Not enough protein and calories/ too many carbs

amoeni1
amoeni1 Posts: 87 Member
edited December 21 in Food and Nutrition
Since starting insanity last week, I have really been working on trying to up my protein. I switched my settings to the 40 protein/40 carb/20 fat and 1900 calories that insanity says I should have. Ever since starting, I have been over on carbs and under on protein daily. I have been getting better about how many carbs I am going over but I am still WAY under on protein. I have ate 5 meals today and have 88 protein left and 400+ calories. How can I up my calories (I am using what insanity says I should eat while doing the workouts and I am adding in my own workouts, so I hope I dont need to eat even more?) and lower my carbs but up my proteins? I am not a huge meat eater so I started using shakeology for my breakfast meals and eating a protein bar with someone else as one of my 5 meals and its not getting me even close. Should I add protein shakes? I dont know what else to try to up my protein and calories but lower my carb intake. I'm lost!
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Replies

  • chuisle
    chuisle Posts: 1,052 Member
    I eat high protein and relatively low carb (I am doing at least 145 g of protein a day, and splitting the rest generally between carbs and fat so on lifting days that means ~40/30/30 c, p, f and ~30/40/30 c, p, f on non lifting days). So you can take a look at my diary. Though I do eat a *lot* of chicken. If you can't do that I suggest fish if possible for you and barring that egg whites and plain greek yogurt are god sends for non meat high protein eaters.

    Avoid most protein "bars" since they aren't great and often have tons of carbs and sugar but buying yourself some good protein powder is well worth it! I've used and liked isopure nature's best (100% whey) and trutein (mix of whey, egg and casein protein). I don't know shakeology well but most pre made shakes are lacking too.

    Oh and macros percentages don't matter so much as getting a sufficient amount of protein overall...I do at least my body weight in protein everyday. If you get that much and are still "under" you're fine.

    Hope that helps a bit!
  • tigerlily8045
    tigerlily8045 Posts: 402 Member
    eggs are always good. You can do either whole egg or just the whites.Our family eats a lot of hardboiled eggs.
  • suziecue66
    suziecue66 Posts: 1,312 Member
    I eat high protein and relatively low carb (I am doing at least 145 g of protein a day, and splitting the rest generally between carbs and fat so on lifting days that means ~40/30/30 c, p, f and ~30/40/30 c, p, f on non lifting days). So you can take a look at my diary. Though I do eat a *lot* of chicken. If you can't do that I suggest fish if possible for you and barring that egg whites and plain greek yogurt are god sends for non meat high protein eaters.

    Avoid most protein "bars" since they aren't great and often have tons of carbs and sugar but buying yourself some good protein powder is well worth it! I've used and liked isopure nature's best (100% whey) and trutein (mix of whey, egg and casein protein). I don't know shakeology well but most pre made shakes are lacking too.

    Oh and macros percentages don't matter so much as getting a sufficient amount of protein overall...I do at least my body weight in protein everyday. If you get that much and are still "under" you're fine.

    Hope that helps a bit!

    What time do you eat your first meal? Are you doing IF?
  • amoeni1
    amoeni1 Posts: 87 Member
    My first meal is usually between 730-830 am and its almost always shakeology right now. I try to eat 5-6 small meals (around 300 calories) a day.
  • suziecue66
    suziecue66 Posts: 1,312 Member
    My first meal is usually between 730-830 am and its almost always shakeology right now. I try to eat 5-6 small meals (around 300 calories) a day.

    I'm doing the small meals at the moment too. Was just wondering if the poster that made a comment was doing IF.
  • amoeni1
    amoeni1 Posts: 87 Member
    O ok, are you having trouble getting the protein in or do you get enough?
  • markpmc
    markpmc Posts: 240 Member
    IT's pretty easy if you supplement w/ shakes.

    Breakfast
    Snack - Protein Shake
    Lunch
    Snack - Protein Shake
    Dinner

    I usuallu hit my 200g protein w/ 2 shakes and some chicken,
  • thurberj
    thurberj Posts: 528 Member
    I'm having the same problem! Thanks for the tips:-)
  • amoeni1
    amoeni1 Posts: 87 Member
    Agreed. I am willing to try new foods and add protein shakes if it will help me lose weight and tone up so keep the ideas coming.
  • chuisle
    chuisle Posts: 1,052 Member

    What time do you eat your first meal? Are you doing IF?

