How to increase protein %
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hollypend
Posts: 19 Member
I'm on a 40% carb, 30% fat 30% protein 1700 cal plan
Finding I'm consistently under my goal protein %.
Any suggestions?
Thank you!!!
Finding I'm consistently under my goal protein %.
Any suggestions?
Thank you!!!
0
Replies
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More eggs, chicken, fish, beef, pork, dairy. Is there a reason it needs to be more complicated than that?0
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Just seems to put me over the fat % too. Like yesterday for breakfast making baked eggs in a nest with one whole egg and one egg white and just a tiny sprinkle of cheddar cheese - low protein % and it launched the fat %.
It's been confusing.0 -
Thats my problem too! Im trying to eat more chicken & fish but leaving out some condiments that booast the fat.0
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Just seems to put me over the fat % too. Like yesterday for breakfast making baked eggs in a nest with one whole egg and one egg white and just a tiny sprinkle of cheddar cheese - low protein % and it launched the fat %.
It's been confusing.
It takes some practice to figure out how to mix and match foods/meals so you hit your calorie and macro goals. Just give it time. Prelogging helps me a lot as I can play around with different options and figure out what works together and what doesn't.
Also, make sure you're fat, carb, and protein goals are reasonable. 1 whole egg and a little cheese shouldn't kill your fat intake for the day.0 -
Great suggestion - Ithe ore logging does help.
Is there a way to look at the nutrition % pie for a single meal?0 -
Just seems to put me over the fat % too. Like yesterday for breakfast making baked eggs in a nest with one whole egg and one egg white and just a tiny sprinkle of cheddar cheese - low protein % and it launched the fat %.
It's been confusing.
Leaner cuts of meat -- sirloin, chicken breast, egg whites, etc. If you really felt strongly, you could use whey protein to meet the deficit, but you should be able to get there using whole foods.
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Egg whites alone don't have the fat content and will give you a nice bang in protein numbers. There is always the egg substitute, but I'm not a fan of them. Be careful of packaged meats (high sodium), but non-fat greek yogurt is a nice little lift of protein for you too.0
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Cottage cheese is awesome for protein!0
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Low fat plain greek yogurt is a great source (I usually avoid low fat products but I need lactose free greek yogurt and the only one available has no fat...).
I also found myself in your position where my fat ratio came too high when I increased protein from regular sources so I started using protein powder to help.0 -
Greek yoghurt, plain chicken breast, fish, cottage cheese, eggs, goats cheese... all good sources.0
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Supplement a protein shake Isopure has a zero cal powder and think is 50g of protein fyi but many good protein supplements have low carb also0
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I'm on a 40% carb, 30% fat 30% protein 1700 cal plan
Does your plan fall apart if you end the day with
35% carb | 35% Fat | 30% Protein
or
30% carb | 40% Fat | 30% Protein
I would go nuts trying to hit the exact percentage on all three macros every day.
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Just seems to put me over the fat % too. Like yesterday for breakfast making baked eggs in a nest with one whole egg and one egg white and just a tiny sprinkle of cheddar cheese - low protein % and it launched the fat %.
It's been confusing.
It launched the fat percentage because your meal was low carb (not that that is a bad thing, especially if weight loss is your goal). Fat has 9 calories a gram protein has 4. Thats y it really jumps the fat percentage.
If you're eating quality animal products like most people mentioned in the comments you really dont have anything to worry about unless you eat a pot of processed high carb foods.
Id recommend full fat dairy over low or fat fre
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Just seems to put me over the fat % too. Like yesterday for breakfast making baked eggs in a nest with one whole egg and one egg white and just a tiny sprinkle of cheddar cheese - low protein % and it launched the fat %.
It's been confusing.
So drop the cheese (fat source more than a protein source) and have more egg whites. Eat some kind of lean protein at every meal and snack...chicken breast, pork tenderloin, lean cuts of beef, fish, etc. Non-fat Greek Yogurt is also a good source...I like Fage as it has a higher protein value than many other Greek Yogurts. Other than that, you might want to just supplement with a protein shake; I usually have to have one per day to hit my targets.
