How much protein do I really need?

I weigh about 130 pounds, am a female and am 5'5". How many grams of protein should I have daily if I'm moderately active? I run/bike 4 times a week and lift at least 3 times a week too. I'm not looking to put on muscle, just maintain. I'm also a vegetarian so most of my protein has fat too, with the nuts and beans.
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Replies

  • SezxyStef
    SezxyStef Posts: 15,267 Member
    my rule is 0.8 grams for each pound I weigh...so about 100 grams...

    but you won't build muscle with just eating protein...you need to work them with resistance and eat at least at maintenance and/or surplus.

    As well try protein powders if you want...no fat in those.
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,427 MFP Moderator
    edited July 2016
    What are your goals? There is a huge difference between how much you need vs how much is optimal for your goals. It also depends if you are cutting, maintaining or bulking.
  • redraidergirl2009
    redraidergirl2009 Posts: 2,560 Member
    psulemon wrote: »
    What are your goals? There is a huge difference between how much you need vs how much is optimal for your goals. It also depends if you are cutting, maintaining or bulking.

    She said maintain.
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,427 MFP Moderator
    Actually the .8 is per kilo not pound..lots of people get this confused...so you really only need about 50ish give or take

    Higher levels, 1.5-2.2g per kg is what is need to maintain lean body mass, during a deficit, while being lean. The .8g per kg is for sedentary people who are maintaining their weight.
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,427 MFP Moderator
    edited July 2016
    psulemon wrote: »
    What are your goals? There is a huge difference between how much you need vs how much is optimal for your goals. It also depends if you are cutting, maintaining or bulking.

    She said maintain.

    Opps.. missed that.

    Being active, she will required more than the average person. And .8-1g per lb of lean body mass, may not be a bad target.
  • redraidergirl2009
    redraidergirl2009 Posts: 2,560 Member
    edited July 2016
    psulemon wrote: »
    psulemon wrote: »
    What are your goals? There is a huge difference between how much you need vs how much is optimal for your goals. It also depends if you are cutting, maintaining or bulking.

    She said maintain.

    Opps.. missed that.

    Being active, she will required more than the average person. And .8-1g per lb of lean body mass, may not be a bad target.

    I'm pretty sure it's per kg, not pound. If she targets eating too much protein she's likely going to overlook other nutrients like a lot of people do on this site. You just pee out the extra. She's tiny at 130. I don't think she needs 100-130g just to maintain.
  • callumwalker1995
    callumwalker1995 Posts: 389 Member
    psulemon wrote: »
    psulemon wrote: »
    What are your goals? There is a huge difference between how much you need vs how much is optimal for your goals. It also depends if you are cutting, maintaining or bulking.

    She said maintain.

    Opps.. missed that.

    Being active, she will required more than the average person. And .8-1g per lb of lean body mass, may not be a bad target.

    I'm pretty sure it's per kg, not pound. If she targets eating too much protein she's likely going to overlook other nutrients like a lot of people do on this site. You just pee out the extra. She's tiny at 130. I don't think she needs 100-130g just to maintain.

    Per kg is ridiculously low
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,427 MFP Moderator
    edited July 2016
    psulemon wrote: »
    psulemon wrote: »
    What are your goals? There is a huge difference between how much you need vs how much is optimal for your goals. It also depends if you are cutting, maintaining or bulking.

    She said maintain.

    Opps.. missed that.

    Being active, she will required more than the average person. And .8-1g per lb of lean body mass, may not be a bad target.

    I'm pretty sure it's per kg, not pound. If she targets eating too much protein she's likely going to overlook other nutrients like a lot of people do on this site. You just pee out the extra. She's tiny at 130. I don't think she needs 100-130g just to maintain.

    Like I said, it's mainly based on goals. But there is a ton of research that supports higher than RDA protein levels. Since she isn't in a deficit, then it may not need to be as much. But there is no downside to eating above the minimums.

    http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10334013/protein-intake-for-highly-trained-natural-weight-lifters-during-caloric-deficit/p1


    http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/823505/research-on-protien-intake
  • lithezebra
    lithezebra Posts: 3,670 Member
    edited July 2016
    psulemon wrote: »
    psulemon wrote: »
    What are your goals? There is a huge difference between how much you need vs how much is optimal for your goals. It also depends if you are cutting, maintaining or bulking.

