Why do we need so much protein?
SummerFun2011
Posts: 105
Just a question! I am currently getting about 60-70g of protien per day. But i see people here saying I have to eat my body weight in protein... but I don;t understand why that much? From what I have read we really do not need that much. I don't think I could honeslty get 120g a day:laugh: I love my carbs 
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Replies
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What you've read is right. everything else is myth that people keep regurgitating0
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Protein is much harder for your body to break down than carbs. It also helps build muscle bc thats what muscle is made of lol and when carbs especially white carbs are broken down they are stored very easily. You will probably lose weight much faster if you eat your body weight in protein AND do some type of weight lifting
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Tuna, chicken, steak, and protein powder will get you there and more. You need it to keep your muscles from melting off in your effort to lose weight. You need to keep your mucles so that they will help burn the fat. You burn the muscle off and it's harder to lose the fat.0
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What you've read is right. everything else is myth that people keep regurgitating
I'd love for you to post your credible sources...0 -
Protein doesn't build muscle. Exercise does. And it's a misnomer that you must get it from meat sources.. lots of vegans out there who are well-built athletes.0
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Here is an article I found...I'd ignore all the "sales pitches" but the information itself is pretty informative. Basically, like it says, protein is what we are made of. Also, protein helps to repair your muscles from working out, helps atleast for me to keep me feeling fuller longer, because it takes more "energy" for your body to break down and process the protein you've digested. Also the amino acids are great for your health.
http://www.powersupplements.com/protein.htm0 -
You don't. Studies have shown you can do just fine on the equivalent of 2 oz of lean meat a day.
Personally, I aim to get at least 50g a day, but don't worry about it once I hit that mark. To find your RDA (recommended daily amount) of protein in GRAMS, multiply your body weight by .36 (not .8, that would give you the RDA in MICROGRAMS)
SOURCES! OMG!
http://www.pcrm.org/search/?cid=251
http://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=509000 -
I have been informed by my trainer that a healthy daily serving of protein for a woman is 64g. Basically protein builds muscle, and muscle burns fat. So the more muscle you have, the more fat you are likely to burn in a workout!
I would say it is safe to assume, that others saying, "eat your weight in protein" are trying to build huge muscles.
From my own experience of greater protein intake, (more than 150g daily) I was building muscle to the extent of gaining muscle weight. By lowering my protein intake back down to a "healthy" amount, I have began to see the scale move down again!
I am by no means a dr. So my knowledge, is solely based on things that have worked for me! Best of luck in your weight loss journey!0 -
Tuna, chicken, steak, and protein powder will get you there and more. You need it to keep your muscles from melting off in your effort to lose weight. You need to keep your mucles so that they will help burn the fat. You burn the muscle off and it's harder to lose the fat.
From what I have read on here all you need is a calorie deficit. Mfp has me at 60g... I dont get it im sorry
why does so much more protein help keep muscles?0 -
I starting upping my protein intake with 30g protein bars on top of what I was already taking in, and it actually made me perform on a lower level than what I normally would and it upset me. So stick to what you read. I wish I would have known that, but I do strength training too, so I don't need to build a huge amount of muscle up top because it could impair performance.0
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Well, no. Exercise builds muscle, but your body requires protein as the building materials. Vegans need protein, too.Protein doesn't build muscle. Exercise does. And it's a misnomer that you must get it from meat sources.. lots of vegans out there who are well-built athletes.0 -
Protein doesn't build muscle. Exercise does. And it's a misnomer that you must get it from meat sources.. lots of vegans out there who are well-built athletes.
No you don't have to get it from meat sources but I'd love to see you get as much as you do from meat sources without eating all day long. Also, yes protein does build muscles. You can't build/maintain muscle if there's nothing to build it with.0 -
Oh yeah, I didn't mention that I was a runner: That could make a difference!0
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I find that lean protein is the most satisfying. If I am very hungry, a bowl of oatmeal will fill me up, but only for a short time. A piece of fish or chicken will hold me for hours.0
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You don't. Studies have shown you can do just fine on the equivalent of 2 oz of lean meat a day.
Personally, I aim to get at least 50g a day, but don't worry about it once I hit that mark. To find your RDA (recommended daily amount) of protein in GRAMS, multiply your body weight by .36 (not .8, that would give you the RDA in MICROGRAMS)
SOURCES! OMG!
http://www.pcrm.org/search/?cid=251
http://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=50900
From those calculations I am getting more than enough protein then!0 -
Tuna, chicken, steak, and protein powder will get you there and more. You need it to keep your muscles from melting off in your effort to lose weight. You need to keep your mucles so that they will help burn the fat. You burn the muscle off and it's harder to lose the fat.
