Protein Vs. Calorie Limit

snookumss

So... this is a daily debate.

I am a powerlifter. I NEED lots of protein. I know this... I don't want to lose stength or muscle if I can help it!

Everyday I try to get 150g of protein within 1700 calories. This means I am often forced to not have the treats to stay within 50 of my goal. Most often I am fine with this, every meal has to be high in protein and its normal.

What do I do on the days I screw up? Like today! I had to get going with only three hours of sleep for an emergency of sorts and had a package of oatmeal raisin grandma's cookies to start. All day, I feel tired. I went to Jamba Juice (yes LOL with the coupons) and got a cheap one hoping it might help because I had a sniffly nose for a while and I have to work all night in the freezing cold (I have a food cart down town Portland).

These days... should I go over on my calorie intake to ensure I get all 150g of protein, or should I sacrifice the protein randomly here and there when I screw up so I stick to my calorie goal and focus on the fat.

I am looking for educated responses... intelligent opinion from people who understand BOTH my goals

What are your thoughts buds?

therich1990

150 gr protein? how much is your weight?

Segrande

I'm on 1350 cals a day, but I try to workout 5-6 times a week so I eat about 1500-1700 cals a day when I workout. On about 1700 I can get at least 150g easy. How? Through protein shakes! 1 scoop whey protein powder is about 120 cals and gives 24g protein. Mix with 1 cup unsweetened almond milk (35 cals and 1g protein) and you get 25g of protein for only about 155 cals! This is the fastest and easiest way to meet your protein goals, IMO. (:

xraychick77

"MYTH: Dieters need to consume a lot of protein for exercise and fitness.
FACT: Exercise—not protein—builds muscle. “Athletes and bodybuilders need adequate protein, but more than that isn’t useful,” notes Jenna Bell-Wilson, PhD, RD, LD, assistant professor in medical dietetics at Ohio State University. The truth is that most Americans already eat more than enough protein to synthesize and repair muscle tissue. Nutrition experts advise consumers to save their money and avoid expensive protein supplements and shakes." From IDEA fitness


"The body has to make new muscle proteins, and you need to be in positive nitrogen balance. Instead of 0.4 grams of protein per pound of body weight, aim for 0.7 to 0.8 grams protein per pound of body weight to increase muscle mass. According to the American College of Sports Medicine, doubling protein intake is necessary to create and sustain more muscle mass.

Don’t believe everything you read in bodybuilding magazines. Their articles often encourage excessive amounts of protein as the yellow brick road to increased muscle size. Just because we consume a large amount of protein doesn’t mean that it’s used to build larger muscles. If we regularly exceed our body’s capacity for protein use, two things can happen. Either the excess protein is stored as body fat, or some of the excess is burned as energy. " diet and nutrition


Dan Bernadot, PhD, RD, FACSM, highlights a common misunderstanding among strength athletes and others looking to increase their muscle mass: You’ve got to consider more than just protein. He points out that total calorie intake plays a crucial role in building muscles, and ignoring calories from carbohydrate and fat will cause even the best-laid plans to backfire.

Protein can only perform its muscle-building work when there are sufficient calories present to fuel every other function in the body. If calorie intake is too low, our bodies start to dismantle protein in body tissues to use the carbon portions for energy.

becoming_a_new_me

If you are working out and you don't go over by like 1000 calories, I would opt for the calorie overage. One day a week or so won't ruin what you have worked for.

snookumss

"The body has to make new muscle proteins, and you need to be in positive nitrogen balance. Instead of 0.4 grams of protein per pound of body weight, aim for 0.7 to 0.8 grams protein per pound of body weight to increase muscle mass. According to the American College of Sports Medicine, doubling protein intake is necessary to create and sustain more muscle mass.



I am currently 175lbs bodyweight so 150 is easily realistic from my research. LOL I also definitely have a muscular build

That almond milk idea is briliiant! I've never had it before... I'll have to try it out!

xraychick77

grrl..how much can you bench?!

i'm a weakling myself..but i'm only like 125lbs..and i can only bench like 70 lbs for 10 reps..never done a one rep max.

missalicia78

I am 5'10" and weigh 225lbs (102ish kg). By my calculations at 102kg * 1.5g protein (because I work a physical job, work out 4-5x/week for 1.5-2hrs, and am under a reasonable amount of stress) I need around 150g of protein. I don't know, but I think you may have calculated too much protein for your body.

Everything I've read says that it's 0.8-1.8g per KILOGRAM of body weight. Not pounds.

P.S. Maybe I need a little less, but all I know is that, since I've started eating MUCH more protein than I used to (I eat very little meat and used to be lucky if I could break 40-50g/day during my sedentary, unhealthy life), I feel great, have tons of energy, and have very little impulse to snack.

snookumss

My one rep max is currently about 250lbs in proper gear, and 145 raw. My world record was 225.7lbs in the WABDL Powerlifting Federation. 70lb x10 is a respectful bench!