Also, I don't know anyone who is bang on their macros...use it as a guide to help you balance out your diet but I wouldn't obsess about hitting them bang on...complete waste of time and energy there.0 -
The pie chart in MFP is really only accurate at the end of the day.
If you click the list icon you can see your full nutrition breakdown. Use the gram goals in that to better help gauge your progress throughout the day. At the end you can see how well you did with your percentages on the pie chart and use your log to figure out where to change things for the next day.
As for dressings and such for food I have amassed a brilliant collection of spices and seasonings that are wonderful on fish and chicken and such, that way my daily fat intake is more under control.
Most recent love is the clubhouse Jammin Jamaican Jerk seasoning (it's a commercial thing so not spicy at all).0 -
Low-fat or fat-free cottage cheese is decent, as is Greek Yogurt.
If my fat macro is going way over for the day I do better balancing out my day with a white fish (seasoned only, no oil) or a protein supplement (powder or bars that are high protein, low fat, low carb). I don't like egg whites on their own without a regular egg mixed in, but if you like egg white omelettes or something that could also help a lot to balance out the fat macro.
Larger eggs have greater white to yolk ratio (I believe the yolk is the same amount no matter what size eggs you buy) so opting for extra-large eggs may also help, also using more whites to whole eggs in egg dishes can help balance out the fat and protein to a more comfortable level and save you a lot of calories to be enjoyed elsewhere.0 -
I have had the same macros for a while on a similar calorie intake (I've been experimenting a little, but not a whole lot) and the trick for me is lean meat (this includes most fish) and, especially, low fat dairy and making sure I get a decent amount at breakfast and lunch. I normally start the day with a vegetable omelet and I rarely do egg whites, so what I've found is that while eggs are fabulous I need some other protein source to start the day. That's usually low fat dairy (greek yogurt or cottage cheese), but sometimes smoked salmon or shrimp (I'm weird) or a little leftover meat from dinner. The issue with lunch isn't so much the fat/protein ratio, but protein/carbs, as sandwiches often have too little protein, and while I'll do a half sandwich and soup (to get more veggies), that doesn't help the protein content. As a result, when I buy lunch I try to buy a salad with meat more often than not, and I mostly try to bring my lunch, which is then similar to my dinners (leftovers). I also sometimes add some sort of protein bar to the afternoon, but at this point I usually go over my protein if I do (which is fine, I'm not super strict about the macros so long as I get in the ballpark). Typically dinner is the easiest, although if I have a fattier meat (which I do sometimes) I may add some low fat dairy. Various veggies add a reasonable amount too, or having beans as a side instead of some other sort of starch.
It gets a lot easier as you get familiar with it. I wouldn't worry so much at first, especially if your protein is high enough anyway. (What I mean by this is that I think the 30-30-40 ratio works well based on how I like to eat, but it puts my protein grams at over 120 and would be more if I were at maintenance, and my lean body mass--although I'd love to increase it--is under 100 grams. So as long as I get 100, I don't really worry about it, although I do tend to come in the ballpark of my macros from habit. If it's difficult for you to get above a certain number and you are getting plenty of protein in an objective sense, no real harm to changing your macros to have a little more fat and a little less protein.)0 -
Really interesting thread. Thanks for the info. I'm trying to up my protein intake to reach my target. Thanks.0
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Greek freaking yogurt. I use it a lot and buy it in bulk at Sams club. I buy Fage fat free plain. I can use it as a substitute for mayo or sour cream. I can make sauces and dressings with it- ranch, cucumbwr sauce, etc. You can use it to replace butter, oil or cream cheese in many dishes including baked goods. You can add it to eggs for fluffier, creamier eggs. You can eat it plain or add nuts, honey, granola, berries, etc. I made a skinnier alfredo sauce the other night by subbing it in instead of heavy cream. I have used it to make skinny whipped cream and so much more. Packs a punch of protein and low in calories.0
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Chia seeds added to smotheys adds your protein intake. As do nuts and peanut butter. They do contain fat though0
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