Build/ retain muscles at low protein diet

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satisatisati
satisatisati Posts: 260 Member
in Food and Nutrition
Hi I am lifting weights since last 1.5 years also counting my macros. My diet mostly consists of carbohydrate rich vegetarian diet.
I also eat eggs and a scoop of whey protein.
I manage to eat around 100 grams of protein on a daily basis.
I am currently maintaining my weight at 68kg.
Current body fat is 19%. I eat around 2000 calories.
My question is it possible to build muscles/ retain muscles by eating around 100 gram of protein.
I am very lean now. Trying for six pack abs. It's really difficult to eat in deficit at this weight.
Currently I have become very very lean.

Replies

  • davidm2020
    davidm2020 Posts: 2 Member
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    Building muscles with a low protein diet is a very difficult task. cause to build muscle Protein is very important.
    To achieve your goal try this>> Low Carbs - High Protein Diet . This definitely works.
  • rainbowbow
    rainbowbow Posts: 7,490 Member
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    how tall are you?
    Hoe did you test your body fat? How is 19% "very very lean"?
    What do your abs currently look like?

    P.S.
    i think you're confused. your diet is by no means a "low protein" diet.

    At your current weight, and calories, you're getting adequate protein for athletes (.8-1.2g protein per pound of lean body mass). Sometimes if you just aren't seeing visible abs once you're low enough in body fat it is simply because you lack a substancial amount of muscle there.

    If you want to build abs, or build new muscle, i would recommend you go on a very slight calorie surplus (maybe 250 cals more each day). Then you can re-cut down again.
  • RuNaRoUnDaFiEld
    RuNaRoUnDaFiEld Posts: 5,864 Member
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    That is not low protein
  • hamlet1222
    hamlet1222 Posts: 459 Member
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    100g is not low protein, it's high for most people who aren't training, and you could probably drop it down to 70g a day and maintain muscle.
  • satisatisati
    satisatisati Posts: 260 Member
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    davidm2020 wrote: »
    Building muscles with a low protein diet is a very difficult task. cause to build muscle Protein is very important.
    To achieve your goal try this>> Low Carbs - High Protein Diet . This definitely works.

    Thanks
  • satisatisati
    satisatisati Posts: 260 Member
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    rainbowbow wrote: »
    how tall are you?
    Hoe did you test your body fat? How is 19% "very very lean"?
    What do your abs currently look like?

    I still have fat left on my tummy but no abs yet. I am 167 cm tall. I will add pic.


    P.S.
    i think you're confused. your diet is by no means a "low protein" diet.

    100 grams is possible for me with whey protein.

    At your current weight, and calories, you're getting adequate protein for athletes (.8-1.2g protein per pound of lean body mass). Sometimes if you just aren't seeing visible abs once you're low enough in body fat it is simply because you lack a substancial amount of muscle there.

    If you want to build abs, or build new muscle, i would recommend you go on a very slight calorie surplus (maybe 250 cals more each day). Then you can re-cut down again.
    I don't want to eat in surplus at the moment. Whenever I try it I end up gaining fat. My body fat % composition increases
  • satisatisati
    satisatisati Posts: 260 Member
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    RuNaRoUnDaFiEld wrote: »
    That is not low protein
    hamlet1222 wrote: »
    100g is not low protein, it's high for most people who aren't training, and you could probably drop it down to 70g a day and maintain muscle.

    Nice to know. Is it from your personal experience. Because 70 gram for me is very easy to get just by eating my diet only. No whey protein required.
  • basiliscus
    basiliscus Posts: 27 Member
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    Hey Say, there's a few issues to address here.

    Like some people said above 100g of protein is not "low" for an average person. However if you train to build up muscle you'll need about 1g of protein per pound of your FFM (see rainbowbow's rely above).Having said that, you've also mentioned you are in deficit - if you've been training for 1.5 years now, you won't get any significant muscle gains now unless you start eating slightly above your maintenance.