.75 times 175 is just above 130g of protein... most sources I've found said .8 or 1g per pound of bodyweight. By going to 150g I am ensuring I am getting the protein I need then

I personally want to try to minimize muscle loss during my extended caloric deficit. Also, of course protein in excess can be turned into bodyfat. So can carbs. Why wouldn't I make sure that as much protein as possible is available to continue to protect muscle mass? Even if I go over, big deal. My calorie deficit is helping to protect me from random fat storage. I am not eating above maintenance with protein to create the extra for my body to store as fat!

LOL I love how this kinda got off track.

LilMissFoodie

I am 5'10" and weigh 225lbs (102ish kg). By my calculations at 102kg * 1.5g protein (because I work a physical job, work out 4-5x/week for 1.5-2hrs, and am under a reasonable amount of stress) I need around 150g of protein. I don't know, but I think you may have calculated too much protein for your body.

I personally (well, professionally - registered dietitian) would allocate you max 1g/kg body weight as it sounds like you are normal and healthy and since your BMI is quite high you would need to adjust for that (remember that the 'requirements' are based on ideal body weight ie BMI 22.5). That would be your 'requirement' but I would recommend that for your maintenance calories you were getting approx 15-20% from protein - which will likely be higher than your requirement.

For the OP - 'powerlifter' is quite a vague term so it's difficult to say what your ideal amount of protein would be but if you are in calorie deficit then having extra protein will not help you preserve muscle mass. Meeting your protein requirements (which I'm not convinced are as high as you have calculated), maintaining blood sugar levels by having regular carbohydrates and doing regular weight bearing activity will help preserve muscle.

snookumss

So does three sessions weekly of heavy OVERLOAD strength training not meet the requirements of a HIGH protein intake? I frequently handle 300lb squat bars and consistently train with 275lbs plus in the bench. These activities are going to be wearing on the muscles! Most women wouldn't dream of training like I do... that doesn't mean I don't.

missalicia78

Thank you. That's actually a relief. That's about all I end up getting anyway. I have a tough time, since I don't eat much meat, and I can only put so much protein powder in smoothies (to stay within my calorie goal) getting much more than that. I was trying protein water, bars, cottage cheese (which I hate...)

P.S. I kind of resent someone telling me my BMI is "quite high." I think too many people treat that number as law when, really, it isn't. When I was what my doctor considered healthy weight for me (back when I was 40 lbs lighter and a very consistent runner), my BMI was still in the overweight category. My doctor looks at my healthy cholesterol, glucose tolerance, BP, and heart rate. Last time I asked about my BMI, she waved me off, told me I was healthy, and told me to keep up with what I was trying to do on here. My body is built like a Clydesdale; I will never be a thin little girl. I just want to be healthy and physically fit. My "numbers" (cholesterol, glucose, BP, HR, etc), how I feel, how well my body tolerates exercise, and how my clothing fits tells me that better than what I think is an arbitrary BMI number.

Responding to LilMissFoodie.

becoming_a_new_me

BMI is just a guide. Most doctors only look at it if you are at the upper end of obese entering into morbidly obese territory. There has been too much out there about BMI that is so totally wrong. Things that must be considered with BMI that are not factored into the charts are muscle mass, bone structure, and general health. I dated a body builder that according to BMI standards would have been morbidly obese, but was seriously bulked in muscle. Unfortunately the muscle in his head did not work so well so neither did we, but that's not my point. Diet, health, and exercise are the most imporant factors.

Mary Ann
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/iddreams/view/overcoming-the-obesity-mindset-194711

therich1990

the problem is simple..you can't eat 1000000 protein..(this is just example number) but you have to calculate your daily intake in base to your weight..

energy comes from carbohydrates and fat.. so in base to your caloric need you have to balance it

LilMissFoodie

P.S. I kind of resent someone telling me my BMI is "quite high." I think too many people treat that number as law when, really, it isn't. When I was what my doctor considered healthy weight for me (back when I was 40 lbs lighter and a very consistent runner), my BMI was still in the overweight category. My doctor looks at my healthy cholesterol, glucose tolerance, BP, and heart rate. Last time I asked about my BMI, she waved me off, told me I was healthy, and told me to keep up with what I was trying to do on here. My body is built like a Clydesdale; I will never be a thin little girl. I just want to be healthy and physically fit. My "numbers" (cholesterol, glucose, BP, HR, etc), how I feel, how well my body tolerates exercise, and how my clothing fits tells me that better than what I think is an arbitrary BMI number.

Sorry, I didn't really mean it as an insult, just a clinician justification of my calculation. Most bodies will be adequately measured by BMI - that's why the ranges are so large - it is rare to find someone outside of the healthy weight range that truly has a 'healthy' fat mass and equally, in my uni course when we measured fat mass there were girls with BMIs of 19 who had an unhealthy fat mass. This has nothing to do with what your personal medical circumstances are or how 'fat' you are or look - it has to do with the research that suggests that a higher BMI = greater health risk. In terms of calculating nutrition requirements we have to adjust for BMI because otherwise the results can be incredibly inaccurate because the majority of calorie burning comes from your organs which do not weigh as much as some people's fat/muscle. Even if the entire extra weight were muscle, some adaptation would still need to be made.