From what I have read on here all you need is a calorie deficit. Mfp has me at 60g... I dont get it im sorry
why does so much more protein help keep muscles?
A calorie deficit will cause you to lose weight. The goal is to lose fat not muscle. You want definition I'd imagine. The rule many go by is 1g of protein per lean pound of your current weight. Body builders often shoot for 200-450g a day but that's probably way more than needed. Your body will only use what it requires so unless you have severe health concerns you need not worry about having too much protein on a daily basis.0 -
We need protein for:
Growth (especially important for children, teens, and pregnant women)
Tissue repair
Immune function
Making essential hormones and enzymes
Energy when carbohydrate is not available
Preserving lean muscle mass
Protein is found in meats, poultry, fish, meat substitutes, cheese, milk, nuts, legumes, and in smaller quantities in starchy foods and vegetables.
When we eat these types of foods, our body breaks down the protein that they contain into amino acids (the building blocks of proteins). Some amino acids are essential which means that we need to get them from our diet, and others are nonessential which means that our body can make them. Protein that comes from animal sources contains all of the essential amino acids that we need. Plant sources of protein, on the other hand, do not contain all of the essential amino acids.
http://www.mckinley.illinois.edu/handouts/macronutrients.htm
The great thing about us is: no two people are made the same. Some need more protein, some need less. Experiment and find out what works best for YOU not for the 200 other people who are reading this or commenting on it.0 -
Get 10 to 35 percent of your total daily calories from protein. Protein has 4 calories a gram. Based on a 2,000-calorie-a-day diet, this amounts to about 200 to 700 calories a day, or about 50 to 175 grams a day. From: http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/healthy-diet/NU00200 adjust for your own calorie needs.0
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Tuna, chicken, steak, and protein powder will get you there and more. You need it to keep your muscles from melting off in your effort to lose weight. You need to keep your mucles so that they will help burn the fat. You burn the muscle off and it's harder to lose the fat.
From what I have read on here all you need is a calorie deficit. Mfp has me at 60g... I dont get it im sorry
why does so much more protein help keep muscles?
A calorie deficit will cause you to lose weight. The goal is to lose fat not muscle. You want definition I'd imagine. The rule many go by is 1g of protein per lean pound of your current weight. Body builders often shoot for 200-450g a day but that's probably way more than needed. Your body will only use what it requires so unless you have severe health concerns you need not worry about having too much protein on a daily basis.
What I don't understand is why isn't 60-70g enough? Why is body weight? Like I said I read many places (not body building sites) that you don't need that much. Will I break down muscle with only 60-70g?0 -
SOURCES! OMG!
http://www.pcrm.org/search/?cid=251
That website says, "Studies show that the healthiest diet is one that is high in carbohydrate, low in fat, and moderate in protein" Are you kidding me? That's what the FDA food pyramid triangle suggests, and that's a big reason why American's are overweight; weight-loss programs like Body for Life, AthleanX, P90X, Jillians, etc. will all challenge this idea. As soon as we started fearing fat, we started becoming fat; this is a key idea behind South Beach Diet. Fat is the fuel needed for burning weight. As soon as we accepted eating all those carbs, obesity rates have gone up ever since. (I'd also like to mention those sources are from the 90's which hasn't seen the reality of how this diet has led to obesity rates).
Protein is the building blocks for muscle, your greatest tool to losing weight. Cardio alone will only get you so far, and as soon as you stop cardio you will either have to tighten the calories or keep doing cardio. With building muscle, and I'm talking lean muscle, not Gold's Gym steroid-look-at-me muscle, you're body's metabolism, a never-ending source to burning calories, will require more calories, helping you lose that stubborn fat even faster. Getting 120 grams of protein may be a bit too much for some people, but it's really easier to get than you think.
If you need sources I'll see if I can find them, but just wanted to post my opinion 0 -
Also, eating protein doesn't = muscles, same as eating fat doesn't = fat. Your body breaks everything down into it's basic components and then does what needs to be done the most at that moment with it. That's a really simplified explanation, but you get the point.
