how much protein should I be eating?

[wanderlusty]

Okay so I'm 5'6" and weigh 206 lbs. I have 125 lbs of lean body weight.

Right now my main goal is to burn fat and preserve the muscle that I've got (and gain strength as possible). I lift weights 3x a week do some cardio daily and long moderate intensity sessions 3x a week. I'm trying to eat 1,800 cals a day, which I hope will give me a 500 cal deficit.

About how much protein do you recommend?

 

[wanderlusty]

the stick thread for beginners says 1 g protein per pound of body weight.. well I'm having a tough time getting over 100 g of protein... is this gonna be a big problem?

 

[tripleV]

not really...

some egg whites, can of tuna, lean meat for dinner, maybe a shake or bar. It adds up.

there is a nutrition calculator hyperlink http://mastercook.sierrahome.com/tools/NutritionCalculator.jsp

 

[tripleV]

oh and btw, see how you answered your own question by reading the sticky post! You go girl!

 

[wanderlusty]

well i'm not bulking, so do I really need all that protein?

i'm kinda a carb junky.. not a huge fan of meat, not a fan at all of fish or eggs!! I've been eating chicken, turkey, lots of soy, and lots of legumes for my natural protein, and adding protein bars, shakes, and protein powder wherever possible.. but I'm ending up in the 125-140 g range. Is this enough to preserve the muscle I have?

 

[new@gettinbig]

Keep your protein sources clean along w/ your carb sources....stay away from processed foods and any kind of junk food Keep a journal of your diet.....can you post a sample of a daily diet for yourself??

 

[wilson6]

Bulking = getting fat

Eating carbs = Bulking

Therefore, carbs, not protein will bulk you up.

Protein is very difficult to turn into fat and increases metabolic rate when consumed. In addition, it helps to maintain muscle during times of dieting.

Eating lean food sources of protein is best as it takes energy to digest the food. If you just consume whey protein, it's in and out, raises insulin and has little thermic effect (calorie burning) associated with its consumption/digestion. There is no better source of protein and nutrients in my book than a 16 oz lean filet, although chicken and low-fat fish are also good.

W6

 

[SuperBug]

Hmm..I've got a question to tack on here...I've been trying to keep tabs on the amount of protien I am taking in and adjusting according to my weight. The sticky post for beginners says, "Eat at least 1 gram of protein per pound of bodyweight"...I'm fine with that, except I also read in a couple of different places (one might have been in a thread here?) that it should be 1 gram of protien per pound of lean body mass (muscle).....the difference in those two figures, in my case, is very large. What is the concensus?

P.S. I will go and try to find the pages/links to the sites/posts where I read that and post them here....

 

[wanderlusty]

my nutrition for one day:

Meal 1:
Small piece of cantaloupe 22 kcal
1.5 c Oatmeal 225 kcal
+ soy protein powder 39 kcal

Meal 2:
Apple banana 92 kcal
Carb Solutions Bar 230kcal
1 c. Red Beans & Rice Soup 170kcal

Meal 3:
2 c. Light soy milk 120 kcal
+Indian chai protein shake powder 120 kcal
1 Whole wheat Naan 220 kcal
1 c (or so) Jodhpur Lentils 190 kcal

Meal 4:
1.5 c Garden salad 33 kcal
3 oz Chicken Breast Strips 220 kcal
2 c Edamame 120 kcal

1803 kcal, 215 g carb, 141 g protein, 41 g fat

too much sodium, not enough veggies, and one less meal than I'm aiming for.

 

[poohbear]

Bulking = getting fat

Eating carbs = Bulking

Therefore, carbs, not protein will bulk you up.

Protein is very difficult to turn into fat and increases metabolic rate when consumed. In addition, it helps to maintain muscle during times of dieting.

BS! extra calories turn into fat.