    She said maintain.

    Opps.. missed that.

    Being active, she will required more than the average person. And .8-1g per lb of lean body mass, may not be a bad target.

    I'm pretty sure it's per kg, not pound. If she targets eating too much protein she's likely going to overlook other nutrients like a lot of people do on this site. You just pee out the extra. She's tiny at 130. I don't think she needs 100-130g just to maintain.

    You would use extra protein the same way you'd use other calories, not pee it out. 0.8/kg is quite low for a person who exercises regularly. Why waste your strength training by not getting enough protein? You're not going to get bigger by eating enough protein if you aren't training like a bodybuilder. You'll recover faster and be less prone to injury.
  • tillerstouch
    tillerstouch Posts: 608 Member
    I agree .8g per kg of body weight should be fine. Although personally I like the 1 gram per pound of lean body weight.
  • dopeysmelly
    dopeysmelly Posts: 1,390 Member
    I'm about your weight and target 50g. I eat plant-based about 90% of the time and have no problem getting a bit more than this. I've never seen conclusive evidence of the benefits of eating more than the RDA if you are not in deficit or trying to gain muscle mass.

    The symptoms of not enough protein are things like feeling tired a lot, hair loss and getting sick. If this doesn't describe you, then I wouldn't worry.
  • SezxyStef
    SezxyStef Posts: 15,267 Member
    psulemon wrote: »
    psulemon wrote: »
    What are your goals? There is a huge difference between how much you need vs how much is optimal for your goals. It also depends if you are cutting, maintaining or bulking.

    She said maintain.

    Opps.. missed that.

    Being active, she will required more than the average person. And .8-1g per lb of lean body mass, may not be a bad target.

    I'm pretty sure it's per kg, not pound. If she targets eating too much protein she's likely going to overlook other nutrients like a lot of people do on this site. You just pee out the extra. She's tiny at 130. I don't think she needs 100-130g just to maintain.

    that is the RDA minimum and its' not enough for active people.

    I do the 0.8 grams per pound of weight and my other macros are not overlooked at all...

    100 grams is not a bad number for an active woman to try to achieve.

    I am just a bit taller and a bit heavier and I get in 130-140 a day easy and get in lots of fats and carbs too...it's all in what you choose to eat.
  • redraidergirl2009
    redraidergirl2009 Posts: 2,560 Member
    SezxyStef wrote: »
    psulemon wrote: »
    psulemon wrote: »
    What are your goals? There is a huge difference between how much you need vs how much is optimal for your goals. It also depends if you are cutting, maintaining or bulking.

    She said maintain.

    Opps.. missed that.

    Being active, she will required more than the average person. And .8-1g per lb of lean body mass, may not be a bad target.

    I'm pretty sure it's per kg, not pound. If she targets eating too much protein she's likely going to overlook other nutrients like a lot of people do on this site. You just pee out the extra. She's tiny at 130. I don't think she needs 100-130g just to maintain.

    that is the RDA minimum and its' not enough for active people.

    I do the 0.8 grams per pound of weight and my other macros are not overlooked at all...

    100 grams is not a bad number for an active woman to try to achieve.

    I am just a bit taller and a bit heavier and I get in 130-140 a day easy and get in lots of fats and carbs too...it's all in what you choose to eat.

    Just seems like overkill to me to eat that much protein to only maintain...but I guess however people want to use their calories. We all have different goals.
  • SezxyStef
    SezxyStef Posts: 15,267 Member
    SezxyStef wrote: »
    psulemon wrote: »
    psulemon wrote: »
    What are your goals? There is a huge difference between how much you need vs how much is optimal for your goals. It also depends if you are cutting, maintaining or bulking.

    She said maintain.

    Opps.. missed that.