Eat a well balanced diet, with proper amounts of fruits, veggies, whole grains, and lean proteins and you'll be just fine. It's really quite simple, I don't know why everyone has to make it so complicated. We evolved to eat things in proportion to how much is available. Plants are plentiful, fruits less so, grains less so, etc. Thankfully, everything is made from more or less the same building blocks so all contain a bit of everything. Even things that have no protein in them have some of the components of protein.0 -
I have been informed by my trainer that a healthy daily serving of protein for a woman is 64g. Basically protein builds muscle, and muscle burns fat. So the more muscle you have, the more fat you are likely to burn in a workout!
I would say it is safe to assume, that others saying, "eat your weight in protein" are trying to build huge muscles.
From my own experience of greater protein intake, (more than 150g daily) I was building muscle to the extent of gaining muscle weight. By lowering my protein intake back down to a "healthy" amount, I have began to see the scale move down again!
I am by no means a dr. So my knowledge, is solely based on things that have worked for me! Best of luck in your weight loss journey!
Lol.
<sigh> It's not eating your TOTAL body weight in grams of protein, but your LBM (lean body mass). And that is to maintain, not "building huge muscles", which, btw, a woman won't do unless she is 'roiding.0 -
I have been informed by my trainer that a healthy daily serving of protein for a woman is 64g. Basically protein builds muscle, and muscle burns fat. So the more muscle you have, the more fat you are likely to burn in a workout!
I would say it is safe to assume, that others saying, "eat your weight in protein" are trying to build huge muscles.
From my own experience of greater protein intake, (more than 150g daily) I was building muscle to the extent of gaining muscle weight. By lowering my protein intake back down to a "healthy" amount, I have began to see the scale move down again!
I am by no means a dr. So my knowledge, is solely based on things that have worked for me! Best of luck in your weight loss journey!
Lol.
<sigh> It's not eating your TOTAL body weight in grams of protein, but your LBM (lean body mass). And that is to maintain, not "building huge muscles", which, btw, a woman won't do unless she is 'roiding.
I have heard this too! And for me would be around 90 pounds of lean body mass0 -
SOURCES! OMG!
http://www.pcrm.org/search/?cid=251
That website says, "Studies show that the healthiest diet is one that is high in carbohydrate, low in fat, and moderate in protein" Are you kidding me? That's what the FDA food pyramid triangle suggests, and that's a big reason why American's are overweight; weight-loss programs like Body for Life, AthleanX, P90X, Jillians, etc. will all challenge this idea. As soon as we started fearing fat, we started becoming fat; this is a key idea behind South Beach Diet. Fat is the fuel needed for burning weight. As soon as we accepted eating all those carbs, obesity rates have gone up ever since. (I'd also like to mention those sources are from the 90's which hasn't seen the reality of how this diet has led to obesity rates).
Protein is the building blocks for muscle, your greatest tool to losing weight. Cardio alone will only get you so far, and as soon as you stop cardio you will either have to tighten the calories or keep doing cardio. With building muscle, and I'm talking lean muscle, not Gold's Gym steroid-look-at-me muscle, you're body's metabolism, a never-ending source to burning calories, will require more calories, helping you lose that stubborn fat even faster. Getting 120 grams of protein may be a bit too much for some people, but it's really easier to get than you think.
If you need sources I'll see if I can find them, but just wanted to post my opinion
Thankyou, I agree. I was only getting 30-40 grams of protein a day and staying away from fat and now I get my 110+ a day very easily, eat healthy fat and I am losing fat finally after years of standing still. I can see my obliques!0 -
SOURCES! OMG!
http://www.pcrm.org/search/?cid=251
That website says, "Studies show that the healthiest diet is one that is high in carbohydrate, low in fat, and moderate in protein" Are you kidding me? That's what the FDA food pyramid triangle suggests, and that's a big reason why American's are overweight; weight-loss programs like Body for Life, AthleanX, P90X, Jillians, etc. will all challenge this idea. As soon as we started fearing fat, we started becoming fat; this is a key idea behind South Beach Diet. Fat is the fuel needed for burning weight. As soon as we accepted eating all those carbs, obesity rates have gone up ever since. (I'd also like to mention those sources are from the 90's which hasn't seen the reality of how this diet has led to obesity rates).
Protein is the building blocks for muscle, your greatest tool to losing weight. Cardio alone will only get you so far, and as soon as you stop cardio you will either have to tighten the calories or keep doing cardio. With building muscle, and I'm talking lean muscle, not Gold's Gym steroid-look-at-me muscle, you're body's metabolism, a never-ending source to burning calories, will require more calories, helping you lose that stubborn fat even faster. Getting 120 grams of protein may be a bit too much for some people, but it's really easier to get than you think.
