Protien

Protein is not the key to weight loss. Though a healthy diet is key to weight loss. If you go over you're fine as long as you aren't doubling it or anything and taking those calories up that should be for other nutrients.

I am over almost every day on here. MFP has the protein numbers set way low. i do drink protein shakes, usually one or two a day. depends on my workouts.

Are you saying that all you usually eat for breakfast is one slice of bread? That is not enough fuel for your body.

When I visited a dietician, one of the biggest surprises is that she actually asked me to eat MORE food. Here's what happened.

I walked in expecting that she was going to give me a very specific prescription for eating and admonish me for the the way I ate at the time. Instead, she asked me a lot of questions about what I usually ate, how much, I ate, when I ate, how much I exercised and for how long, when I exercised, etc. After listening, she got out one sheet of paper and drew a graph for me showing me visually how I expended energy throughout the day and how I took in energy (ate) throughout the day. There was a striking contrast. I was expending the vast majority of my energy during the first half of the day (I usually am most active and do my exercise workouts then). However, I was eating the vast majority of my food in the later half of the day. So for the first part of the day I was in a caloric deficit, but in the later half of the day I was in an energy storage (read FAT storage) mode, right before my body was going to use the least amount of energy in the whole 24 hour day (sleeping). She asked me to shift my caloric intake to better match my energy expenditure.

So now I actually eat a way bigger breakfast than I ever did before. I used to just eat a Lean Cuisine for lunch. But she said that was not enough and asked me to add a salad or vegetables, and add fruit and milk, etc.

Now, I am no longer grazing all afternoon and evening. However, if I do become hungry for a snack, I always make sure to pair protein with carbohydrate. The carbohydrate gives your body the quick blood sugar fix it wants, but the protein gives your body fuel that takes longer to digest and actually works to stave off hunger later.

Figure out when you are expending your calories and then match your intake to that time of day. Whatever you are doing and when, though as an adult woman of any size a 45 calorie slice of bread is not enough fuel after you have been without food all night.

Don't worry about the odd day here and there where you have more intake of protein than myfitnesspal expects you to have. As long as you are not eating only protein to the exclusion of carbohydrates and fat you'll be fine. You can see the ratios that myfitnesspal suggests by clciking on Goals from your homepage and then clicking customize. I think myfitnesspal suggests around 55% carbohydrate, around 30% fat and around 15% protein. But other diet sites have different ratio prescriptions. It's okay to fluctuate from day to day.

No not bad you need protein even more so if you are toning up at the same time you need extra! x :bigsmile:

I have at least 100 g per day and often quite a lot more, and other than the fact that I am never hungrey, it seems to be fine for me. I exercise 6 days a week, and 3 times a week I do strenght training on top of cardio, so usually around 120 mins on those days, so I need the extra.

You can read this very interesting article on Wikipedia about Zone Diet.

The diet centers on a "40:30:30" ratio of calories obtained daily from carbohydrates, proteins, and fats, respectively.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zone_diet