not getting enough protein

celesticamk
celesticamk Posts: 3 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I have been a vegeterian for couple of months now and now I have transitioned into vegan mostly. I dont like these 'labels' but it is 90 percent how i eat now. i eat a lot of raw veggies and fruits and making smoothies out of them. sometimes i eat some egg whites or put in some pesto sauce.
The problem is, since I started tracking my calories I see I consume lot less than 1200 and low protein. I am full all the time and I can not imagine eating more (I am quite sedentary now/ office and home work), but I am worried about my protein. Is it really bad if I dont consume much protein?
I eat a lot of leafy greens, and I would gladly go full vegan but I do not want to give up eggs now. I am not a fan of nuts generally, almonds only

Replies

  • janejellyroll
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member
    What is your calorie goal? Are you trying to lose weight? Chances are, you do need more than 1,200 calories. It sounds like your diet may be very low fat -- your body does need some fat to run properly. How much protein are you getting on an average day? Plant sources of protein include beans, grains, tofu, seitan, and tempeh. You are also getting some protein from the eggs and almonds you eat also. There are also plant-based protein powders if you are interested in supplementing.
  • celesticamk
    celesticamk Posts: 3 Member
    MFP says 1200. I have maybe 10 lbs to lose in total to reach my usual weight (120 lbs), since I have been carbing up on sweets a lot for the past 2 months ( i have PCOS so doctor suggested removing all processed sugar from now on as well as gluten). In my country vegan diet is not very popular so I have troubles finding items you have suggested.
    I feel good though. Maybe it is enough to have couple of eggs per week until I find something besides hummus to balance it out and go full vegan.
  • janejellyroll
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member
    celesticamk wrote: »
    MFP says 1200. I have maybe 10 lbs to lose in total to reach my usual weight (120 lbs), since I have been carbing up on sweets a lot for the past 2 months ( i have PCOS so doctor suggested removing all processed sugar from now on as well as gluten). In my country vegan diet is not very popular so I have troubles finding items you have suggested.
    I feel good though. Maybe it is enough to have couple of eggs per week until I find something besides hummus to balance it out and go full vegan.

    I'm not sure where you live, but you should be able to find beans and grains in most countries to help you meet your protein goals.
  • dhimaan
    dhimaan Posts: 774 Member
    There are plant derived proteins on the market. If you are really concerned about hitting your protein goals get one of these.
  • pstegman888
    pstegman888 Posts: 286 Member
    You need a reasonable amount of protein, it's very important to cellular & muscle maintenance (which includes your heart), and other functions. Protein powder, nuts, nut butter, hardboiled eggs, peas, quinoa, beans, seeds, soy/tofu ... all these can be used as salad toppers or added to veggie dishes to give a little protein boost. I check my macros daily...if I am a little high on carbs/low on protein one day, then I make the next day a Protein Day to really focus on getting my protein up.
  • diannethegeek
    diannethegeek Posts: 14,776 Member
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  • RodaRose
    RodaRose Posts: 9,562 Member
    Eat less fruit -- they have only a tiny amount of protein. You can eat beans, chic peas, lentils, seeds, more almonds and more leafy greens.
  • cafeaulait7
    cafeaulait7 Posts: 2,459 Member
    Bean soups or stews are awesome! If you haven't tried lots of variations of those (my favorites are French and Italian), make sure to try some. I don't like beans just as beans, but I could eat bean dishes daily easily!

    Don't worry about the carbs in them, either. I am diabetic and have PCOS, and the very, very low glycemic index of beans makes them great to eat (tons of fiber). My glucose monitor bears that out with no doubt (although my carbs for the day look terrible after bowls of bean stew, lol).
  • Sarah4fitness
    Sarah4fitness Posts: 437 Member
    Dot fit has an AMAZING plant protein. AMAZING. I drink it by choice. The vanilla kills me.
  • Merkavar
    Merkavar Posts: 3,082 Member
    I recommend lentils.

    I think the lentils I have are 35g protein for around 400 calories.

    Or frozen mint peas :smiley:
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 28,052 Member
    Here's a vegetarian who goes over on her protein: http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10253256/need-to-cut-back-on-protein-help

    Checkout the thread and maybe ask to see her diary.
  • celesticamk
    celesticamk Posts: 3 Member
    Thank you all for help. I will look into it
    cafeaulait7 wrote: »
    Bean soups or stews are awesome! If you haven't tried lots of variations of those (my favorites are French and Italian), make sure to try some. I don't like beans just as beans, but I could eat bean dishes daily easily!

    Don't worry about the carbs in them, either. I am diabetic and have PCOS, and the very, very low glycemic index of beans makes them great to eat (tons of fiber). My glucose monitor bears that out with no doubt (although my carbs for the day look terrible after bowls of bean stew, lol).

    I was wondering since you have PCOS also what diet do you find better for weght loss and maintaining weight? HCLF or LC?
    I always changing it up, trying to see what feels better
  • MlleKelly
    MlleKelly Posts: 356 Member
    Check out budgetbytes.com and check the vegan/vegetarian section. She has AWESOME recipes that are easy, delicious, and a lot of them are full of great proteins. I also like the Weeknight Black Bean Chili, but I made it with crumbled tofu instead of ground turkey.

