Protein intake

Help! How much protein is enough and how do u figure it?

Replies

  • juggernaut1974
    juggernaut1974 Posts: 6,212 Member
    There's no hard and fast rule - If you get somewhere in the neighborhood of 0.6-0.8 grams per pound of weight you'll be in the right ballpark
  • professionalHobbyist
    professionalHobbyist Posts: 1,316 Member
    A cool quiz

    It is just another resource.

    http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/becker3.htm
  • KAWittler1970
    KAWittler1970 Posts: 74 Member
    Thanks i keep getting told to increase it but no one ever says how much.
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  • KAWittler1970
    KAWittler1970 Posts: 74 Member
    I also got told increasing my protein would decrease cravings. Having a hard time walking away from the chocolate especially when i am tired.
  • juggernaut1974
    juggernaut1974 Posts: 6,212 Member
    I also got told increasing my protein would decrease cravings. Having a hard time walking away from the chocolate especially when i am tired.

    It might...protein tends to be more satiating (makes you feel more full) than a similar amount of carbs as a general rule. But it's not a guarantee.
  • GeeWillickers
    GeeWillickers Posts: 85 Member
    edited June 2015
    I also got told increasing my protein would decrease cravings. Having a hard time walking away from the chocolate especially when i am tired.

    That's a huge assumption that is common place about protein. It can blunt your appetite and mostly I try (when my diet is on track) to combine protein with lot's of vegetables. That combination works for me.

    Why walk away from chocolate? Don't deprive yourself and try to fit it into calories. Plus if your tired and this is at night give some thought to meal prepping in advance so all you have to do is simply heat it up.
  • sullus
    sullus Posts: 2,839 Member
    75-100 g is plenty for just about anyone.
  • Bshmerlie
    Bshmerlie Posts: 1,026 Member
    Technically I think its based on your weight and activity level. You take your weight and divide it by 2.2 and then multiply it by .8 (not active) or 1.3 (active) or 1.8 (body building) and that is how many grams you should be eating.
  • juggernaut1974
    juggernaut1974 Posts: 6,212 Member
    sullus wrote: »
    75-100 g is plenty for just about anyone.

    False
  • IsaackGMOON
    IsaackGMOON Posts: 3,358 Member
    sullus wrote: »
    75-100 g is plenty for just about anyone.

    No... that is a pretty dumb thing to say.

    You are completely forgetting that macronutrients are RELATIVE to the person.
  • beertrollruss
    beertrollruss Posts: 276 Member
    Healthy fats like nuts or avocados will also help decrease the cravings. High fiber carbohydrate choices help. Vegetables are low in calories and can help with the cravings and provide a bit of extra protein.
  • Bshmerlie
    Bshmerlie Posts: 1,026 Member
    Maybe she should have said for the AVERAGE person. I personally eat about 140-160 per day. Sometimes I dip slightly below 100 but not often. I now consider myself an active person and since I've added lifting weights I started upping my protein intake.
  • sullus
    sullus Posts: 2,839 Member
    ceoverturf wrote: »
    sullus wrote: »
    75-100 g is plenty for just about anyone.

    False

    My recommendation is significantly higher than the CDC's recommendation. (54 g for my weight)

    The common formula is .8 g per kilogram of body weight. If you're starting with your bodyweight in pounds, multiply body weight by .36, and that's your protein requirement in grams.

    I weigh 234 ... 234 * .36 = 84 grams of protein. I run, I lift, and I have no issues.
  • sullus
    sullus Posts: 2,839 Member
    sullus wrote: »
    75-100 g is plenty for just about anyone.

    No... that is a pretty dumb thing to say.

    You are completely forgetting that macronutrients are RELATIVE to the person.

    That's why I gave a RANGE and used words like JUST ABOUT. so now we've apparently both said pretty dumb things.

  • arditarose
    arditarose Posts: 15,573 Member
    sullus wrote: »
    ceoverturf wrote: »
    sullus wrote: »
    75-100 g is plenty for just about anyone.

    False

    My recommendation is significantly higher than the CDC's recommendation. (54 g for my weight)

    The common formula is .8 g per kilogram of body weight. If you're starting with your bodyweight in pounds, multiply body weight by .36, and that's your protein requirement in grams.

    I weigh 234 ... 234 * .36 = 84 grams of protein. I run, I lift, and I have no issues.

    It's .6-.8 per pound, I believe. Not kilograms.
  • Bshmerlie
    Bshmerlie Posts: 1,026 Member
    We all need to stop using rude or negative words when we disagree with someone's opinion. Lets all be a little more respectful. Words like dumb or stupid need to be removed from our vocabulary.
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  • sullus
    sullus Posts: 2,839 Member
    arditarose wrote: »
    sullus wrote: »
    ceoverturf wrote: »
    sullus wrote: »
    75-100 g is plenty for just about anyone.

