Question about Protein Intake and Fat Loss + Muscle Gain

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  • eatcleanNtraindirty
    eatcleanNtraindirty Posts: 444 Member
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    Yes lift weights! They don't have to be heavy, but your weight lifting sessions should be intense! You should feel the burn and keep it pushing! I would stick to between 8-15 repetitions per set and 3-4 sets per exercise. Intensity = You should be fatigued after each set and get 30-120 seconds of rest to catch your breath.

    Protein intake is right on with 0.8-1.0 grams per lb of body weight. If you look at my diet, I am exceeding that limit because I am REALLY trying to put on lean muscle tissue. Whey protein isolate is the best option to go with for a basic protein. Otherwise blended proteins with whey isolate, egg, and casein proteins are beneficial for longer releasing protein for throughout the day. Always make sure you are taking a powdered or liquid form multi vitamin and glutamine as well for enhanced repair and recovery. Tablet vitamins are garbage and we end up peeing ~90% of the vitamins out. Message me if you have any questions... I'm a certified nutritionist and have been working out and lifting weights for sports since I was 14.
  • melbot24
    melbot24 Posts: 347 Member
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    In my experience, which includes a lot of anecdotal statistical analysis, 0.8 grams of protein per lb. of body weight will likely protect your muscle while losing weight and 1 gram per lb. of body weight will enable you to build muscle. Most research is consistent with that view.

    For building muscle, losing fat, and creating a cascade of really positive hormonal responses, try the major lifts: deadlifts, squats, bench press, shoulder press, and rowing/pull-ups. For each exercise, use a weight that challenges you in the 5 - 12 repetition range.

    Whoa, wait, what?

    So you eat 207 grams of protein a day?

    I think it is supposed to by .8 grams per pound of LEAN MUSCLE MASS. (Total weight less fat percentage)

    Yes - lean muscle mass, not total body weight, is what I've heard too. Here's a calculator to figure it out: (scroll down) http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/lbm_calculator.htm

    Phew, okay...I feel better now. THANKS!
  • TeslaJoule
    TeslaJoule Posts: 62 Member
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    Try the New Rules of Lifting for Women. It's a comprehensive book with the exercises, a suggested meal plan on how to get the protein needed (There's a vegetarian section), and they give explanations for why you should do it this way. There are a lot of women who do it at home and there's a support group on here to help with any questions and the ladies on there are GREAT! It's a great place to start. :)

    I would look for a kosher whey powder for your protein as that's the only way to know for certain that there was no animal products used in the whey, but whey itself is vegetarian at most. :( However, you can get around 25g of protein in a 140 cal shake, so it's probably the easiest way to ingest that much protein! Good luck!
  • DixiedoesMFP
    DixiedoesMFP Posts: 935 Member
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    Lift heavy. New Rules of Lifting for Women is about a $10 book. Stronglifts and Starting Strength can be found online. 30 Day Shred is not strength training in the sense of heavy lifting. Your weight may not change much but you will get stronger, leaner, tighter as your body fat decreases. Less cardio, not more. Something you enjoy a few times a week will suffice. Lots of protein. Enough fat. Good luck.
  • belgerian
    belgerian Posts: 1,059 Member
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    also, cardio can be counterproductive with strength training (you can actually lose muscle. cardio is great for strengthening your heart...however). strength training burns fat. http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?t=141902731&page=1


    loose into Starting Strength (the book). I'm getting into it now and will shortly being the program. It's a no-bull legit way to tone, get stronger, and burn fat.

    Cardio burns fat also strenght training is great also. To imply cardio just helps your heart is misleading at best. My legs look GREAT very toned I have have burned over 80lbs of fat by primary cardio (Running) I will admit I would like to encorporate strenght training in my regime also.
  • laurenmdaley
    laurenmdaley Posts: 40 Member
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    I second new rules of lifting for women. I just started this week, so can't share any results yet, but I really like the way the program is set up. Basically you start with weights you are comfortable with...maybe try pushing a little higher than you think you can, then the program is designed to increase your strenght and your weights over time (while decresing reps). It's a good read and has a great section on nutrition including the benefits of Protein and how to get more of it in your diet.

    Not to mention the New Rules group on this site is AWESOME!
  • ldudleyrd
    ldudleyrd Posts: 1 Member
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    I'm a registered dietitian. The minimum amount of protein recommended is about 0.8g per KILLOGRAM of weight not pounds. That's where you are seeing the difference. I usually say think about 1/2 gram of protein for every pound of weight - so for a 125 pound woman that is somewhere between 60-65 grams of protein (that is your minimum). There is also good research now that shows that your body utilizes protein for tissue growth and repair in smaller amounts - no more than 30grams per meal. So what I suggest is trying to figure out how to get yoru 20-30 grams of protein at each meal three times per day consistently. Hope that helps!
  • Spartan_Maker
    Spartan_Maker Posts: 683 Member
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    In my experience, which includes a lot of anecdotal statistical analysis, 0.8 grams of protein per lb. of body weight will likely protect your muscle while losing weight and 1 gram per lb. of body weight will enable you to build muscle. Most research is consistent with that view.

