IIFYM protein -- could this be right?!

KatieBearLOL
KatieBearLOL Posts: 17 Member
in Food and Nutrition
I plugged in my info into the IIFYM macro calculator and it is recommending 143g of protein a day. I'm a 30 y/o female on the lower end of "overweight," and other than running 30 mins 3 days a week, my job keeps me pretty sedentary. Regular MFP calculations put me at 79g of protein a day, so the 143g number seems a little high to me.

If you were in my shoes, would you aim for the MFP recommendation, the IIFYM recommendation, or somewhere in between?

Replies

  • seska422
    seska422 Posts: 3,217 Member
    edited November 2015
    I'd aim for the MFP recommendation.

    IIFYM is, at heart, a weightlifting site and weightlifters tend to recommend higher amounts of protein.

    One gram of protein per kilogram of ideal body weight is plenty. The US recommends that women get at least 46 grams of protein per day. People who are losing weight or building muscle can benefit from eating a bit more. 79-100 grams of protein per day is a good range, even for active women.
  • KatieBearLOL
    KatieBearLOL Posts: 17 Member
    seska422 wrote: »
    I'd aim for the MFP recommendation.

    IIFYM is, at heart, a weightlifting site and weightlifters tend to recommend higher amounts of protein.

    One gram of protein per kilogram of ideal body weight is plenty. The US recommends that women get at least 46 grams of protein per day. People who are losing weight or building muscle can benefit from eating a bit more. 79-100 grams of protein per day is a good range, even for active women.

    Thanks. Yeah, that number seemed way off for me.
  • DaddieCat
    DaddieCat Posts: 3,643 Member
    It definitely won't hurt you to eat that much by any means. The USDA recommendations for proteins (and anything, for that matter) are minimums required to prevent deficiency not a recommended daily intake for optimal health.

    The reason you would want more protein is to assist in the preservation of lean mass. If you don't consume enough protein, the body will consume protein from your lean mass stores in order to fulfill its dietary needs. A higher protein intake is recommended to prevent that. In addition to this fact, protein is more satiating and will make you feel fuller for longer. Considering protein is only 4 calories per gram you won't particularly be running into any difficulty with your calorie goals if you overindulge in protein the same as you would for fats, for example, which have 9 calories per gram.

    The typical recommendation for anyone exercising while on a caloric deficit and female is typically .4 to .8 grams per lb of lean body mass, while for males it's .6-1 grams per pound of lean mass.

    Ultimately it's up to you as anyone can lose weight on any macro split provided calories are kept beneath the goal. But, you will preserve more lean mass if you are consuming adequate protein, and even more if you add in some form of resistance exercise in addition to your cardio, but the type of exercise is ultimately up to you and what you enjoy/will consistently do.

    Remember, calories are for weight loss, exercise is to assist with your caloric deficit and for general health. It will hep with weight loss, but is not required by any means.
  • Yi5hedr3
    Yi5hedr3 Posts: 2,696 Member
    Not enough data. Would need to at least know your current weight. Percent bodyfat also needed for accurate numbers.
  • Kalikel
    Kalikel Posts: 9,603 Member
    It could be right, but it probably isn't.

    Make an appointment with a dietitian. You will get really good advice from someone who is actually qualified to give it and it will be tailored to you. Many insurance companies will pay for it, but if yours doesn't, it's not expensive. Stick with the MFP goal until you see the dietitian.
  • mrsbunbunbun
    mrsbunbunbun Posts: 49 Member
    I have never used the MFP guidelines, and believe me, I was thrilled when I discovered how to change my little pie chart thingie, cos it never made sense to me to hit their macros. I since found IIFYM, which is designed to target fat burning. That is afterall what we want, right? Preserve lean muscle mass and burn off the fat? Switching to strict IIFYM for ten days solid helped break me through a huge plateau, so all I can say is, it definitely worked for me, and works for a lot of people on here. Ultimately, it's up to you to try whatever strategy makes sense and see how it works for you! If the first thing you try works right away, great! Use it till it's not working for you anymore. Right? These are all just tools. So you may think that much protein sounds crazy and impossible, but people actually do it! lol For me, I do IIFYM but I increase my protein to 1g per pound of bodyweight, and that works for me, because I like the results I get when I am also mostly lower carb. But I sort of carb cycle now where I may be higher carb 2 or 3 days a week, then I get back to tighter numbers M-Th. Just be true to yourself and try to do what you feel pretty confident you CAN do, pretty happily, and don't be afraid to try something different, too. There's no one size fits all and no one size fits all throughout your entire journey. Good luck!!! :D
  • Larissa_NY
    Larissa_NY Posts: 495 Member
    seska422 wrote: »
    IIFYM is, at heart, a weightlifting site and weightlifters tend to recommend higher amounts of protein.

    This is not false. You need higher amounts of protein if you're perpetually tearing your muscles down and needing to rebuild them. It won't hurt you to increase your protein, that's what kick-starts my own weight loss, but you probably don't need quite as much as you would if you were lifting.

Categories