    I am doing IF right now but if you look back a bit in my diary I was doing 5 small meals for a long while, so there's examples of that too!
  • Topsking2010
    Topsking2010 Posts: 2,245 Member
    Bump
  • Cilenia
    Cilenia Posts: 208 Member
    Greek yoghurt, protein shakes, meat, beef jerky as snack are my go to protein sources.
  • niss63
    niss63 Posts: 82 Member
    Powdered egg whites are about the highest protein source I've found. Add them to shakes and smoothies.
  • Lesa_Sass
    Lesa_Sass Posts: 2,213 Member
    I am on the whey protein powder band wagon. I even made frozen yogurt with a scoop of mine.
  • onikonor
    onikonor Posts: 473 Member
    ...
    Avoid most protein "bars" since they aren't great and often have tons of carbs and sugar but buying yourself some good protein powder is well worth it! I've used and liked isopure nature's best (100% whey) and trutein (mix of whey, egg and casein protein). I don't know shakeology well but most pre made shakes are lacking too.
    ...

    Try this shake is great since it's low calories low carbs zero sugar. You can buy at Costco for about $28 for 24.
    Calories: 100g, Carbs: 4g, Protein 15g, Sugar: 0g

    http://fatsecret.com/calories-nutrition/muscle-milk/light-chocolate-milk-shake

    You can also make your own protein bars at home with all natural ingredients and cut out the sugar.

    Per serving: 280 cal, 14g fat, 13.5g carbs, 28 g of protein
    Here the link to the recipe: http://recipes.sparkpeople.com/recipe-detail.asp?recipe=399249
  • jryan83
    jryan83 Posts: 72 Member
    Easiest thing for me to get added protein is just at breakfast time to have some scrambled eggs or egg substitute. Accompany with some turkey/chicken breakfast sausage or even small piece of lean steak. It will defintely help get those proteins you need and be carb free.
  • BuckeyeLife
    BuckeyeLife Posts: 313 Member
    Greek yogurt plain. Almond or Coconut Milk. Protein powder.

    I use Whey and Casein protein. Casein is a little more expensive and a slower digesting protein. Coconut milk is higher in fat, this will help fill you up.

    Right now I have a smoothie in the morning w/ 1/2 a cup of yogurt+1/2 cup protein powder+1/4 cup fo almond milk unsweetened. 24g protein, 8g carbs, 2g fat. This is a VERY thin smoothie as I just want a quick intake to go w/ my eggs. I also have no problem getting protein with everything I eat+supplement, so you could easily do a whole serving fine. To help thicken it up you can use more greek yogurt(I use Fage is possible, Chobani is my 2nd choice) and also casein powder. Got a buddy who swears that Greek yogurt+Coconut milk+casein will give you a very nice thick smoothie. If the powder flavor isn't enough you can add your own things depending on your goals. I use half a medium banana for my post work out smoothies and that does okay.
  • secretlobster
    secretlobster Posts: 3,566 Member
    If you're not really into meat, protein may always be a struggle for you.

    I agree to stay away from protein bars. The only time I use these is if I need a lot of energy and carbs are good (on a long hike or a bike race).

    You're definitely going to want to get started on protein shakes. These, beef jerky on occasion, and full fat greek yogurt are wonderful. Because I don't eat a lot of grains, I find that eating beans (chickpeas, black beans, etc) boosts my protein without really skyrocketing my carbs. But if you are eating a lot of extra carbohydrates from grain, then be aware that legumes are pretty carb-y.

    One of the things I learned I HAD to do was always have a grilled chicken breast or something handy so that I can add it to a salad if need be. I also found that there are many homemade soup recipes that can be filled with protein (beef, turkey meatball soup, etc) and have relatively low carbohydrates if you omit things like potatoes.

    Also - If you are really active like I am, please be aware that carbs are not really your enemy. Getting a reasonable amount of carbohydrates is actually a good thing when it comes before a workout.
  • AdAstra47
    AdAstra47 Posts: 823 Member
    I was diagnosed with a carbohydrate-intolerant metabolism, so I keep my carbs under 30g per day and get most of my energy from protein & fat. My ratio is something like 5% carbs, 60% protein, 35% fat. I've been steadily losing weight on this for about 15 months now.

