Am I eating too much protein

EileenHJ
EileenHJ Posts: 29 Member
in Introduce Yourself
Ill try keep this short and to the point. My goal is to do a 50 mile walk next June 2018. So I have joined my local gym and the owner has done a body scan on me. It told him that I should be eating 1900 kcal a day!!!! this is broken down to 30% Carb, 35% Protein and 35% Fat. I track this on MFP. Body Fat % is 33.2% :neutral: I just feel like Im eating way too much and Im struggling to eat 1900 kcal on some days. We have set a target to loose 21lbs of fat by christmas. I lift weights and cardio in gym twice a week (all i have time for now) and do a long walk on a Sunday (mountain/road). My question is - are my calories too high??
Im 5'7" and currently weight 196lbs (have lost 3.5stones so far) Any helpful advice would be greatly appreciated..

Replies

  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
    edited July 2017
    Yeah you probably don't need that much protein.

    Gross 1900 cals probably isn't too much, have you tried it for a few weeks?
  • cmriverside
    cmriverside Posts: 34,387 Member
    I am also 5'7" and I lose on 1900. I don't know what kind of "body scan" would tell you how much to eat, but...

    How long have you been tracking your food? If you track accurately, there's no reason why you shouldn't lose on 1900, but go down to 1800 if it makes you feel better. If you've lost 3.5 stones already, you should have a handle on how much you need to eat. Trust your instincts.
  • cmriverside
    cmriverside Posts: 34,387 Member
    I would be cranky on 30% carbs. Just sayin'.
  • EileenHJ
    EileenHJ Posts: 29 Member
    Im only on my second week yet - so I know i need to try another few weeks. On the plus side I dont feel hungry too often. But its probably all the protein thats keeping me feeling full. Considering I was a carb queen before that.
  • clarkeje1
    clarkeje1 Posts: 1,641 Member
    I just saw the documentary What the Health and the doctors on there said that most people eat more protein than they actually need. The documentary also featured some vegan body builders and obstacle course athletes who said when they cut back on protein it helped them increase energy and endurance
  • EileenHJ
    EileenHJ Posts: 29 Member
    I have been tracking my food for months .. and not always on MFP. Before joining the gym I was eating between 1200 and 1400kcal .. and my gosh was I hungry and cranky!!!! Just ask my poor husband. I just wondering how can i loose fat and eat so much all at the same time. I know clean eating allows you way more food than "dirty" eating.
  • cmriverside
    cmriverside Posts: 34,387 Member
    I didn't even answer your question...35% protein seems high, but that's just me. I get 20-25%. I'm at goal weight, 140.
  • cmriverside
    cmriverside Posts: 34,387 Member
    EileenHJ wrote: »
    I have been tracking my food for months .. and not always on MFP. Before joining the gym I was eating between 1200 and 1400kcal .. and my gosh was I hungry and cranky!!!! Just ask my poor husband. I just wondering how can i loose fat and eat so much all at the same time. I know clean eating allows you way more food than "dirty" eating.

    The thing about being a "carb queen" - when I eat too many carbs, I want to eat all the carbs. Your gym guy is right in saying less carbs, more protein for satiety. I just think there is a balance that only YOU will be able to strike. I think they have these high protein suggestions so that you will experience and really incorporate the knowledge that protein is satiating when in a calorie deficit. When you are lifting weights as a newbie, you make the most progress by eating as much as possible and eating a lot of protein. I say give it a couple months before you change it again. You'll learn a lot. :smile:
  • deannalfisher
    deannalfisher Posts: 5,600 Member
    35% of 1900cal is about 166g - personally that seems too high to me - my rule of thumb is 1g per goal lean muscle mass (I go a bit higher because I think it satiates me more - my ratio is about 1.2g)
  • EileenHJ
    EileenHJ Posts: 29 Member
    Thanks so much everybody for all your comments. Im going to stick with it for a while longer. I dont weigh myself very often so i go by how my clothes feel on me. At the moment the buttons are not ready to pop anymore ☺☺. Its lovely to get good helpful feedback and advice from you guys. I really appreciate it.

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