How to get enough protein?

Kotuliak

... the question you have to answer first is what are you nutrition / fitness goals?

My goal is to "lose weight slowly and gradually to get from the "overweight'" to the "normal" category, and to do so by creating a lifestyle that is sustainable during weight loss as well as maintenance, and do do so in a healthy way."

I have managed quite well I think - I follow a consistent exercise schedule and I eat a variety of generally healthy foods, without feeling hungry and, overall, I find the current lifestyle pleasant and enjoyable. All this while losing weight at a reasonable pace.

Frankly, I expected it to be a lot more difficult. It took months of tuning, and the MFP fora have been a source of great information as well as motivation.

My question was triggered by noticing that a lot of MFP posts recommend a much higher protein intake than my current level.

Thanks to all who provided their input!

TArnold2012

as long as your TOTAL calories are fine (or enough to cause weight loss) then why worry about how much protien, carbs or fats in your diet? it does not matter what you eat as long as you take in NOT enough energy (calories) to force your body to burn fat to make up for the difference BUT...

weight loss will be easier if 30% of your diet is protein or according to yoru 1500 diet then that'll be ABOUT 115 grams of protien you would need but that extra protien will only help you ward off hunger (itf thats a problem for you) and also... you body burns more calories digesting protien but even still...

you could eat 1500 calories worth of ice cream and still lose weight as long as you dont go over 1500. YES - you'll lose weight not mater what you eat BUT eating just ice cream may cause you to lose all your teeth (among other health issues)


Some of us want to lose fat vs muscle is WHY !!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Greek yogurt, cottage cheese, cheese, shrimp, pork, beef, high protein/low carb bars, eggs, beans, and peas are some that I eat to easily make it over 100 a day

baptiste565

as long as your TOTAL calories are fine (or enough to cause weight loss) then why worry about how much protien, carbs or fats in your diet?

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for body composition

sullus

I usually shoot for 100g protein a day. sometimes I miss. sometimes I go as high as 130 or so. In 20 months, this has not hindered weight loss, muscle retention, strength increases, or minor muscle gain.

That 1gm/lb lbm is just ridiculous.

ETA: 5'9", 225 lbs, Run 2.5 miles 3x/week, Strength Train with a personal trainer 3x/week

The minimum number shown to stave off LBM loss is 0.65g of dietary protein per lb of LBM, with many people using the 1g number b/c it's easier and helps account for any undigested, unabsorbed, etc. at 100g of intake you're probably meeting the 0.65g number easily, assuming you have about 150lb of pure LBM.

According to ultrasound and math, my lbm is 190

MaiLinna

Any excess protein that your body doesn't use will turn right into fat cells, so eating too much protein can really slow down your weight loss. When I had problems getting protein and calories, I grabbed peanut butter. I needed calories too, however, so be cautious.

BrainyBurro

Any excess protein that your body doesn't use will turn right into fat cells, so eating too much protein can really slow down your weight loss. When I had problems getting protein and calories, I grabbed peanut butter. I needed calories too, however, so be cautious.

any excess calories get stored in fat cells, whether it be dietary fat, protein, or carbs.

1g protein = 1g carbs = 4 calories
1g fat = 9 calories

you don't get fat from eating "too much protein". you get fat from ingesting more calories than you burn, over a long period of time.

sarahkatara

When I started concentrating more on protein I encountered this so I'll give you what I've learned! For reference, my stats are 5'4", 165lbs, and I aim for 30-40% protein (trying to get it up to 40% has been hard to sustain but I'm getting there!) I average 200-2100 GROSS calories per day and net 1500-1700. My average protein intake is between 150-180 grams/day.

~ Build EVERY snack/meal around your protein source. I always start with my chicken, protein shake, or whatever it may be and add from there. Concentrate on lean proteins like chicken breast, ground turkey, etc. They are lower in calories than steak, for example. Definitely enjoy your red meat but try and make it a less-often treat.
~ Staying within your calorie goal while eating high protein:
1. Cut the processed stuff, if there's still a lot in your diet. I'm not going to be like, "you can only lose weight through clean eating!", because that's not true. However, I find that I am far less bloated and also less hungry when I eat high-quality carbs & fats over other sources.
2. Make healthy switches that will give you more wiggle room with calories. Switch a serving of pasta or rice, for example, for two cups of sautéed veggies at dinner. Top it with cheese and chicken for healthy fats and high protein.
3. Eat 5-6 times per day (no, not to "rev your metabolism"). I simply find that it's easier to balance out calories/protein ratio and also, you don't want to consume more protein than your body can use at one time (I think the "limit" is around 30-35g- don't quote me).

~Have a protein shake every day. There's nothing wrong with supplementing a little to meet your macros and there are ENDLESS possibilities with shakes. Try using greek yogurt, milk (almond, coconut, soy, rice, skim), extracts like vanilla, coconut, banana, etc, and even things like pumpkin puree to make flavors like pumpkin spice. Look on Pinterest and Instagram for great recipes.

Keep making the effort and you'll get there!

mustgetmuscles1

Any excess protein that your body doesn't use will turn right into fat cells, so eating too much protein can really slow down your weight loss. When I had problems getting protein and calories, I grabbed peanut butter. I needed calories too, however, so be cautious.

Sorry that is incorrect. Any protein your body does not need for repairing or building muscle and other essential functions will be converted to energy and used. If you have extra energy THEN it can turned into fat but this is true of any of the macro nutrients.

lmlmrn

Thanks to all of you that have add the great information....I have been struggling with the protein question now for months. Especially those of you that offered suggestions on just how to reach the recommended allowance each day. I am always looking for low calorie/high protein suggestions.

I like the point of always build your meals around the protein.

But how do you all get a balance of veggies for fiber in there too?

sarahkatara

Thanks to all of you that have add the great information....I have been struggling with the protein question now for months. Especially those of you that offered suggestions on just how to reach the recommended allowance each day. I am always looking for low calorie/high protein suggestions.

I like the point of always build your meals around the protein.

But how do you all get a balance of veggies for fiber in there too?

I don't personally worry about this that much. I usually have all my veggies at dinner and the other complex carbs I eat provide fiber. I also like to add flaxseed to certain things for fiber and chia seeds are good for that too. At dinner, I'll have 8 oz chicken, an entire HUGE green pepper (or zucchini) and some red onion all sautéed with feta cheese on top. High fiber, veggies included, high protein.