    False

    My recommendation is significantly higher than the CDC's recommendation. (54 g for my weight)

    The common formula is .8 g per kilogram of body weight. If you're starting with your bodyweight in pounds, multiply body weight by .36, and that's your protein requirement in grams.

    I weigh 234 ... 234 * .36 = 84 grams of protein. I run, I lift, and I have no issues.

    It's .6-.8 per pound, I believe. Not kilograms.

    .8 per KG came from: Dietary Reference Intakes for Energy, Carbohydrate, Fiber, Fat, Fatty Acids, Cholesterol, Protein, and Amino Acids (Macronutrients) (2002); Food and Nutrition Board (FNB), Institute of Medicine (IOM) (www.nap.edu/books/0309085373.html).
  • sixxpoint
    sixxpoint Posts: 3,529 Member
    edited June 2015
    The proper protein range for active individuals is 0.60-0.80 grams per 1 lb. bodyweight. This is the result synopsis of multiple studies done on the topic for many decades to present date. Staying within this range is scientifically sound, depending on your weight, goals, body composition, etc.

    Peer-reviewed, journal published research shows that 0.80 grams per pound of total bodyweight is the very high end of intake that might optimize muscle development/retention, with most research showing much lower intake is sufficient to optimize such outcomes, even in professional bodybuilders.

    One of the more thorough studies showed that after 0.80 g/lb of bodyweight, there is no evidence of increased muscle protein synthesis rate for sedentary, endurance or strength athletes. Consuming more protein will not promote further muscle synthesis.

    Example:

    200 lb. active person - 0.60-0.80 grams protein per 1 lb. total bodyweight = 120-160 grams protein per day

    Protein is 4 calories per gram. Therefore, this person would hover around 480-640 calories from protein alone each day. The remainder of the calories would be filled by adequate dietary fat (minimum of 0.40-0.45 g/lb.) and then carbs (and alcohol, if consuming) would fill in the rest.
  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
    I also got told increasing my protein would decrease cravings. Having a hard time walking away from the chocolate especially when i am tired.

    It could--I find I eat better and tend to crave more nutritious food overall when I'm eating a decent amount of protein--but trying to avoid being tired is more helpful. (I realize that may not be under your control. I struggle with that from time to time and try to remember that I might just be tired. I also get coffee.)

    Sorry for the off-topic, but I agree with the first answer you got on the protein, so decided to comment on this too.
  • yarwell
    yarwell Posts: 10,477 Member
    Protein Summit 2.0 outcomes have just been published - http://ajcn.nutrition.org/content/101/6/1317S.long
    The RDA is “the average daily dietary nutrient intake level sufficient to meet the nutrient requirement of nearly all (97 to 98 percent) healthy individuals in a particular life stage and gender group” (2). The RDA for protein, which is based primarily on nitrogen balance studies, is 0.8 g/kg body weight per day for adults aged 19 y and is established from the EAR for protein (0.66 g/kg body weight per day) plus a safety variance of >20%. The EAR is defined as “the average daily nutrient intake level estimated to meet the requirement of half the healthy individuals in a particular life stage and gender group”

    Many varied inputs are reported, including "The review of protein's role in metabolic function by Layman et al. (6) suggests that daily protein intake to ∼1–1.2 g/kg is beneficial for various metabolic functions."

    "Emerging science supports a protein intake for adults of 25–30 g/meal and ≥2.2 g of the essential amino acid leucine to achieve maximal muscle protein synthetic rates"

    " Findings suggest that weight-loss diets containing higher protein (i.e., 1.2–1.6 g/kg body weight per day or 90–150 g) lead to modest, but relevant, improvements in body weight over the short term (≤12 wk) compared with standard-protein (higher-carbohydrate) diets." etc
  • colors_fade
    colors_fade Posts: 464 Member
    sixxpoint wrote: »
    The proper protein range for active individuals is 0.60-0.80 grams per 1 lb. bodyweight. This is the result synopsis of multiple studies done on the topic for many decades to present date. Staying within this range is scientifically sound, depending on your weight, goals, body composition, etc.

    Peer-reviewed, journal published research shows that 0.80 grams per pound of total bodyweight is the very high end of intake that might optimize muscle development/retention, with most research showing much lower intake is sufficient to optimize such outcomes, even in professional bodybuilders.

