Not hitting protein targets- any problem?

Guitarjon

I've started logging and working out more again. I never used to have problems hitting my protein nutrient goals but as I've put weight back on it's upped my protein requirements

In the last 7 days I have only eaten 17% of the recommended 20% set by my fitness pal. I only felt hungry once the day after a big workout so I had a lot of extra calories left. I went to the shop and got some cooked meat rather than chocolate bar etc to help protein and fill me up.

I've also been lifting heavy weights with lots of compound exercises at the gym. Heavier than I have ever previously lifted as I'm doing a modification of the strong lifts plan.

I guess while I'm still able to lift heavy and not platauxing I'll be ok with the protein?

I'm aiming to loose body fat and shed the current weight down to double digits rather than triple. Half of me wants to go back on the protein shakes but I don't want the extra expense really and I won't if I don't feel like I need them.

Am I just looking into this too much- should I just keep listening to my body? I'm well under my calories nearly every day so maybe I could add a shake in if I do start to stall.

Today I've got about 400 calories left and I'm going to the gym later.

Hornsby

Well, you should be eating more protein than that, especially when on a deficit to prevent LBM loss.

First thing I would do is change your protein goal to 30% minimum, and figure out a way to get there.

diannethegeek

Well, you should be eating more protein than that, especially when on a deficit to prevent LBM loss.

First thing I would do is change your protein goal to 30% minimum, and figure out a way to get there.

^This is basically the response that I was going to leave. MFP sets their protein deficit too low anyway. Try to think of it as a minimum.

LauraCarlson86

Protein is so important. I would add a shake or protein bar daily.

parkscs

Don't focus on a percentage of your daily calories when setting your protein macro, as this varies based on your caloric intake as much as your protein intake. You're better off calculating your protein intake by figuring out your lean body mass: weight * (1-BF%)

Then, multiply your lean body mass by 0.85g to get your protein target for the day (or use the general rule of thumb is 1.0g/lb, as going over a bit likely won't hurt you at all). That's your protein macro and you should try to hit it every day, as it's the most important macro for preserving your lean body mass when cutting.

Ashes_To_Beast

Try hitting 1 to 1.5g of proteine/ lb of bw. Incorporate low carb proteine shakes to your diet. 1 after working out, and 1 before bed! By taking two a these times your hitting your anabolic window after your work out. And when your sleeping is where your body releases your growth hormones so giving it proteine to work with is a must!

AJ_G

Try hitting 1 to 1.5g of proteine/ lb of bw. Incorporate low carb proteine shakes to your diet. 1 after working out, and 1 before bed! By taking two a these times your hitting your anabolic window after your work out. And when your sleeping is where your body releases your growth hormones so giving it proteine to work with is a must!

Please stop with the "anabolic window" nonsense. Who told you that?

Ashes_To_Beast

Just about every article I've read for the past year on post-work out nutrition!
You can try and ridicule it all you want but the logic is there, your blood is still rushing thru your body with an elevated heart rate distributing nutrients thru your whole body so... maybe, just maybe it would be a good time to fill up on what your body needs to recover and devellop.. But hell, the pros must be wrong and you must be right... right?

AJ_G

Just about every article I've read for the past year on post-work out nutrition!
You can try and ridicule it all you want but the logic is there, your blood is still rushing thru your body with an elevated heart rate distributing nutrients thru your whole body so... maybe, just maybe it would be a good time to fill up on what your body needs to recover and devellop.. But hell, the pros must be wrong and you must be right... right?

Lol, keep reading articles, and I'll keep reading scientific studies on exercise science and nutrition science. No scientific study has ever shown evidence of a post workout 30 or 45 minute anabolic window. There has however been scientific studies that show that muscle synthesis is elevated for a 24 hour period after heavy lifting. Keep drinking your whey protein shake IMMEDIATELY after your workout and I'll go home and eat some chicken and we'll get the same results...

Ashes_To_Beast

Ok buddy, I'm just trying to give some helpfull tricks to someone that asked for it, I didnt start a post called "arrogant scientists please reply". Wether your eating chicken, beef, drinking shakes who cares? He's trying to up his proteine intake so I gave him what works for me and btw you have no idea what I do after my work outs! Yup I have a Whey-Isolate Shake after and its delicious, and then I go home and fill up on a nice meal filled with meat proteine, veggies and some healthy carbs! Thats what I do, he can do what he chooses to do as well. But as for you I dont give crap what you do, ppl like you are a dime a dozen! So thanks for your priceless condecending advise and have a wonderfull day! cya

Hornsby

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3577439/

For the reading pleasure of the folks that still believe in "anabolic windows".

AJ_G

Ok buddy, I'm just trying to give some helpfull tricks to someone that asked for it, I didnt start a post called "arrogant scientists please reply". Wether your eating chicken, beef, drinking shakes who cares? He's trying to up his proteine intake so I gave him what works for me and btw you have no idea what I do after my work outs! Yup I have a Whey-Isolate Shake after and its delicious, and then I go home and fill up on a nice meal filled with meat proteine, veggies and some healthy carbs! Thats what I do, he can do what he chooses to do as well. But as for you I dont give crap what you do, ppl like you are a dime a dozen! So thanks for your priceless condecending advise and have a wonderfull day! cya

Giving advice is completely fine, just don't perpetuate misinformation. There's too many people on the forums giving advice because they read a few articles (usually written by fitness professionals that happen to be reps for supplement companies) and they think they know what's up. The point is not to find out a strategy that works for one person, the point is to find a strategy that will work for everyone, and that's what science is constantly trying to do by asking questions and testing them. By the way you don't need to be a scientist to educate yourself, you just need to always be hungry to learn more and seek out the truth. Also, no need for all the exclamation points...settle down. I also think it's hilarious that you said "healthy carbs"...and so the ignorance continues

AJ_G

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3577439/

For the reading pleasure of the folks that still believe in "anabolic windows".

Alan Aragon is the man

DoubleR_Boss

Very true, "anabolic windows" is a myth to sell supps.

Ashes_To_Beast

Ok, did I at any point say you must take a shake after your work out? I recommended what works for me, I see logik behind helping my body heal after putting thru the stress of a work out. I did not "Misinform" anyone by stating a requirement for the times I suggested. If you dont like what advise I gave you can go right ahead and give your own point of view, be my guest, but if you want t to start discussing my "ignorance" all i can do is lmao! Maybe I should have said healthier carbs or used a term from a scientific article, but remember this, how many scientists said limit your egg consumption because it will raise your cholesterol.. hmmm, that turned out to be a load of crap. Or that saturated fats are bad for ya... Oups another miss. So you go back to science and I'll just keep doin what works for me.

AJ_G

Ok, did I at any point say you must take a shake after your work out? I recommended what works for me, I see logik behind helping my body heal after putting thru the stress of a work out. I did not "Misinform" anyone by stating a requirement for the times I suggested. If you dont like what advise I gave you can go right ahead and give your own point of view, be my guest, but if you want t to start discussing my "ignorance" all i can do is lmao! Maybe I should have said healthier carbs or used a term from a scientific article, but remember this, how many scientists said limit your egg consumption because it will raise your cholesterol.. hmmm, that turned out to be a load of crap. Or that saturated fats are bad for ya... Oups another miss. So you go back to science and I'll just keep doin what works for me.

You didn't misinform anyone?

1 after working out, and 1 before bed! By taking two a these times your hitting your anabolic window after your work out. And when your sleeping is where your body releases your growth hormones so giving it proteine to work with is a must!

Sounds like misinformation to me...

So just because science is constantly moving forward, learning more, and correcting itself, that means that you should write it off? There you go again..."healthier carbs"? You really have a lot to learn when it comes to nutrition. Individual foods are neither healthy nor unhealthy without taking into account the amount you eat, or the context of the rest of your day's intake. You go ahead and keep doing what works for you without understanding WHY it works, because that's a great strategy. If that were the case, they'd still be stabbing hot steel in to the torsos of living human beings to strengthen the metal instead of understanding that the carbon from the blood creates a stronger carbon steel alloy and the same results can be obtained without killing people...

Francl27

Well, you should be eating more protein than that, especially when on a deficit to prevent LBM loss.

First thing I would do is change your protein goal to 30% minimum, and figure out a way to get there.

This.

castelluzzo99

I'm going to go out on a limb here and say you're fine. Don't stress over it. You're getting more protein than you need with 17%. If you want to know by what authority I say this, pm me. I don't want to get into a big argument with all the people who think lots of protein is important. I don't have time for that. If you're not interested, that's fine too.

Ashes_To_Beast

Buddy, I'm done, your more exhausting than a child, interpret what I said in wich ever way makes you feel special, did I mention my portions? Healthier carbs, Brown rice as opposed to to white rice wich has more fiber and has been thru less processing, you can analize me as much as you like and try to look down on me as much as you want but the truth is your assuming, and by doing so, your showing me your ignorance.

AJ_G

Buddy, I'm done, your more exhausting than a child, interpret what I said in wich ever way makes you feel special, did I mention my portions? Healthier carbs, Brown rice as opposed to to white rice wich has more fiber and has been thru less processing, you can analize me as much as you like and try to look down on me as much as you want but the truth is your assuming, and by doing so, your showing me your ignorance.

All I've done is analyze what you've said on this thread. I have not made assumptions, but instead have presented counterarguments for the statements you've made. If my debating with you is exhausting you, then I consider that a win since you cannot provide counterarguments for what I have said to you. Eating brown rice vs eating white rice and fiber from another source will yield the same result, so how can you say brown rice is concretely healthier than white rice? I've prevented nothing but logical arguments, and that shows my ignorance? You're not making much sense...

parkscs

I'm going to go out on a limb here and say you're fine. Don't stress over it. You're getting more protein than you need with 17%. If you want to know by what authority I say this, pm me. I don't want to get into a big argument with all the people who think lots of protein is important. I don't have time for that. If you're not interested, that's fine too.

