Anyone NOT eat high protein?

purplishblue
purplishblue Posts: 135 Member
in Food and Nutrition
I question whether it really matters if you have tons of protein in terms of working out/losing weight. Has anyone actually compared the results of eating a regular amount of protein vs higher amount? At one point I tried eating high protein/high fat/low carb, and I gained weight :P I also felt weird, like not satiated even though I wasn't necessarily hungry per say.

Replies

  • neanderthin
    neanderthin Posts: 10,226 Member
    Pretty vague. For most people higher protein is more satiating and if that isn't working for you find another way that would be sustainable.
  • basschick
    basschick Posts: 3,502 Member
    At one point I tried eating high protein/high fat/low carb, and I gained weight :P

    Then you were eating too many calories and/or not burning enough calories. Protein helps build muscle, which raises your metabolism and gives you a better figure.
  • russharris23
    russharris23 Posts: 9
    Just recently started adding more protein to my diet in the last 2 weeks before that my protein was lower than my carb and fat intake and I was exercising and still able to lose 40lbs in 4 months
  • vienna_h
    vienna_h Posts: 428 Member
    I question whether it really matters if you have tons of protein in terms of working out/losing weight. Has anyone actually compared the results of eating a regular amount of protein vs higher amount? At one point I tried eating high protein/high fat/low carb, and I gained weight :P I also felt weird, like not satiated even though I wasn't necessarily hungry per say.

    High protein diets are usually for people trying to build a lot of muscle.
  • _noob_
    _noob_ Posts: 3,306 Member
    I question whether it really matters if you have tons of protein in terms of working out/losing weight. Has anyone actually compared the results of eating a regular amount of protein vs higher amount? At one point I tried eating high protein/high fat/low carb, and I gained weight :P I also felt weird, like not satiated even though I wasn't necessarily hungry per say.

    High protein diets are usually for people trying to build a lot of muscle.

    Scientifically they help those on a deficit retain more muscle than they help those in a surplus in put on additional muscle.
  • vienna_h
    vienna_h Posts: 428 Member
    I question whether it really matters if you have tons of protein in terms of working out/losing weight. Has anyone actually compared the results of eating a regular amount of protein vs higher amount? At one point I tried eating high protein/high fat/low carb, and I gained weight :P I also felt weird, like not satiated even though I wasn't necessarily hungry per say.

    High protein diets are usually for people trying to build a lot of muscle.

    Scientifically they help those on a deficit retain more muscle than they help those in a surplus in put on additional muscle.

    yeah, that too lol. point is, protein=good for muscle, it's not like eating lots of protein will make you lose weight.
  • ewrob
    ewrob Posts: 136 Member
    I eat a plant-based diet, which works out to about 30 grams of protein and 200-300 grams of carbohydrates per day. I am now vigorously pursuing two sports, (cycling and baseball) and I spend 8-10 hours cycling alone per week. Not extraordinary, but a big change from where I was before my weight loss. I have gained a lot of muscle, particularly in my legs due to the cycling. I am saying all of this to illustrate that my personal results have been outstanding on a diet that is coincidentally lower than average in protein. (If I am avoiding anything, it is fat) I have lost the weight that I have in 5 months and have only recently begun my athletic pursuits. That is my experience.
  • SanteMulberry
    SanteMulberry Posts: 3,202 Member
    I question whether it really matters if you have tons of protein in terms of working out/losing weight. Has anyone actually compared the results of eating a regular amount of protein vs higher amount? At one point I tried eating high protein/high fat/low carb, and I gained weight :P I also felt weird, like not satiated even though I wasn't necessarily hungry per say.

    I can't eat high protein because it seems to provoke gout attacks for me. I pretty much have to keep it to LBM in Kg X .8 to 1.0 I do however eat lower carbs and higher "good" fats than what most would eat (around 100 gm per day) within my calorie allotment. I find I get a lot of satiety from fats.
  • Tdacks
    Tdacks Posts: 136 Member
    I tried high protein for awhile, and for me "high" was about 35%. I found that even eating eggs for breakfast, nuts, and steak at dinner, I really struggled to hit that target. Beans, yeah, but I can only eat so many beans, lol. I recently went down to a 20% goal and find it more manageable. For weight loss, I don't know if it will work any differently, as I haven't been losing much anyway.

    However, I did not feel hungry through most of the day, and I made sure I wasn't hungry at the end of the day. I have a slice of cheese or some cottage cheese to round off my calories and satiate me at the end of the day, if necessary. If you are eating enough calories but lots of lean protein, maybe make sure you are still getting healthy fats. Basically, you still need a little fat in your diet or you don't function well. (The very very extreme case is a condition known as rabbit starvation, not that this is your situation, but I found it very fascinating to read about.)
  • arl1286
    arl1286 Posts: 276 Member
    I'm a vegetarian and as much as I try to eat more protein, I really can't. I usually get about 60g/day (goal is ~130 lol yeah right).
  • AJ_G
    AJ_G Posts: 4,158 Member
    I question whether it really matters if you have tons of protein in terms of working out/losing weight. Has anyone actually compared the results of eating a regular amount of protein vs higher amount? At one point I tried eating high protein/high fat/low carb, and I gained weight :P I also felt weird, like not satiated even though I wasn't necessarily hungry per say.

    High protein diets are usually for people trying to build a lot of muscle.