    For building muscle, losing fat, and creating a cascade of really positive hormonal responses, try the major lifts: deadlifts, squats, bench press, shoulder press, and rowing/pull-ups. For each exercise, use a weight that challenges you in the 5 - 12 repetition range.

    Whoa, wait, what?

    So you eat 207 grams of protein a day?

    I think it is supposed to by .8 grams per pound of LEAN MUSCLE MASS. (Total weight less fat percentage)

    The study that readily comes to mind is the one by Dr. Peter Lemon, which found that .8 grams per pound of bodyweight (or 1.5 - 2.0 grams per kg of body weight) should be a minimum for those who exercise regularly. He's spent quite a bit of time dedicated to this single subject. After much analysis, this is consistent with my own experience, for whatever that is worth.
  • RenfieldX
    RenfieldX Posts: 87 Member
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    Hi everyone! I was researching protein and how important it is in toning up and loosing fat. Most of what I found said that as a fairly active female I should be getting much more than what I'm getting now. Under my daily total it says here I should have only 56g, when a lot of websites I've seen says for toning your body I should be getting .8-1g per pound of body weight. That's a BIG difference!

    I've lost almost 76 pounds so far and I'm finally at a healthy weight (I'm 5'2" and 125.4lbs, small frame). So, now I'm finally at the point where I want to loose more fat, lower my fat %, and build and reveal more muscle and tone up. I can feel muscle especially in my mid section but my goal is to reveal and build on it.

    I'm planning on upping my protein and doing more cardio, but what have you guys found works to tone up? Should I be eating more protein in order to get my body where I want it to be? Maybe I should do more cardio and HIIT workouts and a little less strength? (I do plenty of yoga and pilates) Also, I'm a vegetarian (80-90% vegan). So what are some ways I can get more protein? I eat plenty of beans and grains, but I want to try a vegan protein powder to add to smoothies. What are some vegan protein powder brands or other ways I could bump up my protein?

    Thanks everyone!

    Vega (http://myvega.com/) makes vegan friendly protein powders, smoothies, etc.

    I do find that MFP lowballs your protein. You can go into your settings and manually adjust your macros and up the %protein until you get it where you'd like it to be. Roughly 1g of protein/lb of lean muscle mass seems to be the most common concensus if you're trying to build muscle (although I've heard differing opinions from 0.8 to 1.5 g/lb of lean muscle mass). Experiment a bit and find what works best for you.
  • mangozulu
    mangozulu Posts: 90 Member
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    It's actually .8 gram per kilogram (2.2 pounds) of total body weight. This is plenty of protein to sustain and repair body tissues. For optimal muscle building combined with strength training the rec. is more like 1.6 or 1.7 gram protein per kilogram of total body weight.

    So for someone who is 120 lbs and lifting heavy.... 87 - 92 grams of protein a day will support muscle growth.
  • themommie
    themommie Posts: 5,006 Member
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    bump
  • stronghealthyconfidence
    stronghealthyconfidence Posts: 6
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    Thank you! That makes a little more sense now. So I calculated to be about 91lbs of lean muscle mass so I need about 91g of protein a day? I think that makes more sense than 125g.
  • vtachycardia
    vtachycardia Posts: 374
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    It's actually .8 gram per kilogram (2.2 pounds) of total body weight. This is plenty of protein to sustain and repair body tissues. For optimal muscle building combined with strength training the rec. is more like 1.6 or 1.7 gram protein per kilogram of total body weight.

    So for someone who is 120 lbs and lifting heavy.... 87 - 92 grams of protein a day will support muscle growth.

    Bingo. Someone got there in the end. You can go up to 2g per Kg LBM. Yes, lean body mass.

    And, CARDIO does not cause your MUSCLES to degenerate - this is almost pure myth, it does occur in people with very poor nutrition, like starving then there is atrophy.

    Exercise should be

    Strength - lifting - one type of muscle fibre - really good for pushing the heart to anaerobic limits on a short term basis
    Stamina - cardio - a completely different muscle fibre - also good for pushing the heart but at lower HR levels, unless sprinting
    Balance - core strength and conditioning, the platform that supports the rest of your body
    Flexibility - have you seen a Sumo wrestler performing the rituals before a bout.

    bit like nutrition really, a well rounded portion of everything unless you are doing something like low carb, high protein, or whatever. It all serves a purpose. But whatever you do, you should try to do a bit of everything.
  • Spartan_Maker
    Spartan_Maker Posts: 683 Member
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    Thank you! That makes a little more sense now. So I calculated to be about 91lbs of lean muscle mass so I need about 91g of protein a day? I think that makes more sense than 125g.

