WAY to much protein not enough carbs!

coronalime

I am so over already for protein and sugar and I have 600 calories for dinner and nighttime snack plus my work out calories if I choose to eat those today..What to do? I am gluten free

jessicob

I would do a little bit of research...you dont need to abide by all of the amounts that this shows in fact everyone is different and needs more of some things than others. I have done a lot of reading and I basically ignore everything accept calories, fat, sugar and fiber.

When consuming fat avoid all saturated fats if possible.

I dont know if this helps but maybe you could have popcorn for a night time snack?? this is high in fiber,,, I would choose to eat things high in fiber to lessen your protien and sugar intake.
green veggies are a good source without worrying about sugar and protien.

JoyousMaximus

What macronutrient ratio do you have your goals set to? MFP automatically sets it to 55% Carbs, 15%, 30% fat. You may need to adjust your ratios to fit your lifestyle. I have mine at 45/25/30. My biggest recommendation is to make sure your fat is at least 20% because it is necessary for certain vitamins to be absorbed.

I also ignore the sugar as long as it is not added sugar and comes from a whole source (i.e. fruit not juice) though I do try to pair high sugar foods with high protein/fat foods to prevent blood sugar spikes.

shelloli

I too am gluten free (celiac disease)! I am almost always over on protien. This is good for building muscle as long as it is low fat, ie. chicken, fish, egg whites. It actually helps to keep your blood sugars even throughout the day. (for me anyway)

Sugar, well that is another thing. Are your referring to the carbs or actual sugar?

What is your menu like?

I eat lost of veggies, fruit, nuts, lean protien, quinoa, steel cut oats, salad, and non-animal protien (cottage cheese, skim ricotta).

BrenNew

I am so over already for protein and sugar and I have 600 calories for dinner and nighttime snack plus my work out calories if I choose to eat those today..What to do? I am gluten free

Don't worry about the protein being over, MFP tends to go too low with their allowance. Sugar isn't TOO bad if it's from fruits, but hopefully, someone else can give you some ideas. I know nothing about "gluten free". Sorry.

MacMadame

I don't agree with the protein goals that the site sets by default. I think they are WAY too low.

Typical recommendations for menstruating women for protein range from 55 to 65 g of protein a day. But, tf you are dieting, you really should get more than that IMO. Eating more protein will help prevent loss of muscle mass and help you feel full longer and both are important when dieting.

Also, if you are athletic, you want to consume more protein than average to help rebuild your muscles after exercise.

I currently aim for 1 g of protein per pound of body weight but my calorie requirements are high enough that I often go over that.

mrd232

An active person should be consuming .7 - 1.0 x body weight in grams of protein daily.

I'd disregard the default levels set on here.

taxidermy

An active person should be consuming .7 - 1.0 x body weight in grams of protein daily.

Weight in kilos or pounds? :embarassed:

April0815

I too am gluten free (celiac disease)! I am almost always over on protien. This is good for building muscle as long as it is low fat, ie. chicken, fish, egg whites. It actually helps to keep your blood sugars even throughout the day. (for me anyway)

Sugar, well that is another thing. Are your referring to the carbs or actual sugar?

What is your menu like?

I eat lost of veggies, fruit, nuts, lean protien, quinoa, steel cut oats, salad, and non-animal protien (cottage cheese, skim ricotta).

What is quinoa.

I read that you are suppose to eat 1gm of protein per lb of body weight.

Fieldsy

15% of protein a day is too low

IMO it is good to get about 30% of protein per day....35-40% if you lift weights (which is the best thing to burn fat after proper diet)

Azdak

Nutrition studies are notoriously difficult to construct, because of all the variables. As a result, many people tend to mimic the behavior of others without factual support.

Another issue that affects these discussions is self-perception. The needs of elite athletes are different than those of recreational exercisers, yet many average exercisers try to model diet patterns of elite athletes.

One must also separate protein intake from overall calorie intake. Adequate calorie intake, independent of protein intake, is necessary to build muscle mass, for example.

The RDA of 0.7-0.8g of protein per kg of body weight is sufficient for most individuals who are taking in a maintenance level of calories. However, for someone who is restricting calories to lose weight, protein intake as a % of total calories is going to increase because, while protein needs are going to stay consistent, overall calories are reduced. Protein also has the added benefit of promoting greater satiety and controlling hunger feelings throughout the day.

There is evidence to suggest that athletes have greater protein requirements than non-athletes. Endurance athletes who engage in training longer than 3-4 hours per week might need 1.2-1.4 g/kg/day, but that is also due to the fact that they tend to be smaller than other types of athletes. Recommendations for body builders are in the 1.1-1.7 g/kg/day range. Many body builders recommend an intake of 2+ g/kg/day ( or 1g/lb/day), but I have seen little support for this number in unbiased scientific literature.

