1g of protein for 1lb

I read somewhere that a good tip for eating protein is to eat one gram of protein for every pound you want to weigh.
So if you want to weigh 120 lbs, you'd eat 120 grams of protein / day.
Thoughts?

Replies

  • Coolhandkid
    Coolhandkid Posts: 84 Member
    It should be Kg. And unless you are really active, doing a lot of training, are an elite athlete, etc 1:1 is way too much. And I say this as somone who eats a ton of protein.
  • IsaackGMOON
    IsaackGMOON Posts: 3,358 Member
    If you're doing resistance training, 0.6-0.8g of protein per lb of body mass is fine... 1g per 1lb of body mass doesn't have any more benefits than 0.8g.

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  • sixxpoint
    sixxpoint Posts: 3,529 Member
    edited September 2015
    0.6-0.8g of protein per lb of body mass is fine

    This goal is fine even if you're a bodybuilder. Bodybuilders consume more calories than everyday people, but the human body can't utilize anything more than roughly 0.82 g protein per 1 lb. bodyweight in 24 hours anyway. Since protein (from meat) is the most expensive macronutrient, and consuming more than 0.82 g/lb. doesn't make a difference... you're better off eating more dietary fat to add the extra calories. Dietary fat carries a caloric load of more than twice that of protein. It's a no brainer.
    my protein is set at 20% - and that's plenty

    Agree that most people on MFP should set their protein goal from 20-30%.... more like 25-30%.
    It should be Kg.

    That doesn't matter. That is like saying you should use teaspoons instead of tablespoons to measure the amount of baking powder you put in a cake.

    Different units of measurement; same result.
    And unless you are really active, doing a lot of training, are an elite athlete, etc 1:1 is way too much.

    120 grams protein per day is not wayyyyy too much. Realistically, that amount would work very well for most active humans on this Earth who are interested in new muscle synthesis. If you're sedentary, it might be too much... depending on your overall caloric intake of course.
  • ModernRock
    ModernRock Posts: 372 Member
    In terms of grams per pound:

    "There hasn’t been any recorded advantage of consuming more than 0.64g/lb."

    http://bayesianbodybuilding.com/the-myth-of-1glb-optimal-protein-intake-for-bodybuilders/

    Even low levels of low-quality protein (5% of total calories from wheat-based protein) have been shown to be sufficient to maintain muscle mass. While the majority of people are unlikely to benefit from anything over 30% of calories from protein, 15% was still shown to be enough to support the conditions for muscle growth.

    http://www.nutritionandmetabolism.com/content/11/1/38
  • sixxpoint
    sixxpoint Posts: 3,529 Member
    edited September 2015
    ModernRock wrote: »
    In terms of grams per pound:

    "There hasn’t been any recorded advantage of consuming more than 0.64g/lb."

    http://bayesianbodybuilding.com/the-myth-of-1glb-optimal-protein-intake-for-bodybuilders/

    That exact same site suggests 0.82 g/lb. as the upper limit of what can be utilized.


    Therefore a range of approx. 0.64-0.82 g/lb. for lifters is best. Most people just suggest 0.60-0.80 g/lb for ease.
  • kathrynjean_
    kathrynjean_ Posts: 428 Member
    If you're doing resistance training, 0.6-0.8g of protein per lb of body mass is fine... 1g per 1lb of body mass doesn't have any more benefits than 0.8g.

    I have a stupid question. I've seen this stat quoted frequently on MFP - is it per of body weight or per pound of LBM? I always assumed it was LBM but would love to be corrected if I'm wrong.
  • yarwell
    yarwell Posts: 10,477 Member
    If you're doing resistance training, 0.6-0.8g of protein per lb of body mass is fine... 1g per 1lb of body mass doesn't have any more benefits than 0.8g.

    I have a stupid question. I've seen this stat quoted frequently on MFP - is it per of body weight or per pound of LBM? I always assumed it was LBM but would love to be corrected if I'm wrong.

    protein discussions are always a mess of units with kg being misquoted for lbs or vice versa and body weight and LBM being randomly interchanged.

