Daily protein intake?

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kaileecha
kaileecha Posts: 5 Member
in Food and Nutrition
Hi all,

I heard we should be having our body weight in grams for the amount of protein daily. This seems like a lot. The default percentage on MFP seems lower than what I thought as well. Can anyone give any insight on this? I understand there is no "right" answer since there are so many factors that play a part, but hopefully I can get a better idea.

Thank you.

Replies

  • pinkyleigh83
    pinkyleigh83 Posts: 148 Member
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    I do 1g protein per pound of body weight because I'm weight lifting & trying to add lean muscle mass. Typically you can eat less if you aren't looking to build muscle.
  • jacksonpt
    jacksonpt Posts: 10,413 Member
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    Generally speaking 1g per lb of lean body mass is a good starting point.
  • jjrichard83
    jjrichard83 Posts: 483 Member
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    The National Strength and Conditioning Association says this on protein :


    0.34 grams per LEAN bodyweight to sustain.

    0.6 -0.8 grams per LEAN body weight to add/grow muscle.


    Also our bodies apparently can not absorb more than 20-30 grams of protein per meal, so any additional is just going to be "flushed" out.

    Even if you were to go 1gram per body weight, it should be lean body weight, or it'll be useless amounts.


    This 1-2 gram came from Broscience in the steroid & Arnold era and by the supplement & meat industries. It has been said time and time again, and most people now believe it to be true now, but science says otherwise. If the NSCA says thats all you need, they are giving the advice to many athletes.
  • ajhugz
    ajhugz Posts: 452 Member
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    My trainer didn't exactly tell me how much protein to eat per day (never thought to ask either). However, she has me eating protein before and after all workouts and making sure I have some kind of protein with every meal. From multiple sources I've learned that the amount of protein varies based on you weight, activity level, and overall health (pregnant, recovering from illness, etc). I think the best thing for you to do is to talk to a nutritionalist so that you get the answer thats right for you.
  • _noob_
    _noob_ Posts: 3,306 Member
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    The National Strength and Conditioning Association says this on protein :


    0.34 grams per LEAN bodyweight to sustain.

    0.6 -0.8 grams per LEAN body weight to add/grow muscle.


    Also our bodies apparently can not absorb more than 20-30 grams of protein per meal, so any additional is just going to be "flushed" out.

    Even if you were to go 1gram per body weight, it should be lean body weight, or it'll be useless amounts.

    That makes upping protein sound hella good for a weight loss strategy if the calories don't count because you can't even use them anyway...
  • jjrichard83
    jjrichard83 Posts: 483 Member
    Options
    The National Strength and Conditioning Association says this on protein :


    0.34 grams per LEAN bodyweight to sustain.

    0.6 -0.8 grams per LEAN body weight to add/grow muscle.


    Also our bodies apparently can not absorb more than 20-30 grams of protein per meal, so any additional is just going to be "flushed" out.

    Even if you were to go 1gram per body weight, it should be lean body weight, or it'll be useless amounts.

    That makes upping protein sound hella good for a weight loss strategy if the calories don't count because you can't even use them anyway...

    lol. Doesn't hurt! However, the point was, don't stress if you're not hitting your protein goal daily ;)
  • jjrichard83
    jjrichard83 Posts: 483 Member
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    My trainer didn't exactly tell me how much protein to eat per day (never thought to ask either). However, she has me eating protein before and after all workouts and making sure I have some kind of protein with every meal. From multiple sources I've learned that the amount of protein varies based on you weight, activity level, and overall health (pregnant, recovering from illness, etc). I think the best thing for you to do is to talk to a nutritionalist so that you get the answer thats right for you.

    Thats good advice!

    Also carbs to protein at 3:1 apparently is best for protein absorption (according to Thrive Fitness). I admit I didn't research this, so need to see...
  • jacksonpt
    jacksonpt Posts: 10,413 Member
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    The National Strength and Conditioning Association says this on protein :


    0.34 grams per LEAN bodyweight to sustain.

    0.6 -0.8 grams per LEAN body weight to add/grow muscle.


    Also our bodies apparently can not absorb more than 20-30 grams of protein per meal, so any additional is just going to be "flushed" out.

    Even if you were to go 1gram per body weight, it should be lean body weight, or it'll be useless amounts.


    This 1-2 gram came from Broscience in the steroid & Arnold era and by the supplement & meat industries. It has been said time and time again, and most people now believe it to be true now, but science says otherwise. If the NSCA says thats all you need, they are giving the advice to many athletes.

    I've heard this argued both ways, and frankly I have a hard time believing it. Any links to support the claim?
  • MoreBean13
    MoreBean13 Posts: 8,701 Member
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    I believe in 1g protein per lb LEAN body mass. If you don't know your LBM, generally I believe 100-120g/day is a good range for most women to start with.