    Which brings us to the abs question - you won't have a proper washboard until you drop to at least 10% body fat. Otherwise no matter how much abdominal muscle you gain, they'll be always covered by a layer of fat. And looking at your profile picture i think you're a bit harsh to yourself saying you're 19% BF. I think it's less than that - how did you measure it?
  • basiliscus
    basiliscus Posts: 27 Member
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    And apologies for butchering your name, my auto correct kicked in :/
  • satisatisati
    satisatisati Posts: 260 Member
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    My current progress pictures clicked just now.
    I measured them from a machine in my gym. Same machine showed me 30% earlier and then it kept showing less and less months after months. So I trust that machine
  • satisatisati
    satisatisati Posts: 260 Member
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    basiliscus wrote: »
    Hey Say, there's a few issues to address here.

    Like some people said above 100g of protein is not "low" for an average person. However if you train to build up muscle you'll need about 1g of protein per pound of your FFM (see rainbowbow's rely above).Having said that, you've also mentioned you are in deficit - if you've been training for 1.5 years now, you won't get any significant muscle gains now unless you start eating slightly above your maintenance.

    Which brings us to the abs question - you won't have a proper washboard until you drop to at least 10% body fat. Otherwise no matter how much abdominal muscle you gain, they'll be always covered by a layer of fat. And looking at your profile picture i think you're a bit harsh to yourself saying you're 19% BF. I think it's less than that - how did you measure it?

    Continuously eating in deficit is very difficult I did add bit of muscle mass by doing intermittent fasting and also low carb and sometimes eating above maintainece. It took me 20 months from 85 kg to 68.
  • rainbowbow
    rainbowbow Posts: 7,490 Member
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    satisatisati wrote: »
    My current progress pictures clicked just now.
    I measured them from a machine in my gym. Same machine showed me 30% earlier and then it kept showing less and less months after months. So I trust that machine

    Okay, just visually, you look around 15% or less. keep going!
  • satisatisati
    satisatisati Posts: 260 Member
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    rainbowbow wrote: »
    satisatisati wrote: »
    My current progress pictures clicked just now.
    I measured them from a machine in my gym. Same machine showed me 30% earlier and then it kept showing less and less months after months. So I trust that machine

    Okay, just visually, you look around 15% or less. keep going!

    Thanks I have not measured myself in last few weeks
  • basiliscus
    basiliscus Posts: 27 Member
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    How tall are you? 68 kg sounds pretty low to me for 19%... I was going to say 15% or less as well judging by the pictures.

    And 20 months, man... I admire your determination. I've been cutting continuously for 8 months now and it already feels like years... that's truly inspirational!
  • xvolution
    xvolution Posts: 721 Member
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    rainbowbow wrote: »
    how tall are you?
    Hoe did you test your body fat? How is 19% "very very lean"?
    What do your abs currently look like?

    P.S.
    i think you're confused. your diet is by no means a "low protein" diet.

    At your current weight, and calories, you're getting adequate protein for athletes (.8-1.2g protein per pound of lean body mass). Sometimes if you just aren't seeing visible abs once you're low enough in body fat it is simply because you lack a substancial amount of muscle there.

    If you want to build abs, or build new muscle, i would recommend you go on a very slight calorie surplus (maybe 250 cals more each day). Then you can re-cut down again.

    I think you mean .8g/kg, not .8g/pound. Anyways, that would put your lower limit at 55g protein per day, so 100g/day definitely isn't a low protein diet.
  • basiliscus
    basiliscus Posts: 27 Member
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    No, it's pound, not kilogram. Some researchers recommend even higher intake. Remember, there is different requirement for an average person who wants to eat healthily, and different for someone trying to gain muscles.
  • rainbowbow
    rainbowbow Posts: 7,490 Member
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    xvolution wrote: »
    rainbowbow wrote: »
    how tall are you?
    Hoe did you test your body fat? How is 19% "very very lean"?
    What do your abs currently look like?

    P.S.
    i think you're confused. your diet is by no means a "low protein" diet.

    At your current weight, and calories, you're getting adequate protein for athletes (.8-1.2g protein per pound of lean body mass). Sometimes if you just aren't seeing visible abs once you're low enough in body fat it is simply because you lack a substancial amount of muscle there.

    If you want to build abs, or build new muscle, i would recommend you go on a very slight calorie surplus (maybe 250 cals more each day). Then you can re-cut down again.

    I think you mean .8g/kg, not .8g/pound. Anyways, that would put your lower limit at 55g protein per day, so 100g/day definitely isn't a low protein diet.

    Nope! It's 1g/kg for sedentary individuals. It's .8-1.2g per pound of lean body mass for active individuals or athletes

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