Question and need reassurance from low-carbers about protein

SassyMoonbeams

Hi guys I was hoping maybe someone could help me out.

I don't deal with change very well at all. For the past couple months I've been sticking to pretty much the same meal plans....I tend to have chicken for dinner and always aim for low carb.

Anyway this month my budget is..tighter than tight. So I can't afford the chicken I usually buy.

Now, in order to get the same amount of protein in, I have to eat 500 grams of ground beef, so that including tomatoes onions seasonings I use to flavour it, I'll be eating an extra 300 calories than usual. That plus my normal modest breakfast means I'd be over my calorie goal by around 400 easily.

I'm petrified of stalling my weight loss, and I don't want to do over an hour of grueling exercise every day just to break even (and not getting to have my nightly chocolate treat would be such a bummer, as I work hard for it and truly enjoy it and am convinced that having this little treat ever night keeps me on track), but I am also worried if I don't eat this amount of protein, I'm going to be so hungry, and my muscles will deteriorate because of all the weight training I do. My mfp suggests 70 grams a day (30% daily goal), usually I get around 120. If i can eat only 250 grams of ground beef a day them thatd save me a lot pf calories, but it would bring me to the mfp suggestion of 70grams per day. I guess I just need some reassurance that eating that low amount of protein will be ok for me and my muscles and satiety?

Sorry for the long question LOL. Maybe I am totally overreacting? I just don't want to stall the awesome progress I've made so far :-(( I will be on a tight budget for at least two weeks so I'm pretty anxious.

Thank you guys ❤

SassyMoonbeams

Bump, anybody willing to calm down the OCD girl? :blushing:

nancytyc

I am extremely low carb and high fat. I eat about 70 - 90 grams of protein each day, exercise or not, and my scale measures fat, lean mass, water, etc....I have gained just over three pounds of muscle in my 93 days of dieting and have lost 43 pounds in the same amount of time. So, don't worry so much. Also, try eggs as a replacement for your chicken. You could use scrambled eggs to make a platform for pizza toppings, spinach feta mushroom toppings, ricotta sweetener berry topping (a dessert).....etc.

Don't know how accurate the scale is measuring lean mass, but a gain on 70 - 90 grams of protein (sometimes lower) should be proof that you don't have to worry too much. Also, fat is more filling than protein. You can eat less of it (yes, it is calorie dense) and be as full as a larger quantity of protein. Also, remember that as low carb, in the absence of carbohydrate, our bodies are perfectionists at turning protein into sugar sources, so watch the protein intake anyway.:flowerforyou:

_Terrapin_

I am extremely low carb and high fat. I eat about 70 - 90 grams of protein each day, exercise or not, and my scale measures fat, lean mass, water, etc....I have gained just over three pounds of muscle in my 93 days of dieting and have lost 43 pounds in the same amount of time. So, don't worry so much. Also, try eggs as a replacement for your chicken. You could use scrambled eggs to make a platform for pizza toppings, spinach feta mushroom toppings, ricotta sweetener berry topping (a dessert).....etc.

Don't know how accurate the scale is measuring lean mass, but a gain on 70 - 90 grams of protein (sometimes lower) should be proof that you don't have to worry too much. Also, fat is more filling than protein. You can eat less of it (yes, it is calorie dense) and be as full as a larger quantity of protein. Also, remember that as low carb, in the absence of carbohydrate, our bodies are perfectionists at turning protein into sugar sources, so watch the protein intake anyway.:flowerforyou:

Congrats on the weight loss. Not sure you lost 43 pounds, gained 3 pounds of muscle in 93 days though. Tough to gain 3 pounds AND lost 43 pounds at the same time. Either way good luck on your journey.

