How do I know how much protien I should take in per Day?

babyangel6806
babyangel6806 Posts: 41 Member
in Food and Nutrition
How would I find out the proper amount of protien to take in for the day? I am 28yo female 5'4" and 162lbs. I am thinking about trying protien shakes (if I can find any that don't have a nasty after taste or taste like chalk) but I don't know if I need them.

Replies

  • haroon_awan
    haroon_awan Posts: 1,208 Member
    The government's guidelines are 1g of protein per kg of body weight, eg if you weight 70kg, you need 70g of protein. But most people would agree that 1-2g of protein per lb of body weight is what you should be consuming, eg I weigh 145 lbs, but eat/drink about 180-200g of protein a day. It also depends on your height, age and goal. I would say eat at least 1g per 1lb.

    In terms of taste, honestly, they all taste pretty much the same based on flavour. Chocolate protein is just: protein, cocoa and sweetener 90% of the time with different levels of each. Just buy unflavoured (which is so much cheaper) and add you own sweeteners and cocoa depending on taste.
  • sunnyside1213
    sunnyside1213 Posts: 1,205 Member
    I don't think you can eat too much protein. Make it lean. I use Body Fortress. Very reasonable at Walmart. I customized my food goals so I eat very little carbs and more fat and protein.
  • shade0343
    shade0343 Posts: 59 Member
    What I have read is .4-.6 grams per pound per day if you are doing cardio and normal activity. If weight lifting then .6-.8 grams per pound per day.
  • Sharyn913
    Sharyn913 Posts: 777 Member
    The government's guidelines are 1g of protein per kg of body weight, eg if you weight 70kg, you need 70g of protein. But most people would agree that 1-2g of protein per lb of body weight is what you should be consuming, eg I weigh 145 lbs, but eat/drink about 180-200g of protein a day. It also depends on your height, age and goal. I would say eat at least 1g per 1lb.

    I believe it's 1g per lb of lean muscle mass.

    It also depends what you are trying to achieve, and what your work outs are like.. Tell us more info and we can try to help you!
  • GuybrushThreepw00d
    GuybrushThreepw00d Posts: 784 Member
    The government's guidelines are 1g of protein per kg of body weight

    Which Government?
    I was reading the optimum nutrition bible the other day and it quotes the us national research council as advising 8% of your diet as protein. Which would work out to be less than 35g/day.
    That's not to say that's the optimum.... But certainly their stated figure.

    The uk department of health advises 44g/day for men and 36g/day for women.

    1g/lb of LBM is what I use as my figure, as I'm trying to lose fat at the moment. I'm sure once I reach my desired weight I'll drop the protein by about half.

    Some reading for ya ;
    http://www.acaloriecounter.com/diet/how-much-protein-per-day/
  • Meg_78
    Meg_78 Posts: 998 Member
    I try to get minimum 1g/lb of LBM as well, though sometimes its closer to 1.5g/lb of LBW.
  • haroon_awan
    haroon_awan Posts: 1,208 Member
    Which Government?
    I was reading the optimum nutrition bible the other day and it quotes the us national research council as advising 8% of your diet as protein. Which would work out to be less than 35g/day.
    That's not to say that's the optimum.... But certainly their stated figure.

    The uk department of health advises 44g/day for men and 36g/day for women.

    1g/lb of LBM is what I use as my figure, as I'm trying to lose fat at the moment. I'm sure once I reach my desired weight I'll drop the protein by about half.

    Some reading for ya ;
    http://www.acaloriecounter.com/diet/how-much-protein-per-day/
    I believe it's 1g per lb of lean muscle mass.

    It also depends what you are trying to achieve, and what your work outs are like.. Tell us more info and we can try to help you!

    http://www.nhs.uk/news/2011/05May/Documents/BtH_supplements.pdf

    That's the UK National Health Service report:
    "Most of us get the protein we need from our diets. In the UK, the recommended daily amount of protein for adults aged 19 to 50 is 55.5g for men and 45g for women (excluding pregnant and breastfeeding women). Most of us eat more than this, and the actual average adult daily intake has been estimated to be 88g for men and 64g for women (British Nutrition Foundation)."

    "According to the British Nutrition Foundation (BNF), endurance athletes require between 1.2 and 1.4g per kg of body weight daily, while those competing in strength and speed events need between 1.2 and 1.7g per kg of body weight. These intakes can easily be achieved by eating a normal balanced diet."

    Note kg, not lb. Protein supplement brands want you to eat more protein, and of course they say lb and not kg, it's a business where they make money, not a business where they give each and every individual in the entire country personal guidelines. They provide general guidelines for everyone. And 1g of protein per lb works for more people who want to get fit, so that's what they recommend.
  • babyangel6806
    babyangel6806 Posts: 41 Member
    The government's guidelines are 1g of protein per kg of body weight, eg if you weight 70kg, you need 70g of protein. But most people would agree that 1-2g of protein per lb of body weight is what you should be consuming, eg I weigh 145 lbs, but eat/drink about 180-200g of protein a day. It also depends on your height, age and goal. I would say eat at least 1g per 1lb.

    I believe it's 1g per lb of lean muscle mass.

    It also depends what you are trying to achieve, and what your work outs are like.. Tell us more info and we can try to help you!

    Typically her is my schedule:

    Week 1: Gym Mon. & Wed. typically 25-45 min. before work (amount of time depends on what time I actually get to the gym after dropping my daughter off at school) usually all cardio and Fri. & Sun. 45-90 min. cardio and circuit training. General activity levels at work and home varies from day to day.

    Week 2: Gym Tues. & Thurs. typically 25-45 min. before work usually all cardio (however I have recently been trying to incorporate some strength training if I have time) and Sometimes Sat. 45-90 min. cardio and circuit training when I do. General activity levels vary.

    Week 3: Same as week 1

    Week 4: Same as week 2
  • babyangel6806
    babyangel6806 Posts: 41 Member
    Well I just bought a bottle of Cookies & Cream flavored muscle milk. I am going to try it after my workout on Sunday....I just hope it tastes good :-)
  • Kelblue1
    Kelblue1 Posts: 139 Member
    I've never been a huge protein drinker cuz I hate the chalky taste, but someone introduced me to Herbalife. It tastes soooo much better than the store bought stuff. It's alittle pricer I won't lie but you get what you pay for. If you can splurge for it you should check it out. Not sure where you live, but here in my city I have found some nutrition stores that are now distributers for it.
  • m60kaf
    m60kaf Posts: 421 Member
    It will be harder to actually attain a decent level than it is to get a straight answer

    Just keep laying on the high protein foods

    Try to get protein shakes that are high in protein low in carbs/cals. In my experience unless you are a very rare person that particularly struggles to put on muscle mass doing weights generally 'skinny' people most times shakes just make people fat
  • NocturnalGirl
    NocturnalGirl Posts: 1,762
    ~1g per lean body mass IMO
  • 75in2013
    75in2013 Posts: 361 Member
    Broscience, bodybuilders and especially the supplement industry will tell you that you need 1g - 1.5g per lbs lean body mass.

    Most official recommendations are way lower.

    Interesting link:
    http://mennohenselmans.com/the-myth-of-1glb-optimal-protein-intake-for-bodybuilders/

    Studies are a funny thing. Studies financed by supplement companies usually come to way higher recommendations than independent studies ...

    IMO this whole thing is more about what people want to believe than scientific facts.

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