How much protein?

Jozzmenia
Jozzmenia Posts: 252 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
So I'm doing the premium and fitbit says I should have 194 grams of protein,116 carbs, 34 grams of fat and 1550 calories... I know I've been on and off the low carb roller coaster for years but that seems like a lot of protein and carbs AND fat if I'm being honest... I'm a 6 foot tall 238 pound female. Inconsistent with exercise. I met with a nutritionist at my gym she said half your weight is a good gauge for protein. Still seems high.

Thoughts?

Replies

  • kommodevaran
    kommodevaran Posts: 17,890 Member
    Premium has nothing to do with anything. You choose everything. Your calorie goal is pretty low; if you pick a slower rate, you can eat more. Your protein goal is very high, yes, but fat goal very low. Human diets aren't like that. MFP's default is good enough as a starting point, take it from there instead. Get off the roller coaster by finding a new and better normal. Find exercise you actually like/want to do.
  • amusedmonkey
    amusedmonkey Posts: 10,330 Member
    edited July 2017
    The fats look good, maybe even a little too low, the protein looks high, the carbs look fine although too low for my personal preference and the calories look fine to low depending on your activity level.

    A general rule of thumb for protein while dieting: 1.2-2.2 grams of protein per kilogram of your goal weight (works out to 0.55-1 grams of protein per pound of your target weight.) Anything above that, IMO is unnecessary. Not really harmful, just unnecessary and makes things harder and more expensive.
  • Jozzmenia
    Jozzmenia Posts: 252 Member
    kommodevaran wrote: »
    Premium has nothing to do with anything. You choose everything. Your calorie goal is pretty low; if you pick a slower rate, you can eat more. Your protein goal is very high, yes, but fat goal very low. Human diets aren't like that. MFP's default is good enough as a starting point, take it from there instead. Get off the roller coaster by finding a new and better normal. Find exercise you actually like/want to do.

    I just meant to break down the macros and all that I hadn't paid attention to that before I added premium. I was just looking at calories. I'm in a running group for the summer I'll probably go back to soccer in the fall. I just can't seem to be consistent. I'll workout hard for a month then get busy and be off for a month. So I'm trying to get the eating thing down...
  • kommodevaran
    kommodevaran Posts: 17,890 Member
    Jozzmenia wrote: »
    kommodevaran wrote: »
    Premium has nothing to do with anything. You choose everything. Your calorie goal is pretty low; if you pick a slower rate, you can eat more. Your protein goal is very high, yes, but fat goal very low. Human diets aren't like that. MFP's default is good enough as a starting point, take it from there instead. Get off the roller coaster by finding a new and better normal. Find exercise you actually like/want to do.

    I just meant to break down the macros and all that I hadn't paid attention to that before I added premium. I was just looking at calories. I'm in a running group for the summer I'll probably go back to soccer in the fall. I just can't seem to be consistent. I'll workout hard for a month then get busy and be off for a month. So I'm trying to get the eating thing down...
    You don't have to track macros, but it can help you if you need it, but then you have to set them correctly. You can't be consistent if your goals are all wrong for you. How did you eat before you started to track macros? Was that easier to stick to? If it was, go back to that, if not, adjust your settings. It sounds like sports is something that interests you, and that gives you an advantage compared to "exercising for weight loss" as many people do.
  • Jozzmenia
    Jozzmenia Posts: 252 Member
    kommodevaran wrote: »
    Jozzmenia wrote: »
    kommodevaran wrote: »
    Premium has nothing to do with anything. You choose everything. Your calorie goal is pretty low; if you pick a slower rate, you can eat more. Your protein goal is very high, yes, but fat goal very low. Human diets aren't like that. MFP's default is good enough as a starting point, take it from there instead. Get off the roller coaster by finding a new and better normal. Find exercise you actually like/want to do.

    I just meant to break down the macros and all that I hadn't paid attention to that before I added premium. I was just looking at calories. I'm in a running group for the summer I'll probably go back to soccer in the fall. I just can't seem to be consistent. I'll workout hard for a month then get busy and be off for a month. So I'm trying to get the eating thing down...
    You don't have to track macros, but it can help you if you need it, but then you have to set them correctly. You can't be consistent if your goals are all wrong for you. How did you eat before you started to track macros? Was that easier to stick to? If it was, go back to that, if not, adjust your settings. It sounds like sports is something that interests you, and that gives you an advantage compared to "exercising for weight loss" as many people do.