    Being active, she will required more than the average person. And .8-1g per lb of lean body mass, may not be a bad target.

    I'm pretty sure it's per kg, not pound. If she targets eating too much protein she's likely going to overlook other nutrients like a lot of people do on this site. You just pee out the extra. She's tiny at 130. I don't think she needs 100-130g just to maintain.

    that is the RDA minimum and its' not enough for active people.

    I do the 0.8 grams per pound of weight and my other macros are not overlooked at all...

    100 grams is not a bad number for an active woman to try to achieve.

    I am just a bit taller and a bit heavier and I get in 130-140 a day easy and get in lots of fats and carbs too...it's all in what you choose to eat.

    Just seems like overkill to me to eat that much protein to only maintain...but I guess however people want to use their calories. We all have different goals.

    my diary is open...when you see what I do eat it's not a lot of "stuff"

    summer so protein powder in my smoothie/ winter egg muffins and ham
    Lunch burger with cheese and cottage cheese
    dinner probably ham steak with roasted veggies, last night shrimp with pasta salad..or a partial chicken breast etc.

    normal meals...normal life.

  • ForecasterJason
    ForecasterJason Posts: 2,577 Member
    Considering the amount of lean body mass you have, you could get by with 80-90 grams.
  • redraidergirl2009
    redraidergirl2009 Posts: 2,560 Member
    SezxyStef wrote: »
    SezxyStef wrote: »
    psulemon wrote: »
    psulemon wrote: »
    What are your goals? There is a huge difference between how much you need vs how much is optimal for your goals. It also depends if you are cutting, maintaining or bulking.

    She said maintain.

    Opps.. missed that.

    Being active, she will required more than the average person. And .8-1g per lb of lean body mass, may not be a bad target.

    I'm pretty sure it's per kg, not pound. If she targets eating too much protein she's likely going to overlook other nutrients like a lot of people do on this site. You just pee out the extra. She's tiny at 130. I don't think she needs 100-130g just to maintain.

    that is the RDA minimum and its' not enough for active people.

    I do the 0.8 grams per pound of weight and my other macros are not overlooked at all...

    100 grams is not a bad number for an active woman to try to achieve.

    I am just a bit taller and a bit heavier and I get in 130-140 a day easy and get in lots of fats and carbs too...it's all in what you choose to eat.

    Just seems like overkill to me to eat that much protein to only maintain...but I guess however people want to use their calories. We all have different goals.

    my diary is open...when you see what I do eat it's not a lot of "stuff"

    summer so protein powder in my smoothie/ winter egg muffins and ham
    Lunch burger with cheese and cottage cheese
    dinner probably ham steak with roasted veggies, last night shrimp with pasta salad..or a partial chicken breast etc.

    normal meals...normal life.

    Well the OP is vegetarian so her meals are going to look a little different as the protein will be from different sources and likely not a big piece of tofu at each meal similar to your meat serving at each meal. Her diary will likely be a bit more carb heavy.
  • SezxyStef
    SezxyStef Posts: 15,267 Member
    SezxyStef wrote: »
    SezxyStef wrote: »
    psulemon wrote: »
    psulemon wrote: »
    What are your goals? There is a huge difference between how much you need vs how much is optimal for your goals. It also depends if you are cutting, maintaining or bulking.

    She said maintain.

    Opps.. missed that.

    Being active, she will required more than the average person. And .8-1g per lb of lean body mass, may not be a bad target.

    I'm pretty sure it's per kg, not pound. If she targets eating too much protein she's likely going to overlook other nutrients like a lot of people do on this site. You just pee out the extra. She's tiny at 130. I don't think she needs 100-130g just to maintain.

    that is the RDA minimum and its' not enough for active people.

    I do the 0.8 grams per pound of weight and my other macros are not overlooked at all...

    100 grams is not a bad number for an active woman to try to achieve.

    I am just a bit taller and a bit heavier and I get in 130-140 a day easy and get in lots of fats and carbs too...it's all in what you choose to eat.

