Suggestions for high protein diet???

peacelily0507
peacelily0507 Posts: 114
edited November 8 in Food and Nutrition
I really would like to get lean and toned. I know to eat a high protein diet but not entirely sure where to begin. What are some good options to kick up my protein intake and how much is enough??? I think mfp is telling me 55 g /day.
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Replies

  • UsedToBeHusky
    UsedToBeHusky Posts: 15,228 Member
    Oh no! Surely that is not enough. I go by "1 g per lb of lean muscle" program. I used this site to calculate my lean muscle mass.

    http://www.scientificpsychic.com/fitness/diet.html

    Diet suggestions: Protein shakes, double portions of chicken and fish, eggs, milk, cheese, beans
  • grapenutSF
    grapenutSF Posts: 648 Member
    Personally I'm aiming for >100g protein bc I want to build muscle. Learned that from New Rules of Lifting for Women.

    Good options for that include greek yogurt, cottage cheese, meat, and protein shakes with peanut butter.
  • Rae6503
    Rae6503 Posts: 6,294 Member
    What I've read is that you should eat 1 gram of protien for every pound of lean body mass, so yeah, probably more than 55g. I try for 115g. This should be a minimum, eating above this is okay (maybe even "good") too. I put protein shakes in my coffee. Things like chicken sandwiches for lunch, Greek yogurt for snacks, steak, burgers, meatloaf, etc for dinner. Milk, eggs and cheese really help with protein too.
  • WonderKP
    WonderKP Posts: 146 Member
    55g is pretty low....I changed my macros to 30/35/35 (protein = 35% of calories) which makes my goal about 120g of protein a day! You can go into your goals and edit the percents... you could even start at 40/30/30 (which I've seen Jillian Michaels recommend...just a thought). (carbs=40, fat=30,p=30).

    I realized the only way I can reach this high of protein goal is to eat lean meat. I love chicken and turkey and love TUNA! Also, certain nuts, and eggs are good to get protein, and spinach. I also heard greek yogurt has a lot of protein, but I personally can't stand the taste.

    I also have a couple protein mixes throughout the day.

    Just my thoughts....
  • peacelily0507
    peacelily0507 Posts: 114
    How do you figure out lean body mass??? Good suggestions thanks ;). How do you make protein shakes??? Is that whey powder?? Those would be meal replacements no? Aren't they usually high in calorIes??
  • Tanpaku
    Tanpaku Posts: 4
    I strongly recommend tuna! It's lean and tastes great. Won't weigh you down either. For adding muscle, try eating 1g of protein for every 2lbs of body weight. I eat slightly more than that, on average, when supplementing a Whey Isolate shake. Shakes vary drastically, so for that lean, toned look, be sure to find one that's low in calories. I suggest any of these three: Isolate, Micronized or Hydrolized. But try eating as much natural protein as possible.

    Protein really is the key to a successful training regimen. Good luck!
  • auntdeedee87
    auntdeedee87 Posts: 706 Member
    If you have room for the Cals and carbs-- beans! I make a big pot of Lima beans once a week and usually get 3-4 meals from it.
  • UsedToBeHusky
    UsedToBeHusky Posts: 15,228 Member
    The link I posted can help you figure out your lean body mass. As far as shakes go, you can actually put them in food. It doesn't have to be a meal replacement. I use a store brand and its only 110 calories a scoop so it really just depends on what you choose to mix it with. This morning I had an orange julius:

    1/4 can of frozen orange juice concentrate
    1 cup of orange juice
    1 cup of Greek yogurt
    2 scoops of vanilla whey protein powder

    Yes... this was all I had for breakfast but at 400+ calories, 77 carbs, 48 g of protein, and 1800+ mg of potassium, I really didn't need anything else. I have also put protein powder in cheesecake, pancakes, and brownies just to boost their nutritional content.
  • taso42
    taso42 Posts: 8,980 Member
    How do you figure out lean body mass??? Good suggestions thanks ;). How do you make protein shakes??? Is that whey powder?? Those would be meal replacements no? Aren't they usually high in calorIes??

    Figure out (or guesstimate) your body fat %, then multiply it by your body weight. Now you have your fat weight. Subtract this from your total weight and you're left with lean body mass. Or even simpler, just shoot for 1g per pound of total body mass. It's fine.

    Protein shakes can be with any sort of protein powder. Whey just happens to be the most common, readily-available choice. A scoop will usually run you about 130 calories and about 32g of protein, give or take.

    I wouldn't call it a meal replacement because a shot of protein isn't quite enough to be a meal. But mix it with a carb source like oats or fruit and you basically have a meal replacement.
  • ameyer410
    ameyer410 Posts: 32
    Besides lean meats and whole grains, I get added protein into my diet through Greek Yogurt and protein powders (I add them to smoothies and I add protein powder to morning oatmeal).