    Scientifically they help those on a deficit retain more muscle than they help those in a surplus in put on additional muscle.

    yeah, that too lol. point is, protein=good for muscle, it's not like eating lots of protein will make you lose weight.

    High protein diets are ideal for losing weight. They help you stay satisfied with less overall calories and allow larger calorie deficits and thus faster weight loss with a higher percentage of fat loss.
  • AnnInTexas
    AnnInTexas Posts: 75 Member
    I found out about two years ago that I have only one kidney. Yep - born that way. I had been having some back pain and my doctor ordered an MRI, and that's when they discovered I only had one kidney. Needless to say, I kind of freaked out about it, considering I had lived for 47 years not knowing about it.

    I met with a nephrologist (kidney doc) and she told me I could not "go on any crazy high protein diets." Apparently protein also builds up acids in your body, and I can not risk getting a kidney stone. Since then, I have been very careful about watching how much protein I eat. Not always an easy task when you're looking for pre-workout snack bars or shake mixes. Some of them have my total protein intake for one day in them!

    So yes, it can be done.
  • SanteMulberry
    SanteMulberry Posts: 3,202 Member
    I tried high protein for awhile, and for me "high" was about 35%. I found that even eating eggs for breakfast, nuts, and steak at dinner, I really struggled to hit that target. Beans, yeah, but I can only eat so many beans, lol. I recently went down to a 20% goal and find it more manageable. For weight loss, I don't know if it will work any differently, as I haven't been losing much anyway.

    However, I did not feel hungry through most of the day, and I made sure I wasn't hungry at the end of the day. I have a slice of cheese or some cottage cheese to round off my calories and satiate me at the end of the day, if necessary. If you are eating enough calories but lots of lean protein, maybe make sure you are still getting healthy fats. Basically, you still need a little fat in your diet or you don't function well. (The very very extreme case is a condition known as rabbit starvation, not that this is your situation, but I found it very fascinating to read about.)

    Yep--you need a minimum of 45 grams of fat per day to stay healthy.
  • Mrs_Bones
    Mrs_Bones Posts: 195 Member
    Different bodies need different things. I don't think that the amount of protein I eat is especially low, but in comparison to those who seem to worship protein, I imagine it would appear that why. I know that protein helps you stay fuller longer and helps in muscle repair. It has also been suggested, however, that too much protein is acid forming in your body and because your body needs to maintain homeostasis, you end up pulling phosphorous (and also calcium) out of your bones to balance out the pH in your blood which can lead to osteoporosis and is also possibly hard on your kidneys? Ultimately, you'll have to try a couple of things out and figure out what works best for you! I am losing weight fine and maintaining muscle with where I'm at, so I'm happy!
  • austanian
    austanian Posts: 1 Member
    It depends on your goals...

    If you wish to maintain muscle when you cut high protein is essential.

    If your goals is to just cut weight calories are the only thing that matters.


    I aim for 1 gram per pound of LBM.
  • TwoPointZero
    TwoPointZero Posts: 187 Member
    So, this is how I see it:

    * Thermodynamics must be satisfied, so to loose weight, you have to put an upper limit on your caloric intake.

    * Secondly, whatever that number of calories is, you could (theoretically) eat all of those calories in carbs, or all in protein, or all in fat, or some combination thereof. So, the question is, what should the ratio of the macronutrients be . . .

    * If one is significantly concerned with preserving muscle, _especially when losing weight_, eating a "high" proportion of protein is probably a good idea. If one doesn't do this, then it is likely that part of your weight loss will be muscle loss; a little bit of this is probably ok, but I think most people would generally not consider a lot of muscle loss a good thing.
  • AJ_G
    AJ_G Posts: 4,158 Member
    I tried high protein for awhile, and for me "high" was about 35%. I found that even eating eggs for breakfast, nuts, and steak at dinner, I really struggled to hit that target. Beans, yeah, but I can only eat so many beans, lol. I recently went down to a 20% goal and find it more manageable. For weight loss, I don't know if it will work any differently, as I haven't been losing much anyway.

    However, I did not feel hungry through most of the day, and I made sure I wasn't hungry at the end of the day. I have a slice of cheese or some cottage cheese to round off my calories and satiate me at the end of the day, if necessary. If you are eating enough calories but lots of lean protein, maybe make sure you are still getting healthy fats. Basically, you still need a little fat in your diet or you don't function well. (The very very extreme case is a condition known as rabbit starvation, not that this is your situation, but I found it very fascinating to read about.)

    Yep--you need a minimum of 45 grams of fat per day to stay healthy.

    Fat minimum is based on weight, it's not just an arbitrary gram amount for everybody.
  • Wetcoaster
    Wetcoaster Posts: 1,788 Member
    Layne Norton has a PHD in protein metabolism.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mjmV8BlsJTQ&feature=c4-overview-vl&list=PLEEE569A5A86E2E19
  • BarackMeLikeAHurricane
    BarackMeLikeAHurricane Posts: 3,400 Member
    I probably don't eat as much as I should. Some days I only end up at like 50g. On an average day I can get 70-80g. I feel like my results might be better if I ate more protein but I find myself eating way too many carbs. However, my lifts do much better when I eat high carb.

    From my experience, this is how it works for me:
    High protein: more mass/aesthetics
    High carb: improved lifts

    And just as a bonus
    Low fat: bad everything (hungry, tired, weak, no fat loss, no muscle gains, lifts fall, no sex drive, sad, etc.)
    Don't let fat get too low either

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