    Just seems like overkill to me to eat that much protein to only maintain...but I guess however people want to use their calories. We all have different goals.

    my diary is open...when you see what I do eat it's not a lot of "stuff"

    summer so protein powder in my smoothie/ winter egg muffins and ham
    Lunch burger with cheese and cottage cheese
    dinner probably ham steak with roasted veggies, last night shrimp with pasta salad..or a partial chicken breast etc.

    normal meals...normal life.

    Well the OP is vegetarian so her meals are going to look a little different as the protein will be from different sources and likely not a big piece of tofu at each meal similar to your meat serving at each meal. Her diary will likely be a bit more carb heavy.

    that's fine...vegetarians don't need less protein than omnivores.

    There are other ways of getting it in....I am just saying that 100 grams is not that hard to do and it's not unreasonable either even for a vegetarian...cottage cheese for example or greek yogurt
  • janejellyroll
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member
    SezxyStef wrote: »
    SezxyStef wrote: »
    psulemon wrote: »
    psulemon wrote: »
    What are your goals? There is a huge difference between how much you need vs how much is optimal for your goals. It also depends if you are cutting, maintaining or bulking.

    She said maintain.

    Opps.. missed that.

    Being active, she will required more than the average person. And .8-1g per lb of lean body mass, may not be a bad target.

    I'm pretty sure it's per kg, not pound. If she targets eating too much protein she's likely going to overlook other nutrients like a lot of people do on this site. You just pee out the extra. She's tiny at 130. I don't think she needs 100-130g just to maintain.

    that is the RDA minimum and its' not enough for active people.

    I do the 0.8 grams per pound of weight and my other macros are not overlooked at all...

    100 grams is not a bad number for an active woman to try to achieve.

    I am just a bit taller and a bit heavier and I get in 130-140 a day easy and get in lots of fats and carbs too...it's all in what you choose to eat.

    Just seems like overkill to me to eat that much protein to only maintain...but I guess however people want to use their calories. We all have different goals.

    my diary is open...when you see what I do eat it's not a lot of "stuff"

    summer so protein powder in my smoothie/ winter egg muffins and ham
    Lunch burger with cheese and cottage cheese
    dinner probably ham steak with roasted veggies, last night shrimp with pasta salad..or a partial chicken breast etc.

    normal meals...normal life.

    Well the OP is vegetarian so her meals are going to look a little different as the protein will be from different sources and likely not a big piece of tofu at each meal similar to your meat serving at each meal. Her diary will likely be a bit more carb heavy.

    Big pieces of tofu (or tempeh or seitan) are an option though. I've done it when I want to amp the protein in a meal.
  • redraidergirl2009
    redraidergirl2009 Posts: 2,560 Member
    SezxyStef wrote: »
    SezxyStef wrote: »
    psulemon wrote: »
    psulemon wrote: »
    What are your goals? There is a huge difference between how much you need vs how much is optimal for your goals. It also depends if you are cutting, maintaining or bulking.

    She said maintain.

    Opps.. missed that.

    Being active, she will required more than the average person. And .8-1g per lb of lean body mass, may not be a bad target.

    I'm pretty sure it's per kg, not pound. If she targets eating too much protein she's likely going to overlook other nutrients like a lot of people do on this site. You just pee out the extra. She's tiny at 130. I don't think she needs 100-130g just to maintain.

    that is the RDA minimum and its' not enough for active people.

    I do the 0.8 grams per pound of weight and my other macros are not overlooked at all...

    100 grams is not a bad number for an active woman to try to achieve.

    I am just a bit taller and a bit heavier and I get in 130-140 a day easy and get in lots of fats and carbs too...it's all in what you choose to eat.

    Just seems like overkill to me to eat that much protein to only maintain...but I guess however people want to use their calories. We all have different goals.

    my diary is open...when you see what I do eat it's not a lot of "stuff"

    summer so protein powder in my smoothie/ winter egg muffins and ham
    Lunch burger with cheese and cottage cheese
    dinner probably ham steak with roasted veggies, last night shrimp with pasta salad..or a partial chicken breast etc.

    normal meals...normal life.