Will_Thrust_For_Candy

Pork, eggs, and tuna are also great sources of protein. I try very hard to stick to a budget for groceries because I find it easy to get carried away and pork always tends to be a great option.....chops or tenderloin.

nancytyc

I am extremely low carb and high fat. I eat about 70 - 90 grams of protein each day, exercise or not, and my scale measures fat, lean mass, water, etc....I have gained just over three pounds of muscle in my 93 days of dieting and have lost 43 pounds in the same amount of time. So, don't worry so much. Also, try eggs as a replacement for your chicken. You could use scrambled eggs to make a platform for pizza toppings, spinach feta mushroom toppings, ricotta sweetener berry topping (a dessert).....etc.

Don't know how accurate the scale is measuring lean mass, but a gain on 70 - 90 grams of protein (sometimes lower) should be proof that you don't have to worry too much. Also, fat is more filling than protein. You can eat less of it (yes, it is calorie dense) and be as full as a larger quantity of protein. Also, remember that as low carb, in the absence of carbohydrate, our bodies are perfectionists at turning protein into sugar sources, so watch the protein intake anyway.:flowerforyou:

Congrats on the weight loss. Not sure you lost 43 pounds, gained 3 pounds of muscle in 93 days though. Tough to gain 3 pounds AND lost 43 pounds at the same time. Either way good luck on your journey.

I can assure you I did lose 43 pounds since May 1 of this year. My WW scale shows that I gained just a little over 3 pounds lean mass. I bike over 100 miles per week at 14 - 16 mph all over the country. Currently working on training in the mountains and hills of Colorado and Washington (area). Last week, I biked from Portsmouth, N.H. to Merrimack, N.H. (a little over 52 miles in one day alone in a little under four hours). Finished out last week at 149 miles biking. Thanks for the good luck wish.

I work out hard. Truck driver, so I lump 100+ pound tarps several times per week. Hubby has dropped 42 pounds in same amount of time...AND....packed on a whopping 5+ pounds of muscle. He lifts, so he is building faster than me. He looks awesome now. My latest picture is on my profile, past and now, if you have any other doubts.

rosewarrior_101

you could also try tofu as a source of protein instead of chicken. The aim here is to remain low carb, so even a slight increase in fat would be compensated.

_Terrapin_

I am extremely low carb and high fat. I eat about 70 - 90 grams of protein each day, exercise or not, and my scale measures fat, lean mass, water, etc....I have gained just over three pounds of muscle in my 93 days of dieting and have lost 43 pounds in the same amount of time. So, don't worry so much. Also, try eggs as a replacement for your chicken. You could use scrambled eggs to make a platform for pizza toppings, spinach feta mushroom toppings, ricotta sweetener berry topping (a dessert).....etc.

Don't know how accurate the scale is measuring lean mass, but a gain on 70 - 90 grams of protein (sometimes lower) should be proof that you don't have to worry too much. Also, fat is more filling than protein. You can eat less of it (yes, it is calorie dense) and be as full as a larger quantity of protein. Also, remember that as low carb, in the absence of carbohydrate, our bodies are perfectionists at turning protein into sugar sources, so watch the protein intake anyway.:flowerforyou:

Congrats on the weight loss. Not sure you lost 43 pounds, gained 3 pounds of muscle in 93 days though. Tough to gain 3 pounds AND lost 43 pounds at the same time. Either way good luck on your journey.

I can assure you I did lose 43 pounds since May 1 of this year. My WW scale shows that I gained just a little over 3 pounds lean mass. I bike over 100 miles per week at 14 - 16 mph all over the country. Currently working on training in the mountains and hills of Colorado and Washington (area). Last week, I biked from Portsmouth, N.H. to Merrimack, N.H. (a little over 52 miles in one day alone in a little under four hours). Finished out last week at 149 miles biking. Thanks for the good luck wish.

I work out hard. Truck driver, so I lump 100+ pound tarps several times per week. Hubby has dropped 42 pounds in same amount of time...AND....packed on a whopping 5+ pounds of muscle. He lifts, so he is building faster than me. He looks awesome now. My latest picture is on my profile, past and now, if you have any other doubts.

