Protein Help
RowdysLady
Posts: 1,370 Member
I'm fairly new to low carb but want to stick with it. My protein, according to my log is over a lot. Last night by a bunch. I tried, as a late snack to get my fat up by noshing on some cheese but of course, that has protein too so that sky rocketed.
I can't seem to get the fat without the protein. Is the protein overage going to kill this process for me? How do you eat less protein and more fat?
I fry everything in butter but I don't normally count the butter unless I pour it off into my plate because, for example, the fried egg in my diary should already account for the fat needed to fry the egg, right?
Help!
I can't seem to get the fat without the protein. Is the protein overage going to kill this process for me? How do you eat less protein and more fat?
I fry everything in butter but I don't normally count the butter unless I pour it off into my plate because, for example, the fried egg in my diary should already account for the fat needed to fry the egg, right?
Help!
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Replies
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Looks like the chicken and the Atkins shakes are what are getting you. On the days you don't have them, you're actually on the low side.
That said, since you're bouncing (some days low, some days high), I wouldn't worry too much about it. Protein isn't a limit, but a goal range. It's okay to be over or under, and it should even out over longer stretches of time.
A few tips though -- eat chicken with the skin and go for dark meat when possible, get fattier cuts of meat, cook your eggs and steaks in butter, top your meats with butter. Also, I think your chicken leg/thigh entries are inaccurate. Here's what I found for them:
http://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/poultry-products/730/2
https://www.caloriecount.com/calories-chicken-leg-i50781 -
Protein should be the target you hit, whereas the other macros are upper limits. You don't have to hit your fat target - eat until you are satisfied.
If you go over a couple times here and there, it generally isn't a big deal...it is only when you are having too much protein constantly that may hinder your progress.
As for fat sources that aren't large protein sources, try butter and heavy cream. You can make a sauce to cover veggies, meats, etc.0 -
Do you eat protein that has a lot of fat already? For ground beef I have the 73/27 kind. I get roast duck and eat the skin. If you want to make chicken parm make it with crushed pork rinds. Always get beef that is marbleized. I also eat pork belly. For me I like eating animal fat, although I understand it puts off most people. I also put additional butter on everything, my protein, veggies etc... Another good way to get more fat is having a Bullet proof coffee/tea, whip it up with butter and/or coconut/MCT oil. There is always fat bombs. You can google fat bombs there are a lot of recipes online.
I don't think the protein overage will kill the process. I have often gone over the protein but as long as the fat is higher than the protein it has worked for me. At the same time I wouldn't want to go over protein too often. If you are insulin resistant it may work against you. As protein will convert to glucose and you will be burning that before you burn fat. But there are more qualified people in this forum that can speak to that better than me. @Sunny_Bunny_ or @KnitOrMiss you guys know more about what happens when you have too much protein.0 -
Dragonwolf wrote: »Looks like the chicken and the Atkins shakes are what are getting you. On the days you don't have them, you're actually on the low side.
That said, since you're bouncing (some days low, some days high), I wouldn't worry too much about it. Protein isn't a limit, but a goal range. It's okay to be over or under, and it should even out over longer stretches of time.
A few tips though -- eat chicken with the skin and go for dark meat when possible, get fattier cuts of meat, cook your eggs and steaks in butter, top your meats with butter. Also, I think your chicken leg/thigh entries are inaccurate. Here's what I found for them:
http://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/poultry-products/730/2
https://www.caloriecount.com/calories-chicken-leg-i5078
Thank you. When I try to pull the info from our database here, it's not always easy. those links are helpful! I usually eat the skin but last night it was take out breaded and fried and I didn't want to eat the carbs in the coating. I do cook in butter but when I fry something and use the fried version from MFP database I assumed that accounted for the frying agent. Should I add the butter I use for frying too? THANKS!!
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Do you eat protein that has a lot of fat already? For ground beef I have the 73/27 kind. I get roast duck and eat the skin. If you want to make chicken parm make it with crushed pork rinds. Always get beef that is marbleized. I also eat pork belly. For me I like eating animal fat, although I understand it puts off most people. I also put additional butter on everything, my protein, veggies etc... Another good way to get more fat is having a Bullet proof coffee/tea, whip it up with butter and/or coconut/MCT oil. There is always fat bombs. You can google fat bombs there are a lot of recipes online.
I don't think the protein overage will kill the process. I have often gone over the protein but as long as the fat is higher than the protein it has worked for me. At the same time I wouldn't want to go over protein too often. If you are insulin resistant it may work against you. As protein will convert to glucose and you will be burning that before you burn fat. But there are more qualified people in this forum that can speak to that better than me. @Sunny_Bunny_ or @KnitOrMiss you guys know more about what happens when you have too much protein.