The issue, as I mentioned earlier, is that many people who are recreational exercisers perceive themselves as being the same as elite athletes and adopt behaviors that probably aren't necessary. Not only with protein intake, but with sports drinks and supplements as well. These are multi-billion dollar industries. Only a tiny percentage of the population is elite athletes, so their businesses depend on convincing millions of ordinary people that they "need" these products.

The picture is further muddied by the fact that the medical "establishment" has overstated the risks of elevated protein intake for years and thus are not seen as credible by many in the athletic community. Body builders have a tendency to see their own community as the "true" source of information which can lead to self-selection of the literature and a need to conform to traditional practices.

So what does this mean for the average MFP member? Given the fact that most of us who are in "weight loss" mode are going to be following 1200-1500 calorie per day diets, keeping protein at 0.9 to 1.0 g of protein per kilogram (not per lb) of body weight per day will bring you in at 20%-25% of total calorie intake, which probably sufficient to meet your needs. Keep in mind that on a limited calorie diet, one must be more careful about maintaining nutrient balance, so it is not advisable to overemphasize any one area.

Again, it is important to keep in mind that protein is more of a "threshold" part of your diet. In other words, once the minimum necessary amount per day is consumed, extra protein does not provide any special benefits. "Sufficient" protein is necessary to conserve lean mass or build muscle. "Extra" protein does not build more muscle--that comes from "extra" training and "extra" calories. While the "risks" of extra protein intake are probably low, it tends to be an expensive and inefficient way of building muscle.

songbyrdsweet

Nutrition studies are notoriously difficult to construct, because of all the variables. As a result, many people tend to mimic the behavior of others without factual support.

Another issue that affects these discussions is self-perception. The needs of elite athletes are different than those of recreational exercisers, yet many average exercisers try to model diet patterns of elite athletes.

One must also separate protein intake from overall calorie intake. Adequate calorie intake, independent of protein intake, is necessary to build muscle mass, for example.

The RDA of 0.7-0.8g of protein per kg of body weight is sufficient for most individuals who are taking in a maintenance level of calories. However, for someone who is restricting calories to lose weight, protein intake as a % of total calories is going to increase because, while protein needs are going to stay consistent, overall calories are reduced. Protein also has the added benefit of promoting greater satiety and controlling hunger feelings throughout the day.

There is evidence to suggest that athletes have greater protein requirements than non-athletes. Endurance athletes who engage in training longer than 3-4 hours per week might need 1.2-1.4 g/kg/day, but that is also due to the fact that they tend to be smaller than other types of athletes. Recommendations for body builders are in the 1.1-1.7 g/kg/day range. Many body builders recommend an intake of 2+ g/kg/day ( or 1g/lb/day), but I have seen little support for this number in unbiased scientific literature.

The issue, as I mentioned earlier, is that many people who are recreational exercisers perceive themselves as being the same as elite athletes and adopt behaviors that probably aren't necessary. Not only with protein intake, but with sports drinks and supplements as well. These are multi-billion dollar industries. Only a tiny percentage of the population is elite athletes, so their businesses depend on convincing millions of ordinary people that they "need" these products.

The picture is further muddied by the fact that the medical "establishment" has overstated the risks of elevated protein intake for years and thus are not seen as credible by many in the athletic community. Body builders have a tendency to see their own community as the "true" source of information which can lead to self-selection of the literature and a need to conform to traditional practices.

So what does this mean for the average MFP member? Given the fact that most of us who are in "weight loss" mode are going to be following 1200-1500 calorie per day diets, keeping protein at 0.9 to 1.0 g of protein per kilogram (not per lb) of body weight per day will bring you in at 20%-25% of total calorie intake, which probably sufficient to meet your needs. Keep in mind that on a limited calorie diet, one must be more careful about maintaining nutrient balance, so it is not advisable to overemphasize any one area.

Again, it is important to keep in mind that protein is more of a "threshold" part of your diet. In other words, once the minimum necessary amount per day is consumed, extra protein does not provide any special benefits. "Sufficient" protein is necessary to conserve lean mass or build muscle. "Extra" protein does not build more muscle--that comes from "extra" training and "extra" calories. While the "risks" of extra protein intake are probably low, it tends to be an expensive and inefficient way of building muscle.

Concise and easy to understand, as always! :drinker: Love your posts.

shelloli

Quinoa (keen-wah) as copied and pasted from quinoa.net

"Quinoa contains more protein than any other grain; an average of 16.2 percent, compared with 7.5 percent for rice, 9.9 percent for millet, and 14 percent for wheat. Some varieties of quinoa are more than 20 percent protein.

Quinoa's protein is of an unusually high quality. It is a complete protein, with an essential amino acid balance close to the ideal ... similar to milk!

Quinoa's protein is high in lysine, methionine and cystine. This makes it an excellent food to combine with, and boost the protein value of, other grains (which are low in lysine), or soy (which is low in methionine and cystine). "

It is kinda a combination of rice and couscous and steel cut oats.......well it is very unique. I make it with black beans, tomatoes, onions, cilantro and avacodo OR chicken, artichoke hearts, garlic and sundried tomatoes.

My advice google it and experiment!