how much protein should I be eating?

[poohbear]

Hey Pooh,

Add 200 grams of extra carbs a day to your diet for 4 weeks. Get in the UW weigh tank before and after. Then lose the fat. After you're back to baseline, add 200 grams of extra protein to your diet for 4 weeks. Check it again. Let me know if the results are the same. Bet they are not.

I'd adjust protein to LBM. Pooh is correct, any kcals above what is expended with be stored, although protein is the most labor intensive for the body to convert to fat. Thus, if you're bodyfat is high and you base your protein intake on total body mass, it may be too much, or comprise too high a percent of your total calories.

W6

Currently, your proposal sounds absolutely ridiculous. There are just too many variables to consider: age, metablolism, type of carbs, type of protein, diet prior, activity level, etc. And who in their right mind would want to gain weight, lose, gain and lose to see if there is a difference.

Anyhow, we can argue back and forth and probably come up with citations to support both our claims, but the truth is I'm a carb pusher and you're a protein pusher.

WL, the best thing for you to do is experiment on yourself and see which macronutrient works best for you and at what percentage. 1800 calories may be too little. Figure out your maintenance intake before adjusting. Unfortunately, this takes time. Once you adjust your intake to a few hundred less than you need and add exercise you will lose weight regardless of whether you're taking in more carbs than protein or vice versa.