Protein

Interesting, I don't gt enough!....Suggestions?

MFP's set protien is to low for most people. You are more than likely not getting enough. I change my settings to 30% protien some on here have set even higher.

MFP's set protien is to low for most people. You are more than likely not getting enough. I change my settings to 30% protien some on here have set even higher.

How do I change my settings?

Goals/ Change/ Custom then reset you % to whatever you want! The default settings are 55% carbs and I forget how the balance is split. From what reading I've done, I want to be slightly ketogenic to support my weight loss and increase my insulin sensitivity so I've set my carbs to be around 80 grams per day and let the other macros fall in to place. Many recommmend a 40 carbs, 30/30. That's not bad either but not at ketogenic but if you watch total cals, you lose weight non the less. If interested, feel free to check out my diary. It's public.

PS: A general rule of thumb is .7 to 1 gram of protein per lb of lean body mass. Set it to that and let the others fall in and that's another way to skin the cat. This assumes you are getting some exercise.

You should ideally be eating ~1g of protein per lb of lean body mass; mfp's protein numbers are insane.

You can try http://www.freedieting.com/tools/calorie_calculator.htm to easily figure out your macros.....hope that helps

great site, thanks

You should ideally be eating ~1g of protein per lb of lean body mass; mfp's protein numbers are insane.

Please don't think I'm an idiot, but how do I calculate that? What exactly is "lean body mass"?

Body Fat in lbs. =
(Total Bodyweight) (Body Fat Percentage (in decimal form))

Lean Body Mass =
Total Bodyweight - Body Fat in lbs.


So someone who weighs 173 pounds with a body fat percentage of 17.5% would calculate as follows:




(173)(.175) =

30.3 lbs. of body fat


173 - 30.3 =

142.7 LBM

http://www.gain-weight-muscle-fast.com/lean-body-mass.html

I should also add that watching your lean body mass, should be the bell weather in regards to your dieting efforts. If you're losing LBM then you're diet is bad.

Ok, based on your formula, I have a lean body mass of 99.8. Does this mean I should be eating almost 100g of protein per day? And how can I tell if I'm losing fat vs. LBM? I'm sorry for all of the questions, but right now in regards to my diet I'm thinking go big or go home. I want to do it right this time so I can be healthy and keep off the weight as well. Thanks for your advice:)

That is correct.

You would measure your bodyfat % and use that formula. If you're lean body mass drops, you're losing muscle. If it gains you're on the right track. Now, before anyone says anything. MOST people, lose LBM when dropping weight. Then again those are the same people who do endless hours of cardio in a calorie deficit.

Take it for what it is worth.

"The importance of knowing your LBM? What if your trip to the scales showed no bodyweight gain in two weeks time? Is it then time to make some big adjustments to your program? Maybe, maybe not.

Your lean body mass number could show that you actually gained muscle (and, necessarily, lost some body fat) which means your program is doing well and you probably wouldn't want to change a thing.

And, of course, if your bodyweight is moving skyward, you should temper your enthusiasm until you get an accurate estimate of your lean body mass. It may just be body fat you are gaining."

I just did a quick Lean Body Mass calculation on an online calculator, it just took my height and weight and it gave me this message

Results:
According to your measurements - weight of 248 pounds and height of 6' 6", your lean body mass is estimated to be 181.74 . Since the ideal body fat percentage for men is 15%, your ideal lean body weight is 171.12 pounds. Remember these are guidelines; your physician should help you determine the ideal weight and body fat for you.

You may be thinking that your lean body mass is your ideal weight or your weight if you were a true "lean machine." Well, it’s not. Your lean body mass is sum of the nonfat parts of your body like muscle, organs, blood and water.

So should I be looking to have 181 grams of protein a day? MyFitnessPal has me at 66 :ohwell: I usually go over this by a little bit.

That is a massive difference or am I doing something wrong? I am on a calorie deficit of 1000, eating 1770 a day and have lost 26 pounds in 7 weeks. So I am really happy with my progress. I have done about 3 weeks of heavy lifting after 4 weeks of just cardio.

Am I eating enough protein?