    There is only one way to be absolutely sure: open a spreadsheet, regularly record your body fat %, protein intake, and exercise protocol, and then perform basic correlation and trend analysis. That way, you'll know exactly what you, in particular, need.

    Relying on nutritional bromides won't get you optimal results.
  • chocolateandpb
    chocolateandpb Posts: 453 Member
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    I'm a registered dietitian. The minimum amount of protein recommended is about 0.8g per KILLOGRAM of weight not pounds. That's where you are seeing the difference. I usually say think about 1/2 gram of protein for every pound of weight - so for a 125 pound woman that is somewhere between 60-65 grams of protein (that is your minimum). There is also good research now that shows that your body utilizes protein for tissue growth and repair in smaller amounts - no more than 30grams per meal. So what I suggest is trying to figure out how to get yoru 20-30 grams of protein at each meal three times per day consistently. Hope that helps!

    That is helpful, thank you. I almost freaked out going how the heck am I going to be able to consume 130 grams of protein a day as a vegetarian?! I've been averaging 70, sometimes getting up to 100 grams, so I think I should be okay.
  • contingencyplan
    contingencyplan Posts: 3,639 Member
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    When people say lift heavy they mean HEAVY.

    What they're referring to are compound exercises that can typically only be done with a barbell utilizing a squat rack. Some of which can be adapted to dumbbell use but not dinky little 5 lb dumbbells. Some of the exercises they have you doing will have you lifting over 100 lbs. Read the books Starting Strength or New Rules of Lifting for Women.

    "Heavy" is relative. When people say Lift Heavy on here they refer to lifting an amount of weight that, when doing compound exercises (squat, deadlift, clean, barbell row, bench press, other compound exercises) have you hitting failure (the point at which you can not go any further without taking a short rest) in about 5 reps. If you can keep going past that without taking a break you are not lifting heavy.
  • sevsmom
    sevsmom Posts: 1,172 Member
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    I enjoyed the Chalean Extreme series for lifting as a beginner. Chalene is quirky and upbeat. The set is pretty stylized and a bit "hollywood", but I found the moves pretty approachable and they produced results. I've heard good things about the New Rules of LIfting for Women, but I don't know if you can easily get the kind of weight needed for a home gym experience?!?!? Not sure. I bought up to 25 lb weights to use for Chalean Extreme.

    As for protein powder, I only use Muscle Milk right now and only two or three shakes a week. Don't know if it's fabulous or not, but i like it well enough.

    Good luck!!
  • contingencyplan
    contingencyplan Posts: 3,639 Member
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    I enjoyed the Chalean Extreme series for lifting as a beginner. Chalene is quirky and upbeat. The set is pretty stylized and a bit "hollywood", but I found the moves pretty approachable and they produced results. I've heard good things about the New Rules of LIfting for Women, but I don't know if you can easily get the kind of weight needed for a home gym experience?!?!? Not sure. I bought up to 25 lb weights to use for Chalean Extreme.

    As for protein powder, I only use Muscle Milk right now and only two or three shakes a week. Don't know if it's fabulous or not, but i like it well enough.

    Good luck!!

    New Rules of Lifting for Women is about taking training techniques designed for the way powerlifters train and adapting them to a "woman-friendly" program. It was meant to be done in a gym and unless you have a squat rack at home with a couple hundred pounds of weight for your barbell it's not likely you'll be able to do it at home. There really is no substitute for a gym membership because you can not see the same kinds of improvements/gains working with a 20-30 lb weight as you would with a couple hundred pounds. Linear progression.
  • stronghealthyconfidence
    stronghealthyconfidence Posts: 6
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    Thanks everyone! It sounds like I need to be doing more strength training rather than cardio like I originally thought. What are some things I can do at home for strength? I know Nike Training Club uses a mix of weights and cardio which I really like. Would something like 30DS or Insanity be something I should consider? I actually will have access to my college's gym this fall semester, but I'll have to check to see if I could have someone show me the ropes with weights.
  • contingencyplan
    contingencyplan Posts: 3,639 Member
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    Insanity is exclusively cardio. What little resistance training it has is bodyweight based.

    30DS is circuit training, not actually strength training. You won't find any at-home video programs that are actual strength training because like I said there really is no way to do it without access to gym equipment. You can purchase dumbbells but you're limited mainly to isolation movements as most of the big compound exercises need a barbell and a lot more weight than you can realistically get for the home to challenge your lower body, assuming your form is correct.

    Just because something uses weights doesn't mean it's actual strength training.
    Thanks everyone! It sounds like I need to be doing more strength training rather than cardio like I originally thought. What are some things I can do at home for strength? I know Nike Training Club uses a mix of weights and cardio which I really like. Would something like 30DS or Insanity be something I should consider? I actually will have access to my college's gym this fall semester, but I'll have to check to see if I could have someone show me the ropes with weights.

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