Is it possible to hit macros without supplements?
MrsAgi
Posts: 338 Member
Helloitsdan recently ran my numbers for me and reset my macros to 30/30/40 Protein/fat/carbs
I'm only on day two, but am miles away from hitting my protein macro! Have managed to drop my carbs down OK (I was always under on carbs and over on protein on the standard mfp setting previously), but 30% protein is 130 per day. Today I managed 14 for breakfast (cereal & yoghurt), nearly 30 for lunch, a meagre 25 for supper, and squeezed another 13 in snacks. That means I still have almost 50 protein to fit in, no carbs left and only 190 cals......
Is there really a sustainable way of hitting those macros without resorting to protein shakes/bars? I am very loathe to start buying/eating something I have never felt the need for before, and which is not "real" food. I'm trying really hard to clean up my diet and don't want to add in supplements of any kind!
I'm a meat eater - definitely every day, and often twice a day, yet still so far below.......
I don't lift (yet) so no need to repair damaged muscles. I have tons of fat to lose though:(
edited to correct terrible maths!
I'm only on day two, but am miles away from hitting my protein macro! Have managed to drop my carbs down OK (I was always under on carbs and over on protein on the standard mfp setting previously), but 30% protein is 130 per day. Today I managed 14 for breakfast (cereal & yoghurt), nearly 30 for lunch, a meagre 25 for supper, and squeezed another 13 in snacks. That means I still have almost 50 protein to fit in, no carbs left and only 190 cals......
Is there really a sustainable way of hitting those macros without resorting to protein shakes/bars? I am very loathe to start buying/eating something I have never felt the need for before, and which is not "real" food. I'm trying really hard to clean up my diet and don't want to add in supplements of any kind!
I'm a meat eater - definitely every day, and often twice a day, yet still so far below.......
I don't lift (yet) so no need to repair damaged muscles. I have tons of fat to lose though:(
edited to correct terrible maths!
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Replies
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wow, that disappeared off the page quick!
Anyone?0 -
Yes, it's possible.
Why the aversion to whey though, given that your diet would still be mostly unprocessed and still nutrient dense.0 -
Wait no, 30/30/60 is not possible. That's 120%.0
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Yes. And use the percentages as a very rough guideline. What you really want to aim for is roughly 1g protein per lb of lbm, and .35g fat per lb of bw.0
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Yes, but you pretty much have to have big pieces of meat (steak, a chicken breast, etc) at meals, plus snacks that are high protein (greek yogurt, protein granola bars, eggs, milk, cheese, etc).0
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Wait no, 30/30/60 is not possible. That's 120%.
ooops, my bad: 30/30/40:embarassed:0 -
A pound of chicken for breakfast , a pound of chicken for lunch and a sensible dinner.
but seriously, have a shake nothing wrong with them.0 -
Yes, it's possible.
Why the aversion to whey though, given that your diet would still be mostly unprocessed and still nutrient dense.
Just because this is supposed to be a sustainable lifestyle change, and healthy living. I "ought" to be able to get my nutrients from food.
Plus I've never bought it before, wouldn't know where to start and don't really want to spend money on chemical foods or multinationals
And I don't do the shopping or the cooking, and hubby is only just about starting to come on board with the whole thin. He's managed to shrink portion sizes (sometimes) and increase veg's - and has even stopped buying me chocolate each night...... but I can't see him buying protein powder or using it in his recipes, which will just put me in a difficult situation domestically0 -
skip the cereal and yogurt at breakfast and have eggs and meat instead...you will be way fuller on less calories of almost all protein...0
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I eat stupid amounts of chicken. Like 10-15 ounces a day usually.
I will snack on chicken by itself sometimes.
If you look at my diary from yesterday I managed 50% protein with no supplements. Other days I take protein.
Oh - and I understand you're concern. But just so you know good protein is barely different than ground and dehydrated animal proteins. They aren't all full of chemicals and from multinationals. You can get them at an affordable price too. If your personal preference is no protein supplement rock on, but don't have that preference for reasons you stated.0 -
I love string cheese and cottage cheese...that helps meet my protein goal.
I know you said you didn't want them but Zone bars or Luna bars taste a lot like real food to me. Actually I don't crave other sweets and I think it's because I have one of those instead.0 -
chicken tuna and eggs (or if you're low on cals egg whites). Should be all you need really.0
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I usually manage it with chicken, eggs/egg whites, tuna, ground turkey, turkey sausage, cheese, greek yogurt, etc. English muffins have more protein than bread. I personally don't like whey much - it gives me a headache.0
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definitely possible.
when I was tracking on a regular basis I could typically be withing 5 grams on all of my macros w/o using supplements. And that was on a 3000ish a day allowance.0 -
Yes, it's possible! I try and eat clean with no supplements (other than my nutrition when I'm bike riding). Check out my diary... let me know if you have specific questions.0
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Yes, it's possible.
