Critique/help with protein please!

sarahsamuels82
sarahsamuels82 Posts: 51 Member
in Food and Nutrition
Hi all. I've been doing a 40/30/30 (ish) diet for a couple of weeks and am loving the fast results its bringing.

I usually plan my meals every evening for the next day. The trouble I'm having is that I often 'run out' of carbs but still have around 200 cals and 20-30g of protein to play with. Now ordinarily for a snack, I would
Have an apple or an orange but these if course are high in carbs. I end up having some random boiled eggs with my evening meal, which is often a bit odd.

I use protein shakes too, but usually have 2 a day already so would be worried to have any more than this.

My diary is open, so please can someone give me some tips?!

Replies

  • javajunco
    javajunco Posts: 81
    Fage 0% total greek yogurt. A serving has 100 cals, 0 fat, and 18 grams of protien. Delicious.
  • sarahsamuels82
    sarahsamuels82 Posts: 51 Member
    I already have that most days too lol. Yummy mixed with protein powder :)
  • simplydelish2
    simplydelish2 Posts: 726 Member
    Your diary does not appear to be open. I have no problem getting my protein in...I eat turkey or chicken almost every day. Light on the cals and heavy on the protein.
  • mevans515
    mevans515 Posts: 2
    Have you tried a Pro Bake Protein Cookie. They contain 37.5g protein, 320 cals, 19.5g carbs, 9.9g fat. They are large and filling so half of one would still be a great snack or dessert.
  • jasmine_noel
    jasmine_noel Posts: 62 Member
    (Open diary helps when you're asking for this type of advice...)

    What do you eat for breakfast? Egg whites in the morning (I usually make a veggie fritatta with a few whole eggs and extra egg whites) are the best way for me to bump protein and leave a balance of all 3 macros for my dinner.
  • Joshalynn
    Joshalynn Posts: 12 Member
    Fage 0% total greek yogurt. A serving has 100 cals, 0 fat, and 18 grams of protien. Delicious.

    Was going to say this ^, but also turkey bacon. good amount of protein few calories and a couple slices would be easy to add to lots of meals.
  • randalkeith
    randalkeith Posts: 4 Member
    ** reposting on my own account was editing stuff for hubby.
  • bumblebums
    bumblebums Posts: 2,181 Member
    Your diary is not open.

    It makes more sense to set the target for protein intake based on your lean body mass, not as a percentage of your total intake. More here:

    http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/fat-loss/diet-percentages-part-2.html


    You can start by taking your total body mass in pounds and multiplying by 0.8. Or take your lean body mass percentage and multiply by 1. The result is how many grams of protein you wanna shoot for.
  • Justkeepswimmin
    Justkeepswimmin Posts: 777 Member
    Had to repost under my account. Hubby would be MORTIFIED if I even made it look like he was a vegetarian!!!

    Try to work the protein in throughout the day more, which I know you're already doing, because I come up against the same problem as you :) I try to get at least 30 g with every meal section and add more in the snacks, trying to integrate the protein in my carbs more and more (like oatmeal which has some protein with strawberry protein shake for flavor).

    I eat egg whites far too much. I constantly look for new ideas for flavors. Yesterday I sautéed some cherry tomatoes and corn with basil and lemon and olive oil. Topped my egg whites with that. It was good. Yes those have some carbs, it was for breakfast:)

    Carb 0 bread (which has carbs about 7 grahms I think) has like 9 grams or protein and is great tasting when toasted heavy. You can top with 1/2 tbl almond or peanut butter if you have the fat to withstand it. I use paleo bread lite w/ 5 grams or protein per serving during lunch and no wheat. So general integration throughout the day helps when you substitute where there normally would have been little to no protein.

    I think it's great to plan our your meals the day before, I try to do so about 70% of the time and I always have a better day when I do.

    There's not that many options low carb low fat but protein (at least for me...vegetarian), so we just keep trying and push on.

    I do have the siggy or stara Icelandic yogurt for less sugar, but the rest of my family can't stand it. It's about 11 g of suger with 14-17 grams of protein no fat. I also do the fage too.

    Interested to hear other suggestions. I too have had insanely fast results when I looked at my macros more and lifted as opposed to just cal counting.
  • jessetmia
    jessetmia Posts: 19
    Chicken, Chicken and more chicken. Pretty much any meat source is going to be good for no carbs, good protein.
  • sarahsamuels82
    sarahsamuels82 Posts: 51 Member
    Sorry, just realised my diary was closed, have just opened it!

    Thanks to everyone for suggestions so far..

    What I have tried to do is tweak the percentages to meet 1.1g of protein per lb of body weight (read a good blog about this). So it seems that this is too high maybe?

    For breakfast I have porridge. Carbfest I know but keeps me so full and I love it :)

    My macros before were at least 80% carbs, so this is a big change for me I must say. I'm enjoying it though and never ever hungry :)
  • rmhand
    rmhand Posts: 1,067 Member
    Animal proteins are the best bang for your buck on protein with no carbs. Eat more meat.
  • sarahsamuels82
    sarahsamuels82 Posts: 51 Member
    I don't eat a lot of meat u fortunately, I just don't like it. Apart from
    Chicken and some fish.

