Protein/Carbs balance

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  • BrainyBurro
    BrainyBurro Posts: 6,129 Member
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    I think the rule of thumb is generally a gram of protein for every lb of body weight I run and strength train, so I go a little higher with the protein to make sure I am maintaining / building muscle.

    I find it easier to look at my macro nutrients as percentages. I set my food diary goals for carbs 45%, fat 25%, and protein 30%. Throughout the day, I look at the MFP chart on the phone app to see where I stand, and try to get my macros roughly aligned to those percentages by the end of the day. I usually make any corrections necessary by eating evening snacks that have a composition that will get me close to my goals.

    in bold, no.

    that's probably some broscience number that competitive bodybuilders believe, but for many users on MFP, that would be an absurdly high amount of protein. for example, a 250lb woman does not need 250g of protein per day.
  • Bry_Fitness70
    Bry_Fitness70 Posts: 2,480 Member
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    I think the rule of thumb is generally a gram of protein for every lb of body weight I run and strength train, so I go a little higher with the protein to make sure I am maintaining / building muscle.

    I find it easier to look at my macro nutrients as percentages. I set my food diary goals for carbs 45%, fat 25%, and protein 30%. Throughout the day, I look at the MFP chart on the phone app to see where I stand, and try to get my macros roughly aligned to those percentages by the end of the day. I usually make any corrections necessary by eating evening snacks that have a composition that will get me close to my goals.

    in bold, no.

    that's probably some broscience number that competitive bodybuilders believe, but for many users on MFP, that would be an absurdly high amount of protein. for example, a 250lb woman does not need 250g of protein per day.

    A "rule of thumb" is a principle with broad application that is not intended to be strictly accurate or reliable for every situation A 250lb woman is in a situation that is outside of a general rule of thumb, right?
  • CassandraBurgos83
    CassandraBurgos83 Posts: 544 Member
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    I set my daily goals for my # 1 goal of building muscle and burning fat.. Everyone has different needs, I need more protein for muscle gain and less carbs and fat. I go in and modify the MFP goals to cater for my own needs.
  • SweetPea_7
    SweetPea_7 Posts: 249 Member
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    I think the rule of thumb is generally a gram of protein for every lb of body weight I run and strength train, so I go a little higher with the protein to make sure I am maintaining / building muscle.

    I find it easier to look at my macro nutrients as percentages. I set my food diary goals for carbs 45%, fat 25%, and protein 30%. Throughout the day, I look at the MFP chart on the phone app to see where I stand, and try to get my macros roughly aligned to those percentages by the end of the day. I usually make any corrections necessary by eating evening snacks that have a composition that will get me close to my goals.

    in bold, no.

    that's probably some broscience number that competitive bodybuilders believe, but for many users on MFP, that would be an absurdly high amount of protein. for example, a 250lb woman does not need 250g of protein per day.

    A "rule of thumb" is a principle with broad application that is not intended to be strictly accurate or reliable for every situation A 250lb woman is in a situation that is outside of a general rule of thumb, right?

    pretty sure it's 1g per lb of lean body mass, not 1g per lb total weight.

    if you are concerned with protein being too low, and carbs being too high, look into eating for your macros. reset your goals to the 30/40/30 rule (prot/carb/fat).

    i agree with Cassandra too. everyone's goals are different. it depends on what you are aiming for. many runners prefer and need a higher carb diet, where us lady lifters need the protein.
  • BrainyBurro
    BrainyBurro Posts: 6,129 Member
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    I think the rule of thumb is generally a gram of protein for every lb of body weight I run and strength train, so I go a little higher with the protein to make sure I am maintaining / building muscle.

    I find it easier to look at my macro nutrients as percentages. I set my food diary goals for carbs 45%, fat 25%, and protein 30%. Throughout the day, I look at the MFP chart on the phone app to see where I stand, and try to get my macros roughly aligned to those percentages by the end of the day. I usually make any corrections necessary by eating evening snacks that have a composition that will get me close to my goals.

    in bold, no.

    that's probably some broscience number that competitive bodybuilders believe, but for many users on MFP, that would be an absurdly high amount of protein. for example, a 250lb woman does not need 250g of protein per day.

    A "rule of thumb" is a principle with broad application that is not intended to be strictly accurate or reliable for every situation A 250lb woman is in a situation that is outside of a general rule of thumb, right?

    my example is not an outlier. your "rule of thumb" doesn't even work for people who are simply overweight or obese. it won't hurt to eat extra protein, but in the end, you're just ingesting extra calories trying to meet a goal beyond what your body actually needs.

    also, this "rule of thumb" you quoted is twice lazy. not only rounding up from 0.8 to 1, but also dropping the LBM component of the equation and replacing it with overall bodyweight. these simplifications make the rule easier to remember, but also guarantee that you will be consuming much more protein than you actually need.

    a 200lb man who goes for a run a couple of times a week as his sole exercise does not need 200g of protein.

    http://mennohenselmans.com/the-myth-of-1glb-optimal-protein-intake-for-bodybuilders/
  • jpolinisse
    jpolinisse Posts: 149 Member
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    Don't worry about going over protein, worry about going over your total calorie intake. As long as you are under your total maintenance caloric intake you will lose weight.

