How much protein per day????

Silverkittycat

Okay, based on both of my nutrition certifications and all of the classes I've taken for my nutrition minor in college (which was basically the RD program without the internship to get the RD), protein requirements are set in grams per kilogram of body weight, not pounds. Anywhere you see pounds, it has been converted from what the research has shown and may or may not be an accurate conversion.

Thank you.

mrfitness_28

i take in 2g per kg a day being 168g per day

Helloitsdan

You can set the macros close to what you need. Id rather go over than under IMO.

jsuaccounting

I was advised 0.7 to 1 gram per pound of LEAN body weight which is less than your total body weight. I imagine the fitnesspal recomendation is based on the FDA's minimum which could be different than the optimum for people dieting or weight training.

RonSwanson66

I ask you watch a video by Dr. John McDougall.

^^Vegan propagandist with an agenda to sell^^^

Spare me.

debussyschild

This is one of the things MFP is wrong about. MFP forces you to set your macronutrients by percentages. I just ignore the preset limits, I know the numbers I want to hit in my head.

You CAN customize your macronutrient ratios, by the way. I've completely customized my diary by making my ratios 40/40/20 (protein/carbs/fat). You just have to click the "customize" setting when you're editing your nutrition goals.

debussyschild

There are benefits to both high-carb and high-protein diets. The effects on your body vary, but both can be healthy. Higher protein diets are usually better for weight training and losing weight, since protein is needed to build lean muscle tissue and also helps with appetite suppression (you stay fuller, longer). Less than 10% protein is ridiculous, though... And anything more than 50% protein is pretty nuts, too, in my opinion. Lots of people who weight train use either 40/40/20 or 50/30/20--carbs, protein, and fat, respectively--to yield the best results.

talk2tiff

I'm so confused BUMP!

servilia

I thought it was 1 gram per kg of body weight which makes it much less...

Its 1g of protien per pound of LEAN body mass. Not body weight.

Yep this..
And 1.5g per lb of body weight like someone posted is excessive for most people.

zipnguyen

This is one of the things MFP is wrong about. MFP forces you to set your macronutrients by percentages. I just ignore the preset limits, I know the numbers I want to hit in my head.

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Agrees with this.

zipnguyen

About protein - I think it's going to vary from person to person and their goals. So whether you believe 1g/lbs/bw OR 1.5g/lbs/bw or some other number, the sufficient amount of protein is supposed to keep muscle on you or assist in building. For some may be 1g/lbs/bw is enough, for others - NO.

But agreed with poster above who stated that MFP should allow us to plug in the numbers on our own. I need 225g of protein per day I can't seem to juke/trick/circumnavigate the numbers to say 225g of protein. So I just follow my own macro totals.

javamonster

Okay, based on both of my nutrition certifications and all of the classes I've taken for my nutrition minor in college (which was basically the RD program without the internship to get the RD), protein requirements are set in grams per kilogram of body weight, not pounds. Anywhere you see pounds, it has been converted from what the research has shown and may or may not be an accurate conversion. For example, the standard recommendation is 0.8 grams per kilogram of body weight. If you divide 0.8 by the conversion factor of 2.2046 to get pounds, you get the 0.36 grams per pound recommended above. But if you divide the 2 grams per kilogram of body weight for body builders or extreme endurance athletes by the 2.2046 conversion factor, then you get 0.9 grams per pound, not the 1 gram per pound popularly quoted. In fact, if you carry it out even further, and divide the 2.4 grams per kilogram that has been shown to damage the kidneys of some study participants by the 2.2046 conversion factor, then you get 1.09 grams per pound. Since that is a max limit, I would worry about someone trying to hit 1 gram per pound of body weight because they are potentially risking their kidneys if they are prone to kidney issues. So, stick with the standard recommendation of 0.8 grams per kilogram of body weight unless you are an athlete (standard exercise programs don't qualify) or suffer from a disease that causes you to need to increase (IE: Cancer) or decrease (IE: Kidney issues, including stones) your protein intake.

