Is a high protein diet best?

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  • btucker9413
    btucker9413 Posts: 40 Member
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    neohdiver wrote: »
    AnguishLanguish wrote: »
    MsSquatAlot wrote: »

    I just want to say this this is not true for everyone, I have lost122lbs since June of last year. I know what you mean but there was nothing dangerous or unhealthy about my weight loss. Aggressive? Yes. Unrealistic? Perhaps for some.

    That's why I specifically mentioned the supervision of a Doctor/Dietitian. Just out of curiosity, were you at a higher starting weight than OP?

    Almost certainly above the OPs starting weight, since her ticker indicates her target weight loss is 190 lbs. I doubt she is trying to get to 58 lbs. . .

    Her weight loss is still likely above 1% a week (unless she started at at around 450 lbs) - but both the higher starting weight and the longer period over which it was lost still make it a safer, less aggressive loss, than the OP is suggesting.

    My starting weight as of Wednesday is 252lbs. I'd like to get to 190lbs, but id REALLY want to get down to 160lbs.
  • robertw486
    robertw486 Posts: 2,388 Member
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    btucker9413 wrote: »
    robertw486 wrote: »
    btucker9413 wrote: »
    MichelleLei1 wrote: »
    To be honest, I really don't think you should be counting this walking as exercise. Although you are on your feet from 11-9, unless you are truly moving nonstop, you're probably not burning much. On top of that my fitnesspal tends to overestimate calories.

    I think people tend to overcomplicate everything. The best diet to achieve your goals is one that is sustainable and that you enjoy.

    I'm trying to find a happy medium where my diet and exercise is balanced. I guess I don't fully understand because I thought it didn't matter whether you did something daily or something new that it was still calories burned, if that makes sense.

    A calorie burned is a calorie burned. If you set up MFP to include your work related walking in your activity level, it's already accounted for, but as an estimate. You could also set it up as sedentary activity level and use a step tracker or Fitbit type device, as that would account for daily variances better.

    Either way if you set it up right the calorie deficit for your weight loss goal is already included in the total MFP gives you. So just be cautious about entering any extra exercise, and understand that MFP tends to estimate high. But if you can get your calorie burns correct, you could eat every calorie right up to the MFP net calorie count suggested.

    And at your starting weight, I don't think 2 lb week is overly aggressive. Most say that 1% of body weight per week is a safe and sustainable goal. Naturally as you lose weight, at some point you'll want to adjust your weekly loss goal to a lower number to maintain that rate.

    The concern most are voicing and that I agree with is that many people get so motivated and aggressive that before you know it they are cutting their daily calories in half. If you eat that little chances are your nutritional content suffers, your sleep can suffer, and being on your feet all day might get old in a hurry.

    As for your original question, reasonably high levels of protein help protect against greater muscle loss, and often for many people proteins keep them feeling full longer as well. Until you reach a point of cutting fats and carbs too much there really isn't any reason not to eat higher protein if you want.

    I am only missing my required calories by about 300. I am not starving myself, I actually feel fuller by eating "clean" as people would say. I've cut sodas, not eating fried foods, and ultimately portion control. I love food so I'll never be able to cut my eating in half. Lol. I just want to make sure I'm counting calories burned right and you've answered my questions on that, I appreciate you. I'm motivated, I'm aggressive, but I also love food too much to just not eat at all.

    If you can meet your nutritional requirements with fewer calories, adding a small extra deficit here and there isn't going to hurt, unless you feel tired or hungry. But keep in mind, by having your weight loss goal at 2 lbs a week, you are already being given a number that is 1000 calories a day less than what it would take to maintain your current weight. In your case, that extra 300 would keep you right at about that 1% per week. But as you lose weight, it's mostly the fat. Since you have less fat on your body to use for fuel you will have to slowly change your loss rate or risk being more tired, hungry, etc.

  • btucker9413
    btucker9413 Posts: 40 Member
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    robertw486 wrote: »
    btucker9413 wrote: »
    robertw486 wrote: »
    btucker9413 wrote: »
    MichelleLei1 wrote: »
    To be honest, I really don't think you should be counting this walking as exercise. Although you are on your feet from 11-9, unless you are truly moving nonstop, you're probably not burning much. On top of that my fitnesspal tends to overestimate calories.

    I think people tend to overcomplicate everything. The best diet to achieve your goals is one that is sustainable and that you enjoy.

    I'm trying to find a happy medium where my diet and exercise is balanced. I guess I don't fully understand because I thought it didn't matter whether you did something daily or something new that it was still calories burned, if that makes sense.

    A calorie burned is a calorie burned. If you set up MFP to include your work related walking in your activity level, it's already accounted for, but as an estimate. You could also set it up as sedentary activity level and use a step tracker or Fitbit type device, as that would account for daily variances better.

