Do I need more protein?
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mom2ava07
Posts: 186 Member
I've lost just under 40 lbs, and I've been in maintenance for a couple of months. I started off doing cardio 5 days per week with no strength training. I gradually slacked off the cardio to the point of nothing. Now I'm basically what I feel is "skinny fat." I blew way past my weight goal, and in fact despite trying to maintain I keep gradually losing more. Long story short, I'm starting to do strength training in an effort to build lean muscle and just tone up, meanwhile I'm trying to make myself get into running again.
My questions revolves around protein. I keep reading online that protein requirements per person vary greatly, but that a good rule of thumb for someone not overweight and looking to build lean muscle they should be eating at maintenance and consuming approx. 1 gram of protein per pound of weight. I'm currently 127 pounds. I log everything I consume. I looked back over a 2 week period and I'm only consuming on average 60 grams of protein per day. Do I need to up this amount to aid me in toning up? I am a fan of protein shakes, but I know they can be overused when they shouldn't be and lead to gaining fat.
My questions revolves around protein. I keep reading online that protein requirements per person vary greatly, but that a good rule of thumb for someone not overweight and looking to build lean muscle they should be eating at maintenance and consuming approx. 1 gram of protein per pound of weight. I'm currently 127 pounds. I log everything I consume. I looked back over a 2 week period and I'm only consuming on average 60 grams of protein per day. Do I need to up this amount to aid me in toning up? I am a fan of protein shakes, but I know they can be overused when they shouldn't be and lead to gaining fat.
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0.8g per pound of bodyweight0
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Unless you are a bodybuilder you don't need 1g protein per body weight. Should be for lean body mass. Try 0.8g/lb.
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Unless you are a bodybuilder you don't need 1g protein per body weight. Should be for lean body mass. Try 0.8g/lb.
Well I'm definitley not that :-)
Sounds like I'm still not getting nearly enough, and at 127 lbs I should shoot for around 100 grams per day. I've just known way too many people drinking protein shakes all the time as if they were a bodybuilder and then they get fat.
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0.80 grams per lb. of lean body mass will be different than 0.80 grams per lb. of bodyweight.
Go by a healthy range of 0.60-0.80 grams protein per 1 lb. bodyweight. This range is supported by science.
If you actually know your Lean Body Mass, then you will realize that 1 gram protein per 1 lb. lean body mass will pitch roughly the same protein target as 0.80 g/lb. bodyweight.0 -
No I don't actually know my lean body mass. I wondered if it meant just per pound or per pound of lean mass.0
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It's not .8g/# it's .8g/kg lean body mass - which equates to ~.36g/#. The bottom line is that is a minimum. It doesn't matter if you are body building or not (but it is absolutely essential in bodybuilding when teamed with carbs) - it matters from the perspective of retaining muscle mass as you create a deficit - deficits cause muscle loss - you can't retain mass if you are deficient in protein - and another thing - protein has the highest rate of consumption via it's own source - in other words - it costs protein calories to process protein - up to 1/3rd of protein cals is used just to process it - so it's only beneficial to eat protein.0
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I've just known way too many people drinking protein shakes all the time as if they were a bodybuilder and then they get fat.
Weight gainer shakes are not the same as protein shakes. Protein shakes typically average around 120-160 calories per scoop. Take a protein shake out of convenience if desired, but remember that it is a processed food. I would stress focusing on a variety of whole, minimally processed foods to fill 80-100% of your daily calorie target.
Also, people wishing to gain muscle need to bulk, so they will be less svelte for a time because of the excess calories required to gain more mass (mainly from whole foods).0 -
Unless you are a bodybuilder you don't need 1g protein per body weight. Should be for lean body mass. Try 0.8g/lb.
Well I'm definitley not that :-)
Sounds like I'm still not getting nearly enough, and at 127 lbs I should shoot for around 100 grams per day. I've just known way too many people drinking protein shakes all the time as if they were a bodybuilder and then they get fat.
If the calories in the protein shakes result in you consuming more calories than you need, yes, you will get fat over time.
However, if they fit into your caloric goals and they contribute to a desired protein intake? Why not (could think of some more tasty options though)
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.8 to 1 gram per lean body weight is what I read last. This is hard to determine so I keep to just under my body weight knowing that excess protein is normally flushed via urine if you get plenty of water. Another weird quirky truth is that it takes more effort for the body to digest protein (instead of fat or carbs) and that extra work actually helps you to lose a small amount of weight too.
