Question about daily protein intake.

mauridaher
mauridaher Posts: 55 Member
in Food and Nutrition
Hi! Just a week ago I started lifting again, after six months of not doing so. I'm kind of having a slow start, not being able to lift the weights I used to and all (I guess that's the only negative aspect in losing 29Lbs ;D ). I really want to bulk up, and I understand that to do so, I need to eat more.

I've searched on the web about how much protein I should eat per day, and answers varied from 0.8g/Kg body weight to 1.2g/Lbs body weight (BIG difference). I did read that the average active male should take 1g of protein per pounds of body weight. In my case, that would be 158g of protein per day. Isn't that a tad too much?

I mean, 2 scoops of whey protein amount to barely 45g. I'd have to eat a 7oz steak + 7oz of chicken breast + 2 scoops of whey, all in a day, to barely get there (just giving examples of protein-packed foods).

I'm honestly kind of confused right now and I wouldn't want to waste my time in the gym by not eating properly, so could you please give me some advice?

Replies

  • jlclabo
    jlclabo Posts: 588 Member
    7oz steak and 7oz chicken is a single meal for me, lol... if you are concerned about not gettiing in your needed protein daily, you can add something like black beans or lentils. both are good sources of protein but add some carbs in also. and you can also snack on nuts like almonds in between for extra protein and good fats.
  • ahawkx
    ahawkx Posts: 52 Member
    I eat 150g of protein daily no problem (I also go by the 1g per lb body weight)
    I never have an issue reaching my protein goal, if you'd like you can add me and see my diary - I eat quite the variety and not all protein has to come from meats :) although I do eat my fair share.
  • dieselbyte
    dieselbyte Posts: 733 Member
    It is true that adequate protein is needed to build muscles. However, when bulking, the increase of calories allows for a larger sparing of protein to build muscle, so you can get away with a lower end protein intake. 1.1g/kg or .8g/lbs of protein is more than sufficient when bulking. Carb intake should be high to fuel workouts and aid in recovery and muscle repair/growth. Lift heavy, focus on progressive overload, and get adequate rest.
  • mauridaher
    mauridaher Posts: 55 Member
    Thanks for replying! So from what I understood, it's normal to eat a lot when bulking right? Without going completely overboard and losing track of what you eat, I assume. And will I get greater benefits from keeping my fat intake low?
  • dieselbyte
    dieselbyte Posts: 733 Member
    Thanks for replying! So from what I understood, it's normal to eat a lot when bulking right? Without going completely overboard and losing track of what you eat, I assume. And will I get greater benefits from keeping my fat intake low?

    Caloric intake depends on your goals as well as your experience. A clean bulk (250-500 calories over maintenance) will minimize fat loss, while a dirty bulk (500+ calories over maintenance) will put on more mass, but more fat. For a natural lifter, there really is no evidence that dirty bulking will result in more muscle growth. Also, many dirty bulkers make the mistake of doing an agressive cut, so in the end any muscle gain above a clean bulk will be negligible. I recommend doing a clean bulk, because you can always increase calories if you feel you need to. I'm not sure of your level of experience with weightlifting, but you should aim for weight gain of .5lbs/week (experienced lifters will stall at .5-1lbs of muscle growth/month, while newbies can put on 2-3lbs of muscle/month, but this is very short lived).

    Like protein, fat is an essential macro, but a caloric surplus will allow you to get away with a lower end fat intake as well. If your fat intake is too low, you can mess up test levels and hormones, so never go below the recommended minimums (20% of caloric intake, but I like to go higher just to be safe). As mentioned in my previous post, the bulk of your surplus calories should come from carbs.
  • Sam_I_Am77
    Sam_I_Am77 Posts: 2,093 Member
    Protein intake suggestions are definitely varied and hard to figure out. If you're looking to add lean mass and get stronger then 1gm / pound is good, 1.2gm's is on the boarder of not useful. There are studies out there that will say as high as 3KG's per pound which is roughly 1.4gm's per pound but those studies are usually in the context of a pre-contest figure athlete or body builder which is a different diet strategy altogether. I would shoot for 1gm per pound. Then roughly 25% to 30% in Fat and the rest would be carbs, you'll have to figure out your best tolerance.

    Eating in the realm of 1gm is not easy and you will likely need a Whey shake, especially if your calorie needs get into the 3,000+ range and you're consuming over 200gm's of protein, that's not always easy with just food. Some folks can do it with food alone and if you can then by all means do it, but it's not easy. Eating to bulk is almost a chore and dare I say more difficult than eating to lose weight.

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