Getting enough protein
MailOrderBride
Posts: 27 Member
How do you guys do it? My macros are 50% carbs, 25 fat and 25 protein. I can barely maje it it to 20% protein. I eat yogurt, lentils, tuna, chicken and meat, but cannot eat meat at every meal. I’m losing weight, but would like to get to where I need to be with macro goal set up by a nutritionist.
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Replies
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20% protein is probably fine. Do you feel fine?0
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I do 130g a protein a day - probably 30% comes from non typical protein sources - pasta, barley, Farro, sweet potato - not a lot (7-10g per serving but it adds up)2
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Which macro are you routinely over in, since you're under on protein? Look for opportunities to switch out those types of foods with more of the protein-rich foods you already consume.
Alternatively, you could add supplemental protein in the form of a protein powder, either mixed into your yogurt or as a shake, or protein bars. Eggs/egg whites, milk, and cheese also supply protein, along with fat and other nutrients.7 -
How many grams of protein is the 20% of macros providing?
Most beef jerkys are high in protein vs calories. Just picked some up, 60 calories, 12g of protein (80% of the calories). Also have some Protein2O, 60 calories 15g protein (100% protein).1 -
MailOrderBride wrote: »How do you guys do it? My macros are 50% carbs, 25 fat and 25 protein. I can barely maje it it to 20% protein. I eat yogurt, lentils, tuna, chicken and meat, but cannot eat meat at every meal. I’m losing weight, but would like to get to where I need to be with macro goal set up by a nutritionist.
What are your stats and how much protein is 20% in grams?0 -
How much do you want to eat? During the week, i eat fish once a day, but otherwise all my other protein is vegetarian - I aim for, and easily get 130g.
Have you tried increasing the amount of protein foods you eat per meal? More yoghurt (I add protein powder to high protein, low fat natural yoghurt for more protein, flavour and sweetness without adding carbs). Other dairy. A bigger serve of meat.3 -
Protein Powder - I use Naked Whey. Your protein is likely ok, I think seeing the numbers and realizing the low percentage of protein in your diet is just freaking you out.2
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Which macro are you routinely over in, since you're under on protein? Look for opportunities to switch out those types of foods with more of the protein-rich foods you already consume.
Alternatively, you could add supplemental protein in the form of a protein powder, either mixed into your yogurt or as a shake, or protein bars. Eggs/egg whites, milk, and cheese also supply protein, along with fat and other nutrients.
I’m over in fat. I eat full fat Whole Foods, most have protein, but my “nuts” obsession outweighs in fat. I have no issue with carbs and am usually at 40%. I also have a huge issue with sugar - I eat A LOT of fruit. Makes me feel bad when it warns me that I’m over in sugar, but I don’t eat processed sugar so it’s weird.
Anyway, protein - I fear supplements and powders, any natural options that I could Incorporate at every meal?
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livingleanlivingclean wrote: »How much do you want to eat? During the week, i eat fish once a day, but otherwise all my other protein is vegetarian - I aim for, and easily get 130g.
Have you tried increasing the amount of protein foods you eat per meal? More yoghurt (I add protein powder to high protein, low fat natural yoghurt for more protein, flavour and sweetness without adding carbs). Other dairy. A bigger serve of meat.
I’d love to hear more about your veggie protein sources. I eat tons of yogurt, eggs, lentils, etc. For example, I just made Borcht, so I add Greek yogurt (instead of sour cream) for an added boost of protein.
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TavistockToad wrote: »MailOrderBride wrote: »How do you guys do it? My macros are 50% carbs, 25 fat and 25 protein. I can barely maje it it to 20% protein. I eat yogurt, lentils, tuna, chicken and meat, but cannot eat meat at every meal. I’m losing weight, but would like to get to where I need to be with macro goal set up by a nutritionist.
What are your stats and how much protein is 20% in grams?
I need 78 grams to keep to the 25% target of a 1250 calorie plan.
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kommodevaran wrote: »20% protein is probably fine. Do you feel fine?