    Read this http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/fat-loss/is-a-calorie-a-calorie.html

    This...I only concern myself with the calorie goal, for now.
  • jenniferlayten34
    jenniferlayten34 Posts: 7
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    My nutritionist recommends not going over 80 protein. High protein low carb items like tuna, peanut butter, greek yogurt, and cottage cheese can help. I know what you are going through. Hang in there. The problems I have experienced before is with the carbs and sugars and fats. Nuts and nut butters have good fats so don't worry about them. If you are worried about fats on a general rule like with protein bars you will want 5 grams of fat or less with low carbs and high protein like 15-20 protein. Certain sugars like high fructose corn syrup, sugar in the raw, and others like them should be avoided. If the 1st 5 ingrediants has sugars like them in it, my nutritionist says to avoid those items. Keeping a food journal and being active helps too. When I didn't do my food journal and/or didn't stay active, I didn't yield the results that I personally wanted. A loss of 1-2 pounds per week is normal and healthy. Sometimes plateaus happen and when they occur it helps to be a little more active than you were or to make a small change in food, because your body gets used to your routine and enters that comfort zone. I am happy to help.
  • Bry_Fitness70
    Bry_Fitness70 Posts: 2,480 Member
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    my example is not an outlier. your "rule of thumb" doesn't even work for people who are simply overweight or obese. it won't hurt to eat extra protein, but in the end, you're just ingesting extra calories trying to meet a goal beyond what your body actually needs.

    this "rule of thumb" you quoted is twice lazy. not only rounding up from 0.8 to 1, but also dropping the LBM component of the equation and replacing it with overall bodyweight. these simplifications make the rule easier to remember, but also guarantee that you will be consuming much more protein than you actually need.

    a 200lb man who goes for a run a couple of times a week as his sole exercise does not need 200g of protein.

    http://mennohenselmans.com/the-myth-of-1glb-optimal-protein-intake-for-bodybuilders/

    What part of “not intended to be strictly accurate or reliable for every situation” are you struggling with here?

    I consume my total bodyweight and more in grams of protein, and many resources agree with that level of ingestion. If you are overweight, then it is probably advisable to try to eat your LBM in protein grams instead. If you are underweight and wanting to gain, you should probably eat more than your body weight in grams.

    If a person wants customized advice, see a doctor or a personal trainer. If a person wants opinions and anecdotes from anonymous users on a message board, people are going to provide opinions and anecdotes.
  • mattack
    mattack Posts: 137 Member
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    I would say you are doing the right thing... the MFP tracker is a generic solution, you can edit these #'s

    I have my protein set at 30%

    I think the default is around 15%
  • BrainyBurro
    BrainyBurro Posts: 6,129 Member
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    my example is not an outlier. your "rule of thumb" doesn't even work for people who are simply overweight or obese. it won't hurt to eat extra protein, but in the end, you're just ingesting extra calories trying to meet a goal beyond what your body actually needs.

    this "rule of thumb" you quoted is twice lazy. not only rounding up from 0.8 to 1, but also dropping the LBM component of the equation and replacing it with overall bodyweight. these simplifications make the rule easier to remember, but also guarantee that you will be consuming much more protein than you actually need.

    a 200lb man who goes for a run a couple of times a week as his sole exercise does not need 200g of protein.

    http://mennohenselmans.com/the-myth-of-1glb-optimal-protein-intake-for-bodybuilders/

    What part of “not intended to be strictly accurate or reliable for every situation” are you struggling with here?

    I consume my total bodyweight and more in grams of protein, and many resources agree with that level of ingestion. If you are overweight, then it is probably advisable to try to eat your LBM in protein grams instead. If you are underweight and wanting to gain, you should probably eat more than your body weight in grams.

    If a person wants customized advice, see a doctor or a personal trainer. If a person wants opinions and anecdotes from anonymous users on a message board, people are going to provide opinions and anecdotes.

    i'm not struggling with anything. merely pointing out that the broscience you believe to be accurate is only ever accurate by accident. since your ego apparently cannot accept being corrected, feel free to put me on ignore.

    but if you're going to post incorrect advice on a thread designed to help an OP who is struggling to understand how to correctly set her protein goal, then you should expect to be corrected.

    and if you are still convinced that you are correct, then i'd invite you to find and post some scientific studies that substantiate your "rule of thumb". however, it will be a fruitless exercise.

    there is no scientific validity to the notion that one needs to ingest 1g of protein for every lb of bodyweight. it won't hurt you (other than perhaps your wallet and extra calories), but it's not necessary.
  • Bry_Fitness70
    Bry_Fitness70 Posts: 2,480 Member
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    it won't hurt you (other than perhaps your wallet and extra calories), but it's not necessary.