If you need sources I'll see if I can find them, but just wanted to post my opinion
This is very interesting! I do strength train 2-3 times per week. I always thought 60-70g was plenty! Is actually way more then I was getting :flowerforyou: Its hard for me to get 120 because I am a very picky eater! My taste buds hate protein i swear :laugh: :laugh: 0 -
Just because someone is Vegan doesn't mean they don't get protein. There are a lot of non meat proteins!Protein doesn't build muscle. Exercise does. And it's a misnomer that you must get it from meat sources.. lots of vegans out there who are well-built athletes.0 -
SOURCES! OMG!
http://www.pcrm.org/search/?cid=251
That website says, "Studies show that the healthiest diet is one that is high in carbohydrate, low in fat, and moderate in protein" Are you kidding me? That's what the FDA food pyramid triangle suggests, and that's a big reason why American's are overweight; weight-loss programs like Body for Life, AthleanX, P90X, Jillians, etc. will all challenge this idea. As soon as we started fearing fat, we started becoming fat; this is a key idea behind South Beach Diet. Fat is the fuel needed for burning weight. As soon as we accepted eating all those carbs, obesity rates have gone up ever since. (I'd also like to mention those sources are from the 90's which hasn't seen the reality of how this diet has led to obesity rates).
Protein is the building blocks for muscle, your greatest tool to losing weight. Cardio alone will only get you so far, and as soon as you stop cardio you will either have to tighten the calories or keep doing cardio. With building muscle, and I'm talking lean muscle, not Gold's Gym steroid-look-at-me muscle, you're body's metabolism, a never-ending source to burning calories, will require more calories, helping you lose that stubborn fat even faster. Getting 120 grams of protein may be a bit too much for some people, but it's really easier to get than you think.
If you need sources I'll see if I can find them, but just wanted to post my opinion
This is very interesting! I do strength train 2-3 times per week. I always thought 60-70g was plenty! Is actually way more then I was getting :flowerforyou: Its hard for me to get 120 because I am a very picky eater! My taste buds hate protein i swear :laugh: :laugh:
LOL awesome to hear about the strength training Honestly though, everyone's body is different. I weigh 166, and I've been putting on muscle and losing fat with 140-180g a day. You don't have to be too strict about it; only you can be the judge of what works for you. If you've been strength training 2-3 times a week and haven't seen more muscle or definition, kick up the protein count until you can find a right balance.
There's plenty of sources of protein without having to go into protein drinks (though it's the easiest way). Chicken and tuna is by far my fastest way to getting my protein count.0 -
If this is something that is important to you, I implore you to do your own research. Make sure to look for respected, peer reviewed scientific studies, you can find easy to understand write ups for these all over the internet. I am no expert, just someone who has read quite a bit for myself and made my own choices based on it. Try to read some from both sides of the argument, because there is almost always at least one study for both views. Don't just trust the opinions of random people on the internet , myself included.0
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I've seen that you should get from 1/2 your body weight to all your body weight (I weigh 150, so I aim for 75-150 grams a day) This seems reasonable to me rather than filling your whole diet up trying to get so much!Tuna, chicken, steak, and protein powder will get you there and more. You need it to keep your muscles from melting off in your effort to lose weight. You need to keep your mucles so that they will help burn the fat. You burn the muscle off and it's harder to lose the fat.
From what I have read on here all you need is a calorie deficit. Mfp has me at 60g... I dont get it im sorry
why does so much more protein help keep muscles?
A calorie deficit will cause you to lose weight. The goal is to lose fat not muscle. You want definition I'd imagine. The rule many go by is 1g of protein per lean pound of your current weight. Body builders often shoot for 200-450g a day but that's probably way more than needed. Your body will only use what it requires so unless you have severe health concerns you need not worry about having too much protein on a daily basis.
What I don't understand is why isn't 60-70g enough? Why is body weight? Like I said I read many places (not body building sites) that you don't need that much. Will I break down muscle with only 60-70g?0 -
Just because someone is Vegan doesn't mean they don't get protein. There are a lot of non meat proteins!Protein doesn't build muscle. Exercise does. And it's a misnomer that you must get it from meat sources.. lots of vegans out there who are well-built athletes.
Keep in mind that protein from vegetable sources is less bioavailable than protein from meat & dairy. This is not to say that you can't follow a vegan diet, but you should probably increase your protein intake by 25-30% to make up for the lack of bioavailability.0
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