Question about muscle retention/protein intake- cross posted

gmhaggie06
gmhaggie06 Posts: 207
in Food and Nutrition
(accidentally posted in Exercise and Fitness)

Good Morning Everyone,

I'm 29 and in the very beginning stages of a lifestyle change, I've been on here for 2 weeks as of today, and lost 13 pounds total. I'm 6'5.5" and weigh 387 pounds. About 7 years ago, when I was a senior in college I got to do a water-weight body fat test where they put me in a small pool, and I blew all the air out and then they weighed me and it came out with a lean body mass of 223 pounds, at total weight of 260 pounds.

Flash forward 7 years and 140 pounds later, and I'm wondering do I still have 223 pounds of lean body mass covered by 164 pounds of fat? Or have I lose muscle during that time frame (i worked out steadily for probably 2 of those years, but haven't touched a weight in about two years) How much protein do I need to take in to keep my muscle loss to a minimum? I want to lose another 112 pounds at least, but want to lose as much fat and as little muscle as possible. I'm keeping my carbs low right now so that I can maximize my protein intake while still hitting a calorie deficit,but want to know if there's something else I should be doing; I think I'm getting right at about 140 or so grams of protein a day.

Thanks!

Replies

  • neanderthin
    neanderthin Posts: 10,281 Member
    How is your progress to date? How many calories are you consuming? Weight training is key to lean mass retention along with sufficient protein intake. You have more than enough body fat to supply a fairly large deficit and I would suggest that at minimum you get that 140g's of protein.
  • gmhaggie06
    gmhaggie06 Posts: 207
    I've lost 13 pounds so far, most of it water I'm sure
  • neanderthin
    neanderthin Posts: 10,281 Member
    How many calories are you consuming?
  • lrmall01
    lrmall01 Posts: 377 Member
    You should be tracking your waist measurement too. Will help you understand when the loss is fat (waist diameter will go down) vs. water (waist won't change).

    Most recommendations end up being something like 0.8 to 1.2g of protein per lb of lean body mass. You have aged a little, so I would say your lean body mass has decreased a little. Let's say it is about 200lb now instead of the 223 that was measured a few years ago. So 160g - 240g would work for you, then the rest of your calories can come from fats and carbs as you see fit.

    Good luck.
  • gmhaggie06
    gmhaggie06 Posts: 207
    How many calories are you consuming?

    around 1600-1800 a day
  • erickirb
    erickirb Posts: 12,294 Member
    How many calories are you consuming?

    around 1600-1800 a day

    Is that net calories, or total. If you are working out I highly suggest eating much more than that.
    What is your MFP goal caloric intake? Eat that plus eat back the cals burned from exercise.

    Where you have a lot to lose it won't be as big of a factor but as you lose more it will. If your deficit is too large and you have less to lose the higher the % of lean muscle vs. fat you would lose if you had a smaller deficit. Lifting weights and getting adequate protein will also help retain the muscle you already have.
  • inktink
    inktink Posts: 135 Member
    You should be getting between 140 - 299g of protein a day. The 140g should be sufficient if you are doing mostly cardio, but I would suggest that you incorporate cardio and strength training. If you are incorporating "moderate" strength training, 211g would be a good point to reach, and if you decided to go full on hulk style strength training, you should aim for 299g.

    The math:

    Body weight converted into kg:
    387 / 2.2 = 175.9

    Average individual requires .08 - 1g of protein per kg a day:

    175.9 x .08 = 140

    Strength training individual requires 1.2-1.7 kg/day depending on amount of strength training:

    175.9 x 1.2 = 211
    175.9 x 1.7 = 299
  • EDollah
    EDollah Posts: 464 Member
    If you can get a reliable body fat measurement done now, I think you'd be glad you did. If for nothing else to get an accurate accounting of your lean mass. Absent that, I'd assume you were in the 200-220 pound range for lean weight and I'd target at least 200 grams of protein per day. That's a lot given the big deficit you're pursuing (rightfully so).

    I've done a lot of digging around for info on maintaining muscle while aggressively losing fat and the consensus I see from reputable sources seems to be 1) lift weights to progressive overload 2) consume ~1 g protein/pound of lean mass 3) reduce the calorie deficit when you lose enough fat (to oh, a little less than 30% bf).

    200 g of protein is a lot in a 1600 calorie diet (half, to be precise). Get to like beef jerky, my go-to snack when I find myself 10-15 g short of protein in a day.

    I've had a lot of success following those guidelines. Out of my first 80 pounds lost, only 1.5 was muscle. Unfortunately an illness that put me in the hospital kept me from lifting for 3 weeks, so I lost 7 pounds of muscle in the last 30 lost. I've reduced my deficit substantially now.
  • neanderthin
    neanderthin Posts: 10,281 Member
    How many calories are you consuming?

    around 1600-1800 a day
    Well you have more than enough body fat to compensate for the calorie shortfall. I suspect you need about 4000 calories to maintain your current weight. The problem with this math of consuming 1600-1800, is the sustainability. I doubt that you can go very long consuming that intake without some psychological and physical duress that causes you to binge or give up. Personally I would up the calories to the 2500 range and see what happens.
  • gmhaggie06
    gmhaggie06 Posts: 207
    Thanks for all of the advice guys. I'm currently not doing ANY cardio or weight training at all. I'm worried that as fat as I am now, my body won't be able to handle the stress and I'll injure myself. I was planning on waiting until I got down to about 335 pounds or so (which hopefully will be in another 3-4 months) and then starting the couch to 5k program and strength and training again.
  • neanderthin
    neanderthin Posts: 10,281 Member
    You'll wish you did start exercising from the get go if you do stick with your goals. Start slow with correct form and you'll reap future dividends.
  • inktink
    inktink Posts: 135 Member
    In that case, I suggest walking. One, you could (and should) up your calorie intake, and two, you will see quicker weight loss with an added bonus of getting your heart into shape! Weighing less with a weak heart is still unhealthy.

    Try going for a 10-15 minute walk every day, and don't fuss over intensity. If you can talk comfortably, you are still at a good intensity, and you will be more likely to stick with it. If you can't make it 10-15, do what you can and keep working toward that goal. Eventually you should aim for 150 minutes a week.

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