How much daily protein in needed?

Trishab415
Trishab415 Posts: 23 Member
in Food and Nutrition
Needing some advice... I spoke with a friend of mine who started Herbalife yesterday. She was told to have 130g of protein a day. On MFP it saying I should have 61g. Then I researched a bit online and sites say 46g for an adult women. Anyone out there know what an average amount of protein is required? Thanks! I appreciate any information you can throw my way.

Replies

  • cschiff
    cschiff Posts: 209 Member
    the MFP guideline is a good one, but if you are trying to build muscle you need to be eating WAY WAY more protein in which case the 130 grams seems accurate. i try to get as much as possible-- some days thats 60 g, some days more :)
  • pnut456
    pnut456 Posts: 67 Member
    I was always told by trainers and read in some fitness books to eat 1 to 1.5 g of protein for every pound of lean body mass.
  • LavenderBouquet
    LavenderBouquet Posts: 736 Member
    Similar to what pnut456 said: from what I've read 0.7-1g per pound of lean body weight, which requires calculating out your % body fat to determine lean mass.
  • ehsan517
    ehsan517 Posts: 114
    if you are weight training, then aim for a gram of protein per pound of body weight. if not, then around 50-60g is fine on average.
    since i lift, i aim for 200g a day...while on a deficit, thats important cause protein retains and builds muscle, has a high thermic effect and keeps you satisfied for longer compared to fats and or carbs.
  • demorelli
    demorelli Posts: 508 Member
    For your body's basic requirements you should have about 1 gram per kg body weight (find by dividing your weight in lb by 2.2). If you're planning on accessing all of the benefits of protein and especially if you're lifting, double that number or on a calorie restricted diet aim for about 30% of your calories in protein.
  • jadeyq1
    jadeyq1 Posts: 178 Member
    Most research suggests that to find how many grams of protein you should be eating simply multiply your weight in lbs by .37.

    Example: If you weigh say 180 then you have 180 x 0.37 = 66.6 so you should be eating around 67g of protein daily. 130g seems like a hell of a lot!

    I have my MFP set to 40% carbs, 30% protein and 30% fat. You can change your settings manually so once you know what percentage/how many grams of protein you want to be eating then go into your settings and adjust your percentages/grams :)

    Edit: Just realised that with the above percentages, I set my goal at 145g of protein per day! No wonder I never achieve that!! I've now reset mine to 20% protein. As stated below that's for me personally and doesn't take into account wanting to build muscle etc. :)
  • NutellaAddict
    NutellaAddict Posts: 1,258 Member
    Most research suggests that to find how many grams of protein you should be eating simply multiply your weight in lbs by .37.

    Example: If you weigh say 180 then you have 180 x 0.37 = 66.6 so you should be eating around 67g of protein daily. 130g seems like a hell of a lot!

    I have my MFP set to 40% carbs, 30% protein and 30% fat. You can change your settings manually so once you know what percentage/how many grams of protein you want to be eating then go into your settings and adjust your percentages/grams :)

    May I ask where that was researched?
  • Trishab415
    Trishab415 Posts: 23 Member
    Is there a risk in getting too much protein if one is working out an a daily basis?
  • KristyHumphrey
    KristyHumphrey Posts: 248 Member
    I was told .5 to 1g x body weight. I try to get as much as possible. It aids in muscle growth.
  • jesswillisx
    jesswillisx Posts: 1
    My trainer has me eating 150g :( I'm sooooo sick of it!! Hate chicken and protein shakes
  • agggie550
    agggie550 Posts: 281 Member
    They make keto sticks... that you can test the protein in your urine with if you feel you are taking in to much. You can buy them at most pharmacies.
  • erickirb
    erickirb Posts: 12,294 Member
    I think that 46 would probably be a minimum for a sedentary woman. If you workout you require much more. I good rule of thumb is 1 gram per lb of lean body mass. If you don't know your BF% then aim for 0.75 to 0.8 grams per lb of total body weight.
  • jadeyq1
    jadeyq1 Posts: 178 Member
    Most research suggests that to find how many grams of protein you should be eating simply multiply your weight in lbs by .37.

    Example: If you weigh say 180 then you have 180 x 0.37 = 66.6 so you should be eating around 67g of protein daily. 130g seems like a hell of a lot!

    I have my MFP set to 40% carbs, 30% protein and 30% fat. You can change your settings manually so once you know what percentage/how many grams of protein you want to be eating then go into your settings and adjust your percentages/grams :)

    May I ask where that was researched?

    About.com nutrition was where I read it today and I've read the same calculation while doing other research. Not to be taken as gospel obviously and from what I read that also doesn't factor in circumstances such as trying to build muscle etc :)
  • cschiff
    cschiff Posts: 209 Member
    My trainer has me eating 150g :( I'm sooooo sick of it!! Hate chicken and protein shakes

    egg whites? at 5 g protein per 25 calories, they're a great way to get protein!!! i make them like regular eggs or blend them in with protein shakes or other beverages
  • LaraMc71
    LaraMc71 Posts: 29 Member
    .8 to 1.0g per kg of body weight is the standard calculation for a heathy person.

