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Protein macro as a vegetarian

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hheater
hheater Posts: 52 Member
in Social Groups
Hey everyone!

I'm a vegetarian...but it seems that everyday on my food diary, I'm WAY over on carbs, and nowhere near protein. Even when I don't even eat bread or any other "carby" things that day. I'm eating all the things that vegetarians should eat for protein...nuts, legumes, food combining, etc...I know how to be one in a healthy way. But with the whole 40/30/30 thing...I have a hard time. Any suggestions? Thank you!

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  • MoreBean13
    MoreBean13 Posts: 8,701 Member
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    I'm interested to hear the response to this too. I have the same problem.
  • ANewLucia
    ANewLucia Posts: 2,081 Member
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    Well, I have done lots of research on lots of things, but haven't hit this one yet....I am studying for my Sports nutrition certification to go along with my PT and I know I will get to this topic sooner or later. I know someone will jump in on this thread...jump bump it until they do:-)

    Lucia
  • 31prvrbs
    31prvrbs Posts: 687 Member
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    I'm so sad, because I've answered this in detail before on here, but I can't find it to save my life, lol. I can't remember what the topic was called, and I can only see maybe 20-30 of the most recent posts I wrote in (which I surpass in a day :tongue: )

    I'm trying my best to find it for you but I think I mentioned things like the meatless sausage patties from Morningstar, which are 10g each (and yummy!), greek yogurt 22g/cup, and things of that nature (are you vegan or just vegetarian?)


    Kiki
  • MoreBean13
    MoreBean13 Posts: 8,701 Member
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    Here's a good article on the subject- It suggests that strength athletes need 1.41g/kg to 2g/kg per day of protein.

    http://www.drfuhrman.com/library/vegan_athlete.pdf

    I personally have no problem getting the 1.41 number, but 2g/kg is out of my reach without tons of protein shakes. I do a protein shake after every workout and have no issue with that supplementation, but it would never be a lifestyle change for me to drink protein shakes at every meal- I could do it short term at best.

    I guess if I'm in that 1.41 to 2.0 g/kg range I'm not going to stress that I can't get to 1g/lb bodyweight number everyday :happy:
    I've been really stressing over this protein issue since coming to EMTWL!
  • 31prvrbs
    31prvrbs Posts: 687 Member
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    Here's another thread about being veg & and following the EM2WL lifestyle. It's not the one that I was looking for, lol, but I'm still looking...apparently the search feature isn't liking my choice of words, lol.
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/559420-any-other-vegetarians-here

    Does anyone know how if there's a way to search for something specifically in this forum? Or how to find posts that I've written (farther back than like 30 or so posts?)
  • fuzzyslipperz
    fuzzyslipperz Posts: 49 Member
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    I'm a vegetarian and I eat way too much protein, probably a holdover from my 'bodybuilder wannabe' days. I have protein powder, a shake I really like and since I have chickens that lay a lot of eggs, there's egg whites wherever I can fit them. So I easily meet 40% protein pretty much every day, but you don't have to be as nutty as me! =)
  • guava6982
    guava6982 Posts: 26 Member
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    Hi! I am a vegetarian too, and have been struggling with this for the past year. The reality is, we do not have many lean protein sources. Even if we are able to get in enough protein, it probably also means consuming more carbs (like beans) or more fat (dairy, eggs). I have some amount of protein in every meal. Breakfast is usually Greek yogurt with mix-ins. Sometimes I add chocolate protein powder and a tsp of PB to vanilla Greek yogurt, or sometimes I just add something for texture. Snacks include almonds, cheese, peanut butter, and the occasional protein bar if needed. Dinner is probably what has changed the most for me. I think about protein first when planning meals, and then veggies and grains. I do a lot of frittatas, tofu/veggie stir-fries, stews/chilis that include beans, tofu, tempeh, seitan, veggie sausage, or whatever works. Sometimes I add TVP to bulk up chili. I do supplement my diet with whey protein powder, especially after lifting, but I try to get as much from food as possible. Honestly, before I started lifting and reading about the need for protein, my diet was probably 80% carbs, even though it seemed "healthy." It is still a work in progress.
  • MoreBean13
    MoreBean13 Posts: 8,701 Member
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    I started adding a scoop of protein to my oats in the morning- for a 36g protein breakfast. This one change sets me up to get over 100g protein through the day! I know you said you want to do real food, but I thought I'd share.

    Bodybuilders have been doing this forever, I thought it sounded gross. It's actually quite good!
  • lillebanon
    lillebanon Posts: 214 Member
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    I'm a vegetarian also. I do eat eggs and dairy. I've been working on figuring out my macros for the last few weeks and I'm getting better at it. I think my diary is open if you want to peruse it.
  • kimidorineko
    kimidorineko Posts: 4
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    bumping this old thread because it's got some great advice i could use right now.
  • KarenJanine
    KarenJanine Posts: 3,497 Member
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    I've set my macros to 40/30/30. I rarely get 30% protein but its usually somewhere in the 20s, with the shortfall causing me to go a bit over in both carbs and fat.

    I aim to get at least 1g per g LBM (around 110) but am usually in the region of 150 g per day (I've been sick this week so everything has been a bit off kilter for a few days). I do have to top up with whey shakes and probably eat too much cheese.

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