**Help!!! PROTEIN macro help needed!!! From high protein eaters!!!

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  • wilsoncl6
    wilsoncl6 Posts: 1,280 Member
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    You're also pretty petite at 5'2. It may take longer for you to notice significant weight loss because you can only cut out so many calories. You seem to be doing a lot of the right things, just be patient as you will retain water if you're doing intense lifting routines. My advice is to cut out as much additional sodium from your diet as you can and drink a lot of water to help flush out your body and assist in repair.
  • cee134
    cee134 Posts: 33,711 Member
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    The Institute of Medicine recommends that adults get a minimum of 0.8 grams of protein for every kilogram of body weight per day (or 8 grams of protein for every 20 pounds of body weight). (1) The Institute of Medicine also sets a wide range for acceptable protein intake—anywhere from 10 to 35 percent of calories each day. Beyond that, there’s relatively little solid information on the ideal amount of protein in the diet or the healthiest target for calories contributed by protein.
    There’s no need to go overboard on protein. Though some studies show benefits of high-protein, low-carbohydrate diets in the short term, avoiding fruits and whole grains means missing out on healthful fiber, vitamins, minerals, and other phytonutrients.
    https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/what-should-you-eat/protein/
  • kricard86
    kricard86 Posts: 50 Member
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    wilsoncl6 wrote: »
    You're also pretty petite at 5'2. It may take longer for you to notice significant weight loss because you can only cut out so many calories. You seem to be doing a lot of the right things, just be patient as you will retain water if you're doing intense lifting routines. My advice is to cut out as much additional sodium from your diet as you can and drink a lot of water to help flush out your body and assist in repair.

    Thanks so much! I have officially put the scale away. I'm eating in a deficit and going to the gym, so I KNOW I'm doing the right thing.
  • Michael190lbs
    Michael190lbs Posts: 1,510 Member
    edited September 2016
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    Why all the protein Haters? So what if your body can't use more than .8 grams per pound it doesn't make it a bad Macro after that it just means its calories at that point.. Eat what makes you happy when it comes to Protein there is a Minimum NOT a Maximum number of Grams that CAN be consumed.

    If you could put on 10 lbs of Muscle in a year it would be a great year for anyone so take it easy on the short term goals..
  • lilac_bunny
    lilac_bunny Posts: 137 Member
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    There is a maximum amount of protein you should eat.
  • LazSommer
    LazSommer Posts: 1,851 Member
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    lilac_bunny wrote: »
    There is a maximum amount of protein you should eat.

    we are waiting patiently for your big reveal
  • Carlos_421
    Carlos_421 Posts: 5,132 Member
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    lilac_bunny wrote: »
    There is a maximum amount of protein you should eat.

    No such maximum has ever been discovered by science.
  • lilac_bunny
    lilac_bunny Posts: 137 Member
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    High intake of protein over a prolonged period can cause kidney problems and there is a formula for working out the maximum recommended amount. But you won't drop dead from going over. I can't find the article the dietitian at work gave me but I found this http://healthyeating.sfgate.com/taking-200-grams-protein-safe-5906.html
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,404 MFP Moderator
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    lilac_bunny wrote: »
    High intake of protein over a prolonged period can cause kidney problems and there is a formula for working out the maximum recommended amount. But you won't drop dead from going over. I can't find the article the dietitian at work gave me but I found this http://healthyeating.sfgate.com/taking-200-grams-protein-safe-5906.html

    From your link:

    "However, athletes who regularly engage in high-intensity workouts or who are trying to build muscle mass may benefit from consuming 200 grams of protein on a daily basis."
  • lilac_bunny
    lilac_bunny Posts: 137 Member
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    I feel like that proves my point. How many people who read this would be classed as athletes? I don't know loads about nutrition but the dietitian I work with gave me the riot act when I told her I was going on a diet how bad eating high levels of protein over a sustained period can be. She has a PhD so I tend to believe her. I feel like it's unsafe to just say there is no maximum amount without qualifying or explaining that.