    Well the OP is vegetarian so her meals are going to look a little different as the protein will be from different sources and likely not a big piece of tofu at each meal similar to your meat serving at each meal. Her diary will likely be a bit more carb heavy.

    Big pieces of tofu (or tempeh or seitan) are an option though. I've done it when I want to amp the protein in a meal.

    oh yeah totally, I just don't use them every meal lol
  • DaddieCat
    DaddieCat Posts: 3,643 Member
    SezxyStef wrote: »
    SezxyStef wrote: »
    psulemon wrote: »
    psulemon wrote: »
    What are your goals? There is a huge difference between how much you need vs how much is optimal for your goals. It also depends if you are cutting, maintaining or bulking.

    She said maintain.

    Opps.. missed that.

    Being active, she will required more than the average person. And .8-1g per lb of lean body mass, may not be a bad target.

    I'm pretty sure it's per kg, not pound. If she targets eating too much protein she's likely going to overlook other nutrients like a lot of people do on this site. You just pee out the extra. She's tiny at 130. I don't think she needs 100-130g just to maintain.

    that is the RDA minimum and its' not enough for active people.

    I do the 0.8 grams per pound of weight and my other macros are not overlooked at all...

    100 grams is not a bad number for an active woman to try to achieve.

    I am just a bit taller and a bit heavier and I get in 130-140 a day easy and get in lots of fats and carbs too...it's all in what you choose to eat.

    Just seems like overkill to me to eat that much protein to only maintain...but I guess however people want to use their calories. We all have different goals.

    my diary is open...when you see what I do eat it's not a lot of "stuff"

    summer so protein powder in my smoothie/ winter egg muffins and ham
    Lunch burger with cheese and cottage cheese
    dinner probably ham steak with roasted veggies, last night shrimp with pasta salad..or a partial chicken breast etc.

    normal meals...normal life.

    Well the OP is vegetarian so her meals are going to look a little different as the protein will be from different sources and likely not a big piece of tofu at each meal similar to your meat serving at each meal. Her diary will likely be a bit more carb heavy.

    Big pieces of tofu (or tempeh or seitan) are an option though. I've done it when I want to amp the protein in a meal.

    I do it almost every day, to the tune of 225 grams.

    It's usually a combination of seitan, tofu, tempeh, or other gluten based products... if I'm struggling, I add a shake.
  • seska422
    seska422 Posts: 3,217 Member
    edited July 2016
    Carlos_421 wrote: »
    psulemon wrote: »
    psulemon wrote: »
    What are your goals? There is a huge difference between how much you need vs how much is optimal for your goals. It also depends if you are cutting, maintaining or bulking.

    She said maintain.

    Opps.. missed that.

    Being active, she will required more than the average person. And .8-1g per lb of lean body mass, may not be a bad target.

    I'm pretty sure it's per kg, not pound. If she targets eating too much protein she's likely going to overlook other nutrients like a lot of people do on this site. You just pee out the extra. She's tiny at 130. I don't think she needs 100-130g just to maintain.

    Per kg is the recommended minimum for sedentary individuals who are maintaining their weight. It is not even optimal for that subset of the population, only the minimum.

    Furthermore, the OP is neither sedentary nor maintaining her weight. She is active and states that she doesn't want to gain any muscle but does want to maintain what she has. Her profile shows that she does indeed have a goal of weight loss.
    Thus, .8 grams per kg would not even be a good recommendation for minimal intake for the OP, let alone optimal.

    And seriously, you absolutely DO NOT pee out extra protein. Vitamin C, sure. But not protein.
    Protein will either be utilized by the body for such things as muscle protein synthesis (repairing/building muscle tissue) or will be broken down into glucose and burned for fuel/energy.

    0.8 g per kilogram is the recommended protein intake amount in multiple countries.

    AI is adequate protein for 97-98% of the population (not just sedentary) and can be used as a goal.

