Low Carb High Fat Diet - can someone please help?

oneday987
oneday987 Posts: 41 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Hi everyone,

I started a Low Carb High Fat lifestyle (end of October 2013) and I am really loving it (lost about 2+ kilos so far ). I was 64.6 kilograms. There is one thing that is confusing me. I would really appreciate it if anyone else who is low carbing can help me please?

What is confusing me is the ratio of protein is stated as '1 gram of protein per kilogram of body weight per day'.

I weigh 61.8 kilos and am 5 foot 2 inches.

Is anyone able to calculate for me how much protein I can have a day. I am calculating it at 61 grams of protein a day which doesn't seem to be enough!

Thanks so much :)
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Replies

  • jonnythan
    jonnythan Posts: 10,161 Member
    61.8 grams of protein a day. I'd recommend that as an absolute minimum. Shoot for 80+ a day.
  • oneday987
    oneday987 Posts: 41 Member
    Hi jonnythan,

    80 + grams. I am still confused. I usually have a steak for dinner that weighs 200 grams, plus all the other protein such as eggs, bacon, etc.? per day. This is why I don't understand. Is it possible to explain in more clear terms please?
  • AlabasterVerve
    AlabasterVerve Posts: 3,171 Member
    I eat low carb, high fat too and my protein probably averages out to somewhere about 85g. I think you're absolutely fine to bump it up to 80g like jonnythan suggested. Just be sure you're eating more fat than protein and more protein than carbs and you'll do great.

    Edited to add:
    If you open up your diary I'd be happy to take a look and make suggestions. The majority of your calories should be coming from fat.
  • oneday987
    oneday987 Posts: 41 Member
    Thanks Alabaster ... so I can understand - can you explain how many grams would be in my 200 gram steak to put it into perspective ... would it be 20 grams?
  • angelzprophecy
    angelzprophecy Posts: 130
    try 1g per pound you weigh
  • angelzprophecy
    angelzprophecy Posts: 130
    Thanks Alabaster ... so I can understand - can you explain how many grams would be in my 200 gram steak to put it into perspective ... would it be 20 grams?

    you could look it up in the database
  • jonnythan
    jonnythan Posts: 10,161 Member
    Hi jonnythan,

    80 + grams. I am still confused. I usually have a steak for dinner that weighs 200 grams, plus all the other protein such as eggs, bacon, etc.? per day. This is why I don't understand. Is it possible to explain in more clear terms please?

    A steak that weighs 200 grams doesn't have 80 grams of protein. Like a human body, meat is made mostly of water. There's also fat, connective tissue, etc. So a 200 gram steak might have only 35 grams of protein.

    Assuming you're tracking your food using MFP, you can see on your diary how many grams of protein you're eating. You want to finish with about, i suggest, at least 80 grams every day.
  • jonnythan
    jonnythan Posts: 10,161 Member
    Thanks Alabaster ... so I can understand - can you explain how many grams would be in my 200 gram steak to put it into perspective ... would it be 20 grams?

    Depends on the steak. 200 grams of ribeye without the fat trimmed off might have 30 grams of protein. 200 grams of trimmed sirloin might have 40. Look at the label, or if there is no label you'll have to look it up here:
    http://ndb.nal.usda.gov/ndb/search/list
  • AlabasterVerve
    AlabasterVerve Posts: 3,171 Member
    Thanks Alabaster ... so I can understand - can you explain how many grams would be in my 200 gram steak to put it into perspective ... would it be 20 grams?
    It's going to depend on the cut of meat but I just checked a few different kinds of steak from the data base and they were 46g - 61g of protein for 200g.

    Have you been logging your food in your diary here? If you haven't even doing it for a week or two would really help with planning your food for the day and you'll see exactly how much protein is in the foods you're eating.
  • LatinaGordita
    LatinaGordita Posts: 377 Member
    Try this! http://keto-calculator.ankerl.com/
  • FitterBody
    FitterBody Posts: 367 Member
    Hi everyone,

    I started a Low Carb High Fat lifestyle (end of October 2013) and I am really loving it (lost about 2+ kilos so far ). I was 64.6 kilograms. There is one thing that is confusing me. I would really appreciate it if anyone else who is low carbing can help me please?

    What is confusing me is the ratio of protein is stated as '1 gram of protein per kilogram of body weight per day'.

    I weigh 61.8 kilos and am 5 foot 2 inches.

    Is anyone able to calculate for me how much protein I can have a day. I am calculating it at 61 grams of protein a day which doesn't seem to be enough!

    Thanks so much :)

    Protein - common recommendation is at least 0.91 g/lb/day (2 g/kg/day), of LBM, goal weight, or current weight. therefore as you weigh 61.8kg currently you would want about 124g of protein a day.
  • oneday987
    oneday987 Posts: 41 Member
    Thanks everyone - it's starting to make sense :)

    @ AlabasterVerv - I will start to log into the food diary as per your advice.

