Registered Dietitian in TX here to answer questions.

Let me start off with a little background on myself first so you can understand the relevance of my question-

I am a vegetarian. For the first five years of my life I was vegan. I have NEVER eaten meat. That said, if I happen to get, say, a bite of enchilada before I realize there is meat in the sauce I get extremely ill.... For days. This has happened.... Maybe 4 times in my life? And trust me, I don't EVER want it to happen!!!!!

That being said, I have always eaten copious amounts of soy in my diet. Still far below the protein my body needs, but LOTS of soy regardless. Come to find out about 6 months ago- I have an under active thyroid. I do not have hashimotos. My doctors seem to believe that it may be de to the fact I have consumed large quantities of soy for such a long time.

Here's my dilemma now.... I lift weights. I have a protein goal of about 105grams per day. I can no longer have soy. I do not eat meat.

I am struggling EVERY day and forcing myself to have whey, Greek yogurt, casein, beans, and myco protein with EVERY meal; for every meal. And it SUCKS! bad.

I take BCAAs when working out, and it's my understanding that protein is broken own into these essential and non essential amino acids. Would it be possible to take an amino acid supplement throughout the day so that I don have to force myself to hit this protein goal? Do you have any suggestions for someone in this kind of situation?


Eta: female, 5'3, 118 pounds, around 18% body fat, 22 years old. I know you said talk to your doctor about desieses such as thyroid- I'm hoping as this is more of a question about protein and not my thyroid you'll be able to help. also sorry for any spelling errors I'm on my phone.

I'm sorry you don't enjoy those high protein foods. Keep trying different recipes. Ever had high protein pancakes? Yum.

BCAAs are pretty much a waste of $ if you're meeting your protein needs from a variety of sources. Complete proteins have BCAAs in them, so you don't need to supplement.

I personally think it's optimal to get your protein in at least a few times during the day, but I think you'll be just fine if you want to front load it. Try a protein shake with 2 scoops of whey to start the day so you can coast for the rest of your meals. You have lots of options here with your protein, so find something that looks for you.

Also, I've never read about soy causing hypothyroidism. I'd get a second opinion on that.

Tony,

Thanks for taking the time to answer questions using your knowledge and experience. My questions are threefold - not necessarily for myself but to open a door for others who have already asked and may ask in the future.

Can you tell us all a bit more about the connection between aspartame (from soda, gum, sweeteners, etc) and possible links to health problems? Also what are options for people who want to sweeten things without using traditional sugar or artificial sweeteners? I use stevia and am a big advocate for it - would you also be able to tell us more about where stevia comes from and whether you would recommend stevia to your clients over other options such as the traditional ones (again sugar, sweeteners)

Thanks again.

I've done a lot of research on sweeteners and I haven't seen anything convincing that would negate my recommendation to enjoy them in place of sugar if you're trying to cut calories. The connection to harmful effects is weak and not founded in science that can be replicated in humans in any reasonable amounts.

Alternatives to sugar are stevia, aspartame, saccarine, asulphate K, sucralose, and sugar alcohols like xyletol.

Stevia comes from an extraction of the stevia plant. It's a good sugar substitute if you enjoy it. I have a bottle of it myself. You can also buy little stevia plants from your local plant store and grow your own. I did this last year and it was fun. I never ate it though.

Is Splenda fine too then?

So my question (and maybe it has been answered) but why wouldn't he want to help educate others by providing links or references to peer reviewed research? As someone who has a degree, wouldn't such info be pretty handy to have?

I am 30 years old. I currently weigh 275 pounds. Obviously I am here to lose weight. I understand that weight loss boils down to simply calories in vs. calories out. In order to lose weight I need to eat fewer calories. So does sleep really matter when you are trying to lose weight? If so, how does a lack of sleep interfere? I have battled insomnia and other sleep problems my entire life. I have been to the doctor and several specialists and still have problems sleeping more often than not. I'm not looking for information on how to sleep as I am sure I have heard it all. Is there anything I can do as far as diet/nutrition goes in order to keep my irregular sleeping patterns from interfering with weight loss? Does meal timing matter? Should I be more extreme in my calorie deficit? Eat more protein? Any information would be appreciated. Thank you!

You have to ask yourself "could I eat like this every day for the rest of my life" if the answer is "yes" and you are getting results, then you have a plan that's going to work for you.

Sleep matters, but not directly. Lack of sleep can lead to poor decisions and has been shown to deter fat loss in research.

Exercise can help regulate your sleep.