Too much protein?

mariemosher92

From what I understand , I should consume same amount grams of protein as my weight. Some days I go over this amount such as today by 19 grams. Is this ok? I lost 25 pounds last year and this year I'm working on getting ripped:) I've started heavy weights last week, following a plan on bodybuilder.com. It's all so much information and I'm starting to get a little confused. Also, I'm not sure if I'm consuming enough calories? I still have weight to lose.....

970Mikaela1

That is a minimum goal to reach. Here's a link (hopefully) to explain more
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/819055-setting-your-calorie-and-macro-targets

geekyjock76

A more realistic, at least for most populations, intake for protein is about 100% of your lean mass, in lbs, during a caloric deficit. So if your lean mass is 100 lbs, then you'd consume approximately 100 grams of protein. For muscular hypertrophy, whereby you'd consume a surplus of calories, a bit more (120 to 140%) is beneficial. I don't like the "weight" rule since heavier persons would consume unnecessarily large amounts.

Regarding optimal caloric intake, it's based on how much fat mass you have to lose. The rule of thumb is: the more total fat mass one has to lose, the larger the caloric deficit can be sustained since a greater amount of fat can be burned in 24 hours. In contrast, the less total fat mass one has, the less fat mass can potentially be used as fuel in a single day. Two examples: Person A has 40 lbs of fat to lose and can pursue a deficit of 500 calories to lose 1 lb per week. Person B has 15 lbs of fat to lose and may pursue a 250 calorie deficit to lose 0.5 lb per week.

Ideally, people should really try to establish their maintenance needs prior to reducing calories so they are basing calculations on individual and real world data at true baseline. If they have already cut calories for a few days or weeks, they can calculate estimates using TDEE calculators and eat 10% of the given amount. for several weeks. During this time, you'd monitor to see what response occurs - whether you remain relatively weight stable or lose weight (if so, what rate per week). Also, using a digital food scale and consistently logging everything you eat will illustrate a more accurate estimate as to how much you are eating compared to strictly using measuring cups or eye-balling portions.

mariemosher92

Thank you for both responses! Guess I need to find out how much fat I need to lose? Man, this weight loss thing is a true science!

jeffpettis

It's not going to hurt to eat more protein than you have your macros set at. When lifting it would be better to get a little more than not enough.

Also you should probably try to focus on one goal at a time, lowering body fat then building more muscle. Having said that, you should continue to lift heavy while dieting to preserve the lean muscle mass you have. Once you are down to your desired BF% then focus on building more muscle while keeping a close check on your BF%. You will gain some fat while gaining muscle but you can keep it to a minimum.

It is possible to lose fat and build muscle at the same time, it's called body recomp, but it is painfully slow.

editorgrrl

With only 14 lbs. to lose, your goal should be set no higher than .5 lb. per week. High protein is only a problem if you have kidney disease or other medical complications. I use the MFP protein & fiber goals as minimums & ignore the rest. But if you ask 100 MFPers, you'll get 100 different opinions. Everybody's different, and it takes trial & error to find what works for you.

Log everything you eat accurately & honestly. Find reliable database entries. (There's a lot of incorrect data in there.) Weigh your food. Log your exercise, and eat back your exercise calories. If you're not losing, eat back half your exercise calories.

Read this: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1080242-a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-Sexypants