I have no doubt you have lost weight; simply put, gaining muscle while losing weight is tough, period. Most people have a slight LBM loss while dropping weight. Dropping over 43 pounds since May 1st is great. I just do not want new members to read your response and think they'll gain muscle while losing about 2 pounds per week. Good luck.

eric_sg61

I am extremely low carb and high fat. I eat about 70 - 90 grams of protein each day, exercise or not, and my scale measures fat, lean mass, water, etc....I have gained just over three pounds of muscle in my 93 days of dieting and have lost 43 pounds in the same amount of time. So, don't worry so much. Also, try eggs as a replacement for your chicken. You could use scrambled eggs to make a platform for pizza toppings, spinach feta mushroom toppings, ricotta sweetener berry topping (a dessert).....etc.

Don't know how accurate the scale is measuring lean mass, but a gain on 70 - 90 grams of protein (sometimes lower) should be proof that you don't have to worry too much. Also, fat is more filling than protein. You can eat less of it (yes, it is calorie dense) and be as full as a larger quantity of protein. Also, remember that as low carb, in the absence of carbohydrate, our bodies are perfectionists at turning protein into sugar sources, so watch the protein intake anyway.:flowerforyou:

Congrats on the weight loss. Not sure you lost 43 pounds, gained 3 pounds of muscle in 93 days though. Tough to gain 3 pounds AND lost 43 pounds at the same time. Either way good luck on your journey.

I can assure you I did lose 43 pounds since May 1 of this year. My WW scale shows that I gained just a little over 3 pounds lean mass. I bike over 100 miles per week at 14 - 16 mph all over the country. Currently working on training in the mountains and hills of Colorado and Washington (area). Last week, I biked from Portsmouth, N.H. to Merrimack, N.H. (a little over 52 miles in one day alone in a little under four hours). Finished out last week at 149 miles biking. Thanks for the good luck wish.

I work out hard. Truck driver, so I lump 100+ pound tarps several times per week. Hubby has dropped 42 pounds in same amount of time...AND....packed on a whopping 5+ pounds of muscle. He lifts, so he is building faster than me. He looks awesome now. My latest picture is on my profile, past and now, if you have any other doubts.

I have no doubt you have lost weight; simply put, gaining muscle while losing weight is tough, period. Most people have a slight LBM loss while dropping weight. Dropping over 43 pounds since May 1st is great. I just do not want new members to read your response and think they'll gain muscle while losing about 2 pounds per week. Good luck.

Also, electronic scales are terribly inaccurate at measuring bodyfat and/or lbm.

nancytyc

I am extremely low carb and high fat. I eat about 70 - 90 grams of protein each day, exercise or not, and my scale measures fat, lean mass, water, etc....I have gained just over three pounds of muscle in my 93 days of dieting and have lost 43 pounds in the same amount of time. So, don't worry so much. Also, try eggs as a replacement for your chicken. You could use scrambled eggs to make a platform for pizza toppings, spinach feta mushroom toppings, ricotta sweetener berry topping (a dessert).....etc.

Don't know how accurate the scale is measuring lean mass, but a gain on 70 - 90 grams of protein (sometimes lower) should be proof that you don't have to worry too much. Also, fat is more filling than protein. You can eat less of it (yes, it is calorie dense) and be as full as a larger quantity of protein. Also, remember that as low carb, in the absence of carbohydrate, our bodies are perfectionists at turning protein into sugar sources, so watch the protein intake anyway.:flowerforyou:

Congrats on the weight loss. Not sure you lost 43 pounds, gained 3 pounds of muscle in 93 days though. Tough to gain 3 pounds AND lost 43 pounds at the same time. Either way good luck on your journey.

I can assure you I did lose 43 pounds since May 1 of this year. My WW scale shows that I gained just a little over 3 pounds lean mass. I bike over 100 miles per week at 14 - 16 mph all over the country. Currently working on training in the mountains and hills of Colorado and Washington (area). Last week, I biked from Portsmouth, N.H. to Merrimack, N.H. (a little over 52 miles in one day alone in a little under four hours). Finished out last week at 149 miles biking. Thanks for the good luck wish.