Why the aversion to whey though, given that your diet would still be mostly unprocessed and still nutrient dense.
Just because this is supposed to be a sustainable lifestyle change, and healthy living. I "ought" to be able to get my nutrients from food.
Plus I've never bought it before, wouldn't know where to start and don't really want to spend money on chemical foods or multinationals
And I don't do the shopping or the cooking, and hubby is only just about starting to come on board with the whole thin. He's managed to shrink portion sizes (sometimes) and increase veg's - and has even stopped buying me chocolate each night...... but I can't see him buying protein powder or using it in his recipes, which will just put me in a difficult situation domestically
youre a grown adult, why cant you cook for yourself or shop for stuff YOU want? and maybe u should do research on protein powder, because not all of them are "chemical foods"0 -
Sure, but I find it easier to use a scoop of powder to help things along. Also, there's often small bits of protein hidden in some fruits and vegetables. It adds up, so take advantage of that.0
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Yes, it's possible.
Why the aversion to whey though, given that your diet would still be mostly unprocessed and still nutrient dense.
Just because this is supposed to be a sustainable lifestyle change, and healthy living. I "ought" to be able to get my nutrients from food.
Plus I've never bought it before, wouldn't know where to start and don't really want to spend money on chemical foods or multinationals
And I don't do the shopping or the cooking, and hubby is only just about starting to come on board with the whole thin. He's managed to shrink portion sizes (sometimes) and increase veg's - and has even stopped buying me chocolate each night...... but I can't see him buying protein powder or using it in his recipes, which will just put me in a difficult situation domestically
I respectfully ask why would you be in a difficult domestic situation?
My husband is not too much on board with my eating habits either; however, and since I am the only one cooking, he has to eat what ever I put on the table. He doesn't cook and doesn’t want to learn. He buys whey isolate protein in Costco and I make my own smoothie when I ever need to increase my protein intake (I do lift). But I would buy the protein myself if he didn’t.
I don't think that our spouses or SO should limit or hinder our eating habits or goals, after all we are responsible for ourselves. Just my opinion.
By the way fish like tilapia, is very easy to cook and has a lot of lean protein. It would be a good way to get extra protein in your diet. Cottage cheese, regular cheese, eggs, greek yogurt ,and canned tuna are also a good source
I don't reach ALL my macros all the time, but I do try to stay as close as possible to my goals, the same with calories. I bet that lots of people are in the same situation.
You can do it!0 -
Yes, it's possible.
Why the aversion to whey though, given that your diet would still be mostly unprocessed and still nutrient dense.
Just because this is supposed to be a sustainable lifestyle change, and healthy living. I "ought" to be able to get my nutrients from food.
Plus I've never bought it before, wouldn't know where to start and don't really want to spend money on chemical foods or multinationals
And I don't do the shopping or the cooking, and hubby is only just about starting to come on board with the whole thin. He's managed to shrink portion sizes (sometimes) and increase veg's - and has even stopped buying me chocolate each night...... but I can't see him buying protein powder or using it in his recipes, which will just put me in a difficult situation domestically
I feel the same way. I never hit my protein target. I try not to let it bug me, it's something to strive for.0 -
Heck yes. I'm supposed to aim for 145ish g of protein a day on my Herbalife plan. 2 protein shakes (33g each), 3 protein snacks (at least 10g each, usually closer to 15g), and 6 oz of chicken or 8 oz of fish for dinner (30-40g) is at LEAST 126g. It's just a matter of investigating lower calorie sources of lean protein. And don't be afraid of protein powder.0
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yeah it's possible but a little expensive.
for the past few days i've been reaching my goal of over 130g of protein. the first 2 days i ate eggs, chicken avocado and 11 ounces worth of turkey burger. i honestly can't afford to be consuming several chicken and a whole turkey each week, so protein powder helps. i put 2 scoops in with a bit of low fat milk, some fruit and i get close to 50g of protein and only 220 calories. plus the $40 i pay for the huge vat of whey protein i get lasts a couple of months and ends up being much cheaper than if i had to buy that much meat and seafood.0 -
130g of protein is only 520 calories, it should be very easy to get it in especially since you eat meat. Just up the portions of meat that you are eating. If you eat bread and such, make sure to pick protein-heavy choices. For example, Joseph's Sandwich Thins. 90 calories a roll and 8g of protein. I too would echo having eggs or bacon or sausage or ham or something along those lines for breakfast. If you're stuck on cereal, pick better choices like Kashi Go Lean which is something like 14g of protein per cup. It adds up.
