Building muscle/losing fat/maintaining weight - what % protein do you consume?

anewell28
anewell28 Posts: 79 Member
edited November 22 in Goal: Gaining Weight and Body Building
Hi, title really says all.
For perspective, I am a student-athlete.
I will be starting to strength train more heavy in November. This summer and fall my focus was to lose some fat I had gained in the spring (which I have successfully done) and now its time to focus on my strength.
I don't want to call it a bulk, but I want to become stronger. I would like to avoid regaining the fat I have lost because I like how I look right now.

My plan right now would be to increase my calorie intake to maintenance, and eat at 45-50% protein. Does that sound like enough?

Any suggestiosn would be appreciated!

Replies

  • AnvilHead
    AnvilHead Posts: 18,343 Member
    http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/819055/setting-your-calorie-and-macro-targets/p1
  • deannalfisher
    deannalfisher Posts: 5,600 Member
    45-50% seems fairly high...for reference - i'm 5'3", 148lbs and do 140g a day (which is about 25% of my daily intake) and I avg 2600cal a day
  • RoxieDawn
    RoxieDawn Posts: 15,488 Member
    Mine comes out around 25% (115-120 grams a day).

    There is no reason to consume 45-50%, for me this much protein just becomes expensive and no added gainz from consuming this much extra.
  • dieselbyte
    dieselbyte Posts: 733 Member
    No need to consume excess protein. If you are eating maintenance calories, aim for .8-1g/lbs.
  • LiftHeavyThings27105
    LiftHeavyThings27105 Posts: 2,086 Member
    Usually somewhere around 1g/Protein per lb? Some people would say around 1g/Protein per lean muscle mass (which is body weight - body fat %).

    Depends on what you are doing.....your title indicates several things. If at maintenance or surplus, then def. If you are in a cut, then a little bit more than that.

    If you were eating 3,000 calories a day and you did your 45% - 50% then that means that you are putting 1,500 calories into Protein. That is roughly 375g Protein? That is a lot of expensive urine, if you ask me! There is a point at which more is not better.

    So, I am 50yo male, 6'0" @ 208lbs. I get roughly 195g Protein every day. I am not in the gym (recovering) and playing with nutrition. But, I get 180g - 210g of Protein every day...usually close to 195g. Just as an example...
  • sijomial
    sijomial Posts: 19,809 Member
    Macros by percentage are needlessly restrictive IMHO.
    I just set minimum goals in grams for protein and fat - gives a lot more flexibility within your calorie budget.

    As my daily calorie needs vary enormously (c. 2500 - 3500 a fairly usual variation, 2000 - 6500 exceptional either way) you can see the going by percentage, especially a very high percentage like 50%, would be pretty horrible. There's only so many whole chickens you can eat in a day. ;)

  • livingleanlivingclean
    livingleanlivingclean Posts: 11,751 Member
    I prefer to go by grams, not % - whatever calories I'm on, my protein is 0.8-1g per lb.
  • sgt1372
    sgt1372 Posts: 3,997 Member
    I've used a 40% macro goal for protein for the past 18 months.

    The actual amount protein consumed over this time period was about 34% or an average of 0.8-1.2g per # of body weight.

    Lost 38# from 196 to 158, dropped my BF from +20% down to 10% and increased my strength up to the advanced and elite levels for the 4 main compound lifts when compared w/other men my wt and age.
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