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

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  • sunnybeaches105
    sunnybeaches105 Posts: 2,831 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.

    Give this a read if you're interested in looking into the details on what we know about protein intake. It delves into why earlier studies on the subject underestimated our needs, and the authors conclude that, "in practice, we suggest 1.5–2.2 g/(kg·day) of a variety of high-quality proteins." This is along the lines of the general advice we are seeing of 0.8 grams per pound of body weight. Note the ranges used in some of these studies do suggest that some atheletes may require more. I'm not pretending to be an expert in this area, but it has given me pause on reducing protein intake and it's consitent with my own personal experience that I lose muscle mass in a cut if I don't get at least around 180 grams a day. I get that some old school bodybuilders were pushing well in excess of that amount, but from what I can tell the RDA and lower-end recommendations seem well below what the current evidence regarding optimal intake is showing. I think the most important part of this piece FOR ME (and several studies I've read) is to not hesitate to experiment with my own needs because there isn't a "magic" amount that is optimall for all people. Given that there appears to be a very low risk with high protein intakes, I don't see an issue with getting a little more than necessary if that covers all bases and helps with satiety.

    http://www.nrcresearchpress.com/doi/pdfplus/10.1139/apnm-2015-0549

  • littlechiaseed
    littlechiaseed Posts: 489 Member
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    I don't understand why you need 150g of protein while eating only 1480 calories.
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,404 MFP Moderator
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    littlechiaseed wrote: »
    I don't understand why you need 150g of protein while eating only 1480 calories.

    Well you have to look at what people's goal are, their training requirements, and the body composition. 150g may be a little excessive, and 1480 may not even be a good number consider the OP seems to want to recomp. But based on the studies posted above, 1.5 - 2.2g/kg of body weight is not unreasonable and has not shown to have any adverse effects.
  • kricard86
    kricard86 Posts: 50 Member
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    cgreen120288 wrote: »
    Literally just posted this in another thread. Thought id copy and paste here as its applicable here too.

    1. Calculate a rough calorie/macronutrient breakdown using IIFYM Calculator - a 500 calorie deficit is great. So if you maintain at 2500 calories, eat 2000.

    0.8g-1g of protein per lb, 0.33-0.45g fat per lb, rest into carbs is a good starting place.

    2. Count your calories/macronutrients at Free Calorie Counter, Diet & Exercise Journal | MyFitnessPal.com - weigh your foods, account for everything including cooking oils, beverages etc.

    3. Follow a weight training program (Yes! Women too, this does not make you look bulky, this is a silly misconception/myth). StrongLifts 5x5, ICF 5x5, Starting Strength - but for females obviously the progression will be slower in terms of strength so progress 50% slower each time. Example: If it says add 5lbs - add 2.5 instead.

    4. Don't think you have to train 4-6x a week. 3 is plenty and gives you plenty of time to enjoy lifes pleasures and not burn yourself out fast. Cardio is OPTIONAL and not something you need to do, however for health benefits I'd recommend a little cardio 2-3x a week at a low/moderate intensity for 30-60 minutes.

    5. Realise you don't need to give up your favourite foods, this is one that kills people fast - they think they need to eat "clean" and give up all their favourite foods. Obviously, a wholefood nutritious diet is what we want, but you can definitely still fit some of your favourite foods in each day without a problem. Ensure you get plenty of vegetables and a little fruit.

    6. Weigh yourself but don't fret over it. Fitbit Official Site for Activity Trackers & More and TrendWeight is two places you can track your weight (daily). You enter it in fitbit and it displays on a graph at trendweight and shows you what weight loss/gain you are having - this gives you peace of mind. If you don't want to weigh daily - just weigh once every 1-2 weeks on the same day in the mornings after using the bathroom and hopefully within a few weeks you'll notice a downward trend.

    7. The mirror is your friend, absolutely. This and measurements can be a great way (often better than the scale) to gauge progress. I advise you do all these steps.

    8. Remember its a marathon, not a sprint, enjoy the journey.

    Awesome advice, thanks so much! I have learned to be more lenient and still have great results!!
  • kricard86
    kricard86 Posts: 50 Member
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    Michael190lbs wrote: »
    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

    I agree! If calories in vs calories out are the goal, why not fill in my calories with protein to prevent muscle wasting on my deficit?! Of course I wrote the post lol because I am NO expert in this field at all.
  • kricard86
    kricard86 Posts: 50 Member
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    All of the advice has been EXTREMELY HELPFUL!!! I ended up backing my protein to around 118 daily, sometimes higher, but never lower than 100g. Still eating from 1400-1600 a day (mind you in I get a 500 calorie workout in, I eat those 500). I want to minimize muscle loss while being in a deficit. I only weigh weekly, and have lost 1 lb per week to the T the past 6 weeks!!! My muscles are slowly becoming more defined. I now do body fat measurements monthly as a more accurate indicator of progress. I have learned to "enjoy the process". I love the new foods, protein bars rock, and my boyfriend loves that I have protein and shaker bottles like him :D You guys are an awesome community!!!
  • kricard86
    kricard86 Posts: 50 Member
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    oh yeah and I am doing 3 day/full body and LOVE IT!
  • kricard86
    kricard86 Posts: 50 Member
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    peaceout_aly wrote: »
    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.

    You look incredible! Thank you!
  • zbobbsemple
    zbobbsemple Posts: 38 Member
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    Remember muscle weighs more than fat so the scale may not go down it may increase. You should pay attention to how your body looks by taking pics of your transformation, waist to hip ratio, measurements, and how your clothes fit. The scale can be deceiving don't let it be the only measurement of your body changes.
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,404 MFP Moderator
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    zbobbsemple wrote: »
    Remember muscle weighs more than fat so the scale may not go down it may increase. You should pay attention to how your body looks by taking pics of your transformation, waist to hip ratio, measurements, and how your clothes fit. The scale can be deceiving don't let it be the only measurement of your body changes.

    You body will not create new muscle at the pace it can lose fat. Even in a surplus, women would be lucky to gain 1/4 lb per week. Fat loss is much greater than that. If the scale isn't moving, there are many things that can affect it; glycogen storage, sodium, water retention from lifting, TOM, etc.. But it's going to be new muscle growth offsetting fat loss. Unless you are taking anabolic steroids.
  • kricard86
    kricard86 Posts: 50 Member
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    psulemon wrote: »
    zbobbsemple wrote: »
    Remember muscle weighs more than fat so the scale may not go down it may increase. You should pay attention to how your body looks by taking pics of your transformation, waist to hip ratio, measurements, and how your clothes fit. The scale can be deceiving don't let it be the only measurement of your body changes.

    You body will not create new muscle at the pace it can lose fat. Even in a surplus, women would be lucky to gain 1/4 lb per week. Fat loss is much greater than that. If the scale isn't moving, there are many things that can affect it; glycogen storage, sodium, water retention from lifting, TOM, etc.. But it's going to be new muscle growth offsetting fat loss. Unless you are taking anabolic steroids.

    No, no steroids for me! I'm happy with my results thus far. Even though I weigh more than I did before my birthday, I look better now. So I can definitely tell that the weight lifting is playing a huge part!

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