    That said I can't imagine how that much protein could be costumed daily, I don't get close haha
  • Spliner1969
    Spliner1969 Posts: 3,233 Member
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    sunnybeaches105 wrote: »
    You probably only need about 0.8 grams of protein per pound of bodyweight. I'm not saying it's not possible that more couldn't help (I use 1 gram per pound of bodyweight while dieting), but if you're having trouble hitting that goal then back off. As for it affecting weight loss, it is unlikely. I'm guessing you're pretty petite? How much per week are you targeting? Keep in mind that if you're smaller/petite that much of your weight loss per week can be easily masked by water weight fluctuations. At 197-198 pounds I vary by as much as 5 pounds a day. Be patient.

    I'd have to agree, for a woman 1g/lb might be a bit much. Still, might not hurt, but might not gain you any more than what is being suggested by sunnybeaches105. Also, keep in mind that the usual recommendation for building muscle is 1g/lb of lean body mass, not necessarily body weight unless you have almost no fat on your body. Figure out your lean body mass, and adjust accordingly and see if that helps. Beyond that, unless you are in a calorie surplus, even a slight one, the extra protein will likely help keep your muscle mass, but won't help you gain it very fast (not while in a deficit). Also, more protein will require more fiber and more water intake for your body to process it. Watch the fiber intake, and make sure you are getting enough water. I was able (most people will argue) to gain quite a bit of muscle in a deficit by eating more protein and working out consistently; my body was burning fat on top of the protein I was consuming and allowed me to gain some muscle (some call it newbie gains). I never got 'big' but muscle definition is certainly much more than it was. Now that I'm in maintenance I have not changed my protein intake (I eat even more protein than you do a day) and I am still slowly gaining muscle. But again, because I am not in surplus I am not gaining very fast, and most of my fat stores are now gone so there's no help there.
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,404 MFP Moderator
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    lilac_bunny wrote: »
    I feel like that proves my point. How many people who read this would be classed as athletes? I don't know loads about nutrition but the dietitian I work with gave me the riot act when I told her I was going on a diet how bad eating high levels of protein over a sustained period can be. She has a PhD so I tend to believe her. I feel like it's unsafe to just say there is no maximum amount without qualifying or explaining that.

    That said I can't imagine how that much protein could be costumed daily, I don't get close haha

    Pending the OP has good kidneys and drinks plenty of water, there shouldn't be an issue (as discussed in here).

    Also, taking into consideration, the OP's goal, 1.5 to 2.2g per kg of body mass, it not excessive or unreasonable. In fact, higher levels of protein will provide greater results as compared to lowering protein. So if anything, I would ask your training to quantify what is constituting as too much protein. Also, to note, that excessive protein will just convert to glucose (the body's energy source) through glucenogenesis. For even more information on protein, but is a great thread with one of the leading researchers in nutrient and fitness.



    http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/1158604/eric-helms-protein-research
  • Michael190lbs
    Michael190lbs Posts: 1,510 Member
    edited September 2016
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    You would be surprised how many athletes are on this forum we just don't belong to an advertised team on TV.
  • rebel_26
    rebel_26 Posts: 1,826 Member
    edited September 2016
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    under one gram per lb for novice . I agree with Lilac. My pops is a physician and i had the same convo. He was miffed at me for how I was planning my macros and cal intake. I'm in relatively good shape for an old guy but clearly not an athlete. short term high protein I think is fine. Long term...not so much. Trying to eat in a manner of remaining in an anabolic state most of the day is likely the best choice for best results.

    Also not to be gross I had significant constipation when I was at 200 grams a day no matter how much water,fiber and fats I added, but my regular is fairly irregular even with my old eating habits so the high protein just exaggerated an already unusual body process. .
  • Sabine_Stroehm
    Sabine_Stroehm Posts: 19,263 Member
    edited September 2016
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    How are your bowels with the increased protein? What kind of protein? Are you still regular? The one pound could be that.
  • Michael190lbs
    Michael190lbs Posts: 1,510 Member
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    lilac_bunny wrote: »
    I feel like that proves my point. How many people who read this would be classed as athletes? I don't know loads about nutrition but the dietitian I work with gave me the riot act when I told her I was going on a diet how bad eating high levels of protein over a sustained period can be. She has a PhD so I tend to believe her. I feel like it's unsafe to just say there is no maximum amount without qualifying or explaining that.

