Getting enough protein

Hey, guys. I'm tracking macros but I'm having a heck of a time getting enough protein. It seems 180 grams is an insane amount. Any suggestions?
«1

Replies

  • kimny72
    kimny72 Posts: 16,023 Member
    Why are you aiming that high? What is your calorie goal?
  • brittneynathan0579
    brittneynathan0579 Posts: 69 Member
    Ok, sorry, it's 161 Protein, 101 Carbs and 63 Fat. 1610 calories a day
  • malibu927
    malibu927 Posts: 17,565 Member
    Why so high? What are your stats?
  • pigheaded
    pigheaded Posts: 3,083 Member
    It's hard! I eat a ton of chicken breasts, cans of salmon and tuna go a long ways. Lean steak is also a good source. Don't forget Protein bars and powder. If your eating several meals a day try to split your protein across each meal
  • mmapags
    mmapags Posts: 8,937 Member
    I am a guy, I weight lift and I shoot for 150-160 and 2200 calories. Why is your protein goal so high?
  • brittneynathan0579
    brittneynathan0579 Posts: 69 Member
    Because I lift weights and I need the protein to gain muscle while losing fat. I'm not only trying to lose weight. I'm a mesomorph and have to have more of a high protein diet.
    HW 236
    CW 217
    HE 145

    I'm a recovering alcoholic and I'm not used to eating right. I've never had weight issues until drinking.
  • malibu927
    malibu927 Posts: 17,565 Member
    Because I lift weights and I need the protein to gain muscle while losing fat. I'm not only trying to lose weight. I'm a mesomorph and have to have more of a high protein diet.
    HW 236
    CW 217
    HE 145

    I'm a recovering alcoholic and I'm not used to eating right. I've never had weight issues until drinking.

    First, it's extremely difficult to gain muscle while losing weight, and even moreso for a female. Plus somatotypes have been debunked.

    You should be fine with .8-1 gram per pound of lean mass.
  • brittneynathan0579
    brittneynathan0579 Posts: 69 Member
    Because I'm trying to build muscle and lose fat. I'm a mesomorph and I have to be careful with my carb and fat intake
  • brittneynathan0579
    brittneynathan0579 Posts: 69 Member
    HW 236
    CW 217
    GW 145
  • CynthiasChoice
    CynthiasChoice Posts: 1,047 Member
    edited July 2017
    I would aim for 50 grams of protein at breakfast. If you enjoy eating meat, lunch and dinner shouldn't be too much of an issue, but most people don't eat meat for breakfast, other than bacon or sausage which I would think might be too high in fat and calories if you're aiming for 50 grams of protein. And I'm assuming 6 - 7 eggs is out of the question.

    So, for breakfast, a cup of plain Greek yogurt is 22 - 26 grams protein. I cultivated a taste for it over time, and now I look forward to eating it mixed with frozen blueberries and walnuts. You could add a protein shake or protein bar to try to reach 50 grams for breakfast.

    Sometimes I use left over coffee, almond milk, protein powder and ice cubes to make a shake for lunch or a snack. I use to balk at the high price of protein powder and protein bars until I started thinking about how many grams of protein they provided per dollar compared to meat.
  • kimny72
    kimny72 Posts: 16,023 Member
    edited July 2017
    Because I'm trying to build muscle and lose fat. I'm a mesomorph and I have to be careful with my carb and fat intake

    I have never seen anything suggesting that much protein is necessary, and carbs are pretty important for building muscle as well.

    There is no such thing as a mesomorph, as was mentioned above somatypes have been summarily debunked. All we're trying to say is you don't need to twist your diet into knots to eat an amount of protein you said in your OP was "insane", it is way more than necessary.

    If you really want to eat that amount of protein, I would suggest egg whites, lower fat fish, chicken breast, and protein powder as low fat/carb protein options.
  • Firefly0606
    Firefly0606 Posts: 366 Member
    I hear you girl. I aim for about 180-200g per day, based on aiming to get 30% of my intake as protein whether I'm on a cut cycle or at maintenance. For similar reasons to you it sounds...preserve/build that beautiful muscle that is already under the fat padding, while reducing my body fat slowly. It's working - slowly. The CICO believers in the room might have found success with the "it's simple! CICO" mantra and I'm happy for them. Trying to stick to CICO a million times in my life without concern for protein consumption and heavy lifting only lead to years of failed yo-yo dieting for me, and a body that has lost muscle mass and added more fat at every lose/regain-it-all-plus-more cycle over my adult life.

