How to set your protein

jennywaller85

Hi there 😊

Looking for some help please In setting up my protein etc, looking to lose weight, work out 4 x per week.
Any help would be very much appreciated 🥰

AnnPT77

The MFP macronutrient defaults aren't a bad start for most people, unless they cut calories too aggressively far for their current size, trying to lose weight fast. There's no getting adequate nutrition, protein or otherwise, on too few calories.

If your primary goal is weight loss/weight management, the direct determinant is calories. Overall good nutrition is important for health, and protein is especially important for highly active people. But the effect of nutrients on body weight is indirect, because sub-ideal nutrition can impair energy level (so we burn fewer calories than anticipated) or spike appetite (so we can't stick with the calorie goal). The direct effect is still via calories.

The rules of thumb people around here use for protein vary, from minimum 0.6g daily per pound of healthy goal weight, to as much as 1g per pound of healthy goal weight, occasionally even more (though that's usually from people with serious weight training in the picture). IMO, none of those values are going to be life-threateningly low or high, nor is the MFP default with a sensibly slow loss rate, and any of them will work until you learn more including how any given macro mix makes you personally feel.

If you'd like a research-based personalized estimate of protein needs, you can consider the protein calculator here, which is from a site generally regarded as up to date and neutral:

https://examine.com/guides/protein-intake/

I assume the attached guide still says - as I did last time I read it - that someone who's overweight can use a lower weight, like maybe that healthy goal weight, in the calculator. We don't need extra protein to maintain our fat mass, it's for maintaining our lean mass.

Fat also contains essential nutrients, things our body can't manufacture out of anything else, so we need to eat a certain minimum of that, too. The rule of thumb I use is 0.35-0.45g minimum per pound per day, though men might get away with a little less. I don't have a calculator for that, it's just based on my own reading of various sources.

Carbs are more flexible, because our bodies can - loosely speaking - manufacture their own carb-equivalents, so people can thrive eating various carb levels. Some people find that carbs spike their appetite, so they may want to eat fewer carbs. Other people find that too-low carbs tank their energy level, so they may want to eat more carbs. People with diabetes, insulin resistance, or some similar health condition may need to manage carbs carefully, and they should listen to their medical team.

If your goals go beyond weight loss to athletic performance, body composition, and health, it's important to get good nutrition. What the definition of "good nutrition" exactly is is going to vary a bit by individual and situation. The good news is that unless someone's starting with a diagnosed deficiency or relevant health condition, tuning up nutrition is something we can learn about and work on gradually: It's not necessary to be perfect on day 1. Humans are adaptive omnivores, and malnutrition isn't a big risk with some kind of reasonable eating routine.

If weight loss is the goal, I'd say work on dialing in reasonable calories while staying full and happy most of the time, then start chipping away at improving nutrition step by step. Even in the long run, it's unnecessary to be exactly exact on macronutrients like protein and fats: Pretty good on average over a few days to a week should be just fine.

Best wishes!

jennywaller85

Thank you so much for replying to my post ❤️ I will have a read through xx

jennywaller85

I am 5’2 and weigh 59kg, work out and swim 3/4 times per week but not seeing a big defence on the scale x

yirara

You are not heavy, thus any weightloss will be slow and arduous. Think 0.5lbs per week at max. Working out will, plus menstrual cycle, plus lots of other things will lead to waterweight weirdness, which has nothing to do with the bodyfat you want to lose, but all with the weight that shows up on the scale. Thus patience, lots of patience. Have you also considered proper strength training? This might help you feel better without really losing weight.