    I do eat fish, but my vegetarian proteins of choice are black and cannelini beans, cottage cheese, Greek yogurt, veggie burgers (like Morning Star or Boca), and protein shakes (either pre-made like AdvantEdge or Protein Plus or made at home with milk and whey protein powder).
  • cafeaulait7
    cafeaulait7 Posts: 2,459 Member
    edited September 2015
    celesticamk wrote: »
    Thank you all for help. I will look into it
    cafeaulait7 wrote: »
    Bean soups or stews are awesome! If you haven't tried lots of variations of those (my favorites are French and Italian), make sure to try some. I don't like beans just as beans, but I could eat bean dishes daily easily!

    Don't worry about the carbs in them, either. I am diabetic and have PCOS, and the very, very low glycemic index of beans makes them great to eat (tons of fiber). My glucose monitor bears that out with no doubt (although my carbs for the day look terrible after bowls of bean stew, lol).

    I was wondering since you have PCOS also what diet do you find better for weght loss and maintaining weight? HCLF or LC?
    I always changing it up, trying to see what feels better

    Definitely lower carb for me, with my insulin resistance. PCOS and insulin resistance tend to go hand in hand, so watch for that because of the risk of diabetes! But the low glycemic load carbs are great, so I still eat most fruits (not fruit juice), lots of beans, and real whole grains.

    I even did find that lower carb makes my belly flatter at my problem spot at the bottom. I have no idea how that works and didn't expect it at all, but it does.

    I've never, ever done those super-low carb diets, so I just mean cutting out a bunch of fast carbs from what I used to love to eat.

    I'm also on Metformin now, so that certainly helped with weight loss. I saw a big, fast drop for weeks after starting taking it. My blood sugar was pre-diabetic when I went on it.
  • Kalikel
    Kalikel Posts: 9,603 Member
    edited September 2015
    A healthy amount of protein is necessary for a balanced diet, but you needn't get it from meat. Eggs, tofu, tempeh, milk (all the diary), legumes and edamame are all good sources of protein. :)

    If you aren't philosophically opposed to them, veggie burgers aren't bad sources of protein.
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  • flamingblades
    flamingblades Posts: 311 Member
    celesticamk wrote: »
    MFP says 1200. I have maybe 10 lbs to lose in total to reach my usual weight (120 lbs), since I have been carbing up on sweets a lot for the past 2 months ( i have PCOS so doctor suggested removing all processed sugar from now on as well as gluten). In my country vegan diet is not very popular so I have troubles finding items you have suggested.
    I feel good though. Maybe it is enough to have couple of eggs per week until I find something besides hummus to balance it out and go full vegan.

    I always keep 5 bean salad on hand for one of my proteins, and also Cellucor protein powder has great flavors that don't have the after taste some other powders have. Peanut butter...edamame...chic peas...the list is endless...
  • samwiserabbit
    samwiserabbit Posts: 153 Member
    You may not need as much protein as MFP suggests. Every body is different, and everybody has different goals. You can find some good (and some not so good) suggestions online for protein needs. I've been vegan for 23 years, and since I started tracking my intake on MFP I notice my protein comes in a little under their suggestion almost every day. It's a suggestion. My suspicion is that your body will adjust to processing the ruffage you've recently started eating and you'll be hungrier again soon. And remember, _of course_ you can get enough protein, even just from vegetables; look at gorillas!
  • Labyrinthine93
    Labyrinthine93 Posts: 46 Member
    You only have 10lbs to lose and you're eating 1200 calories?
  • FitnessDebunked_com
    FitnessDebunked_com Posts: 7 Member
    hi135 wrote: »
    Protein shakes. Mix it with water if you're worried about calories adding up and down it quick.

    /END THREAD

    This or eat nuts (but it's more fat than protein).

    I kind of understand vegan/vegetarianism but I totally wouldn't choose to limit myself to that.
  • nordlead2005
    nordlead2005 Posts: 1,303 Member
    You haven't said how much protein you are getting or how much you are trying to get.

    You only need 0.8g/kg for protein (average person, USDAA recommendation). That isn't a lot and is relatively easy to get. If you are a male who weighs 175lb and eats 2500 calories to maintain, that is only 64g of protein, or ~11% of your diet. If you are a 120lb female who eats 1700 calories, that is 44g of protein or still ~11% of your diet.
  • slideaway1
    slideaway1 Posts: 1,006 Member
    Even if you don't lift weights etc protein is a very important macro for maintaining your lean muscle mass. For such a low calorie consumption like yourself you want to maintain as much muscle as possible while you are dieting. The more muscle you maintain, the more efficiently you will burn calories at rest. I don't really know much about how Vegans get their protein, but if you can drink vegan friendly shakes then that would seem like problem solved. High protein and fairly low calories per shake. Protein shakes are also quite filling.
  • cndkendrick
    cndkendrick Posts: 138 Member
    No, I would not worry about being "under proteined". Try reading Rip Esselstyn's My Beef With Meat.

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