I do feel hungry at night, and I think if I had more protein that would not necessarily be the case. (I try to not eat after 7) But I feel good, work out and motivated by the weight loss.1 -
Maybe, maybe not. What's your height and weight, and your calorie target, and do you hit it cosistently?MailOrderBride wrote: »
I do feel hungry at night, and I think if I had more protein that would not necessarily be the case.kommodevaran wrote: »20% protein is probably fine. Do you feel fine?
Why? And when do you go to bed?(I try to not eat after 7)
I used to do/think that too. But I have found being motivated by my lifestyle much more sustainable.But I feel good, work out and motivated by the weight loss.1 -
kommodevaran wrote: »
Maybe, maybe not. What's your height and weight, and your calorie target, and do you hit it cosistently?MailOrderBride wrote: »
I do feel hungry at night, and I think if I had more protein that would not necessarily be the case.kommodevaran wrote: »20% protein is probably fine. Do you feel fine?
Why? And when do you go to bed?(I try to not eat after 7)
I used to do/think that too. But I have found being motivated by my lifestyle much more sustainable.But I feel good, work out and motivated by the weight loss.
I feel best when I’ve had a certain time for fasting. If I’m hungry, I eat. For example I had a hearty breakfast this morning at 8am (I used to hate breakfast)
I’m 5”3 and 144 (down from 149 since 2.5 weeks ago). My ideal is 131, calories are 1250.
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Packerjohn wrote: »How many grams of protein is the 20% of macros providing?
This is the question.
If you are at low calories, you do want to get 25%, probably -- I aimed for around 100 g when losing. If at higher calories look at what the range .65-.85 g per lb of a healthy goal weight is, and aim for somewhere in that range.
Edit: oh, I see it was answered -- yes, 78 g is a reasonable goal.
Usually if people have problems and don't eliminate higher protein foods for other reasons (as with vegans), the issue is one of two things:
Lots of calories come from meals or snacks that are low protein. For example, having almost no protein in lunch and breakfast and trying to make it all up at dinner. Think about ways to include protein in all meals and snacks.
Or (more rare), the protein sources you rely on are actually not that high protein (bacon or sausage as the meat you eat, meat on bread in sandwich form mostly, peanut butter). Check that out and if you eat meat realize that some options are higher protein than others for the calories (no, this does not mean you can only eat chicken breast).
As others have said, look at what you tend to go over on and reduce that and increase protein, often it's just adjusting serving size or adding some into meals that are low on it.4 -
Oh, I think you want this to go in Food and Nutrition, OP, not debate. You can ask that it be moved.3
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I switched to Greek yogurt for a whopping 22 g protein per cup. I buy the plane either 2% or whole milk Greek yogurt. I have lemonade water flavoring packets and I mix one of them in with it to make it taste like lemon yogurt.... It has 5 calories but a ton of taste to the yogurt as I don't like it plain. I also sprinkle about a half a cup of Special K protein cereal crumbled on top of it for another 5 grams of protein so there I have 27 grams of protein just at breakfast.
I started using flat out wraps instead of bread. They have 9 grams of protein for 90 or 100 calories depending on the wrap. And they also have eight grams of fiber per wrap. combine that with a pouch of tuna and maybe some cheese and I've got a lunch that's close to 30 grams of protein.
Dinner is easy I have a piece of meat chicken is very high in protein. Feel free to look at my diary... You see all kinds of weird stuff that I eat LOL but I always try to get my protein in. I choose snacks that are high in protein. Like Fiber 1 bars that have 5 grams of protein for 140 calories.
I am on a 1440 per day goal. Yesterday I went over my calories because I had too much candy LOL. But I did get all of my protein and then some.3 -
lemurcat12 wrote: »Oh, I think you want this to go in Food and Nutrition, OP, not debate. You can ask that it be moved.
We can debate!
Is protein all it’s cracked up to be? And is it better to have lower protein intake versus using supplements and powders?
