Confused about protein intake
samtastic40
Posts: 5 Member
Hello,
Quick question, as I am a little confused about protein. I am a 44-year-old male and weigh 68kg. My aim is to vanquish some remaining stubborn belly and back fat, whilst build lean muscle. Nothing GQ dramatic, just get in shape and keep healthy.
I exercise around 20-30 minutes a day - one day on / off 25 mins HIIT on the bike and a mixture of weights and body weight circuit-type exercise - often with a HIIT element.
My calorie goal is 2070, which I am maintaining happily. My macros I tweaked to 40C / 30P / 3OF which MFP tells me equates to 207g C / 155g P / 69g F.
Everything I read, tells me about a range of 0.8 g per kg of weight as a basic and around 1.2g per kg to build lean mass. but 1.2 x 68kg gives me 81g of protein? I can't work out why MFP is asking for 155g per day?
Am I working something out wrong? I'd appreciate any help
thanks, everyone
Sam
Quick question, as I am a little confused about protein. I am a 44-year-old male and weigh 68kg. My aim is to vanquish some remaining stubborn belly and back fat, whilst build lean muscle. Nothing GQ dramatic, just get in shape and keep healthy.
I exercise around 20-30 minutes a day - one day on / off 25 mins HIIT on the bike and a mixture of weights and body weight circuit-type exercise - often with a HIIT element.
My calorie goal is 2070, which I am maintaining happily. My macros I tweaked to 40C / 30P / 3OF which MFP tells me equates to 207g C / 155g P / 69g F.
Everything I read, tells me about a range of 0.8 g per kg of weight as a basic and around 1.2g per kg to build lean mass. but 1.2 x 68kg gives me 81g of protein? I can't work out why MFP is asking for 155g per day?
Am I working something out wrong? I'd appreciate any help
thanks, everyone
Sam
0
Replies
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MFP uses a generic formula, it doesn't account for people wanting to maintain or gain muscle mass. All body building forums specify 1g per 1lb of body weight as a guide. Get in 70% of that or more and you're generally good. You can manually set your nutrition goals in MFP2
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Thanks for replying.
That'd make it right then huh? As 68kg of body weight is 150llbs. So if its a gram per pound that makes a daily150 g of protein and MFP is asking for 155.1 -
There are so many ways to calculate protein need, and even more opinions on what the optimal amount is. Read some American sources, and you'll find the same numbers, but for bodyweight in pounds.
MFP gives you your macros in percentage of your total calories. You changed protein settings from 20 to 30 percent, and that makes the amount increase from 100 to 155 grams.
MFP's macro split is based on what WHO recommends for healthy, normal weight and relatively sedentary adults maintaining weight, so the default will be more or less off for someone who wants to gain or lose weight, or are very active.
Many of us have a "the more, the better" mentality, especially when we're new and excited, but getting in too much of one important thing, leaves little room for other important things. Humans can thrive on a wide range of diets, as long as their needs are met. So finding the balance is the real challenge, not figuring out the "right" amounts or each nutrient, or getting in as much protein as possible. That can wait until you get into the very low bodyfat% levels and competitions.7 -
Just to clarify, @bufger, you did mean to say 1g per lbs of LBM or mid range normal BMI if LBM isn't know, didn't you?
(This question asked to clarify for those who are lurking, and may think at 190lbs they have to eat that much protein when their goal weight is 125lbs and a mid BMI, no slight on your reply intended)
With the above stipulation, a range between 0.8-1.2g is good.
@samtastic40 your macro split is fine.
Cheers, h.6 -
middlehaitch wrote: »Just to clarify, @bufger, you did mean to say 1g per lbs of LBM or mid range normal BMI if LBM isn't know, didn't you?
(This question asked to clarify for those who are lurking, and may think at 190lbs they have to eat that much protein when their goal weight is 125lbs and a mid BMI, no slight on your reply intended)
With the above stipulation, a range between 0.8-1.2g is good.
@samtastic40 your macro split is fine.
Cheers, h.
Yes I did mean lean body mass! Thanks for pointing it out.1 -
155g sounds fine to me0
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Thanks, everyone. Appreciate the feedback. Followed some website calculations on bodybuilding.com - which after manually working things out like body fat / BMR etc, came out at as:
290g C (56%)
150g P (29%)
135g F (15%)
MFP set
207g C (40%)
155g P (30%)
69g F (30%)
Which do you think? MFP version, or manually calculated using my specific measurements? Or, at my level of just wanting to lose belly fat and add a bit of muscle as I get older, is there not a lot in it really?
Thanks again, everyone. Properly appreciate the feedback and advice.
Sam0 -
samtastic40 wrote: »Thanks, everyone. Appreciate the feedback. Followed some website calculations on bodybuilding.com - which after manually working things out like body fat / BMR etc, came out at as:
290g C (56%)
150g P (29%)
135g F (15%)
MFP set
207g C (40%)
155g P (30%)
69g F (30%)
Which do you think? MFP version, or manually calculated using my specific measurements? Or, at my level of just wanting to lose belly fat and add a bit of muscle as I get older, is there not a lot in it really?
Thanks again, everyone. Properly appreciate the feedback and advice.
Sam
theres a typo in there for grams of fat.
personally i would go with MFP as 15% fat would be too low for me and i'd be too hungry.3 -
i'd probably drop (on both sides) the protein to 20-25% daily intake (i do 145g a day and that is 23% of my daily); leave fat here it is and then up carbs slight - but i tend to find carbs more satiating - especially startches0
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Yeah, typo - 35g of fat not 135g.
Thinking MFP might be a bit more doable as the fat gives me more scope for eggs, milk, and yoghurt. Plus I favour the slightly lower carbs. Been dropping carbs and upping protein and have not been feeling hunrgry.
Just don't want to over do it and turn in to lardy mclard *kitten*.
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samtastic40 wrote: »Yeah, typo - 35g of fat not 135g.
Thinking MFP might be a bit more doable as the fat gives me more scope for eggs, milk, and yoghurt. Plus I favour the slightly lower carbs. Been dropping carbs and upping protein and have not been feeling hunrgry.
Just don't want to over do it and turn in to lardy mclard *kitten*.
fat doesn't make you fat. too many calories do.6 -
Good point.0
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The thing is that both calculations are random, it's just the numbers that are specific.samtastic40 wrote: »Followed some website calculations on bodybuilding.com - which after manually working things out like body fat / BMR etc, came out at as:
290g C (56%)
150g P (29%)
35g F (15%)
MFP set
207g C (40%)
155g P (30%)
69g F (30%)
Which do you think? MFP version, or manually calculated using my specific measurements? Or, at my level of just wanting to lose belly fat and add a bit of muscle as I get older, is there not a lot in it really?
I think this is what you need to go by, especially as yousamtastic40 wrote: »Thinking MFP might be a bit more doable as the fat gives me more scope for eggs, milk, and yoghurt. Plus I favour the slightly lower carbs. Been dropping carbs and upping protein and have not been feeling hunrgry.
And that's what happens when you hit the wall. Because that's when you EAT ALL THE FOOD.don't want to over do it and turn in to lardy mclard *kitten*.3 -
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