    Logically it would be LBM as a 300 lb person is typically a smaller one in a fat suit and the fat suit probably doesn't need extra protein intake. 75 grams a day is enough for the majority of humans. 10 - 35% of calorie intake is an accepted macro ratio for protein.

    The RDI for protein from the US IOM is 0.80 grams per day per kg of bodyweight see http://www.jeffnovick.com/RD/Articles/Entries/2012/2/11_Protein_Requirements.html

    This is the "health and nutrition" sort of number, not the bodybuilding opinion of life.

  • I did hear the same, that you should be consuming that much protein as your LBM.
    I'm 79 kg, work office job, do strength training 3 - 4 x per week and I'm on a fat loss mission.
    I'm trying to eat roughly about 110 - 130g of Protein everyday.

    I think if you are trying to bulk up and don't want to over complicate things you should workout your total daily calories, consume 1g of Pro per 1lb of body mass and the rest of cals from carbs and fats.
  • sixxpoint
    sixxpoint Posts: 3,529 Member
    edited September 2015
    yarwell wrote: »
    If you're doing resistance training, 0.6-0.8g of protein per lb of body mass is fine... 1g per 1lb of body mass doesn't have any more benefits than 0.8g.

    I have a stupid question. I've seen this stat quoted frequently on MFP - is it per of body weight or per pound of LBM? I always assumed it was LBM but would love to be corrected if I'm wrong.

    protein discussions are always a mess of units with kg being misquoted for lbs or vice versa and body weight and LBM being randomly interchanged.

    Logically it would be LBM as a 300 lb person is typically a smaller one in a fat suit and the fat suit probably doesn't need extra protein intake. 75 grams a day is enough for the majority of humans. 10 - 35% of calorie intake is an accepted macro ratio for protein.

    The RDI for protein from the US IOM is 0.80 grams per day per kg of bodyweight see http://www.jeffnovick.com/RD/Articles/Entries/2012/2/11_Protein_Requirements.html

    This is the "health and nutrition" sort of number, not the bodybuilding opinion of life.

    You don't have to be a bodybuilder to be able to utilize more than your stated value.

    The value you gave is for sedentary people who are not interested in new muscle synthesis. It is a minimum amount for celluar maintenance and such, not for muscle building.
  • sixxpoint
    sixxpoint Posts: 3,529 Member
    edited September 2015
    If you're doing resistance training, 0.6-0.8g of protein per lb of body mass is fine... 1g per 1lb of body mass doesn't have any more benefits than 0.8g.

    I have a stupid question. I've seen this stat quoted frequently on MFP - is it per of body weight or per pound of LBM? I always assumed it was LBM but would love to be corrected if I'm wrong.

    Doesn't matter. Bodyweight is easier for people since most don't know their LBM.

    The calculations, whether using bodyweight or LBM, come out to the be about the same in normal, healthy weight people.
  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
    If you're doing resistance training, 0.6-0.8g of protein per lb of body mass is fine... 1g per 1lb of body mass doesn't have any more benefits than 0.8g.

    I have a stupid question. I've seen this stat quoted frequently on MFP - is it per of body weight or per pound of LBM? I always assumed it was LBM but would love to be corrected if I'm wrong.

    I believe the .6-.8 g/lb is per body weight. I see .8-1 g/lb of LBM. If you do bodyweight I think it's a proxy to estimate LBM, so I tend to focus on goal weight, not current weight, at least for people with lots to lose.

    Here's another discussion with similar numbers: http://examine.com/faq/how-much-protein-do-i-need-every-day/
    If you are an athlete or highly active person currently attempting to lose body fat while preserving lean muscle mass, a daily intake of 1.5-2.2g/kg bodyweight (0.68-1g/lb bodyweight) would be a good target.

    If you are an athlete or highly active person, OR you are attempting to lose body fat while preserving lean mass, then a daily intake of 1.0-1.5g/kg bodyweight (0.45-0.68g/lb bodyweight) would be a good target.

    (Emphasis added to highlight the difference.)