    Dietary Reference Intakes: Macronutrients

    Eating a bit more than that is good but you won't wither away by eating the RDA of protein.
  • redraidergirl2009
    redraidergirl2009 Posts: 2,560 Member
    SezxyStef wrote: »
    SezxyStef wrote: »
    psulemon wrote: »
    psulemon wrote: »
    What are your goals? There is a huge difference between how much you need vs how much is optimal for your goals. It also depends if you are cutting, maintaining or bulking.

    She said maintain.

    Opps.. missed that.

    Being active, she will required more than the average person. And .8-1g per lb of lean body mass, may not be a bad target.

    I'm pretty sure it's per kg, not pound. If she targets eating too much protein she's likely going to overlook other nutrients like a lot of people do on this site. You just pee out the extra. She's tiny at 130. I don't think she needs 100-130g just to maintain.

    that is the RDA minimum and its' not enough for active people.

    I do the 0.8 grams per pound of weight and my other macros are not overlooked at all...

    100 grams is not a bad number for an active woman to try to achieve.

    I am just a bit taller and a bit heavier and I get in 130-140 a day easy and get in lots of fats and carbs too...it's all in what you choose to eat.

    Just seems like overkill to me to eat that much protein to only maintain...but I guess however people want to use their calories. We all have different goals.

    my diary is open...when you see what I do eat it's not a lot of "stuff"

    summer so protein powder in my smoothie/ winter egg muffins and ham
    Lunch burger with cheese and cottage cheese
    dinner probably ham steak with roasted veggies, last night shrimp with pasta salad..or a partial chicken breast etc.

    normal meals...normal life.

    Well the OP is vegetarian so her meals are going to look a little different as the protein will be from different sources and likely not a big piece of tofu at each meal similar to your meat serving at each meal. Her diary will likely be a bit more carb heavy.

    Big pieces of tofu (or tempeh or seitan) are an option though. I've done it when I want to amp the protein in a meal.

    I do it almost every day, to the tune of 225 grams.

    It's usually a combination of seitan, tofu, tempeh, or other gluten based products... if I'm struggling, I add a shake.

    why so much? Not sure if your size...but that seems excessive.
  • SezxyStef
    SezxyStef Posts: 15,267 Member
    According to the most recent World Health Organization technical report on worldwide protein requirements (report series 935), 0.83g/kg bodyweight/day is sufficient for 97.5% of healthy adult males and females. It's based on a meta-analysis of hundreds of studies from several countries, not on the average sedentary first world citizen. Given that the governments most likely to need to change their agricultural or food aid policies based on WHO minimums are in developing countries, whose populations tend to be lean and moderately to very active, it would be unthinkably irresponsible of them to recommend an intake that would cause failure to thrive in a lean active person on a maintenance level calorie intake.

    They estimated basal protein requirements at 0.3g/kg/day, average total requirement at .66g/kg/day, and the 97.5th percentile at .83. This would put OP at about 49g per day.

    This may or may not be enough to gain lean mass (kidney patients on low protein diets have been shown to be able to build lean mass at 0.8g/kg/day), and it may not be enough during weight loss or extreme activity (as in athletes or those with very physically demanding jobs), but there is no reason to believe it would be insufficient for a moderately active adult at maintenance calorie intake level who is not trying to gain muscle.
    sufficient so basically "good enough"

    I don't subscribe to "good enough"...I want what is best for people and I do not for one minute believe that 50 grams is best for an active woman trying to maintain muscle mass...esp consider we as women lose it fast after 30 I believe and really fast after menopause.

    SezxyStef wrote: »
    SezxyStef wrote: »
    psulemon wrote: »
    psulemon wrote: »
    What are your goals? There is a huge difference between how much you need vs how much is optimal for your goals. It also depends if you are cutting, maintaining or bulking.

    She said maintain.

    Opps.. missed that.

    Being active, she will required more than the average person. And .8-1g per lb of lean body mass, may not be a bad target.

    I'm pretty sure it's per kg, not pound. If she targets eating too much protein she's likely going to overlook other nutrients like a lot of people do on this site. You just pee out the extra. She's tiny at 130. I don't think she needs 100-130g just to maintain.

    that is the RDA minimum and its' not enough for active people.