    My tips, from my more than a year of experience:
    1. Watch the carb count on your veggies & fruits. Fruits have a lot of sugar, so plan ahead & eat them very sparingly. Choose green leafy veggies and ones that also have protein, like spinach and mushrooms. Substitute cauliflower instead of starchy, high-carb veggies like potatoes.
    2. Cut way down on grains. And remember that corn is a grain, not a veggie. Corn & grains are what we feed the cattle to make them fat. That should tell you something. I know many of us were raised that way, but you do NOT need some kind of bread at every meal. And you can use finely chopped cauliflower as a substitute for rice, too.
    3. Eggs are wonderful. Hard-boiled eggs are the best convenience food & quick snack ever. Throw an egg or two into your casseroles for a little extra protein.
    4. Protein shakes are a must, but be careful: I'd never use Shakeology, they have WAY too many carbs. A lot of so-called "protein" drinks really have more carbs than protein. I only use 0-carb brands like Syntrax Nectar.
    5. If you're not that into meat, don't forget about chicken & fish & shrimp. Those are also low-carb high-protein choices.
    6. Cheese! There are a million different kinds of cheeses with different flavors. Try them out, eat cubes or sticks as snacks, add shredded cheeses to casseroles & recipes for a little extra protein.
    7. Greek yogurt: it has more protein than regular yogurt. But make sure you get the plain kind, because the flavorings they use add a lot of carbs. To add flavor, I mix a half package of crystal light drink mix per 1 cup of yogurt, and then you can have the flavor without the sugar & carbs. Or you can use 1/2 a scoop of chocolate protein powder.

    Hope this helps! Good luck to you!
  • Joeyje3
    Joeyje3 Posts: 58 Member
    Great post! I've been wondering the same thing. Protein a hard one for me also. I just started using a protein shake. I hope its an acquired taste. :laugh:
  • JenRLo
    JenRLo Posts: 95 Member
    I'm in Phase 2 of South Beach and still on low carb, high protein. Take a look at my food diary if you want. Definitely the plain Greek yogurt - flavored has too many carbs. A 1/2 cup of plain, 0 fat Greek yogurt has 11 g protein and 1 carb. Add a 1/2 cup of strawberries for 1 g protein/6 carbs. I also add one packet of Splenda. Another quick and easy is part skim mozzarella cheese sticks (7 g protein/1 carb). I usually eat one after a workout. If you won't eat a lot of meats, then focus on low fat dairy and eggs.
  • mlopez1775
    mlopez1775 Posts: 5
    Got to the protein shake deal. Go to bodybuilding.com They have great information on this site and you can't beat their prices. Whey protein is the best from breakfast and lunch or after working out. Casein protein is slower absorbing. Drink a shake of this when going to bed.
  • AdAstra47
    AdAstra47 Posts: 823 Member
    Oh, also: google search for paleo & primal recipes. They are usually high-protein and low-carb. You can also do a search for paleo & primal threads here on MFP. There's some useful info out there, just gotta find it. :smile:
  • KafkaMichael
    KafkaMichael Posts: 2 Member
    I'm not doing Insanity, but I have no problem getting lots of protein. I just start my day with a huge egg white omelet, with a few fresh herbs. That's basically pure protein. I buy generic store-brand egg substitutes or egg whites, which aren't too expensive, and then for a cup of that you've got about 210 calories and 30 grams of protein. Have a cup of Greek Yogurt with that, and you're up to a total of 380 calories for the meal and 54 grams of protein. Start your day that way and it's tough not to have a high protein ratio by the end of the day.
  • chuisle
    chuisle Posts: 1,052 Member
    ...
    Avoid most protein "bars" since they aren't great and often have tons of carbs and sugar but buying yourself some good protein powder is well worth it! I've used and liked isopure nature's best (100% whey) and trutein (mix of whey, egg and casein protein). I don't know shakeology well but most pre made shakes are lacking too.
    ...

    Try this shake is great since it's low calories low carbs zero sugar. You can buy at Costco for about $28 for 24.
    Calories: 100g, Carbs: 4g, Protein 15g, Sugar: 0g

    http://fatsecret.com/calories-nutrition/muscle-milk/light-chocolate-milk-shake

    I don't like muscle milk...20% of the calories in that shake come from fat which is totally unnecessary and it's pretty high in sodium.