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A target of 1250 might be a little low, unnecessary, and counterproductive. Your loss (thanks, I forgot to ask) seems to indicate that you've had a daily 250 calorie deficit (but we need data over a longer period to see the trend clearly); your TDEE at your current weight should be around 2000, which means that your real average calorie intake in this period would have been around 1750. Try to "hear" this without any judgemental tone - what I'm trying to say is that if you up your calorie goal a bit, you'll be better able to stick to a calorie deficit, and not have to worry about hunger or not getting enough of any nutrient.MailOrderBride wrote: »kommodevaran wrote: »
Maybe, maybe not. What's your height and weight, and your calorie target, and do you hit it cosistently?MailOrderBride wrote: »
I do feel hungry at night, and I think if I had more protein that would not necessarily be the case.kommodevaran wrote: »20% protein is probably fine. Do you feel fine?
Why? And when do you go to bed?(I try to not eat after 7)
I used to do/think that too. But I have found being motivated by my lifestyle much more sustainable.But I feel good, work out and motivated by the weight loss.
I feel best when I’ve had a certain time for fasting. If I’m hungry, I eat. For example I had a hearty breakfast this morning at 8am (I used to hate breakfast)
I’m 5”3 and 144 (down from 149 since 2.5 weeks ago). My ideal is 131, calories are 1250.0 -
kommodevaran wrote: »
A target of 1250 might be a little low, unnecessary, and counterproductive. Your loss (thanks, I forgot to ask) seems to indicate that you've had a daily 250 calorie deficit (but we need data over a longer period to see the trend clearly); your TDEE at your current weight should be around 2000, which means that your real average calorie intake in this period would have been around 1750. Try to "hear" this without any judgemental tone - what I'm trying to say is that if you up your calorie goal a bit, you'll be better able to stick to a calorie deficit, and not have to worry about hunger or not getting enough of any nutrient.MailOrderBride wrote: »kommodevaran wrote: »
Maybe, maybe not. What's your height and weight, and your calorie target, and do you hit it cosistently?MailOrderBride wrote: »
I do feel hungry at night, and I think if I had more protein that would not necessarily be the case.kommodevaran wrote: »20% protein is probably fine. Do you feel fine?
Why? And when do you go to bed?(I try to not eat after 7)
I used to do/think that too. But I have found being motivated by my lifestyle much more sustainable.But I feel good, work out and motivated by the weight loss.
I feel best when I’ve had a certain time for fasting. If I’m hungry, I eat. For example I had a hearty breakfast this morning at 8am (I used to hate breakfast)
I’m 5”3 and 144 (down from 149 since 2.5 weeks ago). My ideal is 131, calories are 1250.
Thanks so much for the insight! I actually took a breathing test at a nutritionist that showed that I have slightly lower than average metabolism. So my TDEE is right under 1800, before exercise. She recommended 1390 for losing 1 pound a week, I went down to 1250 to try to get two, knowing that I’m new to logging and it may not always be accurate. I just need to get back to my normal weight and then I’m on to the 1400/day plan.0 -
This content has been removed.
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Well, lower than which average? TDEE minus exercise is NEAT. 1390+500=1890, so none of us can be far off.MailOrderBride wrote: »kommodevaran wrote: »
A target of 1250 might be a little low, unnecessary, and counterproductive. Your loss (thanks, I forgot to ask) seems to indicate that you've had a daily 250 calorie deficit (but we need data over a longer period to see the trend clearly); your TDEE at your current weight should be around 2000, which means that your real average calorie intake in this period would have been around 1750. Try to "hear" this without any judgemental tone - what I'm trying to say is that if you up your calorie goal a bit, you'll be better able to stick to a calorie deficit, and not have to worry about hunger or not getting enough of any nutrient.MailOrderBride wrote: »kommodevaran wrote: »
Maybe, maybe not. What's your height and weight, and your calorie target, and do you hit it cosistently?MailOrderBride wrote: »
I do feel hungry at night, and I think if I had more protein that would not necessarily be the case.kommodevaran wrote: »20% protein is probably fine. Do you feel fine?
