Question: Protein requirement if not lifting weights?

claritarejoice

I recently switched my macros to 40-30-30. The protein requirement is really high and requires me drinking extra protein shakes, eating jerky and more chicken than I normally would. I know this is recommended to help with muscle growth, especially when weight lifting. But I currently don't have lifting in my routine. Is eating this much protein unecessary or even detrimental if I'm not lifting? Should I go back to MFP's auto macro level?

This post is not an invitation to tell me I need to lift - I have arthritis in my shoulders and have been losing losing weight fine with my current exercise routine. Thanks

monty619

if you are not lifting weights or doing other exercise then i would drop it to .8g per lb of lean mass... so you have to figure out what ur bf% is... or you could do something like .6-7 of your current bodyweight.

claritarejoice

if you are not lifting weights or doing other exercise then i would drop it to .8g per lb of lean mass... so you have to figure out what ur bf% is... or you could do something like .6-7 of your current bodyweight.

Thanks! That's really helpful. Could eating too much protein cause me to plateau or gain weight, or will it not make a difference? Thanks

I am 5'7" tall and 167 pounds so MFP says my BMI is 26.2.

divemunkey

If you were losing weight just fine, why did you change anything? Don't fix what ain't broke!

monty619

if you are not lifting weights or doing other exercise then i would drop it to .8g per lb of lean mass... so you have to figure out what ur bf% is... or you could do something like .6-7 of your current bodyweight.

Thanks! That's really helpful. Could eating too much protein cause me to plateau or gain weight, or will it not make a difference? Thanks

no you can eat extra protein if you want... but if you arent exercising you can eat less. but if i were you id still eat around 1g per lb of weight just because i love protein and its benefits and it satiates you longer than a carbohydrate would... if by plateau u mean plateau weight loss then maybe if you dont get enough protein you have a greater chance of plateauing but its about calories in vs out in the end.

claritarejoice

To divemunkey: Good point - I changed it because with the auto settings, I was always under carbs and over protein and I wanted to challenge myself to eat even better, and people on MFP kept saying the 40-30-30 ratio was ideal (zone diet ratio).

claritarejoice

Thanks for your help guys. I did the body fat % calculation you recommended, and I'm on track eating 30% of my calories from protein. It's just really hard for me to eat that much protein - I rarely meet my target.