How much protein to eat on a keto diet?

lawright1125
lawright1125 Posts: 9 Member
edited December 25 in Food and Nutrition
I was wondering if any one knew the recommended amount of protein on a keto diet. I’ve been on the diet for 19 days, so far lost about 5kg which a lot of is water weight I imagine due to the lack of carbs. I stay under 50gams of carbs a day. And eat 150grams of protein a day (which is 0.8grams per lb of body weight). I’m not complaining cause I’m happy with my progress but when I test for ketones in my urine there is only a trace amount and I presume it due to the protein being turned into glucose. Just wandering how much protein others consume on a keto diet.

Replies

  • carlsberglewis1
    carlsberglewis1 Posts: 45 Member
    Get yourself a blood keto test, only way you'll ever know.. the sticks are absolutely useless.
    You say your protein is 150g but that's half of the story, what's your daily fat intake?
  • lawright1125
    lawright1125 Posts: 9 Member
    Fat intake 156 grams, protein 150g, carb (as little as possible) but no more than 50g , total calories 2204,
  • carlsberglewis1
    carlsberglewis1 Posts: 45 Member
    Roughly same as me, how do you break your fast? For not eat fat at your first meal
  • NvNash
    NvNash Posts: 7 Member
    What is the reason you don't break your fast by not eating fat at your first meal ?
  • carlsberglewis1
    carlsberglewis1 Posts: 45 Member
    No matter what you eat to break a fast causes an insulin spike, eating fat first promotes the body to store fat.
    Break your fast with a small amount of protein and eat a fat based meal 60 to 90 minutes later
  • carlsberglewis1
    carlsberglewis1 Posts: 45 Member
    Thomas delauer breaks it down so much better than me on youtube..
    Type In "official fast breaking checklist"
  • lawright1125
    lawright1125 Posts: 9 Member
    Yeah so normally 3 eggs. I’m intermittent fasting as well so this is at midday
  • lawright1125
    lawright1125 Posts: 9 Member
    Also which hole blood test is reliable
  • carlsberglewis1
    carlsberglewis1 Posts: 45 Member
    Depends where your from.. mine is a brand called on call.. keto meters and the strips are very expensive, tbh you dont need to measure ketones, just eat properly and you'll know when you're in ketosis
  • janejellyroll
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member
    carlsberglewis1 wrote: »
    No matter what you eat to break a fast causes an insulin spike, eating fat first promotes the body to store fat.
    Break your fast with a small amount of protein and eat a fat based meal 60 to 90 minutes later

    You're only going to store fat in a situation where you're eating more energy than your body can use.
  • lawright1125
    lawright1125 Posts: 9 Member
    How can you tell your in ketosis and not just in a caloric deficit

  • lemurcat2
    lemurcat2 Posts: 7,885 Member
    janejellyroll wrote: »
    carlsberglewis1 wrote: »
    No matter what you eat to break a fast causes an insulin spike, eating fat first promotes the body to store fat.
    Break your fast with a small amount of protein and eat a fat based meal 60 to 90 minutes later

    You're only going to store fat in a situation where you're eating more energy than your body can use.

    Right.

    OP, I wouldn't worry about the ketones. Those urine testers aren't especially accurate and whether or not you are in ketosis doesn't really matter. Eating super low carb simply helps with appetite for many, and should work or not for you whether or not your urine shows ketones. (Calories are what actually determine weight loss.)

    Seems unlikely that level of protein would affect ketosis anyway if carbs are low enough, but the recommended amount of protein when at a deficit in general is around 0.8 g per lb of a healthy goal weight, so if you are overweight or obese you could likely reduce protein some. It's not necessary, though, and since the goal is appetite control, worth noting that many find protein more sating than fat.

    As you are losing, I wouldn't bother with irrelevant things like testing ketones.

    Here's something worth reading for you: http://www.tuitnutrition.com/2016/01/dont-be-a-ketard1.html

    (I don't sign on to everything, including the term she uses, as she's basically a low carb evangelist and I think there are a whole range of diets that can be healthy and that for most there is nothing special about keto or low carb, but I think she's making a good point here.)
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,431 MFP Moderator
    lawright1125 wrote: »
    I was wondering if any one knew the recommended amount of protein on a keto diet. I’ve been on the diet for 19 days, so far lost about 5kg which a lot of is water weight I imagine due to the lack of carbs. I stay under 50gams of carbs a day. And eat 150grams of protein a day (which is 0.8grams per lb of body weight). I’m not complaining cause I’m happy with my progress but when I test for ketones in my urine there is only a trace amount and I presume it due to the protein being turned into glucose. Just wandering how much protein others consume on a keto diet.

    What are your stats? What is your workout plan. I eat 170g+ of protein on keto with less fat. I net around 50g of carbs and workout 6 days a week.


    Btw, you have about as much to worry about protein turning into glucose as you do fatty acids turning into glucose. Gluconeogenesis is a demand driven process and only happens when needed.

    Don't over think this. If you don't have a medical reason to be in ketosis, than don't stress ketone levels. I cut on keto for the appetite suppression.
  • lawright1125
    lawright1125 Posts: 9 Member
    Stats are 95kg at 189cm (6ft 2) at 80kg I’d be about 10% body fat. I workout (weights) twice a week and a log run
    Once a week (it’s basically a head clearing exercise). The target weight is 82kg atm and I’m 34.

    After read the post and links I probably was overthinking it
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,431 MFP Moderator
    lawright1125 wrote: »
    Stats are 95kg at 189cm (6ft 2) at 80kg I’d be about 10% body fat. I workout (weights) twice a week and a log run
    Once a week (it’s basically a head clearing exercise). The target weight is 82kg atm and I’m 34.

    After read the post and links I probably was overthinking it

    Keep doing what you are doing. You are doing fine as long as you are losing weight.
  • earlnabby
    earlnabby Posts: 8,171 Member
    edited May 2020
    To answer the question in the title, a traditional ketogenic diet is 15-20% of calories from protein (5% from carbs and the rest from fat). How that translates into grams obviously depends on your total daily calorie allotment. There are other variations that are not the true keto diet but this is the original.

    Example:
    2000 calories per day
    5% carbs @ 4 calories per gram = 25 grams
    20% protein @ 4 calories per gram = 100 grams
    75% fat @ 9 calories per gram =166 grams
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,431 MFP Moderator
    earlnabby wrote: »
    To answer the question in the title, a traditional ketogenic diet is 15-20% of calories from protein (5% from carbs and the rest from fat). How that translates into grams obviously depends on your total daily calorie allotment. There are other variations that are not the true keto diet but this is the original.

    Example:
    2000 calories per day
    5% carbs @ 4 calories per gram = 25 grams
    20% protein @ 4 calories per gram = 100 grams
    75% fat @ 9 calories per gram =166 grams

    The OP is running more of a modified keto diet which is what the current trend is. He is much better off with his original protein numbers
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