I do get the fattier cuts of meat for sure, including ground beef. I also mix ground beef and sausage in things like meatloaf. I should try the butter in my coffee and I've not made fat bombs yet but just started finding recipes. thank you!!!0 -
As for chicken, I only eat the white meat but I learned how to reach my "fat" by including Olive Oil, Kerry Gold butter & yummy whole avocados---- hope this helps and you get your food macros tweaked. good luck
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HWC in protein shakes just makes it wonderful!
Bumps the fat up too.
or 
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HWC in coffee, or tea. No protein, all fat. I believe this stuff has saved my life!0
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It sounds like you realize that a high protein diet is really a high sugar diet because of gluconeogenisis. The problem is that what is that protein needs vary greatly from person to person. So you might be best off to "stop guessing and start testing." You can get a glucometer very cheap at a drug store and check your blood sugar 20 minutes before and after a meal and see what your blood sugar is doing. Good luck!4
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Here is a great little article is was reading just this morning. http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2016/05/07/too-much-protein-triggers-aging-cancer.aspx?utm_source=facebook.com&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=facebookmercola_lead&utm_campaign=20160507_too-much-protein-triggers-aging-cancer2
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I would skip the shakes. If you're going over on protein and drinking protein shakes, that's the simplest fix.
Stick with real foods and you'll find it's not so difficult to get the balance you're needing4 -
What is "HWC?"0
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Be careful with the dairy. It slows my weight loss to a snail's pace, like less than a pound a month, if any. I took out dairy (except a little hard cheese occasionally) and it sped up. YMMV1
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In the beginning I mainly just focused on keeping my carbs below 20g net. Over time I started to learn more about how to increase fat in my diet. I pretty much never worry about protein macros.
I echo what others have said, eat chicken dark meet with skin. Make scrambled eggs with HWC mixed in. Cook the eggs in bacon grease or butter. Also, the MFP database is frustrating. I would not trust and entry that says "fried egg". Instead, enter the individual items such as one large egg, 1tbsp of butter. Bingo, you've now accurately logged a fried egg. I'm not sure if you use a phone, tablet or computer for logging. I use an android phone and the app gives you the ability to scan bar codes on food which makes logging many items super easy. After awhile you wil start to see the same things easily available in your personal list.2 -
KenSmith108 wrote: »HWC in protein shakes just makes it wonderful!
Bumps the fat up too. or
HWC? - never mind...answered above 0 -
Be careful with the dairy. It slows my weight loss to a snail's pace, like less than a pound a month, if any. I took out dairy (except a little hard cheese occasionally) and it sped up. YMMV
This I'm going to try. I've been using cheese as a go to for adding fat. My weight has stalled completely.0 -
daylitemag wrote: »In the beginning I mainly just focused on keeping my carbs below 20g net. Over time I started to learn more about how to increase fat in my diet. I pretty much never worry about protein macros.
I echo what others have said, eat chicken dark meet with skin. Make scrambled eggs with HWC mixed in. Cook the eggs in bacon grease or butter. Also, the MFP database is frustrating. I would not trust and entry that says "fried egg". Instead, enter the individual items such as one large egg, 1tbsp of butter. Bingo, you've now accurately logged a fried egg. I'm not sure if you use a phone, tablet or computer for logging. I use an android phone and the app gives you the ability to scan bar codes on food which makes logging many items super easy. After awhile you wil start to see the same things easily available in your personal list.
Definitely frustrating. I'll start adding stuff individually too. I use both to log, so when I can, I scan 0 -
I appreciate all of the input so much! Thanks to all!!0
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Glad I saw where this question was asked. I've been considerably high on protein also which I have set to 20% of my calorie intake. I need to cut the portions of cheese and meat and add mo' butter.2
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Snack-wise, macadamia nuts have a LOT of fat, and only a skosh of protein, so those are a nice option also.3
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Karlatapp- HWC in coffee, or tea. No protein, all fat. I believe this stuff has saved my life!
Absolutely! the one thing I could never give up was HWC in my daily coffee, now I have no reason NOT to indulge.
Macadamias are deliciously dangerous to me 10 nuts is 200 calories!! a bit hit on daily totals.
MFP food tracks are all over the board, you see the same thing posted 5 ways, so choose the most accurate, and/or list as individual items as suggested.2 -
absolutely use coconut oil in your coffee or just eat a spoonful! use it as much as you can, then you don't worry whipping cream dairy is slowing you down. macadamia nuts, braunsweiger is great too, mix it with mayo and eat it on celery or by itself. Major fats.1
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This protein thing has really got me doing a lot of reading and along the way I ran into this on insulin load calculation which accounts for excess protein as suffer. Pretty cool: https://optimisingnutrition.com/2016/05/02/insulin-load-the-greatest-thing-since-carb-counting/0
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absolutely use coconut oil in your coffee or just eat a spoonful! use it as much as you can, then you don't worry whipping cream dairy is slowing you down. macadamia nuts, braunsweiger is great too, mix it with mayo and eat it on celery or by itself. Major fats.
Getting lots of vitamin K by eating a lot of great preservative free liverwurst from a local German butcher shop. YUM!!!!1
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