    I do the 0.8 grams per pound of weight and my other macros are not overlooked at all...

    100 grams is not a bad number for an active woman to try to achieve.

    I am just a bit taller and a bit heavier and I get in 130-140 a day easy and get in lots of fats and carbs too...it's all in what you choose to eat.

    Just seems like overkill to me to eat that much protein to only maintain...but I guess however people want to use their calories. We all have different goals.

    my diary is open...when you see what I do eat it's not a lot of "stuff"

    summer so protein powder in my smoothie/ winter egg muffins and ham
    Lunch burger with cheese and cottage cheese
    dinner probably ham steak with roasted veggies, last night shrimp with pasta salad..or a partial chicken breast etc.

    normal meals...normal life.

    Well the OP is vegetarian so her meals are going to look a little different as the protein will be from different sources and likely not a big piece of tofu at each meal similar to your meat serving at each meal. Her diary will likely be a bit more carb heavy.

    Big pieces of tofu (or tempeh or seitan) are an option though. I've done it when I want to amp the protein in a meal.

    I do it almost every day, to the tune of 225 grams.

    It's usually a combination of seitan, tofu, tempeh, or other gluten based products... if I'm struggling, I add a shake.

    why so much? Not sure if your size...but that seems excessive.

    100 grams a day seems excessive to you....
  • lithezebra
    lithezebra Posts: 3,670 Member
    Considering the amount of lean body mass you have, you could get by with 80-90 grams.

    80-90 grams is probably a reasonable minimum, and is quite a bit more than .8 grams/kilo for a person who weighs 130 pounds.
  • DaddieCat
    DaddieCat Posts: 3,643 Member
    SezxyStef wrote: »
    SezxyStef wrote: »
    psulemon wrote: »
    psulemon wrote: »
    What are your goals? There is a huge difference between how much you need vs how much is optimal for your goals. It also depends if you are cutting, maintaining or bulking.

    She said maintain.

    Opps.. missed that.

    Being active, she will required more than the average person. And .8-1g per lb of lean body mass, may not be a bad target.

    I'm pretty sure it's per kg, not pound. If she targets eating too much protein she's likely going to overlook other nutrients like a lot of people do on this site. You just pee out the extra. She's tiny at 130. I don't think she needs 100-130g just to maintain.

    that is the RDA minimum and its' not enough for active people.

    I do the 0.8 grams per pound of weight and my other macros are not overlooked at all...

    100 grams is not a bad number for an active woman to try to achieve.

    I am just a bit taller and a bit heavier and I get in 130-140 a day easy and get in lots of fats and carbs too...it's all in what you choose to eat.

    Just seems like overkill to me to eat that much protein to only maintain...but I guess however people want to use their calories. We all have different goals.

    my diary is open...when you see what I do eat it's not a lot of "stuff"

    summer so protein powder in my smoothie/ winter egg muffins and ham
    Lunch burger with cheese and cottage cheese
    dinner probably ham steak with roasted veggies, last night shrimp with pasta salad..or a partial chicken breast etc.

    normal meals...normal life.

    Well the OP is vegetarian so her meals are going to look a little different as the protein will be from different sources and likely not a big piece of tofu at each meal similar to your meat serving at each meal. Her diary will likely be a bit more carb heavy.

    Big pieces of tofu (or tempeh or seitan) are an option though. I've done it when I want to amp the protein in a meal.

    I do it almost every day, to the tune of 225 grams.

    It's usually a combination of seitan, tofu, tempeh, or other gluten based products... if I'm struggling, I add a shake.

    why so much? Not sure if your size...but that seems excessive.

    Size and goals. goal based training, goal based eating.
  • redraidergirl2009
    redraidergirl2009 Posts: 2,560 Member
    SezxyStef wrote: »

    100 grams a day seems excessive to you....

    it seems like it for a person her size who is only looking to maintain for someone who is just moderately active.