    (finishing my Bachelors in Dietetics next week)
  • cschiff
    cschiff Posts: 209 Member
    Is there a risk in getting too much protein if one is working out an a daily basis?


    Well, I'm not positive since I am not a doctor/trainer/nutritionist, but personally I don't think so! I eat usually 60-120 g per day ( I know it's a big range but I have trouble being consistent with class/work/other time commitments) On days when I feel I don't have enough protein I can FEEL it. I know when I need more lol. :)
  • cordianet
    cordianet Posts: 534 Member
    We know that the vast majority of people that lose weight, lose some lean mass along with the fat loss. While it's not "proven", more and more studies are suggesting that you can stave off some of the loss of lean mass simply by eating a diet higher in protein, regardless of any strength training you may do.

    As a result of this, the .7 to 1 g of protein for each pound of lean mass sounds like an excellent suggestion. If you are doing strength training (and I highly recommend it), then you definitely want to be toward the higher end of this range.
  • Trishab415
    Trishab415 Posts: 23 Member
    Thank you! Very helpful!
  • Trishab415
    Trishab415 Posts: 23 Member
    .8 to 1.0g per kg of body weight is the standard calculation for a heathy person.

    (finishing my Bachelors in Dietetics next week)
    CONGRATULATION!! Thanks :)
  • Angelikajohnston
    Angelikajohnston Posts: 39
    It is clear that the protein certainly contain some useful benefits for people and if any person who is working hard to losing weight must include protein shakes into their weight loss program.
  • ironanimal
    ironanimal Posts: 5,922 Member
    Most recommendations you will see are based around the average sedentary individual who isn't looking to gain or lose weight. Protein is more important to people gaining or losing weight to retain or build muscle. The most common recommendation in the fitness community is 1g per lb of bodyweight.
  • Arkhos
    Arkhos Posts: 290 Member
    First it will depend on whether you are strength training. If you are then consume more protein. You can also consume more protein to feel more satiated throughout the day. There is not really a downside to having higher levels of protein.

    A more scientific look at how much protein is beneficial points to 0.64 g/lb, or if totally on safe side, 0.82 g/lb (body weight not lean body mass). But you may not even be at those elite levels. http://mennohenselmans.com/the-myth-of-1glb-optimal-protein-intake-for-bodybuilders/

    The only people that may actually need more protein than 0.82g/lb are people with unusually high levels of anabolic hormones. Androgen or growth hormone users definitely fall into this category, but I don’t exclude the possibility that some adolescents do too. If you reach peak testosterone production while still growing (in height), your unusually high levels of growth hormone and testosterone might increase your protein requirements. Or not. There’s no research to support it. Those rare individuals with amazing bodybuilding genetics could also qualify, but unless your father happens to be a silverback gorilla, you are most likely just like other humans in this regard.


    On a final note, there’s nothing inherently wrong or unhealthy about consuming more protein than your body can use to build muscle. The excess will simply be used as energy. However, protein sources tend to be expensive compared to other energy sources and variety generally beats monotony with regards to your health, so satiety and food preferences are the only reasons I can think of why somebody would want to overconsume protein.



    Take Home Messages
    • There is normally no advantage to consuming more than 0.82g/lb (1.8g/kg) of protein per day to preserve or build muscle. This already includes a very safe mark-up. There hasn’t been any recorded advantage of consuming more than 0.64g/lb. The only exceptions to this rule could be individuals with extraordinarily high anabolic hormone levels.
    • Optimal protein intake decreases with training age, because your body becomes more efficient at preventing protein breakdown resulting from training and less protein is needed for the increasingly smaller amount of muscle that is built after each training session. The magnitude of this effect is unclear.



    This article in 6 words: Consume 0.82g/lb of protein every day.
  • sijomial
    sijomial Posts: 19,809 Member
    You might find this article by Lyle McDonald interesting....

    http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/fat-loss/protein-intake-while-dieting-qa.html
  • annemw333
    annemw333 Posts: 19
    I get between 90 and 140 grams a day. I had gastric bypass surgery nearly 4 years ago and it's one of the things one has to commit to when having the surgery. It's super important during the recovery period and after that, it's important while losing weight so you don't lose too much muscle mass.

    As far as too much goes, so long as you have healthy kidneys, you don't really have to worry about too much protein. Most normal healthy people (unless they are doing those gross protein shot things all the time), cannot consume enough protein in a day to affect the health of their kidneys. If you do have kidney problems, it's best to talk to your doctor about how much protein you should be consuming so as not to aggravate your condition or cause you any harm.

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