    That said I can't imagine how that much protein could be costumed daily, I don't get close haha

    Put ten dietitions in ten different rooms with the goal of writing the perfect diet for one person they will all be different. Learn what fit people eat and what they do on a daily basis you will be better off then listening to someone who doesn't live the lifestyle. My x wife is triple board certified Doctor she is Fat and feeds my kids crap so they are chunky beautiful wonderful kids but out of shape (work in progress).. A degree is a great accomplishment but unless you love the lifestyle I question if your any good at what you do because you have to love something to truly be good at it.
  • rebel_26
    rebel_26 Posts: 1,826 Member
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    I get the living the lifestyle comment as well, but Im pretty sure most studies show under 1g per lb of body weight is sufficient even in elite status. Also I chuckled at some of your other comments. while it wasnt funny you painted it in a funny light.
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,404 MFP Moderator
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    rebel_26 wrote: »
    I get the living the lifestyle comment as well, but Im pretty sure most studies show under 1g per lb of body weight is sufficient even in elite status. Also I chuckled at some of your other comments. while it wasnt funny you painted it in a funny light.

    They show that if you are maintaining. If you are in a deficit, or working to build muscle higher levels of protein is beneficial. Additionally, NO ONE in this thread is telling the OP to eat 200g a day and many recommended .8-1g lb of lbm. But there is a lot of debate by researchers (which hold more credibility than physicians) if there are upper limits on protein and if increase protein causes kidney damaged. The links I provided support that. But in the context of the OP's current short term goals, 1.5-2.2g per kg of body weight is beneficial.
  • peaceout_aly
    peaceout_aly Posts: 2,018 Member
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    kricard86 wrote: »
    So I recently increased my protein intake to 150g, on a 1480 eating plan, I weigh 156. I lift around 4-5 times a week. The scale has NOT moved. Any other time, a daily deficit for me yields daily losses. For one week consistently, I have stayed at 156.6- my goal is to lose fat and increase muscle, but I'm not sure if I should decrease protein, or decrease caloric intake. 1200 calories is very steep to adhere to. Any suggestions on macros and calorie count??? And for clarity and honesty, my eating is between 1480 to 1650, with a daily deficit from exercise.

    Cardio + calorie deficit = losing weight

    Lifting + HIIT + maintenance or surplus = gaining muscle and strength (which is also = gaining weight)

    Make sense? Not sure of your height but if you feel you have a lot of fat to lose, you may want to focus on eating at a deficit while incorporating cardio into your lifting regimen in order to keep muscle mass while also losing fat. If you are happy with your size and just want more muscle, you can continue on the routine you are doing. Lift heavier, go hard when you are the gym and push your limits. This will in turn decrease BF% but will not decrease your weight per se. I started lifting at 107 lbs. 26% BF. I'm now 115-117 lbs. 21% BF because muscle weighs more than fat.
  • Michael190lbs
    Michael190lbs Posts: 1,510 Member
    edited September 2016
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    rebel_26 wrote: »
    I get the living the lifestyle comment as well, but Im pretty sure most studies show under 1g per lb of body weight is sufficient even in elite status. Also I chuckled at some of your other comments. while it wasnt funny you painted it in a funny light.

    We agree 100% 1g of protein is the maximum a human can process for muscle gain without steroids. My Point is that after that point just because the human body isn't capable of processing protein for muscle gain doesn't mean that the calories aren't needed to maintain a certain weight and that they can come from protein rich foods that would exceed 720 calories a day.

    180 x 4 calories= 720 calories

    THE ROCKS DIET_

    DWAYNE JOHNSON'S DIET
    Meal 1
    10 oz cod
    2 whole eggs
    2 cups oatmeal
    Meal 2
    8 oz cod
    12 oz sweet potato
    1 cup veggies
    Meal 3
    8 oz chicken
    2 cups white rice
    1 cup veggies
    Meal 4
    8 oz cod
    2 cups rice
    1 cup veggies
    1 tbsp fish oil
    Meal 5
    8 oz steak
    12 oz baked potato
    spinach salad
    Meal 6
    10 oz cod
    2 cups rice
    salad
    Meal 7
    30 grams casein protein
    10 egg-white omelet
    1 cup veggies (onions, peppers, mushrooms)
    1 tbsp omega-3 fish oil

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