Why? And when do you go to bed?(I try to not eat after 7)
I used to do/think that too. But I have found being motivated by my lifestyle much more sustainable.But I feel good, work out and motivated by the weight loss.
I feel best when I’ve had a certain time for fasting. If I’m hungry, I eat. For example I had a hearty breakfast this morning at 8am (I used to hate breakfast)
I’m 5”3 and 144 (down from 149 since 2.5 weeks ago). My ideal is 131, calories are 1250.
Thanks so much for the insight! I actually took a breathing test at a nutritionist that showed that I have slightly lower than average metabolism. So my TDEE is right under 1800, before exercise. She recommended 1390 for losing 1 pound a week, I went down to 1250 to try to get two, knowing that I’m new to logging and it may not always be accurate. I just need to get back to my normal weight and then I’m on to the 1400/day plan.
I wonder what you're seeing a nutritionist for, when you're not going to follow her advice. She didn't recommend 1390 even though you could do better, but thinks you don't have the guts, or because she didn't trust you to log correctly. 1390 is a good goal at this point because your body can only break down so much fatty tissue per time unit without starting to eat off your muscles. When this happens, is not a point per se - you'll be losing a bit of lean mass no matter what - but the ratio accelerates as you decrease calorie intake beyond some level.
Food logging is pretty straightforward, just check each entry against the food label, and weigh the amount that goes into your mouth.
If you try to underat, you'll not only struggle to reach goal weight. If you do hit it, you've set yourself up for rebound overeating. 1250 doesn't even equal a theoretical 2 pounds loss; 1890-1250=640.
Your TDEE at goal weight will be a little lower than it is now, but certainly not 1400. You'll be eating at TDEE to maintain your weight.
Edited for clarity, I hope.5 -
MailOrderBride wrote: »How do you guys do it? My macros are 50% carbs, 25 fat and 25 protein. I can barely maje it it to 20% protein. I eat yogurt, lentils, tuna, chicken and meat, but cannot eat meat at every meal. I’m losing weight, but would like to get to where I need to be with macro goal set up by a nutritionist.
What is your goal..... endurance, muscle general fitness, cover model???
All of the above. Too much?
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MailOrderBride wrote: »How do you guys do it? My macros are 50% carbs, 25 fat and 25 protein. I can barely maje it it to 20% protein. I eat yogurt, lentils, tuna, chicken and meat, but cannot eat meat at every meal. I’m losing weight, but would like to get to where I need to be with macro goal set up by a nutritionist.
In the US ANYONE can call themselves a nutritionist, no training, education, experience, NOTHING required. If you want dietary advice from a professional see someone that is a Registered Dietitian.
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Packerjohn wrote: »MailOrderBride wrote: »How do you guys do it? My macros are 50% carbs, 25 fat and 25 protein. I can barely maje it it to 20% protein. I eat yogurt, lentils, tuna, chicken and meat, but cannot eat meat at every meal. I’m losing weight, but would like to get to where I need to be with macro goal set up by a nutritionist.
In the US ANYONE can call themselves a nutritionist, no training, education, experience, NOTHING required. If you want dietary advice from a professional see someone that is a Registered Dietitian.
That's not true, it varies on a state by state basis (although in no states is the requirement anywhere near as high as a rd program).2 -
The Dietary Guidelines for Americans suggest a range of 10-35% of calories from protein. I'm older, lift weight and my main goal is maintain/build muscle. I eat around 175-200g of protein (bodyweight of 205) so I'm between 25-30% of my average 2800-3000 daily calories from protein.
If I decide to to something like some long running/biking/hiking, etc, I'll drop the protein to around 20-25% of calories for a while and bump up carbs.0 -
fuzzylop72 wrote: »Packerjohn wrote: »MailOrderBride wrote: »How do you guys do it? My macros are 50% carbs, 25 fat and 25 protein. I can barely maje it it to 20% protein. I eat yogurt, lentils, tuna, chicken and meat, but cannot eat meat at every meal. I’m losing weight, but would like to get to where I need to be with macro goal set up by a nutritionist.