    :)
  • StrongGwen
    StrongGwen Posts: 378 Member
    How do you make protein shakes??? Is that whey powder?? Those would be meal replacements no? Aren't they usually high in calorIes??
    you can buy the lower carb Ready to Drink (RTD) protein shakes. Atkins tastes just OK to me, but EAS has the "AdvantEdge Carb Control" in chocolate fudge which only has 110 calories and 17 g protein. Also, you can now get liquid egg whites in major groceries by the Egg Beaters, and they are pasturized so they are safe to drink. They have no taste and really no texture, so you can mix into any liquid. I add 2 servings to my protein shakes and also to my skim milk for breakfast cereal. You can get the "lite" version of whey powders and mix your own, but you usually can't get a small pack just to try. some folks like certain brands and can't gag others down. But they are portable and cheaper in the long run, plus you can mix with milk or water, depending on your goals.
  • pink59eldo
    pink59eldo Posts: 86
    What I've read is that you should eat 1 gram of protien for every pound of lean body mass, so yeah, probably more than 55g. I try for 115g. This should be a minimum, eating above this is okay (maybe even "good") too. I put protein shakes in my coffee. Things like chicken sandwiches for lunch, Greek yogurt for snacks, steak, burgers, meatloaf, etc for dinner. Milk, eggs and cheese really help with protein too.

    I was just thinking about adding protein powder to my coffee instead of creamer and to replace my breakfast whole grain waffles :)
  • Rae6503
    Rae6503 Posts: 6,294 Member
    What I've read is that you should eat 1 gram of protien for every pound of lean body mass, so yeah, probably more than 55g. I try for 115g. This should be a minimum, eating above this is okay (maybe even "good") too. I put protein shakes in my coffee. Things like chicken sandwiches for lunch, Greek yogurt for snacks, steak, burgers, meatloaf, etc for dinner. Milk, eggs and cheese really help with protein too.

    I was just thinking about adding protein powder to my coffee instead of creamer and to replace my breakfast whole grain waffles :)

    FYI, it doesn't mix well with straight coffee. I put it in the blender with a half cup of milk first then use it as creamer.
  • shovav91
    shovav91 Posts: 2,335 Member
    Feel free to look at my diary, I average over 100 grams each day. Yum!
  • IrishFanVSG
    IrishFanVSG Posts: 16 Member
    I eat alot of shrimp. 4 ozs (about 12 medium) of shrimp has about 13 grams of protein. It is very low in calories too. I don't really care for greek yogurt but I do like the carbmaster line of yogurt from Kroger. I can't seem to find low carb kind anywhere else. It has 60 calories and 8 grams. Greek has more calories and the taste is bitter. I like pure protein powder the best The dry powder will give you 24 grams and I mix with 1% milk which also gives protein. My morning shake is about 33 grams. You can get ready to drink Pure Protein ( I like chocolate) and that has 35 grams of protein in a 12 oz can. I eat protein bars too. I found that I really like Bariwise brand and Quest brand (both online purchases). Yes, some protein bars are really high in calories. These are both about 160-170 calories with 20 grams of protein. The light babybel cheese is a good choice for an easy high protein snack.
  • gp79
    gp79 Posts: 1,799 Member
    I just looked over your diary and given your calorie goal of roughly 1500 calories, consuming a protein shake, MRP etc, may not be a good option for you simply from a satiety standpoint. You're going to get different opinions on what your protein intake should be but if you're currently set to MFP standards, it's low. For nutrition I use the guidelines of 1g protein and 0.4g fat for every lb of body weight. When you grocery shop, lean cuts of meat (Sirloin, Tri-tip, eye of round etc) are good options, tuna, salmon, tilapia, shrimp (frozen / pre cooked are simple and require little to no prep time), boneless skinless chicken breasts, greek yogurt (plain and add your own flavorings such as protein powders - double whammy!), cheese (fat free possibly).

    Dare I say cheesecake!! I've got a cheesecake sitting in my fridge that I've made to eat tomorrow. I eat 2/3 of the entire cake and my wife / daughter share the other 1/3. My 2/3 cake comes out to 570 calories; 82g protein, 40g carbs, 8g fat.

    So it doesn't have to be bland or boring either. Just get creative; there are so many food choices in the grocery store, you've just got to get to know them and start spending more time in the kitchen and in the MFP database.

    Good Luck
  • maryloo2011
    maryloo2011 Posts: 446
    Yeah, feel free to add me if you are curious to see the diary. Chicken, lean turkey breast, shrimp, egg whites, greek yogurt, tilapia, pb, protein shake, etc... on an average day, I'm between 120ish-160g protein. It's really not that hard.
  • chrisdavey
    chrisdavey Posts: 9,834 Member
    you really can't go wrong with a high protein cheesecake!

    I don't really understand why it's difficult. Eat a good sized portion of lean meat each day and you will be close to 100g which for most women lifting is about right.