    So I hadn't been logging on MyFitnessPal in awhile. I actually was doing pretty well up until about a month and a half ago. I had a string of vacation and I was eating well at home and eating horribly on vacation. So like I went on three or four vacations in June and July. I went on vacation in May but ran a half marathon on vacation so it wasn't so bad so I was doing really well working out and my diet at home was good but terrible on vacation. Think deep dish pizza in Chicago and tacos and brunches in Miami. So I decided I needed to get back logging because that was an effective deterrent from eating things like Cheesecake Factory when I knew how many calories were in things so I figured I could temper my vacations a little bit more because I have a couple more coming up this summer LOL. But I agree that's why I wanted to get the macros exactly right but I wasn't sure how to make sure it was right. I realized the food is 80% and exercise is 20% give or take of weight loss concept and I wanted to get back on track with my eating. I also subscribed to hellofresh which I get every other week and cook more proportionate meals that way. I do prefer sports but they don't provide the consistency. It's hard for a working adult to get a lot of exercise from Recreational Sports LOL. I do try to mix it up so that I'm staying consistently active. I go through phases where I'm working in at the gym 6 times a week but like anything else I burn out pretty quickly at that rate LOL
  • dpile
    dpile Posts: 1 Member
    I am looking to lose 30 lbs at least that's my goal for now. I really don't know how to diet, I try and eat good, but obliviously I'm doing something wrong. I'm 5'6 160 lbs. How do you figure out the macros?
  • Jozzmenia
    Jozzmenia Posts: 252 Member
    edited July 2017
    dpile wrote: »
    I am looking to lose 30 lbs at least that's my goal for now. I really don't know how to diet, I try and eat good, but obliviously I'm doing something wrong. I'm 5'6 160 lbs. How do you figure out the macros?

    That was my original question mfp has default settings that are seemingly too high :/
  • kommodevaran
    kommodevaran Posts: 17,890 Member
    edited July 2017
    Jozzmenia wrote: »
    dpile wrote: »
    I am looking to lose 30 lbs at least that's my goal for now. I really don't know how to diet, I try and eat good, but obliviously I'm doing something wrong. I'm 5'6 160 lbs. How do you figure out the macros?

    That was my original question mfp has default settings that are seemingly too high :/

    What do you mean by this? Settings for what, exactly, too high for what, exactly? I understand "default" to be an "unless something else" thing.
  • sgt1372
    sgt1372 Posts: 3,997 Member
    At 1550 cal/day, 194g protein is a macro of 50%; 116g carbs = 30% and"34g fat =20%.

    I'm the last person who would normally say that "you don't need to eat THAT much protein" because I'm always railing against people on MFP who always seen so quick to say this w/o assessing the individual needs and goals of the people involved, BUT, in this case, I'd say that 50% is actually more than you need.

    A macro of 40P/40C/20F is a standard weight loss macro recommended and used by many, including me. So, I'd just suggest a minor adjustment to 155g protein, 155g carbs and 34g fat which will achieve this macro level.

    If you focus on reaching the protein macro goal by eating low fat sources the the carbs and fat macros should just fall in line BUT be sure to eliminate all refined sugar and flour and other high GI (glycemic index) carbs, as much as possible, from your diet in order to enhance your weight loss effort. Natural sugar from fruits and veggies are fine; just no sodas, baked goods, etc. if you're serious about losing weight.

    Good luck!
  • kimny72
    kimny72 Posts: 16,013 Member
    Jozzmenia wrote: »
    So I'm doing the premium and fitbit says I should have 194 grams of protein,116 carbs, 34 grams of fat and 1550 calories... I know I've been on and off the low carb roller coaster for years but that seems like a lot of protein and carbs AND fat if I'm being honest... I'm a 6 foot tall 238 pound female. Inconsistent with exercise. I met with a nutritionist at my gym she said half your weight is a good gauge for protein. Still seems high.

    Thoughts?

    We're you playing around with your settings at all? Because those are not the MFP defaults. MFP starts you off with 50% carbs, not 50% protein. I don't have Premium, but there should be somewhere that you can reset to the default goals. I think mfp does 50/20/30 or 50/30/20.
  • TR0berts
    TR0berts Posts: 7,739 Member
    MFP Defaults:

    50% carbs
    30% fats
    20% protein

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