This is the most rational response I have read on this thread. Thank you! Someone who didn't just pull a number out of her behind. :happy:

zipnguyen

Okay, based on both of my nutrition certifications and all of the classes I've taken for my nutrition minor in college (which was basically the RD program without the internship to get the RD), protein requirements are set in grams per kilogram of body weight, not pounds. Anywhere you see pounds, it has been converted from what the research has shown and may or may not be an accurate conversion. For example, the standard recommendation is 0.8 grams per kilogram of body weight. If you divide 0.8 by the conversion factor of 2.2046 to get pounds, you get the 0.36 grams per pound recommended above. But if you divide the 2 grams per kilogram of body weight for body builders or extreme endurance athletes by the 2.2046 conversion factor, then you get 0.9 grams per pound, not the 1 gram per pound popularly quoted. In fact, if you carry it out even further, and divide the 2.4 grams per kilogram that has been shown to damage the kidneys of some study participants by the 2.2046 conversion factor, then you get 1.09 grams per pound. Since that is a max limit, I would worry about someone trying to hit 1 gram per pound of body weight because they are potentially risking their kidneys if they are prone to kidney issues. So, stick with the standard recommendation of 0.8 grams per kilogram of body weight unless you are an athlete (standard exercise programs don't qualify) or suffer from a disease that causes you to need to increase (IE: Cancer) or decrease (IE: Kidney issues, including stones) your protein intake.

This is the most rational response I have read on this thread. Thank you! Someone who didn't just pull a number out of her behind. :happy:

Wow, nice... theory is one thing, practice is another - my story: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/403233-lost-96lbs-and-made-top-10-in-physique-contest

zipnguyen

Between two doctors. They've been tracking my progress very, very closely. One doc is my general physician, the other is pro-natural-bodybuilder Layne Norton; macros were set up based on how my body was responding to a whole host of factors. My bloodtest results are also posted. 'Just sayin...

Instead of worrying exactly what number to enter into MFP, maybe we strive to figure out by testing "what" does "what" to our bodies. At that point, the exact number of 0.83g/lbs/bw or 1.67g/lbs/bw is irrelevant no? I wouldn't say irrelevant exactly, but you get the point.

servilia

About protein - I think it's going to vary from person to person and their goals. So whether you believe 1g/lbs/bw OR 1.5g/lbs/bw or some other number, the sufficient amount of protein is supposed to keep muscle on you or assist in building. For some may be 1g/lbs/bw is enough, for others - NO.

But agreed with poster above who stated that MFP should allow us to plug in the numbers on our own. I need 225g of protein per day I can't seem to juke/trick/circumnavigate the numbers to say 225g of protein. So I just follow my own macro totals.

You can manually change the settings if you go to Goals and choose Custom and play around with the ratios there

LilMissFoodie

As adults, we have our muscles already in place. As babies, we need protein so that we can start forming our body. What is the purpose of protein? To build muscle, or to grow muscle or to maintain the muscles we already have.

Aren't you forgetting a few things that protein is used for? Antibodies to fight disease, muscle contraction and movement, enzymes e.g. those that break down your food, hormones, structure e.g. collagen and elastin and transport for molecules within the body.

The 'requirements' for protein are not the same as the recommendations for protein. The requirements will be 0.75-1g per kg body weight for a healthy adult however if you were overweight this would be an adjusted body weight. If you were in the overweight range then I would probably use your actual body weight or your ideal body weight (BMI 22) to calculate the amount. If you were obese then your adjusted body weight would need to be higher than your ideal body weight to truly meet your requirements. This amount will be the absolute lowest amount that your body requires to function properly and will often be much lower than the dietary recommendations for health.

Recommendations for health are 15-20% of energy intake should come from protein. When your energy intake is 1200 kcal (as it may be on MFP) then yes, you are right, the amount MFP calculates may be below your requirements so it is a bit skewed...

zipnguyen

About protein - I think it's going to vary from person to person and their goals. So whether you believe 1g/lbs/bw OR 1.5g/lbs/bw or some other number, the sufficient amount of protein is supposed to keep muscle on you or assist in building. For some may be 1g/lbs/bw is enough, for others - NO.