The studies in this area would disagree with you. Moreover, calculating your protein macro as a percentage of calories is meaningless, because it's dependent on how many calories you're eating per day, e.g., 17% on a VLCD is woefully inadequate to retain LBM, while 17% may be sufficient for someone who's morbidly obese and is looking to lose weight slowly.

AJ_G

I'm going to go out on a limb here and say you're fine. Don't stress over it. You're getting more protein than you need with 17%. If you want to know by what authority I say this, pm me. I don't want to get into a big argument with all the people who think lots of protein is important. I don't have time for that. If you're not interested, that's fine too.

The studies in this area would disagree with you. Moreover, calculating your protein macro as a percentage of calories is meaningless, because it's dependent on how many calories you're eating per day, e.g., 17% on a VLCD is woefully inadequate to retain LBM, while 17% may be sufficient for someone who's morbidly obese and is looking to lose weight slowly.

^The man speaks truth. Macronutrients should not be calculated as a percentage of calorie intake, but instead on body weight and lean body mass.

SideSteel

I've started logging and working out more again. I never used to have problems hitting my protein nutrient goals but as I've put weight back on it's upped my protein requirements

In the last 7 days I have only eaten 17% of the recommended 20% set by my fitness pal. I only felt hungry once the day after a big workout so I had a lot of extra calories left. I went to the shop and got some cooked meat rather than chocolate bar etc to help protein and fill me up.

I've also been lifting heavy weights with lots of compound exercises at the gym. Heavier than I have ever previously lifted as I'm doing a modification of the strong lifts plan.

I guess while I'm still able to lift heavy and not platauxing I'll be ok with the protein?

I'm aiming to loose body fat and shed the current weight down to double digits rather than triple. Half of me wants to go back on the protein shakes but I don't want the extra expense really and I won't if I don't feel like I need them.

Am I just looking into this too much- should I just keep listening to my body? I'm well under my calories nearly every day so maybe I could add a shake in if I do start to stall.

Today I've got about 400 calories left and I'm going to the gym later.

1) You should probably eat more than MFP's suggested default, however without having specific information about you, it's hard to peg down exact macros.

See here for starting points:
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/819055-setting-your-calorie-and-macro-targets


2) You may not need to spend money on protein powders however you should do a cost comparison between whole food sources of protein and protein powders just to see how it compares. The bottom line though, is that there is nothing magical about whey protein. If you can manage to hit your protein target (assuming that target is set correctly) through a variety of whole food protein sources, you'll be just fine.

3) Protein timing is something you really don't need to concern yourself with provided that you're able to reach a reasonable total intake of protein. If you are not meeting your protein goals, protein timing may become slightly more important relative the training bout, but then the real problem isn't one of nutrient timing, it's one of insufficient protein. I would suggest you figure out a reasonable protein target, try to hit it daily, and structure your meal timing around personal preference.

Finally, for most people, protein is a very satiating macronutrient -- so aside from the benefits you may get for muscle retention, it should also promote fullness.

J72FIT

I've started logging and working out more again. I never used to have problems hitting my protein nutrient goals but as I've put weight back on it's upped my protein requirements

In the last 7 days I have only eaten 17% of the recommended 20% set by my fitness pal. I only felt hungry once the day after a big workout so I had a lot of extra calories left. I went to the shop and got some cooked meat rather than chocolate bar etc to help protein and fill me up.

I've also been lifting heavy weights with lots of compound exercises at the gym. Heavier than I have ever previously lifted as I'm doing a modification of the strong lifts plan.

I guess while I'm still able to lift heavy and not platauxing I'll be ok with the protein?

I'm aiming to loose body fat and shed the current weight down to double digits rather than triple. Half of me wants to go back on the protein shakes but I don't want the extra expense really and I won't if I don't feel like I need them.

Am I just looking into this too much- should I just keep listening to my body? I'm well under my calories nearly every day so maybe I could add a shake in if I do start to stall.

Today I've got about 400 calories left and I'm going to the gym later.

1) You should probably eat more than MFP's suggested default, however without having specific information about you, it's hard to peg down exact macros.

See here for starting points:
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/819055-setting-your-calorie-and-macro-targets


2) You may not need to spend money on protein powders however you should do a cost comparison between whole food sources of protein and protein powders just to see how it compares. The bottom line though, is that there is nothing magical about whey protein. If you can manage to hit your protein target (assuming that target is set correctly) through a variety of whole food protein sources, you'll be just fine.

3) Protein timing is something you really don't need to concern yourself with provided that you're able to reach a reasonable total intake of protein. If you are not meeting your protein goals, protein timing may become slightly more important relative the training bout, but then the real problem isn't one of nutrient timing, it's one of insufficient protein. I would suggest you figure out a reasonable protein target, try to hit it daily, and structure your meal timing around personal preference.

Finally, for most people, protein is a very satiating macronutrient -- so aside from the benefits you may get for muscle retention, it should also promote fullness.

^^^This, this and this...