    Is it dangerous to have more than 2 protein shakes
    In a day?
  • xtrasmall
    xtrasmall Posts: 66
    Have you tried a Pro Bake Protein Cookie. They contain 37.5g protein, 320 cals, 19.5g carbs, 9.9g fat. They are large and filling so half of one would still be a great snack or dessert.

    ooo cool haha also a cup of fage total 0 has 25grams of protein or other pure plain unsweetened greek yogurts n try canned fish like tuna or salmon bpa-free so like tonnino brand in glass or like wild planet type brands.. i will also have to try to find that carb0 bread 4 my almond butter. also if u can stand eggs then full eggs or just egg whites.. or organic silken tofu or whey protein powder like jarrow unflavored n jay robb brand.. or like beans n cheese n half an avocado.
  • sarahsamuels82
    sarahsamuels82 Posts: 51 Member
    Had to repost under my account. Hubby would be MORTIFIED if I even made it look like he was a vegetarian!!!

    Try to work the protein in throughout the day more, which I know you're already doing, because I come up against the same problem as you :) I try to get at least 30 g with every meal section and add more in the snacks, trying to integrate the protein in my carbs more and more (like oatmeal which has some protein with strawberry protein shake for flavor).

    I eat egg whites far too much. I constantly look for new ideas for flavors. Yesterday I sautéed some cherry tomatoes and corn with basil and lemon and olive oil. Topped my egg whites with that. It was good. Yes those have some carbs, it was for breakfast:)

    Carb 0 bread (which has carbs about 7 grahms I think) has like 9 grams or protein and is great tasting when toasted heavy. You can top with 1/2 tbl almond or peanut butter if you have the fat to withstand it. I use paleo bread lite w/ 5 grams or protein per serving during lunch and no wheat. So general integration throughout the day helps when you substitute where there normally would have been little to no protein.

    I think it's great to plan our your meals the day before, I try to do so about 70% of the time and I always have a better day when I do.

    There's not that many options low carb low fat but protein (at least for me...vegetarian), so we just keep trying and push on.

    I do have the siggy or stara Icelandic yogurt for less sugar, but the rest of my family can't stand it. It's about 11 g of suger with 14-17 grams of protein no fat. I also do the fage too.

    Interested to hear other suggestions. I too have had insanely fast results when I looked at my macros more and lifted as opposed to just cal counting.

    Thanks for the details reply :)
  • sarahsamuels82
    sarahsamuels82 Posts: 51 Member
    Have you tried a Pro Bake Protein Cookie. They contain 37.5g protein, 320 cals, 19.5g carbs, 9.9g fat. They are large and filling so half of one would still be a great snack or dessert.

    Are these in the US only? I haven't heard of those back in the uk! Mmm would love a cookie
  • bumblebums
    bumblebums Posts: 2,181 Member
    Sorry, just realised my diary was closed, have just opened it!

    Thanks to everyone for suggestions so far..

    What I have tried to do is tweak the percentages to meet 1.1g of protein per lb of body weight (read a good blog about this). So it seems that this is too high maybe?

    For breakfast I have porridge. Carbfest I know but keeps me so full and I love it :)

    My macros before were at least 80% carbs, so this is a big change for me I must say. I'm enjoying it though and never ever hungry :)

    1.1 g per lb of body weight is not too high. There are no dangers associated with a high intake of protein, unless you have existing kidney problems. There are some risks to eating a lot of red meat (as is well covered in the news) or a lot of fish that are high in mercury such as tuna (ditto). You can indulge occasionally, but for health and sanity, it is best to eat protein from a large range of sources.

    I eat nuts, lentils, beans, tofu, cultured dairy products, eggs, poultry, fish, and pork/beef on a regular basis. I don't eat any of these every day. My protein intake ranges from 110 g to 140 g, dietary sources only (no sups).
  • ChrisLindsay9
    ChrisLindsay9 Posts: 837 Member
    I use protein shakes too, but usually have 2 a day already so would be worried to have any more than this.
    Not sure which protein shakes you're consuming, but you shouldn' have to worry about having too many if it's to meet your macro requirement. I wouldn't rely on them as meal replacements, but whey protein has been around for a long time and it's been studied pretty intently (just go to pubmed.gov and type whey protein in the search bar), so if you're using them as a complement to a couple of meals and/or stand-alone snacks in order to meet your protein budget, there's nothing that I've read (that has peer-reviewed studies supporting it) saying too many protein shakes can be harmful. If there is, I'm sure someone will point it out and I'll be appreciative about being better informed.

    As long as you're getting all your micronutrients, and you don't go over your calories or other macros, then you'll be fine if you need to consume multiple shakes a day (might need to uptick the fiber a bit).

    With that being said, I think egg whites are a nice option for getting extra protein (no fat, no carbs, low-ish calories) - so consider having them as complements to a meal and/or stand-alone snacks as well. If you're not a fan of the taste, mix in one yolk for flavor.
  • sarahsamuels82
    sarahsamuels82 Posts: 51 Member
    I use myprotein impact whey, so quite low cal and low carb but just use it as a supplement to meet my
    Macros. For some reason though I am put off that it's 'artificial'. Oh well, I will carry on with that as it's an easy peasy 20g!