    Either way if you set it up right the calorie deficit for your weight loss goal is already included in the total MFP gives you. So just be cautious about entering any extra exercise, and understand that MFP tends to estimate high. But if you can get your calorie burns correct, you could eat every calorie right up to the MFP net calorie count suggested.

    And at your starting weight, I don't think 2 lb week is overly aggressive. Most say that 1% of body weight per week is a safe and sustainable goal. Naturally as you lose weight, at some point you'll want to adjust your weekly loss goal to a lower number to maintain that rate.

    The concern most are voicing and that I agree with is that many people get so motivated and aggressive that before you know it they are cutting their daily calories in half. If you eat that little chances are your nutritional content suffers, your sleep can suffer, and being on your feet all day might get old in a hurry.

    As for your original question, reasonably high levels of protein help protect against greater muscle loss, and often for many people proteins keep them feeling full longer as well. Until you reach a point of cutting fats and carbs too much there really isn't any reason not to eat higher protein if you want.

    I am only missing my required calories by about 300. I am not starving myself, I actually feel fuller by eating "clean" as people would say. I've cut sodas, not eating fried foods, and ultimately portion control. I love food so I'll never be able to cut my eating in half. Lol. I just want to make sure I'm counting calories burned right and you've answered my questions on that, I appreciate you. I'm motivated, I'm aggressive, but I also love food too much to just not eat at all.

    If you can meet your nutritional requirements with fewer calories, adding a small extra deficit here and there isn't going to hurt, unless you feel tired or hungry. But keep in mind, by having your weight loss goal at 2 lbs a week, you are already being given a number that is 1000 calories a day less than what it would take to maintain your current weight. In your case, that extra 300 would keep you right at about that 1% per week. But as you lose weight, it's mostly the fat. Since you have less fat on your body to use for fuel you will have to slowly change your loss rate or risk being more tired, hungry, etc.

    Awesome! I appreciate all your help and guidance in my weight loss journey! Wish me luck!

  • neohdiver
    neohdiver Posts: 738 Member
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    btucker9413 wrote: »
    neohdiver wrote: »
    AnguishLanguish wrote: »
    MsSquatAlot wrote: »

    I just want to say this this is not true for everyone, I have lost122lbs since June of last year. I know what you mean but there was nothing dangerous or unhealthy about my weight loss. Aggressive? Yes. Unrealistic? Perhaps for some.

    That's why I specifically mentioned the supervision of a Doctor/Dietitian. Just out of curiosity, were you at a higher starting weight than OP?

    Almost certainly above the OPs starting weight, since her ticker indicates her target weight loss is 190 lbs. I doubt she is trying to get to 58 lbs. . .

    Her weight loss is still likely above 1% a week (unless she started at at around 450 lbs) - but both the higher starting weight and the longer period over which it was lost still make it a safer, less aggressive loss, than the OP is suggesting.

    My starting weight as of Wednesday is 252lbs. I'd like to get to 190lbs, but id REALLY want to get down to 160lbs.

    I was suggesting that MsSquatAlot's starting weight was well above yours, because her goal is to LOSE 190 lbs - which would put her at 58 lbs by the time she reaches her goal if she started at the same weight. 1% of something north of 300 lbs (where she started) is higher than 1% of your weight - so she could safely lose more pounds in the same time period. (Unless she was around 450, though, her weight loss was still faster than a recommended healthy rate - and she still received the same advice you are getting: set healthier goals.)
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 27,902 Member
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    btucker9413 wrote: »
    I calculate my exercise with this app. Brisk pace walking for 350 minutes. I'm on my feet all day from 11-9. Some times I walk at a regular pace but most usually brisk

    You should put the activity you get from work in your Activity Level. Try Lightly Active or Active.

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/account/change_goals_guided

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  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 27,902 Member
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    lemurcat12 wrote: »
    btucker9413 wrote: »
    I currently weigh 248lbs and would like to be 160 by June. Is a high protein diet the best way to achieve this? With exercise of course.

    Depends on what you mean by high protein. There are benefits to keeping protein .65 to .85 per lb of healthy body weight (for me I aim for over 100), and for many protein is more satiating than fat or carbs, so including more deals with hunger issues (although many of us got overweight without hunger issues).

    Beyond that, no benefits. As someone who went from about 220 to about 125 in 13 months and has been maintaining for a while, I recommend no time-based weight goal and to focus on process goals instead (keeping to calories, eating in a particular way, doing specific exercises), none unreasonable or too harsh. If you also maintain a deficit the weight comes off as expected, but it can vary week to week, so why focus on what you don't have control over. Focus on making your healthy lifestyle a habit you can maintain.

    Well said, especially the bolded.

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