    Protein, fiber, water, lift. Everything else falls into place.

    You can do it by eating half a cow in one sitting, which is not really practical, or by making sure you get a little protein as often as you can. It takes practice, so be patient and kind to yourself and you will get there. If you are not fussy with flavor, shop based on protein count. The brand of greek yoghurt I like has lots of different flavours. The honey flavor has 2g more protein per serve than the fruit flavor ones. I choose a particular brand of muesli bar because each bar contains 4g more protein than another brand. If I am having a day where protein is on the low side - every little bit counts.

    Breakfast I usually have eggs or a cereal with a fairly high protein count for a breakfast cereal. I am not dairy free and still drink cows milk, but for breakfast have switched my milk to a high protein soy milk. The product I use has a higher protein count than regular soy.
    Snacks: Cottage cheese on crackers, greek yoghurt, baked beans, muesli or nut bars with a reasonable protein count. Milk.
    Always have chicken breast, or tinned tuna, or other lean meat with lunch - regardless of what I am eating otherwise. Yesterday I had a frozen beef lasagna for lunch at work, with diced chicken breast on the side, and it was a delicious way to soak up the leftover sauce in the bottom of the tray. Chicken with lasagna? - unconventional yet protein packed. If you're not too worried about sodium levels, deli meats are a good source too. I can stop at a supermarket on the way to work and pick up 200g of sliced roast beef, smoked salmon, roast pork, ham.

    A meat serve at dinner - if you're a meat eater, meat is the easiest way to get protein in. Add a boiled egg. Add some cheese.

    Choose vegetables to go with your meals that also tick protein boxes. I eat lots of veggies, but these ones help in the protein department: Peas. Lentils. Chickpeas.

    I don't like relying on protein powders as a main source of protein, but use them as a supplement. A protein shake can give me the extra 30g at the end of the day to get me over the protein-goal line. So I probably use a powder 5 times a week. As my body weight drops over time and my TDEE changes, I hope to reduce the amount of powder I supplement with.

    Look at menus differently to how the provider sells them to you. For example KFC in Australia packages chicken in meal deals- with cheap carbs like fries, potato and gravy, bread rolls. I ditch all that now and just order 4-5 pieces of chicken on its own. Still a high fat take out, but more than halves the carb count and kicks protein goals.
  • kimny72
    kimny72 Posts: 16,023 Member
    No one here is saying protein is not important, just that this amount is unnecessary. Getting enough protein is advised over and over again in these forums. Increasing the protein in my diet was one of the keys to my success in fact. I just don't remember seeing a reputable source that says getting more than a gram per lb of lean mass was necessary.
  • brittneynathan0579
    brittneynathan0579 Posts: 69 Member
    I hear you girl. I aim for about 180-200g per day, based on aiming to get 30% of my intake as protein whether I'm on a cut cycle or at maintenance. For similar reasons to you it sounds...preserve/build that beautiful muscle that is already under the fat padding, while reducing my body fat slowly. It's working - slowly. The CICO believers in the room might have found success with the "it's simple! CICO" mantra and I'm happy for them. Trying to stick to CICO a million times in my life without concern for protein consumption and heavy lifting only lead to years of failed yo-yo dieting for me, and a body that has lost muscle mass and added more fat at every lose/regain-it-all-plus-more cycle over my adult life.

    Protein, fiber, water, lift. Everything else falls into place.

    You can do it by eating half a cow in one sitting, which is not really practical, or by making sure you get a little protein as often as you can. It takes practice, so be patient and kind to yourself and you will get there. If you are not fussy with flavor, shop based on protein count. The brand of greek yoghurt I like has lots of different flavours. The honey flavor has 2g more protein per serve than the fruit flavor ones. I choose a particular brand of muesli bar because each bar contains 4g more protein than another brand. If I am having a day where protein is on the low side - every little bit counts.

    Breakfast I usually have eggs or a cereal with a fairly high protein count for a breakfast cereal. I am not dairy free and still drink cows milk, but for breakfast have switched my milk to a high protein soy milk. The product I use has a higher protein count than regular soy.
    Snacks: Cottage cheese on crackers, greek yoghurt, baked beans, muesli or nut bars with a reasonable protein count. Milk.
    Always have chicken breast, or tinned tuna, or other lean meat with lunch - regardless of what I am eating otherwise. Yesterday I had a frozen beef lasagna for lunch at work, with diced chicken breast on the side, and it was a delicious way to soak up the leftover sauce in the bottom of the tray. Chicken with lasagna? - unconventional yet protein packed. If you're not too worried about sodium levels, deli meats are a good source too. I can stop at a supermarket on the way to work and pick up 200g of sliced roast beef, smoked salmon, roast pork, ham.