I work out hard. Truck driver, so I lump 100+ pound tarps several times per week. Hubby has dropped 42 pounds in same amount of time...AND....packed on a whopping 5+ pounds of muscle. He lifts, so he is building faster than me. He looks awesome now. My latest picture is on my profile, past and now, if you have any other doubts.

I have no doubt you have lost weight; simply put, gaining muscle while losing weight is tough, period. Most people have a slight LBM loss while dropping weight. Dropping over 43 pounds since May 1st is great. I just do not want new members to read your response and think they'll gain muscle while losing about 2 pounds per week. Good luck.

I agree on the "new members" reading thing. Got your intent. But, to do it, you have to move, move, move. Thank goodness most of our loads have to be tarped. I have to lug those tarps (three of them) 75 feet to the back of the trailer, get them on top of loads 13' 6" tall, drop them, then pull bungie cords to tighten them over the load, plus throw and ratchet straps down. I do this about three times per week, but don't add that as additional exercise, as I set my macro for "moderately active". I only log things I do in addition to the work I do. You are right. It is very hard. But, anything worth doing, is worth doing well. Why decide to do something and then give it half of your effort? Right?

Alluminati

Tuna is definitely the cheapest low carb option. Eggs, cottage cheese, and greek yogurt? Not sure about carbs though, I've never done the low carb thing.

amusedmonkey

Hi guys I was hoping maybe someone could help me out.

I don't deal with change very well at all. For the past couple months I've been sticking to pretty much the same meal plans....I tend to have chicken for dinner and always aim for low carb.

Anyway this month my budget is..tighter than tight. So I can't afford the chicken I usually buy.

Now, in order to get the same amount of protein in, I have to eat 500 grams of ground beef, so that including tomatoes onions seasonings I use to flavour it, I'll be eating an extra 300 calories than usual. That plus my normal modest breakfast means I'd be over my calorie goal by around 400 easily.

I'm petrified of stalling my weight loss, and I don't want to do over an hour of grueling exercise every day just to break even (and not getting to have my nightly chocolate treat would be such a bummer, as I work hard for it and truly enjoy it and am convinced that having this little treat ever night keeps me on track), but I am also worried if I don't eat this amount of protein, I'm going to be so hungry, and my muscles will deteriorate because of all the weight training I do. My mfp suggests 70 grams a day (30% daily goal), usually I get around 120. If i can eat only 250 grams of ground beef a day them thatd save me a lot pf calories, but it would bring me to the mfp suggestion of 70grams per day. I guess I just need some reassurance that eating that low amount of protein will be ok for me and my muscles and satiety?

Sorry for the long question LOL. Maybe I am totally overreacting? I just don't want to stall the awesome progress I've made so far :-(( I will be on a tight budget for at least two weeks so I'm pretty anxious.

Thank you guys ❤

Think you can replace chicken with Tuna? Canned tuna tends to be cheaper than chicken (at least where I live) and it's much lower in calories than beef so you will have quite a bit of leeway

myfitnesspale3

Dayam, if the chicken is too expensive and you are low carb, let's see:

Peanut butter and peanuts
Tuna
eggs
Cottage cheese

SassyMoonbeams

Thank you for the advice guys :-)

I am starting my second round of the ChaLEAN Extreme 3-month weights program and yeah I'm super concerned I won't be getting enough protein in the next two weeks to sustain my muscles. I have seen what a difference lifting has made for me and don't want it to stop.

Unfortunately tuna is out of the question :-( I can't stand fish. As for the other food options i think the cottage cheese gives the most bang for the buck and calories. I think what I might have to do is just go for the smaller serving of beef and supplement with extra protein powder amd cottage cheese for the next couple weeks, along with a protein bar here and there. Not ideal but it is what it is.

Sadly I weighed myself today, after 2 days of a 1000 cal defecit, and after having had 500 grams of beef and some beans last night......my weight has stayed the same :-( I feel bloated, too. I'll be adding more water in today and hoping it's just water retention that I can shed easily.