    @ jonnythan - thanks for the link - I will have a look now.
  • oneday987
    oneday987 Posts: 41 Member
    Thanks AlabasterVerve.

    I have kept a written diary. I will include the information into my diary and get back to you. It would be really helpful if you would look at it if it isn't too much trouble.
  • fruttibiscotti
    fruttibiscotti Posts: 986 Member
    I use 1.5 g protein per kg lean body mass.
  • jonnythan
    jonnythan Posts: 10,161 Member
    Hi everyone,

    I started a Low Carb High Fat lifestyle (end of October 2013) and I am really loving it (lost about 2+ kilos so far ). I was 64.6 kilograms. There is one thing that is confusing me. I would really appreciate it if anyone else who is low carbing can help me please?

    What is confusing me is the ratio of protein is stated as '1 gram of protein per kilogram of body weight per day'.

    I weigh 61.8 kilos and am 5 foot 2 inches.

    Is anyone able to calculate for me how much protein I can have a day. I am calculating it at 61 grams of protein a day which doesn't seem to be enough!

    Thanks so much :)

    Protein - common recommendation is at least 0.91 g/lb/day (2 g/kg/day), of LBM, goal weight, or current weight. therefore as you weigh 61.8kg currently you would want about 124g of protein a day.

    You have to take lbm, age, and activity level into account too.
  • AlabasterVerve
    AlabasterVerve Posts: 3,171 Member
    Thanks AlabasterVerve.

    I have kept a written diary. I will include the information into my diary and get back to you. It would be really helpful if you would look at it if it isn't too much trouble.
    I don't mind at all. :smile: Be sure to set your diary to Public when you're finished -- you can change it under Settings/Diary Settings.
  • FitterBody
    FitterBody Posts: 367 Member
    Hi everyone,

    I started a Low Carb High Fat lifestyle (end of October 2013) and I am really loving it (lost about 2+ kilos so far ). I was 64.6 kilograms. There is one thing that is confusing me. I would really appreciate it if anyone else who is low carbing can help me please?

    What is confusing me is the ratio of protein is stated as '1 gram of protein per kilogram of body weight per day'.

    I weigh 61.8 kilos and am 5 foot 2 inches.

    Is anyone able to calculate for me how much protein I can have a day. I am calculating it at 61 grams of protein a day which doesn't seem to be enough!

    Thanks so much :)

    Protein - common recommendation is at least 0.91 g/lb/day (2 g/kg/day), of LBM, goal weight, or current weight. therefore as you weigh 61.8kg currently you would want about 124g of protein a day.

    You have to take lbm, age, and activity level into account too.

    Already mostly done. In fact, the common recommendation is already "more" than safe according to this:-

    http://mennohenselmans.com/the-myth-of-1glb-optimal-protein-intake-for-bodybuilders/
    ...there is simply no empirically substantiated reason to think we need more than 0.82g/lb of protein per day.

    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.
  • oneday987
    oneday987 Posts: 41 Member
    Hi AlabasterVerv,

    I've completed my food diary for today. How do I open it so you can analyse it?
  • jonnythan
    jonnythan Posts: 10,161 Member
    Hi everyone,

    I started a Low Carb High Fat lifestyle (end of October 2013) and I am really loving it (lost about 2+ kilos so far ). I was 64.6 kilograms. There is one thing that is confusing me. I would really appreciate it if anyone else who is low carbing can help me please?

    What is confusing me is the ratio of protein is stated as '1 gram of protein per kilogram of body weight per day'.

    I weigh 61.8 kilos and am 5 foot 2 inches.

    Is anyone able to calculate for me how much protein I can have a day. I am calculating it at 61 grams of protein a day which doesn't seem to be enough!

    Thanks so much :)

    Protein - common recommendation is at least 0.91 g/lb/day (2 g/kg/day), of LBM, goal weight, or current weight. therefore as you weigh 61.8kg currently you would want about 124g of protein a day.

    You have to take lbm, age, and activity level into account too.

    Already mostly done. In fact, the common recommendation is already "more" than safe according to this:-

    http://mennohenselmans.com/the-myth-of-1glb-optimal-protein-intake-for-bodybuilders/
    ...there is simply no empirically substantiated reason to think we need more than 0.82g/lb of protein per day.

    "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".

    So the OP has 0% body fat?

    She's 62 kg. Probably around 25-30% bf, give or take. That gives about 42 kg lbm. That gives about 80 g protrin a day for 2g/kg lbm/day as you state.
  • jonnythan
    jonnythan Posts: 10,161 Member
    Hi AlabasterVerv,

    I've completed my food diary for today. How do I open it so you can analyse it?

    You need to make it public.