    Isopure: http://www.gnc.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2134405

    for *1* scoop:

    110 cals, 1/2 g fat, 1.5 g carbs, 25 g protein, 160 mg sodium

    Trutein: http://truscience.com/trutein.html

    115 cals, 1.5 g fat, 5 g carbs, 23 protein, 45 sodium
  • Dancermommd
    Dancermommd Posts: 8 Member
    I find the Shaklee Cinch shakes the best for me. The protein is easily absorbed and they taste so darn good. And I avoid artificial sweetners all together. It's just another chemical we don't need in our bodies. Heck, I believe our bodies are pretty messed up by all the crap that has been dumped in us over the years via all the manufacturers looking for a better bottom line. Our only recourse is to not spend money on it. I just saw a commercial on TV this morning talking about some flavored coffee creamer and it has sugar in it. At least it's not artificial but still I have to ask if it's necessary. And if they didn't mention it would we really know if you didn't read the label? Probably not. Heck, I can't even find cat food that's healthy for them!
  • tomhancock
    tomhancock Posts: 100 Member
    Google protein pancakes - basically its 1/2 a cup of whole oatmeal, 1/2 a cup of cottage cheese, and one egg. Some people substitute egg whites and baking powder for the egg, some people splash in vanilla or cinnamon. Blend all ingredients in a blender until it looks like pancake batter, you may need to add a little water.

    They are very good for you, full of protein, and have a few healthy carbs from the oatmeal.... there is a youtube video where they show you how to make the pancakes
  • BuckeyeLife
    BuckeyeLife Posts: 313 Member
    Got to the protein shake deal. Go to bodybuilding.com They have great information on this site and you can't beat their prices. Whey protein is the best from breakfast and lunch or after working out. Casein protein is slower absorbing. Drink a shake of this when going to bed.

    I have beaten their prices a couple times. Though their selection is better and it is definitely rare.

    VitaminShoppe.com is worth a look(Free shipping no $25 and over, limited selection)
    Netrition.com is decent, though I have not used them yet personally.
  • Jacwhite22
    Jacwhite22 Posts: 7,010 Member
    Almond or Coconut Milk

    Almond milk is not a good source of protein...you are better off with skim milk unless you have a lactose intolerance.
  • chuisle
    chuisle Posts: 1,052 Member
    I was diagnosed with a carbohydrate-intolerant metabolism, so I keep my carbs under 30g per day and get most of my energy from protein & fat. My ratio is something like 5% carbs, 60% protein, 35% fat. I've been steadily losing weight on this for about 15 months now.

    My tips, from my more than a year of experience:
    1. Watch the carb count on your veggies & fruits. Fruits have a lot of sugar, so plan ahead & eat them very sparingly. Choose green leafy veggies and ones that also have protein, like spinach and mushrooms. Substitute cauliflower instead of starchy, high-carb veggies like potatoes.
    2. Cut way down on grains. And remember that corn is a grain, not a veggie. Corn & grains are what we feed the cattle to make them fat. That should tell you something. I know many of us were raised that way, but you do NOT need some kind of bread at every meal. And you can use finely chopped cauliflower as a substitute for rice, too.
    3. Eggs are wonderful. Hard-boiled eggs are the best convenience food & quick snack ever. Throw an egg or two into your casseroles for a little extra protein.
    4. Protein shakes are a must, but be careful: I'd never use Shakeology, they have WAY too many carbs. A lot of so-called "protein" drinks really have more carbs than protein. I only use 0-carb brands like Syntrax Nectar.
    5. If you're not that into meat, don't forget about chicken & fish & shrimp. Those are also low-carb high-protein choices.
    6. Cheese! There are a million different kinds of cheeses with different flavors. Try them out, eat cubes or sticks as snacks, add shredded cheeses to casseroles & recipes for a little extra protein.
    7. Greek yogurt: it has more protein than regular yogurt. But make sure you get the plain kind, because the flavorings they use add a lot of carbs. To add flavor, I mix a half package of crystal light drink mix per 1 cup of yogurt, and then you can have the flavor without the sugar & carbs. Or you can use 1/2 a scoop of chocolate protein powder.

    Hope this helps! Good luck to you!

    Unless you are indeed "carbohydrate-intolerant" too please don't watch your carbs from fruits or veggies - eat as many and as much as you like essentially - and understand that whole grains are an excellent and important energy source, especially if you're active.
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