    A meat serve at dinner - if you're a meat eater, meat is the easiest way to get protein in. Add a boiled egg. Add some cheese.

    Choose vegetables to go with your meals that also tick protein boxes. I eat lots of veggies, but these ones help in the protein department: Peas. Lentils. Chickpeas.

    I don't like relying on protein powders as a main source of protein, but use them as a supplement. A protein shake can give me the extra 30g at the end of the day to get me over the protein-goal line. So I probably use a powder 5 times a week. As my body weight drops over time and my TDEE changes, I hope to reduce the amount of powder I supplement with.

    Look at menus differently to how the provider sells them to you. For example KFC in Australia packages chicken in meal deals- with cheap carbs like fries, potato and gravy, bread rolls. I ditch all that now and just order 4-5 pieces of chicken on its own. Still a high fat take out, but more than halves the carb count and kicks protein goals.

    Thank you so much, this helps tremendously! You are an angel!!!
  • brittneynathan0579
    brittneynathan0579 Posts: 69 Member
    I would aim for 50 grams of protein at breakfast. If you enjoy eating meat, lunch and dinner shouldn't be too much of an issue, but most people don't eat meat for breakfast, other than bacon or sausage which I would think might be too high in fat and calories if you're aiming for 50 grams of protein. And I'm assuming 6 - 7 eggs is out of the question.

    So, for breakfast, a cup of plain Greek yogurt is 22 - 26 grams protein. I cultivated a taste for it over time, and now I look forward to eating it mixed with frozen blueberries and walnuts. You could add a protein shake or protein bar to try to reach 50 grams for breakfast.

    Sometimes I use left over coffee, almond milk, protein powder and ice cubes to make a shake for lunch or a snack. I use to balk at the high price of protein powder and protein bars until I started thinking about how many grams of protein they provided per dollar compared to meat.

    I just bought some Greek yogurt today, actually. I plan to make it a part of my diet. Mucho thanks!
  • brittneynathan0579
    brittneynathan0579 Posts: 69 Member
    mmapags wrote: »
    I am a guy, I weight lift and I shoot for 150-160 and 2200 calories. Why is your protein goal so high?

    Honestly, I'm not sure. I've calculated on a few different macros calculatulors and they come up the same. I thought it was a bit excessive
  • AngelinaB_
    AngelinaB_ Posts: 563 Member
    edited July 2017
    mmapags wrote: »
    I am a guy, I weight lift and I shoot for 150-160 and 2200 calories. Why is your protein goal so high?

    Honestly, I'm not sure. I've calculated on a few different macros calculatulors and they come up the same. I thought it was a bit excessive

    It does seem a bit excessive, but I am not a doctor. Honestly this is a question you should go to a doctor or nutritionist and ask what's a good number for you. I barely can eat 60-100 grms a day and feel good about it but I am not excising. A lot of protein makes me sick. A doc friend told me 60 grs was ok for me. Everybody is different tho.
  • JeromeBarry1
    JeromeBarry1 Posts: 10,182 Member
    mmapags wrote: »
    I am a guy, I weight lift and I shoot for 150-160 and 2200 calories. Why is your protein goal so high?

    Honestly, I'm not sure. I've calculated on a few different macros calculatulors and they come up the same. I thought it was a bit excessive

    If you were using a calculator to get the 'high' number, please understand that those calculators use "lean body mass". You could easily have gotten the high number by giving it your scale weight this morning.

    There are several ways to get a very good idea of your lean body mass. Search for them or wait for a thoroughly credentialed trainer to come along and set you straight.
  • cdahl383
    cdahl383 Posts: 726 Member
    Greek yogurt, cottage cheese, cheese, skim milk, chicken, beef, pork, fish, nuts, beans, etc. Just incorporate more of those types of food into your diet and you'll be taking in a lot more protein.
  • brittneynathan0579
    brittneynathan0579 Posts: 69 Member
    cdahl383 wrote: »
    Greek yogurt, cottage cheese, cheese, skim milk, chicken, beef, pork, fish, nuts, beans, etc. Just incorporate more of those types of food into your diet and you'll be taking in a lot more protein.

    Thank you!!