    Click food, settings, then select public at the bottom AMD hit save.
  • oneday987
    oneday987 Posts: 41 Member
    Hi AlabasterVerve,

    I've opened the diary. Many thanks :)
  • jonnythan
    jonnythan Posts: 10,161 Member
    That looks pretty great. I would strongly encourage you to use a digital scale to measure everything you eat. It doesn't look like you're doing that.
  • FitterBody
    FitterBody Posts: 367 Member
    Hi everyone,

    I started a Low Carb High Fat lifestyle (end of October 2013) and I am really loving it (lost about 2+ kilos so far ). I was 64.6 kilograms. There is one thing that is confusing me. I would really appreciate it if anyone else who is low carbing can help me please?

    What is confusing me is the ratio of protein is stated as '1 gram of protein per kilogram of body weight per day'.

    I weigh 61.8 kilos and am 5 foot 2 inches.

    Is anyone able to calculate for me how much protein I can have a day. I am calculating it at 61 grams of protein a day which doesn't seem to be enough!

    Thanks so much :)

    Protein - common recommendation is at least 0.91 g/lb/day (2 g/kg/day), of LBM, goal weight, or current weight. therefore as you weigh 61.8kg currently you would want about 124g of protein a day.

    You have to take lbm, age, and activity level into account too.

    Already mostly done. In fact, the common recommendation is already "more" than safe according to this:-

    http://mennohenselmans.com/the-myth-of-1glb-optimal-protein-intake-for-bodybuilders/
    ...there is simply no empirically substantiated reason to think we need more than 0.82g/lb of protein per day.

    "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".

    So the OP has 0% body fat?

    She's 62 kg. Probably around 25-30% bf, give or take. That gives about 42 kg lbm. That gives about 80 g protrin a day for 2g/kg lbm/day as you state.

    That is not what I stated... I'll quote what I stated above again. I based my recommendation on current weight.
    Protein - common recommendation is at least 0.91 g/lb/day (2 g/kg/day), of LBM, goal weight, or current weight. therefore as you weigh 61.8kg currently you would want about 124g of protein a day.
  • jonnythan
    jonnythan Posts: 10,161 Member
    Indeed you did. But I say you have to take lbm and age and activity level into account

    You chose the estimate which would be the most protein intake, suitable for a lean young male. I chose to use lbm and consider the fact that OP is a middle aged woman who is probably not an athlete. So she can get away with less protein just fine... But I kept the recommendation along established guidelines.
  • FitterBody
    FitterBody Posts: 367 Member
    Agreed. I based mine on the OP asking " how much protein I can have a day" and therefore opted for the max, I have no issue with your stating that "she can get away with less protein". :smile:

    ETA clarify. (within the recommended guidelines, as you also said)
  • oneday987
    oneday987 Posts: 41 Member
    Hi jonnythan,,

    Thanks. I actually do use a digital scale, but for today's diary I had to do a rough estimate as I am not at home at the moment. Where I say home made mayo, it is actually made at home using olive oil, lemon juice and dijon mustard, but I haven't been able to work out the nutritional value.

    What worries me though is when I did the diary it told me that in 5 weeks I would gain weight, which is not what I want to do!! :) Help!
  • jonnythan
    jonnythan Posts: 10,161 Member
    Yeah 1700+ may be too many calories for you given your stats. Depends on your activity level though. And it's hard to say how accurate that number is if you're not weighing.

    I suggest just logging as consistently as possible AMD trying to keep it under 1500 if you're not very active. If you're not losing over time you may have to shoot a little lower.
  • mwooderson
    mwooderson Posts: 254 Member
    I tried this method LCHF, and gained 12 lbs in just under 2 months. I understand the science behind it so wondering if someone has some practical info for me to apply. I obviously went very wrong somewhere.
  • oneday987
    oneday987 Posts: 41 Member
    Thanks AlabasterVerve, jonnythan and everyone else.

    I'll keep on weighing and filling in my diary and maybe get you guys to have a look at it in another week or so. Or, feel free to jump in if you think I'm am on the wrong track :)
  • AlabasterVerve
    AlabasterVerve Posts: 3,171 Member
    Hi AlabasterVerve,

    I've opened the diary. Many thanks :)
    gamgam, I think you're doing brilliantly. Lots of whole foods, plenty of vegetables and your ratios look good including your protein -- and your food looks delicious to boot! I don't think you need to change a thing especially since you're happy with the results. I wouldn't be worried about your calorie count regardless of what MFP suggests as long as you continue to lose weight like you have been. Keep eating until you're satisfied like the diet suggests -- if you find the weight loss stalls or you're gaining weight that's when you would need to be concerned about the number of calories you're eating.

    I've been eating this way for a little over a year now and allow my carbs to be a touch higher now (20g - 50g usually) which means I can include some fruit/berries now and so I can cook with as much spice, garlic, onions etc. as I'd like. I still feel great with a few more carbs so don't be afraid to experiment later if you'd like to include more fruits and vegetables. Best wishes. :smile:

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