    My protein pancakes have 70g of protein. 40g powder, 20g pancake mix, 4 egg whites, 1/2 cup skim milke + whatever flavouring you want.
  • grinch031
    grinch031 Posts: 1,679
    What I've read is that you should eat 1 gram of protien for every pound of lean body mass

    I know I'm just arguing semantics here, but pounds are not a unit of mass. I usually see protein intake as grams per kg of mass, but do sometimes see it as grams per pounds of weight also. So it can be confusing as to what someone means exactly.
  • aippolito1
    aippolito1 Posts: 4,894 Member
    Yeah, I go by 1g per lb of lean mass as well. I aim for about 120g per day. You can browse my diary, it's open.
  • crystal0830
    crystal0830 Posts: 1
    I use a protien shake while I work out. (Complete Nutrition Vcore Caramel Chocolate).. It is so yummy oh an I mix it with milk for a little more protien. You can do the once or twice a day depending on how much extra protien and workouts you are doing. I workout every day for at least an hour. I drink 2 a day.
  • tjradd73
    tjradd73 Posts: 3,495 Member
    you heard it over and over again...but 1g of protein to every lb of LBM is about right. get your estimated body fat % on an online calculator, then multiple that by your total weight, and subtract from your total weight to get LBM. EX: so if you weigh 100lbs and have a 10% body fat, then you would take 100X .10= 10, and 100-10=90 for a total of 90lbs of LBM and a goal of 90g of protein! make sense?!

    examples are: greek yogurt, protein powder in recipes or shakes, string cheese, nuts, cottage cheese, lean meats, fish, tuna, protein bars...
  • chrisdavey
    chrisdavey Posts: 9,834 Member
    What I've read is that you should eat 1 gram of protien for every pound of lean body mass

    I know I'm just arguing semantics here, but pounds are not a unit of mass. I usually see protein intake as grams per kg of mass, but do sometimes see it as grams per pounds of weight also. So it can be confusing as to what someone means exactly.

    1g/lb or 2g/kg :smile:
  • peacelily0507
    peacelily0507 Posts: 114
    I just looked over your diary and given your calorie goal of roughly 1500 calories, consuming a protein shake, MRP etc, may not be a good option for you simply from a satiety standpoint.




    My calorie goal is 1200 not 1500 even harder to fit in a high calorie protein shake :/
  • peacelily0507
    peacelily0507 Posts: 114
    I use a protien shake while I work out. (Complete Nutrition Vcore Caramel Chocolate).. It is so yummy oh an I mix it with milk for a little more protien. You can do the once or twice a day depending on how much extra protien and workouts you are doing. I workout every day for at least an hour. I drink 2 a day.


    Oooh that does sound good. Where do you get those????
  • peacelily0507
    peacelily0507 Posts: 114
    The link I posted can help you figure out your lean body mass. As far as shakes go, you can actually put them in food. It doesn't have to be a meal replacement. I use a store brand and its only 110 calories a scoop so it really just depends on what you choose to mix it with. This morning I had an orange julius:

    1/4 can of frozen orange juice concentrate
    1 cup of orange juice
    1 cup of Greek yogurt
    2 scoops of vanilla whey protein powder

    Yes... this was all I had for breakfast but at 400+ calories, 77 carbs, 48 g of protein, and 1800+ mg of potassium, I really didn't need anything else. I have also put protein powder in cheesecake, pancakes, and brownies just to boost their nutritional content.


    That sounds yummy but that's 1/3 of my calories for the day lol
  • peacelily0507
    peacelily0507 Posts: 114
    How do you make protein shakes??? Is that whey powder?? Those would be meal replacements no? Aren't they usually high in calorIes??
    you can buy the lower carb Ready to Drink (RTD) protein shakes. Atkins tastes just OK to me, but EAS has the "AdvantEdge Carb Control" in chocolate fudge which only has 110 calories and 17 g protein. Also, you can now get liquid egg whites in major groceries by the Egg Beaters, and they are pasturized so they are safe to drink. They have no taste and really no texture, so you can mix into any liquid. I add 2 servings to my protein shakes and also to my skim milk for breakfast cereal. You can get the "lite" version of whey powders and mix your own, but you usually can't get a small pack just to try. some folks like certain brands and can't gag others down. But they are portable and cheaper in the long run, plus you can mix with milk or water, depending on your goals.


    Good to know. Thank you ;)
  • peacelily0507
    peacelily0507 Posts: 114

    I don't really understand why it's difficult.



    I didn't say it was difficult. Was just seeking for some suggestions from those that have been doing it and sort of developed a rhythm. Kind of what these message boards are for no???
  • sportsforfun
    sportsforfun Posts: 353
    I have a very high protein diet. You can check out my diary for lots of ideas.
  • aregensb
    aregensb Posts: 239 Member
    Eugh 1200 calorie diets. Yay for starvation mode.

    If you want to get lean and toned, you need to exercise with both strength training and cardio. For this, you need to properly fuel your body. In order to fuel your body, you will need to eat more than 1200 calories.
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