If you aren't a big fan of shakes you can look to food for most of your protein. Great sources include fish, chicken, pork, eggs, peanut butter, most seeds, cottage cheese and soy. If you still watch your calories it is still possible to lose fat and keep lean muscle weight by strength training. However, without sufficient protein and exercise the lean muscle shrinks over time giving and unpleasant deflated balloon look to loose skin. This is what most people don't understand about weight loss and it can be a real surprise to be "skinny" but look fat due to poor muscle definition.0 -
That is the minimum for a sedentary individual that is eating at maintenance calories... the 0.8grams per lb of lbm is much more realistic if you are in a deficit and want to maintain muscle, or eating at a surplus and trying to gain muscle.tedboosalis7 wrote: »It's not .8g/# it's .8g/kg lean body mass - which equates to ~.36g/#. The bottom line is that is a minimum. It doesn't matter if you are body building or not (but it is absolutely essential in bodybuilding when teamed with carbs) - it matters from the perspective of retaining muscle mass as you create a deficit - deficits cause muscle loss - you can't retain mass if you are deficient in protein - and another thing - protein has the highest rate of consumption via it's own source - in other words - it costs protein calories to process protein - up to 1/3rd of protein cals is used just to process it - so it's only beneficial to eat protein.
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Yes, I feel like a deflated balloon! Lol
I don't look fat but definitley not as lean as one would think someone would looking weighing in the 120s.
I looked back and accordi ng to this app, I eat about 14 percent protein on a weekly basis. Should I just strength train, try to hit 20 percent daily protein whether it be from food or shakes, and make sure I'm not eating under my maintenance to tone? I always eat about 1650 calories (maintenance for me at sedentary setting) but my fitbit hr always adds in 300-600 calories per day from my general activity (I'm probably not really sedentary) and I never eat them back. There are so many differing opinolns, but to me it sounds like I'm eating slightly too low protein, eating below maintenance, and therefore looking like a deflated balloon.
My diary is open, so feel free to judge away.0 -
Unless you are a bodybuilder you don't need 1g protein per body weight. Should be for lean body mass. Try 0.8g/lb.
Well I'm definitley not that :-)
Sounds like I'm still not getting nearly enough, and at 127 lbs I should shoot for around 100 grams per day. I've just known way too many people drinking protein shakes all the time as if they were a bodybuilder and then they get fat.
they aren't getting fat from the protein shakes...protein shakes don't make you fat...no food item makes you fat...consuming energy (calories) in excess is what makes you fat.
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tedboosalis7 wrote: »It's not .8g/# it's .8g/kg lean body mass - which equates to ~.36g/#. The bottom line is that is a minimum. It doesn't matter if you are body building or not (but it is absolutely essential in bodybuilding when teamed with carbs) - it matters from the perspective of retaining muscle mass as you create a deficit - deficits cause muscle loss - you can't retain mass if you are deficient in protein - and another thing - protein has the highest rate of consumption via it's own source - in other words - it costs protein calories to process protein - up to 1/3rd of protein cals is used just to process it - so it's only beneficial to eat protein.
you need to stop telling people this...it's only for sedentary people eating at maintenance (as mentioned above)0 -
srslytedboosalis7 wrote: »It's not .8g/# it's .8g/kg lean body mass - which equates to ~.36g/#. The bottom line is that is a minimum. It doesn't matter if you are body building or not (but it is absolutely essential in bodybuilding when teamed with carbs) - it matters from the perspective of retaining muscle mass as you create a deficit - deficits cause muscle loss - you can't retain mass if you are deficient in protein - and another thing - protein has the highest rate of consumption via it's own source - in other words - it costs protein calories to process protein - up to 1/3rd of protein cals is used just to process it - so it's only beneficial to eat protein.
you need to stop telling people this...it's only for sedentary people eating at maintenance (as mentioned above)
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cwolfman13 wrote: »Unless you are a bodybuilder you don't need 1g protein per body weight. Should be for lean body mass. Try 0.8g/lb.
Well I'm definitley not that :-)
Sounds like I'm still not getting nearly enough, and at 127 lbs I should shoot for around 100 grams per day. I've just known way too many people drinking protein shakes all the time as if they were a bodybuilder and then they get fat.
they aren't getting fat from the protein shakes...protein shakes don't make you fat...no food item makes you fat...consuming energy (calories) in excess is what makes you fat.
Good point...that's how I lost weight so it's obvious nothing is different now. I always have calories leftover daily anyway, so if I throw in a protein shake and stay in my calorie limits sounds like I will be ok.
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So much misinformation in this thread. Let me clear it up for you, OP:
Take your weight, in stones, divide by Pi, add the number of Duggar children NOT embroiled in scandal, multiply by your weight on the moon. That's your protein requirement.
Unless, of course, we're in a month that ends in "Y", then we need to do a conversion.0 -
OP: Make your goal ~100 grams of protein, fat and carbs can be adjusted to your personal preference but you should get a minimum of ~35 grams of fat.0
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So much misinformation in this thread. Let me clear it up for you, OP:
Take your weight, in stones, divide by Pi, add the number of Duggar children NOT embroiled in scandal, multiply by your weight on the moon. That's your protein requirement.
Unless, of course, we're in a month that ends in "Y", then we need to do a conversion.
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*peeks in to point out you're not trying to maintain if you know you're still losing and not eating any exercise calories back*0
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