    Also:
    According to the International Society of Sports Nutrition, protein intakes of 1.4-2.0 g/kg of bodyweight (0.6-0.9g/lb of bodyweight) for physically active individuals is not only safe, but may improve the training adaptations to exercise training. The American Dietetic Association, Dietitians of Canada, and the American College of Sports Medicine also support high protein intake for active individuals in the range of 1.2-1.7 g/kg of bodyweight (0.5-0.8 g/lb of bodyweight)....

    High protein diets have been found to preserve lean body mass when dieting in both obese people and athletes [12] and has also been shown to improve overall body composition. A doubling of protein intake from 0.9g/kg (near the daily recommended intake for the general population) to 1.8g/kg is able to preserve lean muscle mass during short-term and relatively drastic drops in calories.
  • slideaway1
    slideaway1 Posts: 1,006 Member
    Hi, yeah the general rule if you lift it's 1g protein per 1lbs "lean body weight" a day. Lots of people eat more than this and get great results, people can eat under this too and still make good progress. I'm 200lbs and try to eat/drink 180g protein a day. I'm usually around this but it does not matter to much if I'm a bit under or over.
  • slideaway1
    slideaway1 Posts: 1,006 Member
    Oh, just to add as others have said when bulking hitting your protein numbers is important but filling your surplus up with carbs and fats too will help gain muscle. When cutting, it is really important to keep your protein high (1g per 1lbs lean body mass) to help preserve muscle whilst in a deficit.
  • Jplum0504
    Jplum0504 Posts: 2 Member
    Tic150 wrote: »
    I read somewhere that a good tip for eating protein is to eat one gram of protein for every pound you want to weigh.
    So if you want to weigh 120 lbs, you'd eat 120 grams of protein / day.
    Thoughts?

    My trainer told me something like this "if your goal weight is 160lbs then I need to eat 200gr. of protein a day. Pound for gram of protein plus 40 grams extra of protein to reach goal weight.

  • PaulaWallaDingDong
    PaulaWallaDingDong Posts: 4,641 Member
    Jplum0504 wrote: »
    Tic150 wrote: »
    I read somewhere that a good tip for eating protein is to eat one gram of protein for every pound you want to weigh.
    So if you want to weigh 120 lbs, you'd eat 120 grams of protein / day.
    Thoughts?

    My trainer told me something like this "if your goal weight is 160lbs then I need to eat 200gr. of protein a day. Pound for gram of protein plus 40 grams extra of protein to reach goal weight.

    What are they training you for, and where did they get those numbers?
  • Yi5hedr3
    Yi5hedr3 Posts: 2,696 Member
    It generally should be somewhere between .6 and 1 gram per pound of LEAN body mass, per day. Any formula that does not use lean body mass is incorrect. Fat does not require protein for maintenance.
  • Tic150
    Tic150 Posts: 23 Member
    Jplum0504 wrote: »
    Tic150 wrote: »
    I read somewhere that a good tip for eating protein is to eat one gram of protein for every pound you want to weigh.
    So if you want to weigh 120 lbs, you'd eat 120 grams of protein / day.
    Thoughts?

    My trainer told me something like this "if your goal weight is 160lbs then I need to eat 200gr. of protein a day. Pound for gram of protein plus 40 grams extra of protein to reach goal weight.

    Does this work if you want to lose weight? It seems like a lot of protein, but I guess it depends on how much you workout.
  • chrysalis2015
    chrysalis2015 Posts: 212 Member
    Hi...relatively new to the lifting thing (loving my results)...I'm going to try that link above, but as a relative newbie...is this overall protein in the diet (food and supplements) or are these numbers for ADDITIONAL protein supplementation that should be added? TIA
  • PaulaWallaDingDong
    PaulaWallaDingDong Posts: 4,641 Member
    Tic150 wrote: »
    Jplum0504 wrote: »
    Tic150 wrote: »
    I read somewhere that a good tip for eating protein is to eat one gram of protein for every pound you want to weigh.
    So if you want to weigh 120 lbs, you'd eat 120 grams of protein / day.
    Thoughts?

    My trainer told me something like this "if your goal weight is 160lbs then I need to eat 200gr. of protein a day. Pound for gram of protein plus 40 grams extra of protein to reach goal weight.

