How much protein a day should I aim for?

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hookemhorns2013
hookemhorns2013 Posts: 56
in Food and Nutrition
I am 187 lbs 5' 5 1/2" I am trying to lose down to 135lbs. Currently I am trying to get the 60 grams a day that mfp recommended but I have been wondering if I need to up it?
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  • MinMin97
    MinMin97 Posts: 2,676 Member
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    I've noticed some people can eat that amount and be happy. Myself, I am hungry unless my diet is high in protein, about 100g or more, daily.
  • IntegratedBodies
    IntegratedBodies Posts: 10 Member
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    Do you know your bodyfat %? Fom what I understand you should get that figured out first and then aim for .8-1g of protein for every pound of lean muscle
  • Jculbertson4
    Jculbertson4 Posts: 1 Member
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    Don't take extra protein, you don't need it. If you are just trying to lose weight, the extra protein that you would take in would be turned to carbs and FAT.
  • BrainyBurro
    BrainyBurro Posts: 6,129 Member
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    I am 187 lbs 5' 5 1/2" I am trying to lose down to 135lbs. Currently I am trying to get the 60 grams a day that mfp recommended but I have been wondering if I need to up it?

    as a minimum, 1g per lb of LBM. your LBM = (100%- BF%) x bodyweight

    if you are lifting heavy, you may want more.

    if you're obese or morbidly obese and not eating at a high daily calorie deficit, you can get by with somewhat less.

    however, the general rule is 1g per lb of LBM to help protect against too much muscle mass loss while losing weight.

    you can estimate your BF%... it doesn't need to be exact. do a google search for "bodyfat percentage photo" or something similar and you should find a well known graphic showing women at various bodyfat percentages and you can just choose the one that you think looks most like you.

    since your protein goal is a daily minimum, eating more won't hurt you. your body will just utilize whatever excess it doesn't need for energy.
  • BrainyBurro
    BrainyBurro Posts: 6,129 Member
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    Don't take extra protein, you don't need it. If you are just trying to lose weight, the extra protein that you would take in would be turned to carbs and FAT.

    ^ utter nonsense.
  • michellewelch2010
    michellewelch2010 Posts: 147 Member
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    I would definitely suggest getting more than 60g a day... Can you tell me how many calories you are aiming for in a day? What is your workout schedule like?
  • SideSteel
    SideSteel Posts: 11,068 Member
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    Don't take extra protein, you don't need it. If you are just trying to lose weight, the extra protein that you would take in would be turned to carbs and FAT.

    Fat does not accumulate unless calories are in excess.
  • michellewelch2010
    michellewelch2010 Posts: 147 Member
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    Don't take extra protein, you don't need it. If you are just trying to lose weight, the extra protein that you would take in would be turned to carbs and FAT.

    Huh??? Don't listen to this statement. Protein will make you feel full and will help prevent you from losing muscle mass while dieting.
  • Ely82010
    Ely82010 Posts: 1,998 Member
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    Don't take extra protein, you don't need it. If you are just trying to lose weight, the extra protein that you would take in would be turned to carbs and FAT.
    [/quote


    WRONG!!!!!!!
  • hookemhorns2013
    hookemhorns2013 Posts: 56
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    MFP says 1200 calories a day but it always ends up saying I need more because of how much I walk. I have a fitbit flex and track my steps so I walk 7000 - 11000 steps a day. I also do workout 2 days a week and yoga at least 1 day a week. An hour for each one.
  • Bry_Fitness70
    Bry_Fitness70 Posts: 2,480 Member
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    I eat over 1 gram per body weight, more if I am eating back burned calories. There really isn't a downside to eating too much protein (within reason, I don't think you are supposed to exceed 35% of your over all calories in protein)
  • uconnwinsnc
    uconnwinsnc Posts: 1,054 Member
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    As long as you aren't just stuffing your face with protein, it is really hard to "overdose" on it. If you're comfortable, it is always better to eat a little more protein than less.
  • geebusuk
    geebusuk Posts: 3,348 Member
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    Don't take extra protein, you don't need it. If you are just trying to lose weight, the extra protein that you would take in would be turned to carbs and FAT.
    As others have said. Silly.

    1g/lb of lean body mass seems to be the consensus. I go for 1g/lb of target bodyweight, sometimes eat more, try not to make it less. I do also do weights and at the moment, a fair bit of cardio.
  • michellewelch2010
    michellewelch2010 Posts: 147 Member
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    MFP says 1200 calories a day but it always ends up saying I need more because of how much I walk. I have a fitbit flex and track my steps so I walk 7000 - 11000 steps a day. I also do workout 2 days a week and yoga at least 1 day a week. An hour for each one.

    Ok, so you are not body building or nothing :P Walking and yoga... Aim for one gram per lb of body weight, but at least get in 100 grams if you can't reach that goal. As you lose weight it will be easier to eat the one gram per lb of bodyweight :) Lean protein is your friend... At the beginning you may find that to get the protein goal you will have to eat smaller serving of calorie dense carbs (pasta, rice, bread) and more veggies to avoid going over calories.
  • michellewelch2010
    michellewelch2010 Posts: 147 Member
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    I eat over 1 gram per body weight, more if I am eating back burned calories. There really isn't a downside to eating too much protein (within reason, I don't think you are supposed to exceed 35% of your over all calories in protein)

    You are totally allowed to eat more than 35% of your overall calories in protein... Just make sure you are getting in lots of fibre too.
  • burbmama
    burbmama Posts: 51
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    My dietitian says 30g of protein per 100 pounds of wieght (at minimum)
  • YorriaRaine
    YorriaRaine Posts: 370 Member
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    Don't take extra protein, you don't need it. If you are just trying to lose weight, the extra protein that you would take in would be turned to carbs and FAT.

    *slams head on desk*

    I don't know where people get this nonsense, but my entire family screams this crap at me every time they see me adding protein powder to anything.

    I try and tell them you don't accumulate fat unless you eat excess amount of calories, but nope, my family was having none of it.

    You should have seen their faces when I was adding coconut oil to my smoothie to get in some good fats. :laugh:
  • tquill
    tquill Posts: 300 Member
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    http://bayesianbodybuilding.com/the-myth-of-1glb-optimal-protein-intake-for-bodybuilders/

    tl,dr: 0.82 grams per pound of body weight, per day.
  • Ilikelamps
    Ilikelamps Posts: 482 Member
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    Don't take extra protein, you don't need it. If you are just trying to lose weight, the extra protein that you would take in would be turned to carbs and FAT.

    strong first post bro
  • RllyGudTweetr
    RllyGudTweetr Posts: 2,019 Member
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    Don't take extra protein, you don't need it. If you are just trying to lose weight, the extra protein that you would take in would be turned to carbs and FAT.
    This is an untruth. I'm particularly curious how the protein would be turned into carbs.

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