Whey protein, as mentioned, isn't anything special. It's dehydrated milk without the sugar and fat. Not some chemical soup. Often it's fortified with tons of vitamins and minerals too. A simple shake can be an easy 50g of protein for only 240-300 calories depending on the brand. That's if made with water - use skim milk for even more protein. A good protein bar like Quest bars can have 20g of protein and 160-170 calories too. Nice easy and tasty supplements.0 -
It's definitely possible! I choose to supplement with 1-2 protein shakes a day because I'm taking in close to 200g protein per day (a lot for someone only 117 pounds!). I'm trying to gain muscle, so my macros are set to 40p/40c/20f. Take a look at my diary if you're interested. I also pre-log my foods for the day so that I can see where any short fall my occur with my macros and so I don't fall under my calories too much.0
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youre a grown adult, why cant you cook for yourself or shop for stuff YOU want? and maybe u should do research on protein powder, because not all of them are "chemical foods"
wow - that was a bit unnecessary! FYI, my day starts before 5am, and rarely finishes before 9pm. I am usually up a couple of times during the night. During that time I hold down a job, care four four kids - two of whom are disabled in completely different ways, and one who is still just a toddler, care for a disabled husband, clean the house, do the laundry, collect prescription drugs and ensure they are taken, squeeze in a workout, pay the bills, research treatments/management techniques and legal issues, commission reports to try to get those rights and run a household.
The ONLY thing my husband can still do around the house is cook, and I am absolutely not going to take that away from him. He feels bad enough that he has to wait for me to get home to take things out of the oven/off the hob for him. Plus it's quite nice having my dinner cooked for me after work! As he does the cooking, he also does the shopping (online) as I wouldn't know what he needs..... I sort out my own (and the kids) breakfasts and lunch - which is often leftovers.
I never said all protein powders were only bad chemicals, just that as part of a healthy sustainable lifestyle I think I ought to able to get my nutrients from food. If I was thinking of this as a short term thing, I wouldn't mind buying the powder, but not for the rest of my life! I am also conscious that my ids are watching me and learning from what I do - I would definitely like them to learn to eat a nutritionally balanced diet without turning to supplements/meal replacements etc0 -
Whey protein is not some hyper processed devil food devoid of all value or nutrients, it's not a chemical food.
Its basically powdered milk.
30 grams of protein in powder form, that's all. Not to mention that per gram it's byfar te cheapest source of quality protein.If you're concerned about the ingredients/sweeteners get unflavoured.0 -
Whey protein is not some hyper processed devil food devoid of all value or nutrients, it's not a chemical food.
Its basically powdered milk.
30 grams of protein in powder form, that's all. Not to mention that per gram it's byfar te cheapest source of quality protein.If you're concerned about the ingredients/sweeteners get unflavoured.
I'm not bashing the powders per se - just the price and concept of supplements!
If it was "just powdered milk" I could drink real milk for the same effect - but I can't......0 -
Whey protein is not some hyper processed devil food devoid of all value or nutrients, it's not a chemical food.
Its basically powdered milk.
30 grams of protein in powder form, that's all. Not to mention that per gram it's byfar te cheapest source of quality protein.If you're concerned about the ingredients/sweeteners get unflavoured.
I'm not bashing the powders per se - just the price and concept of supplements!
If it was "just powdered milk" I could drink real milk for the same effect - but I can't......
When you compare grams of protein when looking at cost, it's actually pretty reasonable.0 -
When you compare grams of protein when looking at cost, it's actually pretty reasonable.
that's the conclusion I am coming to - it will cost a fortune to eat that much fish/chicken every day:sad:0 -
I personally look at protein powder differently than other suppliments.
Protein powder is just food to me. It's basically just protein (and a HIGH quality source at that) and a little extra to make it a pallatable.
Almost any protein you eat comes with something undesirable be it fat, sodium, carbs, or a lot of dietary cholesterol.0 -
I'm confused, why do you need to up your protein so much? You aren't lifting or at the point of needing to cut for muscle.
I think your initial thought of keeping your diet clean at the moment in order to get out of the obese/overweight zone realm is a good one. Hitting some proscribed macro set simply does not really matter yet, and it may never.
Keep it simple, focus on burning calories via exercise and eating at a deficit and you will reach your goals. Adding in a new concern, i.e. hitting a protein level that is hard for you to do, is just a set up for failure.
Whey is torture on the digestive tract, not to mention needless calories - I can't believe people on the boards suggest it as a necessary food product, especially for people who are currently overweight, and/or are not in any sort of training.
FWIW: I'm a believer in eating clean, unprocessed foods. I consider protein powders to be processed because they are. Unfortunately, I do rely on protein supplements a couple times a week to hit my goals since I am pescatarian and simply can't eat more protein. Difference is, my goals are muscle mass, not weight loss.
Edited to add that i just looked at your profile, you have lost 36 lbs - that's great, you are clearly doing something right. Keep it up and you will get to your body goals!0
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