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How to keep fat intake down while increasing protein?

Posts: 1 Member
edited November 2024 in Health and Weight Loss
Hi there,

I'm new to the community, but been having frustrating problems keeping my macros aligned. I'm trying to eat 20-25% of my daily intake in fat, and about 50% in protein. I'm 6'4, 235lbs and trying to eat 235g of protein without going over 20% in fat has been super hard.

Are there some good tricks people have for doing it right? I've been eating a ton of shrimp, turkey breast, chicken breast, reduced/non fat dairy etc. but still having issues keeping my fat intake down.

Thanks for any help you can offer.

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Replies

  • Posts: 14,464 Member
    It is pretty hard to keep within strict macros like that. You have found all the "solid" protein sources already. You may need to supplement with protein powder.

    Or reconcile yourself to a little extra fat as long as your calorie allowance stays in line.
  • Posts: 14,464 Member
    Egg whites!
  • Posts: 130 Member
    Lentils, beans and chickpeas
  • Posts: 99 Member
    edited July 2017
    Eggs do it for me. Mainly the whites. I like them in omelettes 1egg white to 1 whole egg with veges, NICE! The fat in eggs come from the yolk. Check it out on the boards and stuff so you are sure. You can buy just the whites is the super markets in the butter section.
    They come in a flexible packet.
  • Posts: 84 Member
    Premier protein shakes (premixed not powder). I had to start using these when I got sick of chicken.
  • Posts: 56 Member
    czmiles926 wrote: »
    Lentils, beans and chickpeas

    And many more... A google search for "protein rich vegetables" should help you. Volumes may be a challenge though :)
  • Posts: 3,054 Member
    Do you want to double check your minimum fat macro? Rule of thumb is 0.35g per pound body weight. With what you indicated above, that would be more like 40% of a 1880 kcal daily diet?
  • Posts: 1,004 Member
    Thats my current protein goal
    And fat macro, easily done, I have to add
    Peanut butter and butter to reach my fat target. You'll find a lot of carb sources also have quite a high fat content, I stick
    To rice, potatoes and oats as the main source of carbs
  • Posts: 733 Member
    ahoy_m8 wrote: »
    Do you want to double check your minimum fat macro? Rule of thumb is 0.35g per pound body weight. With what you indicated above, that would be more like 40% of a 1880 kcal daily diet?

    ^This. Fat is an essential macro-nutrient. Eating dietary fat doesn't make you fat. If you are in a caloric deficit for a considerable time, it's important that your fat intake is at a healthy minimum, otherwise there could be adverse health consequences. Also, if you are weightlifting and looking to maintain as much muscle as possible, I can see where you are getting your protein goal of 1g/lbs, but technically you should be aiming for 1g/lbs of lean body mass. Many calculators and calipers aren't accurate, but you can lower your protein intake to .8g/lbs to account for LBM, giving you more calories towards fat and carbs.
  • Posts: 17,889 Member
    It will be frustrating to try to eat to a macro split like that, very, very hard, and not necessary, or useful, or normal for humans.

    I have no problems doing it right, just eating normal food. But doing it right means setting macros properly - for me, that was 40-45% fat and 20-25% protein during weight loss, and maybe 30-35% fat and 15-20% protein in maintenance.
  • Posts: 28,055 Member
    czmiles926 wrote: »
    Lentils, beans and chickpeas

    These are good sources of protein when one is eating much higher carb than the OP - if he's determined to stick with his current macro split he only has 25-30% carbs to play with.
  • Posts: 5,468 Member
    Shrimp/seafood, fish, protien powder, non fat Greek yogurt.
  • Posts: 5,600 Member
    why so much protein? no I'm not a protein hater (I take in 140g a day which is in the 1.2g/lmm) but 250 seems excessively high (since that equals the OP's body weight)
  • Posts: 8,934 Member
    As others have said, to hit that macro setup is going to be a challenge. Whey protein powder can help. But, as others have asked, why do you need to keep fats so low. Protein and fats are essential nutrients. I'd hit protein, although your target is aggressive, you may have a reason, I'd hit between 82 and 94 gr fat and let the carbs fall where they may. Fat doesn't make you fat.

    On the protein side, most folks follow the rule of thumb of .8 to 1 gram of protein per lb of lean body mass and not of total body weight. Some get more aggressive for specific reasons.
  • Posts: 749 Member
    Dry cottage cheese curd. It's the kind that goes in lasagne (but you don't want the rest of the lasagne :tongue: )You'll have to add something to it to make it tastier, or you can put it on top of salads. Mix it with 1% cottage cheese 50/50 ratio.

    Check out these macros.
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  • Posts: 416 Member
    Canned tuna maybe? Pure protein with zero fat.
  • Posts: 11,463 Member
    I doubt you need to be eating 235g of protein daily unless you know, through an accurate measurement method, that your body fat is 10-12%. Usually it's recommended to eat .6-.8g per pound of body weight or .8-1g per pound of LEAN body weight.
  • Posts: 10,179 Member
    That's an interesting macro target. Are you further specific in the saturated/mono-unsaturated, poly-unsaturated, and trans splits for what little bit of fat you will have? I'm not credentialed as a nutritionist, much less so as a dietitian or kinesiologist, nor did I stay in a Holiday Inn Express last night, but even I can suggest that the persons above who have extolled the virtue of wise fat consumption are to be heeded.
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