    One of the more thorough studies showed that after 0.80 g/lb of bodyweight, there is no evidence of increased muscle protein synthesis rate for sedentary, endurance or strength athletes. Consuming more protein will not promote further muscle synthesis.

    Example:

    200 lb. active person - 0.60-0.80 grams protein per 1 lb. total bodyweight = 120-160 grams protein per day

    Protein is 4 calories per gram. Therefore, this person would hover around 480-640 calories from protein alone each day. The remainder of the calories would be filled by adequate dietary fat (minimum of 0.40-0.45 g/lb.) and then carbs (and alcohol, if consuming) would fill in the rest.

    Yep. This.

  • juggernaut1974
    juggernaut1974 Posts: 6,212 Member
    sullus wrote: »
    arditarose wrote: »
    sullus wrote: »
    ceoverturf wrote: »
    sullus wrote: »
    75-100 g is plenty for just about anyone.

    False

    My recommendation is significantly higher than the CDC's recommendation. (54 g for my weight)

    The common formula is .8 g per kilogram of body weight. If you're starting with your bodyweight in pounds, multiply body weight by .36, and that's your protein requirement in grams.

    I weigh 234 ... 234 * .36 = 84 grams of protein. I run, I lift, and I have no issues.

    It's .6-.8 per pound, I believe. Not kilograms.

    .8 per KG came from: Dietary Reference Intakes for Energy, Carbohydrate, Fiber, Fat, Fatty Acids, Cholesterol, Protein, and Amino Acids (Macronutrients) (2002); Food and Nutrition Board (FNB), Institute of Medicine (IOM) (www.nap.edu/books/0309085373.html).

    Link is not working for me.

    If it says what I think it says (based on other papers that cite that amount) is that recommendation is that is the absolute bare minimum for basic body functioning. Anyone doing any sort of daily activity needs substantially more
    From the CDC Website:

    How much protein do I need?
    Maybe you've wondered how much protein you need each day. In general, it's recommended that 10–35% of your daily calories come from protein. Below are the Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDA) for different age groups.

    Recommended Dietary Allowance for Protein
    Grams of protein
    needed each day
    Children ages 1 – 3 13
    Children ages 4 – 8 19
    Children ages 9 – 13 34
    Girls ages 14 – 18 46
    Boys ages 14 – 18 52
    Women ages 19 – 70+ 46
    Men ages 19 – 70+ 56

    The chart lists the bare minimum recommended in one day for each age group.

    funny thing about that recommendation is when you combine their % goal with their gram goal. 56g of protein is about 224 calories. If that's supposed to be 35% of your daily calorie goal, it implies a daily calorie goal of about 650 calories. Not sure they did the math on that one
  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
    yarwell wrote: »
    Protein Summit 2.0 outcomes have just been published - http://ajcn.nutrition.org/content/101/6/1317S.long
    The RDA is “the average daily dietary nutrient intake level sufficient to meet the nutrient requirement of nearly all (97 to 98 percent) healthy individuals in a particular life stage and gender group” (2). The RDA for protein, which is based primarily on nitrogen balance studies, is 0.8 g/kg body weight per day for adults aged 19 y and is established from the EAR for protein (0.66 g/kg body weight per day) plus a safety variance of >20%. The EAR is defined as “the average daily nutrient intake level estimated to meet the requirement of half the healthy individuals in a particular life stage and gender group”

    Many varied inputs are reported, including "The review of protein's role in metabolic function by Layman et al. (6) suggests that daily protein intake to ∼1–1.2 g/kg is beneficial for various metabolic functions."

    "Emerging science supports a protein intake for adults of 25–30 g/meal and ≥2.2 g of the essential amino acid leucine to achieve maximal muscle protein synthetic rates"

    " Findings suggest that weight-loss diets containing higher protein (i.e., 1.2–1.6 g/kg body weight per day or 90–150 g) lead to modest, but relevant, improvements in body weight over the short term (≤12 wk) compared with standard-protein (higher-carbohydrate) diets." etc

    Very interesting. Thanks.
  • kommodevaran
    kommodevaran Posts: 17,890 Member
    "bare minimum"
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  • yarwell
    yarwell Posts: 10,477 Member
    " The AMDR for protein is 10–35% of calories, which allows for a greater contribution of dietary protein to remaining flexible caloric intake than is realized when using the RDA alone to assess protein needs."

    "The average daily protein intake for Americans is 1.2–1.5 g/kg per day or ∼16% of calories of protein based on NHANES 2003–2004 data (6). These values exceed the RDA but are within the AMDR and well below the upper range of 35% of energy as protein."

    http://ajcn.nutrition.org/content/101/6/1353S.full