New here! Protein intake help?

credilla
credilla Posts: 10
in Health and Weight Loss
Hi! So Im about 69 kilos right now and I want to lose 8-9 kilos while maintaining muscle mass. There are so many different versions of how much protein one should be getting in per day.... I strength train 3 times a week for half hour per day. How much protein do I need to maintain muscle mass? Do I calculate per pound? Per kilogram?

Replies

  • credilla
    credilla Posts: 10
    bump?
  • credilla
    credilla Posts: 10
    bump?
  • Marlena0708
    Marlena0708 Posts: 27 Member
    Hi! So Im about 69 kilos right now and I want to lose 8-9 kilos while maintaining muscle mass. There are so many different versions of how much protein one should be getting in per day.... I strength train 3 times a week for half hour per day. How much protein do I need to maintain muscle mass? Do I calculate per pound? Per kilogram?

    I struggle with this one, too. It's hard to know which advice to follow. The official RDA for protein is 0.36g per pound of body weight. I personally think that's too low. Natural bodybuilders (not on steroids) traditionally use a value of 1g per pound of body weight. Some even go up to 2g.

    Lyle McDonald has some good (research based) articles on his website and goes into quite a bit of detail about protein requirements for various situations. I don't know if I'm allowed to link to him or not, but what the heck. http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/muscle-gain/protein-requirements-for-strength-and-power-athletes.html. I learned a lot reading his stuff.

    I hope that helps.
  • Psychgrrl
    Psychgrrl Posts: 3,177 Member
    It's also about how your body responds to your diet. I do better with more protein than carbs and generally eat that way. I drink a protein shake during each lifting session and make sure I have a snack before any workout. My carbs are usually fruits and veggies. Sometimes sweet potatoe or whole wheat pasta. I love peanut butter. :)
  • fushigi1988
    fushigi1988 Posts: 519 Member
    I try to get atleast 100 grams of protein a day, anything above that is a nice bonus.

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