    Does this work if you want to lose weight? It seems like a lot of protein, but I guess it depends on how much you workout.

    Extra protein does not equal weight loss, so I'm confused by her trainer's recommendations. Still hoping a resident expert will chime in on this.
  • Dez11B
    Dez11B Posts: 1,542 Member
    It's .8 grams of protein per lean body mass. Not your weight. So if your ideal weight is 180 but you weight 300 are you going to eat 300 grams. Of course not. Lean body mass
  • sixxpoint
    sixxpoint Posts: 3,529 Member
    edited September 2015
    sith78 wrote: »
    It's .8 grams of protein per lean body mass. Not your weight. So if your ideal weight is 180 but you weight 300 are you going to eat 300 grams. Of course not. Lean body mass

    No, at that amount, it's your weight. 0.80-0.82 grams protein per 1 lb. bodyweight is the most the human body can utilize per day for new muscle synthesis.

    Don't use extreme examples for this. How many fit people who lift in this world weigh 300 lbs. or more?

    I encourage you to read up on the most recent studies.
  • IsaackGMOON
    IsaackGMOON Posts: 3,358 Member
    sixxpoint wrote: »
    sith78 wrote: »
    It's .8 grams of protein per lean body mass. Not your weight. So if your ideal weight is 180 but you weight 300 are you going to eat 300 grams. Of course not. Lean body mass

    No, at that amount, it's your weight. Don't use extreme examples for this. How many fit people who lift in this world weigh 300 lbs. or more?

    I encourage you to read up on the most recent studies.

    And you'll have to get a BodPod test or DEXA scan just to find out how much LBM you have... you really think the average person is going to bother getting this done, @sith78 ?
  • Dez11B
    Dez11B Posts: 1,542 Member
    sixxpoint wrote: »
    sith78 wrote: »
    It's .8 grams of protein per lean body mass. Not your weight. So if your ideal weight is 180 but you weight 300 are you going to eat 300 grams. Of course not. Lean body mass

    No, at that amount, it's your weight. Don't use extreme examples for this. How many fit people who lift in this world weigh 300 lbs. or more?

    I encourage you to read up on the most recent studies.
    Ok I won't go to that extreme. So if I gained 20 pounds of fat I would have to eat 20 grams of protein

    And you'll have to get a BodPod test or DEXA scan just to find out how much LBM you have... you really think the average person is going to bother getting this done, @sith78 ?

  • yarwell
    yarwell Posts: 10,477 Member
    sixxpoint wrote: »
    You don't have to be a bodybuilder to be able to utilize more than your stated value.

    The value you gave is for sedentary people who are not interested in new muscle synthesis. It is a minimum amount for celluar maintenance and such, not for muscle building.

    The value was for the population, as per the reference. Bodybuilders believe more is beneficial.
  • sixxpoint
    sixxpoint Posts: 3,529 Member
    yarwell wrote: »
    sixxpoint wrote: »
    You don't have to be a bodybuilder to be able to utilize more than your stated value.

    The value you gave is for sedentary people who are not interested in new muscle synthesis. It is a minimum amount for celluar maintenance and such, not for muscle building.

    The value was for the population, as per the reference. Bodybuilders believe more is beneficial.

    So, are you going to prove you're right or what?
  • MelodyandBarbells
    MelodyandBarbells Posts: 7,724 Member
    sixxpoint wrote: »
    sith78 wrote: »
    It's .8 grams of protein per lean body mass. Not your weight. So if your ideal weight is 180 but you weight 300 are you going to eat 300 grams. Of course not. Lean body mass

    No, at that amount, it's your weight. Don't use extreme examples for this. How many fit people who lift in this world weigh 300 lbs. or more?

    I encourage you to read up on the most recent studies.

    And you'll have to get a BodPod test or DEXA scan just to find out how much LBM you have... you really think the average person is going to bother getting this done, @sith78 ?

    The recommendation I've seen is to google that picture that shows what different people male/female look like at various body fat percentages and pick the one that looks most like you