    The default 15% is way too low. For a person not on a reduced calorie diet, it's just enough to keep you afloat, on a reduced calorie diet the percentage should be higher, especially if you're also exercising. Protein needs are determined by your body's nitrogen balance, and aren't reduced when you reduce your calories (unless you've also reduced your BMR, which is possible with calorie restriction) so scaling protein up and down as a percentage of total calories makes no sense.
  • Shadowknight137
    Shadowknight137 Posts: 1,243 Member
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    The National Strength and Conditioning Association says this on protein :


    0.34 grams per LEAN bodyweight to sustain.

    0.6 -0.8 grams per LEAN body weight to add/grow muscle.


    Also our bodies apparently can not absorb more than 20-30 grams of protein per meal, so any additional is just going to be "flushed" out.

    Even if you were to go 1gram per body weight, it should be lean body weight, or it'll be useless amounts.


    This 1-2 gram came from Broscience in the steroid & Arnold era and by the supplement & meat industries. It has been said time and time again, and most people now believe it to be true now, but science says otherwise. If the NSCA says thats all you need, they are giving the advice to many athletes.

    I've heard this argued both ways, and frankly I have a hard time believing it. Any links to support the claim?

    IMO, it's a bunch of BS.

    Some people (myself included) practice intermittent fasting - sometimes eating all our calories within two to four hours. I'm pretty sure we get all our protein in because, well, we're not dead.
    Also, I highly doubt that chicken breast/steak/whatever is done digesting for maybe 24 hours - you're "absorbing" it for quite some time.

    We'd be a pretty inefficient species if we could only absorb that amount at once; I doubt humans have always had the freedom to eat several protein meals a day.
  • DavPul
    DavPul Posts: 61,406 Member
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    ff75e904_tumblr_m8f0kwb6o21r8cvzdo1_500_zpsd2efd6e4.gif
  • _noob_
    _noob_ Posts: 3,306 Member
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    ff75e904_tumblr_m8f0kwb6o21r8cvzdo1_500_zpsd2efd6e4.gif
    Guessing they'd be quite fatty...
  • Sarauk2sf
    Sarauk2sf Posts: 28,072 Member
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    Generally speaking 1g per lb of lean body mass is a good starting point.

    ^^this
  • Sarauk2sf
    Sarauk2sf Posts: 28,072 Member
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    The National Strength and Conditioning Association says this on protein :


    0.34 grams per LEAN bodyweight to sustain.

    0.6 -0.8 grams per LEAN body weight to add/grow muscle.


    Also our bodies apparently can not absorb more than 20-30 grams of protein per meal, so any additional is just going to be "flushed" out.

    Even if you were to go 1gram per body weight, it should be lean body weight, or it'll be useless amounts.


    This 1-2 gram came from Broscience in the steroid & Arnold era and by the supplement & meat industries. It has been said time and time again, and most people now believe it to be true now, but science says otherwise. If the NSCA says thats all you need, they are giving the advice to many athletes.

    I've heard this argued both ways, and frankly I have a hard time believing it. Any links to support the claim?

    Here is something that argues against it:


    http://www.wannabebig.com/diet-and-nutrition/is-there-a-limit-to-how-much-protein-the-body-can-use-in-a-single-meal/


    People get confused - If you do not immediately absorb...the absorption rate slows down.
  • Bumbeen
    Bumbeen Posts: 263 Member
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    The National Strength and Conditioning Association says this on protein :


    0.34 grams per LEAN bodyweight to sustain.

    0.6 -0.8 grams per LEAN body weight to add/grow muscle.


    Also our bodies apparently can not absorb more than 20-30 grams of protein per meal, so any additional is just going to be "flushed" out.

    Even if you were to go 1gram per body weight, it should be lean body weight, or it'll be useless amounts.

    That makes upping protein sound hella good for a weight loss strategy if the calories don't count because you can't even use them anyway...

    lol. Doesn't hurt! However, the point was, don't stress if you're not hitting your protein goal daily ;)

    He was trolling you because the claim is nonsense
  • etoiles_argentees
    etoiles_argentees Posts: 2,827 Member
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    ff75e904_tumblr_m8f0kwb6o21r8cvzdo1_500_zpsd2efd6e4.gif
    Guessing they'd be quite fatty...

    Soooo? Look how happy they are!

    I set my protein at 75 grams. Close to my LBM but I'm not worried if it's lower or higher. I like focusing on micros more. Just me. :)
  • yarmiah
    yarmiah Posts: 325 Member
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    I too have heard the 1gr pr current weight as a target, but my trainer is happy with getting in 100g a day.

    It used to be hard for me to get that much, but thanks to his suggestion of eggbeaters + turkey bacon/sausage in the am,
    a lean protein with lunch/dinner(chicke/turkey/fish and my snacks of cottage cheese and greek yogurt, it's not such a lofty target after all.

    I currently workout an hour everyday over my lunch hour, and get plenty of strngth training in in addition to cardio.
  • kaileecha
    kaileecha Posts: 5 Member
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    Thanks everyone for your input! I was afraid I was having too much protein because of what MFP was recommending. Guess I'm on track.
  • Rhonnie
    Rhonnie Posts: 506 Member
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    As mentioned above, the default 15% is too low, plus the protein and fiber trackers should be considered 'minimums', not maximum limit.

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