Calories vs Protein

skylineprints
skylineprints Posts: 31 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Hi everyone,

I have been stuck in the proverbial weight loss plateau for 11 weeks now. So needless to say, a little irritated. :smile: It's not the first time so I wasn't surprised at a plateau. The other two times lasted a few weeks then off to the races we went again.

This time is different. Before I wasn't weight training so after 3 weeks of no improvement, I joined a gym and worked with a trainer to develop a weight training regimen. 8 weeks later, still no improvement in the 'ol scale.

However, I will say that muscle tone and body measurements have seen improvements. Yay!

I have been reviewing my data for exercise and food intake as if I were Sherlock Holmes looking for his arch-nemesis. I track everything, I weigh and size portions, I drive my friends and family crazy with my obsessiveness. :laugh:

Anyway, I think I have found something and wanted to run it by my friends here at MFP. I have noticed that even though I'm good on calories, some days I am missing my protein intake and sometimes by a considerable amount. The reason I started really looking into this is last week, the scale started moving again then stopped and moved back up. (3 lb movement) Yes, I know fluctuations in water weight etc... but this was different.

In reviewing my log, I found that right prior to my drop, my protein intake exceeded my MFP recommendation for a few days. 1 day was over quite a bit. then... my protein intake fell back inline like is had prior and the weight came back.

So, i'm curious as to everyone's thoughts. Is this an anomaly or is there a relationship between protein intake and weight loss? or am I just chasing my elusive arch-nemesis down a dark dead-end alley?

I do weight train 6 days a week. Cardio daily. etc... etc...

Thanks in advance. Hope everyone is having a great day! :happy:

Replies

  • violasmith85
    violasmith85 Posts: 274 Member
    Is your sodium too high? Drinking enough water? Without seeing your log it's hard to say, but protein is important but even if your body was eating lean muscle that would still be a drop in weight. Are you weighing your food? Logging correctly?
  • Chrisparadise579
    Chrisparadise579 Posts: 411 Member
    Nope there is absolutely a relationship the that weight loss and the higher protein intake. The higher the protein the better while losing weight, in fact I usually recommend about 40-50% per day, This is mostly because it is harder for your body to convert the protein into usable energy then the other macros. So try to hit 40-50% protein for the next couple weeks and im sure youll see the scale move. Keep up the great work sounds like youve made some great life changes.
  • moodyfeesh14
    moodyfeesh14 Posts: 811 Member
    I do not know if there is any science behind it but I had plateued for 3 weeks after I had started weightlifting, I added 100 calories since my fitness level has been increasing and changed my macros to 45% protein 25% fat and 30% carbs this carb reduction and increase in protein has made my weight start moving again
  • rhtexasgal
    rhtexasgal Posts: 572 Member
    This has happened to me as well ... I thought it was just me! I took some nutritional typing test and I am a protein type for the most part but also require a fair amount of fats too. I notice that when I eat a nice, juicy steak or a hamburger made with organic, grass fed beef, my body overall feels great the next day and I typically lose a bit more weight that week. This doesn't work with other meats like chicken or pork though - only beef which means it may also be other nutrients in the beef like iron.

    I have discovered though that I consistently lose weight if I drink a small protein drink after every weight training session. I use Mercola's Pure Protein Powder (only one scoop instead of two) and mix it with almond milk (good source of calcium and protein too). This helps fuel muscle recovery.

    When I hit a plateau, I mix things up for up to two weeks if necessary (always eating healthy of course). If my goal is typically 1400 calories a day, I will eat 1200 one day, 1600 the next and then 1400 ... keep the body guessing. The elliptical is my main go-to cardio but during plateaus, I may start with the elliptical, but then I will switch to the stairmaster and then the bike.

    Your body is accustomed to what you are doing so you have to keep it guessing, challenging it in different ways. While diet is #1 in doing that, look at your exercise plan too.
  • cajuntank
    cajuntank Posts: 924 Member
    Nope there is absolutely a relationship the that weight loss and the higher protein intake. The higher the protein the better while losing weight, in fact I usually recommend about 40-50% per day, This is mostly because it is harder for your body to convert the protein into usable energy then the other macros. So try to hit 40-50% protein for the next couple weeks and im sure youll see the scale move. Keep up the great work sounds like youve made some great life changes.

    :noway:

    Eric Helms on the matter (watch entire series, but the first two parts go over calories and macros)
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GAvW6xBZjSk
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mic4IELz61w&list=UU8fhb7upVSZ0q-zK5snR9BA

    Weight is 100% dictated by calories in vs calories out. It does not matter the content of those calories from a weightloss perspective. Macros come into play in regards to body composition and health (i.e... if to lose weight you need to eat 2000 calories and you eat 2000 calories in Twinkies a day, YES! you will lose weight, will you be healthy in the long run, NO!, of course not).

