Exceeding fat goal and not enough protein

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FitBody3
FitBody3 Posts: 36 Member
in Goal: Maintaining Weight
Hello
What happens if exceed my fat goals on most days and not hit my protein goal?
Will I gain weight / lose muscle? My current goal is recomp.
Thanks.

Replies

  • seska422
    seska422 Posts: 3,217 Member
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    What are your protein and fat goals?

    If your protein goal is 60% and your fat goal is 10%, then I'm not surprised that you aren't hitting them.

    You want to be sure you are eating enough protein and fat. After that, the percentages aren't as important.
  • kommodevaran
    kommodevaran Posts: 17,890 Member
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    You will gain weight if you consistently eat at a calorie surplus. You will lose muscle if you for some time get too little protein. How much protein you need and how much is too little, how long it will take to notice an effect, and what "need" and "too little" means, is a hot topic. Your set protein goal may or may not be relevant.
  • seska422
    seska422 Posts: 3,217 Member
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    The recommendation I've seen for optimal protein (especially if body building or losing weight) is 1 gram of protein per pound of lean body mass or 0.8 grams per pound of your ideal weight (middle of normal BMI).
  • sijomial
    sijomial Posts: 19,811 Member
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    You gain weight from a calorie surplus - not from exceeding any particular macro.
    You shouldn't lose muscle at maintenance unless you become inactive.

    Yes protein is important but so is fat - better IMHO to regard them as minimum goals rather than fixed percentages.

    Think you would learn a lot reading this very helpful post......
    http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/819055/setting-your-calorie-and-macro-targets/p1

  • FitBody3
    FitBody3 Posts: 36 Member
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    seska422 wrote: »
    What are your protein and fat goals?

    If your protein goal is 60% and your fat goal is 10%, then I'm not surprised that you aren't hitting them.

    You want to be sure you are eating enough protein and fat. After that, the percentages aren't as important.

    Protein is 30% and fat also 30%. Rest are carbs
  • FitBody3
    FitBody3 Posts: 36 Member
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    kommodevaran wrote: »
    You will gain weight if you consistently eat at a calorie surplus. You will lose muscle if you for some time get too little protein. How much protein you need and how much is too little, how long it will take to notice an effect, and what "need" and "too little" means, is a hot topic. Your set protein goal may or may not be relevant.

    Thanks for your help :)
  • FitBody3
    FitBody3 Posts: 36 Member
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    sijomial wrote: »
    You gain weight from a calorie surplus - not from exceeding any particular macro.
    You shouldn't lose muscle at maintenance unless you become inactive.

    Yes protein is important but so is fat - better IMHO to regard them as minimum goals rather than fixed percentages.

    Think you would learn a lot reading this very helpful post......
    http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/819055/setting-your-calorie-and-macro-targets/p1

    Thank you so much ! Yeah , thats why I am a little obsessed about this , because I lost a good amount of muscle especially in my thighs during the last few months and I am trying to figure out what caused it .
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 32,170 Member
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    I'd suggest you use the grams method above to estimate your protein needs, and set your protein percentage around the equivalent level (you can use trial & error on the goals page to do this, without having to do a bunch of arithmetic, if you're arithmetic-phobic ; ) ). Asking other people about percentage goals can be misleading, as any given arbitrary percent will work more or less well depending on someone's current bodyweight, loss rate, personal goals, and more.

    Getting enough protein should help with your goals, though if the difference is minor, it's probably not necessary to obsess about it.

    It's fine to get "too much" fat, as long as you're getting enough protein, are getting enough fruits/veggies (minimum 5 servings daily), and are hitting your calorie goal. Getting the fat from healthy sources is bonus. Fat's not magically evil. No macronutrient is, for a healthy person, as long as it doesn't drive other required nutrition out of your day.

    If you're having trouble with the "enough protein" part, read this thread, look at the spreadsheet linked to it, and eat relatively more of some things you enjoy that have more protein:

    Carbs and Fats are cheap. Here's a Guide to getting your PROTEIN's worth. Fiber also...

    I like to set protein & fat goals sensibly (based on grams needed per healthy body weight), then treat them as a minimum. Hitting calories is a given. Carbs are my balancer - I let them fall where they may.

    Good luck!

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