One gram of protein per pound: how???
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Anonymous
| I am about 20 pounds overweight and am working on my overall health. I have been committed for about two months now. It isn't just about weight loss, but also mobility, strength and endurance. I just want to be healthier. I keep hearing that if you want to build muscle and lose fat, you should shoot for one gram of protein per pound of weight. That seems wholly unattainable to me. I weigh roughly 180 and the best I have ever done is get in 100. How are you all doing it? Or do I have the guidance wrong? |
Anonymous
That's what my teenage son was told to do to gain muscle weight for football. You aren't trying to bulk up, are you? |
Anonymous
| Yeah--I think that advice is for dudes who are trying to bulk up. You need to find advice specific to your sex, age, and objective. |
Anonymous
| You want to calculate based on your goal weight, not your current weight. |
Anonymous
I appreciate this response, but it is specific to women, well actually ANYONE who wants to gain muscle and lose fat. And if "bulk up" is the same as building muscle, well then that is what I am trying to do... I'll check on whether it is goal weight or current weight. And I guess I'll just figure it is an "aspirational goal" and a reminder to prioritize protein! Thank all. |
Anonymous
| It’s too much. Most people can’t use that much in a day for building muscle. You will burn it for energy or store it as fat. You also lose calcium with high protein intake. |
Anonymous
It isn't the same. Bulking up = bulky muscles. Do you want bulging muscles? How much weight do you currently lift? How many calories do you burn each day? |
Anonymous
| Pp here. Another question. Do you track macros? |
Anonymous
She's not going to get 'bulging muscles'. High protein levels while you lose weight will lead to less muscle loss. Which is a good thing for overall health. |
Anonymous
OP here, and I realize I am sidetracking my own thread, but.....it is my understanding that what you are saying is not a thing. Muscles are muscles. I want to be stronger, which means more muscle. Can you help me understand what you see to be the difference? I am working with a trainer and my lifting varies. I am able to deadlift roughly 120, my upper body is relatively weak. I tend to burn about 2500-2600 calories per day, depending on the workout. |
Anonymous
Can you provide a link to where you're seeing this link, because I'm not finding it anywhere. It's hard to respond to something I literally can't find. |
Anonymous
https://blog.nasm.org/nutrition/how-much-protein-should-you-eat-per-day-for-weight-loss#:~:text=carbohydrates%20or%20fat.-,Summary,if%20aiming%20for%20weight%20loss. HOW MUCH PROTEIN PER DAY TO LOSE WEIGHT? If you want to lose weight, aim for a daily protein intake between 1.6 and 2.2 grams of protein per kilogram (.73 and 1 grams per pound). Athletes and heavy exercisers should consume 2.2-3.4 grams of protein per kilogram (1-1.5 grams per pound) if aiming for weight loss. https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/how-much-protein-per-day#muscles-strength Numerous studies have tried to determine the optimal amount of protein for muscle gain, but many have reached varying conclusions. Some studies show that consuming more than 0.8 grams per pound (1.8 grams per kg) has no benefit, while others indicate that intakes slightly higher than 1 gram of protein per pound (2.2 grams per kg) are best (14Trusted Source, 15Trusted Source). Though it’s hard to give exact figures due to conflicting study results, about 0.7–1 gram per pound (1.6–2.2 grams per kg) of body weight seems to be a reasonable estimate. But to be fair, I also found this: https://www.spartan.com/blogs/unbreakable-nutrition/protein-intake-myths Protein Myth #1: One Gram Per Pound Per Day If you read bodybuilding websites, you’ll see that most of them repeat the idea that you need at least one gram of protein per pound of body weight per day. This number has become so deeply entrenched in the fitness world that few people even think to question why the optimal protein intake would work out to such a convenient, round integer. Research has consistently failed to back this number up. A 1992 study by Lemon et al. observed no difference in muscle mass or strength gains between novice bodybuilders eating 0.61 grams per pound or 1.19 grams per pound over a four-week period. Various studies since then have suggested optimal protein intakes in the range of 0.55 to 0.82 grams per pound of body weight per day. |
Anonymous
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And this calculator comes out to exactly 180 grams, which is the same as my weight in pounds:
https://barbend.com/protein-intake-calculator/ |
Anonymous
No one is going to bulk up while eating in deficit to lose fat. It just won’t happen. OP, I am also currently cutting and targeting 165g of protein per day. I achieve it by eating plenty of Greek yoghurt, sometimes mixed with protein powder, egg whites, lean meat and fish, and sometimes protein bars. I also generally have a protein shake with 25g of whey, nonfat milk and a banana+berries before I hit the gym. Ezekiel bread also helps with adding extra protein. |
Anonymous
OP here. Thanks so much for this! A helpful answer. Maybe I should have just asked "I want to eat a very high protein diet and am having trouble fitting it in. Any ideas?" Do you have a protein shake/powder you recommend? |