    Eric goes over all of this in the two links I provided, but again, from a purely weight loss or weight gain perspective, calories rules them all.
  • _Terrapin_
    _Terrapin_ Posts: 4,301 Member
    OP--(skylineprint) your protein intake is below 100 grams most week days and higher on the weekends, and really it doesn't matter in terms of weight loss and calories. You are well below what would be recommended for weight loss and long term success in terms of caloric intake. Your body is clinging to the calories due to your restrictive intake (attempting to lose weight too quickly). I would suggest you read about BMR, TDEE, and what is an adequate amount of calories for slow and steady weight loss given your goals. If you go to the top of the forum there are several good references. Best of luck.
  • ElliottTN
    ElliottTN Posts: 1,614 Member
    Protein levels will have min. impact on overall weight loss. Body composition during weight loss = completely different story.

    Do a re-feed to your maintenance level for a solid week with some high quality, nutrient rich food then drop it back down. Don't weigh yourself for the next two-three weeks.
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,427 MFP Moderator
    Nope there is absolutely a relationship the that weight loss and the higher protein intake. The higher the protein the better while losing weight, in fact I usually recommend about 40-50% per day, This is mostly because it is harder for your body to convert the protein into usable energy then the other macros. So try to hit 40-50% protein for the next couple weeks and im sure youll see the scale move. Keep up the great work sounds like youve made some great life changes.

    :noway:

    Eric Helms on the matter (watch entire series, but the first two parts go over calories and macros)
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GAvW6xBZjSk
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mic4IELz61w&list=UU8fhb7upVSZ0q-zK5snR9BA

    Weight is 100% dictated by calories in vs calories out. It does not matter the content of those calories from a weightloss perspective. Macros come into play in regards to body composition and health (i.e... if to lose weight you need to eat 2000 calories and you eat 2000 calories in Twinkies a day, YES! you will lose weight, will you be healthy in the long run, NO!, of course not).

    Eric goes over all of this in the two links I provided, but again, from a purely weight loss or weight gain perspective, calories rules them all.

    Exactly this. 40-50% protein is way overkill and completely unnecessary. And most studies suggest .8-1g of protein per lb of lean body mass is adequate to sustain lean body mass during weight loss.


    With that said, I would question why an active male would only eat 1200-1500 calories. That is extremely low. Most males lose at over 2000 calories. Having said that OP, when was the last time you did a blood panel? Do you have any medical conditions? Possible a diet break and then coming back with a smaller deficit can be beneficial.
  • skylineprints
    skylineprints Posts: 31 Member
    With that said, I would question why an active male would only eat 1200-1500 calories. That is extremely low. Most males lose at over 2000 calories. Having said that OP, when was the last time you did a blood panel? Do you have any medical conditions? Possible a diet break and then coming back with a smaller deficit can be beneficial.

    My MFP target is 1680 and I do strive to hit that every day without doing it with empty or bad calories. I admit, it has been a challenge.

    Blood panel? yes, just had 3 different blood panels ran 1 month ago. Everything was normal and well within range. Thanks for asking.
  • cajuntank
    cajuntank Posts: 924 Member
    With that said, I would question why an active male would only eat 1200-1500 calories. That is extremely low. Most males lose at over 2000 calories. Having said that OP, when was the last time you did a blood panel? Do you have any medical conditions? Possible a diet break and then coming back with a smaller deficit can be beneficial.

    My MFP target is 1680 and I do strive to hit that every day without doing it with empty or bad calories. I admit, it has been a challenge.

    Blood panel? yes, just had 3 different blood panels ran 1 month ago. Everything was normal and well within range. Thanks for asking.

    So based on the past few days of viewing, your average intake should have been around 2000 calories (from exercise logged back) and you are eating less than that on average from your log. So assuming your logging and exercise estimates are in line and no medical reasoning behind it, then I agree with psulemon in that maybe you take a diet break for a bit. Again, without going back for weeks or months to look, if you have been eating this low for an extended period of time, your body does adapt and giving it a break, letting it adapt back to "normal" and then being a little more conservative with your deficit should get it moving again.

    A good read for you is the following link which also provides numerous links to related material.
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1080242-a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants
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  • ThePhoenixIsRising
    ThePhoenixIsRising Posts: 781 Member
    If you are keeping to your cal goal and upping protein you are dropping other macros. If you are dropping the carb macro you will see drastic water weight loss which will come back the moment you eat carbs again.
  • skylineprints
    skylineprints Posts: 31 Member
    thanks everyone. I am going to focus more on eating more (which sounds crazy, right?). I have been eating well under just as has been pointed out. I dont believe its from not eating cause lord knows it seems like i'm eating all the time. i just have to figure out how to add more calories. :smile:

    I will take a look at the links that folks have posted in this thread. I'm sure they all provide good information so looking forward to the reading.

    I think over time, I have unconsciously been restricting my intake more and more. As crazy as it sounds, i lost 60lbs prior to joining MFP. once joining, i started tracking everything more seriously and looks like i've gone to far. Interesting to think about actually.

    Hope everyone has an awesome day! :drinker:

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