standard answer for finding accurate MFP database entries:

Unfortunately, the green check marks in the MFP database are used for both USER-created entries and ADMIN-created entries that MFP pulled from the USDA database. A green check mark for USER-created entries just means enough people have upvoted the entry - it is not necessarily correct.

To find ADMIN entries for whole foods, I get the syntax from the USDA database and paste that into MFP. All ADMIN entries from the USDA will have weights as an option BUT there is a glitch whereby sometimes 1g is the option but the values are actually for 100g. This is pretty easy to spot though, as when added the calories are 100x more than is reasonable.

https://fdc.nal.usda.gov

Use the “SR Legacy” tab - that's what MFP used to pull in entries.

Note: any MFP entry that includes "USDA" was USER entered.

For packaged foods, I verify the label against what I find in MFP. (Alas, you cannot just scan with your phone and assume what you get is correct. Note: scanning is mostly only available with Premium these days.)

kshama2001

generallyme2 wrote: »

Hi! So I have continued to have low BUN levels and we're trying to increase my protein, decrease my weight to see if that helps. I was aiming for 70+ grams of protein a day (typically I'm in the 30s so this is hard for me).

The problem is, when I exercise, mfp then tells me I need even MORE protein to hit my "daily goal". Do I really need to hit the the mfp goal or is hitting my own personal 70+ grams enough? For the record, I do try to eat back half of my exercise calories but currently my exercise cals aren't much as I'm easing back into things.

This is really a question for your medical professional, but assuming you're working with a dietitian or someone else with specialized training, rather than a doctor who only had 11 hours of nutrition during all of med school, go with their recommendation.

And once you can easily hit 70 grams per day, reevaluate with them.