    I try my best to meet it from diet alone, but i find it quite hard. Perhaps I should have egg whites instead of porridge sob sob.

    Hmm forgot about lentils, thanks! :)

    I've changed my macros now to give me 100g protein. This is 1lb per pound of lean body mass. Maybe it will be a bit more achievable until I get used to it.
  • sarahsamuels82
    sarahsamuels82 Posts: 51 Member
    With that being said, I think egg whites are a nice option for getting extra protein (no fat, no carbs, low-ish calories) - so consider having them as complements to a meal and/or stand-alone snacks as well. If you're not a fan of the taste, mix in one yolk for flavor.

    When you say egg whites, do you mean an egg white omelette or raw? Does anywhere in the uk sell egg whites by the bottle? I feel awfully wasteful throwing out all the poor yolks lol :)
  • cmstirp
    cmstirp Posts: 51 Member
    You only need 0.8-1.0g of protein per *kg* body weight. I see a lot of people on here trying to get in way too much protein and I'm not sure why. From what I've seen, 1g/1lb is the amount body builders use, but that's much higher than necessary for the average person.
  • bumblebums
    bumblebums Posts: 2,181 Member
    You only need 0.8-1.0g of protein per *kg* body weight. I see a lot of people on here trying to get in way too much protein and I'm not sure why. From what I've seen, 1g/1lb is the amount body builders use, but that's much higher than necessary for the average person.

    You are right that this is the RDA. The recommendations for dieters are higher, though, since under caloric restriction, your body can start breaking down the easiest source of protein (your muscles) instead of using up fat. Bodybuilders use higher intake levels for the obvious reason that they want to make more muscle.
  • SideSteel
    SideSteel Posts: 11,068 Member
    You only need 0.8-1.0g of protein per *kg* body weight. I see a lot of people on here trying to get in way too much protein and I'm not sure why. From what I've seen, 1g/1lb is the amount body builders use, but that's much higher than necessary for the average person.

    "Need" is context dependent. The RDA for protein is quite low however, and many people would benefit by exceeding it, even non-bodybuilders.
  • ChrisLindsay9
    ChrisLindsay9 Posts: 837 Member
    When you say egg whites, do you mean an egg white omelette or raw? Does anywhere in the uk sell egg whites by the bottle? I feel awfully wasteful throwing out all the poor yolks lol :)
    I typically purchase egg whites in containers and regular eggs. I'll mix in one or two yokes with 1/2 cup of egg white out of the carton, for example. You can usually find them next to the eggs and milk in a grocery store (in the U.S.). Otherwise, you may have to to just separate the yolks from the eggs. I usually use a steep measuring tablespoon. Oh, and google "uses for egg yolks" and you'll find some ideas so that you don't have to throw them away.
    "Need" is context dependent. The RDA for protein is quite low however, and many people would benefit by exceeding it, even non-bodybuilders.
    Co-sign.

    If one wants to be leaner and not necessarily go on a long-term calorie-deficit diet because that would be bad, then a strategy is to re-allocate an additional portion of the calories from carbs sources to protein sources and thereby will go over that "recommendation" amount in order to maintain metabolism.
  • KristyHumphrey
    KristyHumphrey Posts: 248 Member
    cottage cheese is a high protein source with low carbs as well as chicken.
  • Warchortle
    Warchortle Posts: 2,197 Member
    I'll make an omelette with like a serving of spinach artichoke dip or tapenade. I've made curry turkey meatball without any sort of breading as a binder. One egg has more fat than protein unless you're using a substitute or just the egg white. You can blend a banana and protein powder together add a little stevia and small bit of baking powder and bake that and make yourself like a banana bread treat.
  • redraidergirl2009
    redraidergirl2009 Posts: 2,560 Member
    I assume you are using high carb protein shakes, try lower ones. Mine only has 3carbs, 25g protein.
  • sarahsamuels82
    sarahsamuels82 Posts: 51 Member
    Thanks! Yeah have been on low cal diets before, and although i have lost weight this way, i was clearly losing muscle too as i didnt look much different. Def think more protein is the way to go.

    Going to have a look at uses for egg whites, getting a bit bored of omelettes lol.

    Also, what about putting flavourless protein powder into things like porridge to beef up the protein, does anyone do anything like that?
  • mevans515
    mevans515 Posts: 2
    Pro Bake Cookies are available in the UK. I stock them at my Ladies gym in Rochdale. My ladies love them, especially post-exercise or if they tend to miss meals/snacks due to long working hours. Half a cookie feels like a treat, fills them up & gives them a good protein boost. Flavours available are: chocolate orange, chocolate mint, almond & white choc chip or chocolate chip. We've also started to stock the Oomf 'Bench Pressed Oats' which are tubs of instant porridge with whey protein. Just add hot water. Each tub provides 20g protein. Flavours: Gingerbread, Apple Sultana and Cinnamon, or Banana. They're proving popular. I've seen them available on Amazon!

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