CMmrsfloyd

I am 5'10" and weigh 225lbs (102ish kg). By my calculations at 102kg * 1.5g protein (because I work a physical job, work out 4-5x/week for 1.5-2hrs, and am under a reasonable amount of stress) I need around 150g of protein. I don't know, but I think you may have calculated too much protein for your body.

I personally (well, professionally - registered dietitian) would allocate you max 1g/kg body weight as it sounds like you are normal and healthy and since your BMI is quite high you would need to adjust for that (remember that the 'requirements' are based on ideal body weight ie BMI 22.5). That would be your 'requirement' but I would recommend that for your maintenance calories you were getting approx 15-20% from protein - which will likely be higher than your requirement.

For the OP - 'powerlifter' is quite a vague term so it's difficult to say what your ideal amount of protein would be but if you are in calorie deficit then having extra protein will not help you preserve muscle mass. Meeting your protein requirements (which I'm not convinced are as high as you have calculated), maintaining blood sugar levels by having regular carbohydrates and doing regular weight bearing activity will help preserve muscle.

I you check OP's more recent post, she's not using the term 'powerlifter' for fun, she handles up to 200-300 lbs in her workouts.

LilMissFoodie

I you check OP's more recent post, she's not using the term 'powerlifter' for fun, she handles up to 200-300 lbs in her workouts.

Jeez, I didn't say she was. I said that it was a vague term ie impossible as an indicator for calculating requirements. A weight amount really isn't that helpful either. A better indicator would be intensity, frequency and duration of exercise but then, she isn't my patient - I was simply explaining why I had calculated for one person and not for the other.

CMmrsfloyd

I you check OP's more recent post, she's not using the term 'powerlifter' for fun, she handles up to 200-300 lbs in her workouts.

Jeez, I didn't say she was. I said that it was a vague term ie impossible as an indicator for calculating requirements. A weight amount really isn't that helpful either. A better indicator would be intensity, frequency and duration of exercise but then, she isn't my patient - I was simply explaining why I had calculated for one person and not for the other.

I wasn't trying to be rude, I'm sorry if it came off that way, I was just trying to point out that she gave a little more specifics as to her workout intensity and frequency of lifting as you'd requested. I thought maybe you had missed the post where she gave more details and was just pointing it out.

bert16

I'm certainly no expert, so please feel free to disregard, but it seems as though the answer to this would depend upon what your primary goal is. If your primary goal is weight loss, then watch the calories. If your primary goal is to lift heavier weights in your power lifting, concentrate on building muscle with the extra protein. Perhaps you can strike a balance by maximizing your protein intake to the best of your ability while remaining under your calorie goal, even if you don't hit your 150g target for protein(?).

xcrushx28

It's impossible to really give any more accurate answers because there are a lot of unknowns. Honestly I would focus on either the powerlifting or dieting.

Do you have any meets lined up?

Sidesteal

It's impossible to really give any more accurate answers because there are a lot of unknowns. Honestly I would focus on either the powerlifting or dieting.

Do you have any meets lined up?

^ This is an important question IMO.

Regarding the study that was linked: OP is a powerlifter (with impressive numbers!!!), I would trust 150g as being a reasonable intake goal.

LilMissFoodie

Oh, you might find this useful from the Australian institute of sport (where Australia's olympic athletes train and also where sports dietitians become accredited).

http://www.ausport.gov.au/ais/nutrition/factsheets/basics/protein_-_how_much

Remember that it is grams per kg not per pound.

LorinaLynn

Totally not-an-expert-in-any-way-shape-or-form, but... I have to think that as long as you're doing the right things nutritionally 80% of the time, going under your protein or over your calories every once in a while isn't gong to make any kind of difference. Fluke days when the numbers just don't come together happen. Your body is resilient enough to handle it.

I mean... you could have a 48 hour stomach flu and not be able to keep any food down at all, and you might feel weak for a few days after, but you'd bounce right back. So I just can't see how one day of not getting as much protein is going to hamper your progress.

apowell13

I try to intake 130 to 140 grams of protein a day. I started heavy weight lifting 3 months ago. I have the same issue with calories and protein. What I have found to work the best I get from GNC called New Whey Protein liquid shot. It has 42 grams of protein for 180 calories. Its not the best tasting, but it serves its purpose. Also there is anohter brand called carnivor liquid protein shot. It has 50 grams of protein for 200 calories. Its taste is worse than the New Whey, but its only a couple of oz and if you drink it fast enough the taste doesn't last that long. On the days I don't get my full amount of protein I just take a look at what I have consumed for the day and make a judgement call from there. The days I don't workout I like to have a min of 100 grams of protein and the days I do lift I make sure I have at least 130 grams of protein. Muscles don't grow without protein and as long as your not going over your calories on a regular basis, once and a while won't hurt.