In the US ANYONE can call themselves a nutritionist, no training, education, experience, NOTHING required. If you want dietary advice from a professional see someone that is a Registered Dietitian.
That's not true, it varies on a state by state basis (although in no states is the requirement anywhere near as hiigh as a rd program).
I unfortunately have to agree. My stats were calculated and printed by a body scan. The only advice given by this “nutritionist” was to download this app and work out and stuff. When I addressed my slower metabolism and propensity to retain water, she was confused and went back to her shtick. I’m happy I got this app, but didn’t need to pay 300 bucks to be told to do so. Next time I go to a dietician.
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MailOrderBride wrote: »lemurcat12 wrote: »Oh, I think you want this to go in Food and Nutrition, OP, not debate. You can ask that it be moved.
We can debate!
Is protein all it’s cracked up to be? And is it better to have lower protein intake versus using supplements and powders?
I tend to add protein powder to coffee in the morning... just not really hot coffee or it will curdle. <shiver> I experience the dawn phenomenon where my blood glucose readings tend to be highest first thing in the morning often as high as 6 (or 100). a bit of extra protein in the am seems to help it come down faster, possibly from the insulin response from protein.
Even without the BG rise, I like PP because I have a hard time getting my protein where I want it. I tend to favour fattier meats so that can make it harder.0 -
MailOrderBride wrote: »lemurcat12 wrote: »Oh, I think you want this to go in Food and Nutrition, OP, not debate. You can ask that it be moved.
We can debate!
Is protein all it’s cracked up to be? And is it better to have lower protein intake versus using supplements and powders?
I don't feel a need to debate; it just seemed like you were wanting advice, not a debate.
Is protein all it's cracked up to be? Depends. Minimum protein is important, but it's hard not to meet that unless you have a really restrictive diet. Beyond that, some people find it helps with satiety, but not everyone. When you are losing weight, it's helpful to maintain muscle, but hardly the only thing that matters. I think a broad range of .65-.85 g per lb (goal weight works) is good for weight loss (for me that's 78 g at the low end), and that less is fine at maintenance with an understanding that if you want to recomp or build muscle getting within that range is probably a good idea.
Is it better to have lower protein vs. supplements and powder? Depends on how low and why you don't like the supplements or why you can't get it in other ways. I don't think there's anything wrong with protein powder except that you might not find it as satisfying or might not enjoy the taste. Obviously protein powders are quite varied. I'm not sure what you mean by supplement other than protein powder (maybe protein bars), but if you mean something like tofu or tempeh, I wouldn't consider that a supplement at all, it's quite common and traditional in Asian cooking.
I like to get about 20-30 g at breakfast, and when eating eggs and dairy I do that easily, but on occasion I enjoy smoothies or oats and might add protein powder to increase the amount in that meal. I do this more now that I'm eating far less animal products, but it's not necessary if you want to avoid those sources of protein; I hit my goals on days I don't have protein powder too.
I suspect the reason most consume protein bars is less for protein and more because they tend (for some) to be more satiating alternatives to candy bars. (I have this thing where I eat peanut and dark chocolate Kind bars (the best ones!) whenever I'm traveling because you can always find them at an airport, but those aren't especially high protein anyway, and I do think of them as basically candy bars.)1 -
Thanks everyone for the great ideas and advice. My issue with protein powder comes from extensive research into products that have chemical additives and have been recalled for being dangerous or even having rat droppings! I’ve ordered some pure organic hemp powder with about 19 grams per serving, so we will see how it goes. Most importantly, it has one ingredient
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As far as I can see on a skim-through, no one recommended this thread, so I will, even though I'm late to the party:
http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10247171/carbs-and-fats-are-cheap-heres-a-guide-to-getting-your-proteins-worth-fiber-also
It's not vegetarian, I am, and it still helped me a bunch.3
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