    How exactly is it more expensive and extra calories to eat 5% more protein and 5% less carbs/fat? Do groceries and restaurants charge more per calorie of protein than carbs or fats? No. A gram of protein / carbs is 4 calories, a gram of fat is 9, so by my calculations, I either break even by trading carbs for protein or eat 5 less calories by trading fat for protein? Where do the extra expense and extra calories come from, bro math?
  • tdavies174
    tdavies174 Posts: 28
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    uummmm thanks guy but back my original post - I have now changed my goals and am happier now with my settings FOR ME!

    didnt' want to start a war or anything!!
  • BrainyBurro
    BrainyBurro Posts: 6,129 Member
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    it won't hurt you (other than perhaps your wallet and extra calories), but it's not necessary.

    How exactly is it more expensive and extra calories to eat 5% more protein and 5% less carbs/fat? Do groceries and restaurants charge more per calorie of protein than carbs or fats? No. A gram of protein / carbs is 4 calories, a gram of fat is 9, so by my calculations, I either break even by trading carbs for protein or eat 5 less calories by trading fat for protein? Where do the extra expense and extra calories come from, bro math?

    traditional protein rich foods (meats, seafoods, etc) are generally more expensive than other foods. this can add up, especially if somebody resorts to using protein supplements to reach their daily goals. there are less expensive ways to boost your protein totals, but usually at the expense of extra calories (e.g. eating more beans or drinking more milk).

    i'm not anti-protein. in fact, i'm the exact opposite. i am just trying to make sure that the typical MFP user reading this thread doesn't set their protein macro too high and then find themselves struggling to meet that high setting, when their actual needs are lower than 1g/lb of bodyweight. this is especially a problem for vegetarians who have trouble getting enough protein in their diets as it is.
  • bizco
    bizco Posts: 1,949 Member
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    MFP's default for protein is dreadfully low. Customize your macros/micros by going to:

    My Home>>Goals>>Change Goals>>Custom.

    Mine are set at 45/30/25% carbs/protein/fat. The important thing is to stay within your calorie limit and eat healthy, whole foods.

    While on the customizing page, I suggest increasing your fiber to 25g and decrease your sodium to 2,300mg but the lower the better.

    I would also recommend adding fiber and sodium to your food diary so you can track them on a daily basis.
  • suelegal
    suelegal Posts: 1,282 Member
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    Older people need even more than "recommended amounts" based on govt studies as early as 2001

    http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11382798

    MFP protein levels are pathetically inadequate!
  • ndj1979
    ndj1979 Posts: 29,136 Member
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    MFP's setting for macros are low for protein and high for carbs..you can go into custom settings and change them to 40 protein/30 carbs/30 fats which is a typical breakdown..

    if you are just trying to lose weight, then macros are not essential for now ..however, if you are strength training, want to lose weight and body fat, and keep as much lean muscle as possible, then macros are important..

    I believe the protein thing is 1 gram per pound of lean body mass...

    I am always at least 200 grams of protein per day...but I like my chicken, steak, and eggs..

    IMO you can never have enough protein...
  • ndj1979
    ndj1979 Posts: 29,136 Member
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    My nutritionist recommends not going over 80 protein. High protein low carb items like tuna, peanut butter, greek yogurt, and cottage cheese can help. I know what you are going through. Hang in there. The problems I have experienced before is with the carbs and sugars and fats. Nuts and nut butters have good fats so don't worry about them. If you are worried about fats on a general rule like with protein bars you will want 5 grams of fat or less with low carbs and high protein like 15-20 protein. Certain sugars like high fructose corn syrup, sugar in the raw, and others like them should be avoided. If the 1st 5 ingrediants has sugars like them in it, my nutritionist says to avoid those items. Keeping a food journal and being active helps too. When I didn't do my food journal and/or didn't stay active, I didn't yield the results that I personally wanted. A loss of 1-2 pounds per week is normal and healthy. Sometimes plateaus happen and when they occur it helps to be a little more active than you were or to make a small change in food, because your body gets used to your routine and enters that comfort zone. I am happy to help.

    hate to say this, but get a new nutritionist or just ditch them all together...

    I go over 80 grams of protein in one meal, and am losing weight, and maintain about 13% body fat.

    Carbs/fat/sugars are not the problem...over eating calories is the problem. You can eat carbs/fat/sugar, be in a calorie deficit, and still lose weight.

    why is sugar in the raw to be avoided? Has raw sugar with coffee every morning...

    OP - I would recommend not following this line of reasoning...

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