But agreed with poster above who stated that MFP should allow us to plug in the numbers on our own. I need 225g of protein per day I can't seem to juke/trick/circumnavigate the numbers to say 225g of protein. So I just follow my own macro totals.

You can manually change the settings if you go to Goals and choose Custom and play around with the ratios there

Sorry for the off-topic-ness of this, BUT REALLY, I hit custom button, but I can't manually type in say 225p, I have to change the overall caloric load which then "hopefully" I can choose a percentage that "maybe" will get close assuming the other macros stay constant as they change with the overall caloric load.

TrainingWithTonya

Sorry for the off-topic-ness of this, BUT REALLY, I hit custom button, but I can't manually type in say 225p, I have to change the overall caloric load which then "hopefully" I can choose a percentage that "maybe" will get close assuming the other macros stay constant as they change with the overall caloric load.

It's not difficult to change it so that you have the grams you want with your current calorie needs. Take the number of grams of protein and multiply by 4 to get the calories from protein. Then divide that by the total calories you want to eat to get the percentage to set on MFP. You can do the same thing with carbohydrates also multiplying by 4 or by fat but multiplying by 9.

servilia

About protein - I think it's going to vary from person to person and their goals. So whether you believe 1g/lbs/bw OR 1.5g/lbs/bw or some other number, the sufficient amount of protein is supposed to keep muscle on you or assist in building. For some may be 1g/lbs/bw is enough, for others - NO.

But agreed with poster above who stated that MFP should allow us to plug in the numbers on our own. I need 225g of protein per day I can't seem to juke/trick/circumnavigate the numbers to say 225g of protein. So I just follow my own macro totals.

You can manually change the settings if you go to Goals and choose Custom and play around with the ratios there

Sorry for the off-topic-ness of this, BUT REALLY, I hit custom button, but I can't manually type in say 225p, I have to change the overall caloric load which then "hopefully" I can choose a percentage that "maybe" will get close assuming the other macros stay constant as they change with the overall caloric load.

Yeah it's a bit of a pain to get it right with the proportions..

Silverkittycat

Instead of worrying exactly what number to enter into MFP, maybe we strive to figure out by testing "what" does "what" to our bodies.

Exactly.

gazz777

quite an eye opener :noway:

zipnguyen

Sorry for the off-topic-ness of this, BUT REALLY, I hit custom button, but I can't manually type in say 225p, I have to change the overall caloric load which then "hopefully" I can choose a percentage that "maybe" will get close assuming the other macros stay constant as they change with the overall caloric load.

It's not difficult to change it so that you have the grams you want with your current calorie needs. Take the number of grams of protein and multiply by 4 to get the calories from protein. Then divide that by the total calories you want to eat to get the percentage to set on MFP. You can do the same thing with carbohydrates also multiplying by 4 or by fat but multiplying by 9.

Sorry about this. Maybe my first post about the customization was probably miscommnucated. I know how to calculate cals from fat, carb and protein, the issue contends with the actual customization of overal macros. For example I cannot input 385c/74f/225p, mfp does not allow me to do this. I have to put in 3037 cals and use their percentages to almost approximate the macros mention. The issue I have which is minor is I can't input 385grams of CHO lets and then next week should I maintain weight and want to add 15grams of CHO, I can't. So I just approximate and formulate my diary just by looking at my own number and not really caring what the mfp "goal" is...

chevy88grl

I used to aim to get my body weight in protein a day. Whenever I would consume this much, I would be very nauseated. I've learned that nausea is a sign your body can not break down all the protein you are consuming. My lean body mass is around 104, so I aim to get 104g of protein a day.

PepeGreggerton

The average amount of protein you require on a daily basis per the Institute of Medicine is 60 grams for men and 50 grams for women. This is based on people with a sedentary lifestyle. People who workout a lot should have 20-30 grams more. Seems like I always end up at around 120 without really even trying.

zipnguyen

The average amount of protein you require on a daily basis per the Institute of Medicine is 60 grams for men and 50 grams for women. This is based on people with a sedentary lifestyle. People who workout a lot should have 20-30 grams more. Seems like I always end up at around 120 without really even trying.

eegads just 60grams of protein... most guys would shrivel to nothing:laugh: