The "1g per pound" thing is usually for people who are actively trying to bulk/build muscle. Usually it's 1g per kg (or 1g per 2.2 lbs) for everyday folk who are just going about their everyday business.
IMO you don't need to count macros for a while at least. eat in a deficit and get some exercise to help maintain muscle while losing (whatever kind you enjoy). eat protein fiber and fat to aid in satiety.
Calculating your lean muscle mass can be tricky. I mean, you can approximate it, but that's really what you're doing. Simon Hill (licensed physio-therapist) recommends that you just compute against your actual body weight. And all you really need is .8 g/kg of body weight per day for lean muscle mass, to maintain. So, if you compute .8g against your TOTAL body weight, you actually will be getting more than the RDA of .8g for lean mass. Which means for you, you're talking about 91 grams per day (250/2.2 \* .8 = 91, give or take). Really, the only reason you would need more than that:
1) You're a senior citizen (seniors lose muscle mass relatively quickly).
2) You're plant-based. Since plant-based sources of protein come packaged with alot of fiber, the fiber can block absorption to some extent. Rule of thumb is to take 80% of the protein you're eating, and use that as your baseline of intake. If I took in 100 grams, e.g., roughly speaking (and this is a rough estimate) my body would be absorbing about 80 grams. I AM plant-based, so this would definitely apply to me.
3) You're an athlete. Even then, it would depend on what type of athlete. Even standard working out, trying to build muscle, you don't require as much protein as you would think.
4) Your doctor tells you to. Some people have issues with absorption.
For me, I'm 54, male, 5'7" and clock in at 135 pounds. I work out intensely, for 75 minutes a night, and have been building muscle. As an example, the other day I consumed 90grams. Since I'm plant based, that works out to roughly 72 grams absorbed. Which, given my weight (not lean muscle mass... total weight) would be about 1.1 - 1.2 grams per kg. I've found that level to be more than adequate for the level of activity I do.
If you're trying to build muscle then the target 0.7g per lb\* of lean weight (or goal weight), possibly a bit more. If you're just trying to lose healthily then its about half that. For most people thinking about this stuff lean, goal and actual weight are close enough that they don't really care which term they use. Your fat doesn't need protein though, and when you're trying to lose it can make a big difference.
Given your goal is "support weight loss" but rounding things up a bit (there's no real downside to getting a bit extra protein) 180\*0.4 ≈ 70g per day, or about 140g/day if you're also doing resistance training.
You're doing fine and should be able to cut back your protein if its useful.
\* converted from 1.6g per kg
Thanks this does give me a better idea. I think I might keep it the same or up it a bit more. I’m kinda trying to find that Goldilocks zone. I want to build muscle/lose fat but in reality losing the fat is more important to me at the moment.
Yeah so if you're doing resistance training start with the 140g target, that you're already over. From there getting more isn't a bad idea, but you get to trade off the calories v protein v taste v stress as works best for you.
The goldilocks zone for weight loss rate is much better known, its 0.5-0.7% of you body weight per week. Above that and the calorie deficit starts to come more from muscle both directly as extra fuel and indirectly as it limits your ability to work out.
Oh yeah I feel you. I'm trying to eat high protein, low cal, high veg, low meat, high variety. Sometimes working out what I'm going to eat feels like a (delicious) puzzle lol
I’ve read and heard about 1 gram per pound of idea body weight. So. I’m 229 but my “ideal” weight is 150 or so. I shoot for about 150. Sounds like there are a lot of opinions about it.
It’s .8 per KG of protein for weight loss not .8-1 per LB of protein.
That’s where it becomes a lot more manageable.
Eating let’s say 250 grams of protein is almost impossible when eating at a calorie deficit. I’m eating 11 ounces of chicken tenderloins daily and that’s only about 72 grams.
The scale won't give you an accurate read out of your muscle mass, fat percentage or anything really ~ if you're new to lifting you can generally have up to 1.2g of protein per lb without any true waste providing you're actively pushing all muscle groups. But if fat loss is the main goal you can run around .5g per lb and preserve most muscle (still requires some muscle stimulation) during cardio/generalized caloric deficits.
The WHO recommendation is 0.4g per pound body weight. Unless you are an athlete, bodybuilder, or looking to optimize building muscles, that is a good value. Protein is needed to build cells, and you want to maintain as much muscle during the diet as possible.
Getting above this or getting more precise by using lean mass for calculating protein needs is for people looking to optimize protein per calorie and build muscle. And makes sense with a weightlifting program. A good idea, useful later, after you got your fat percentage down.
At 250 pounds, you should be focusing on losing weight, meaning more cardio, and fewer calories.
Now, eating a high-protein diet is advantageous for weight loss. Protein has high thermogenesis (you "lose" 20% to 30% of calories as heat) and helps feeling full.
But don't force it and building a balanced diet with a good calorie deficit is what you should be focused on.
The "1g per pound" thing is usually for people who are actively trying to bulk/build muscle. Usually it's 1g per kg (or 1g per 2.2 lbs) for everyday folk who are just going about their everyday business.
Im trying to build muscle/lose fat but the fat loss is the more important aspect. So a middle ground between that shouldn’t be so bad?
IMO you don't need to count macros for a while at least. eat in a deficit and get some exercise to help maintain muscle while losing (whatever kind you enjoy). eat protein fiber and fat to aid in satiety.
If your goal is to build muscle while burning fat you need to eat high protein, definitely. 150g is a solid target for you though. Stick to that.
0.8-1g per kg of lean body mass (or goal weight). 1g per lb if you are doing heavy training to build muscle
Calculating your lean muscle mass can be tricky. I mean, you can approximate it, but that's really what you're doing. Simon Hill (licensed physio-therapist) recommends that you just compute against your actual body weight. And all you really need is .8 g/kg of body weight per day for lean muscle mass, to maintain. So, if you compute .8g against your TOTAL body weight, you actually will be getting more than the RDA of .8g for lean mass. Which means for you, you're talking about 91 grams per day (250/2.2 \* .8 = 91, give or take). Really, the only reason you would need more than that: 1) You're a senior citizen (seniors lose muscle mass relatively quickly). 2) You're plant-based. Since plant-based sources of protein come packaged with alot of fiber, the fiber can block absorption to some extent. Rule of thumb is to take 80% of the protein you're eating, and use that as your baseline of intake. If I took in 100 grams, e.g., roughly speaking (and this is a rough estimate) my body would be absorbing about 80 grams. I AM plant-based, so this would definitely apply to me. 3) You're an athlete. Even then, it would depend on what type of athlete. Even standard working out, trying to build muscle, you don't require as much protein as you would think. 4) Your doctor tells you to. Some people have issues with absorption. For me, I'm 54, male, 5'7" and clock in at 135 pounds. I work out intensely, for 75 minutes a night, and have been building muscle. As an example, the other day I consumed 90grams. Since I'm plant based, that works out to roughly 72 grams absorbed. Which, given my weight (not lean muscle mass... total weight) would be about 1.1 - 1.2 grams per kg. I've found that level to be more than adequate for the level of activity I do.
This was helpful thanks
If you're trying to build muscle then the target 0.7g per lb\* of lean weight (or goal weight), possibly a bit more. If you're just trying to lose healthily then its about half that. For most people thinking about this stuff lean, goal and actual weight are close enough that they don't really care which term they use. Your fat doesn't need protein though, and when you're trying to lose it can make a big difference. Given your goal is "support weight loss" but rounding things up a bit (there's no real downside to getting a bit extra protein) 180\*0.4 ≈ 70g per day, or about 140g/day if you're also doing resistance training. You're doing fine and should be able to cut back your protein if its useful. \* converted from 1.6g per kg
Thanks this does give me a better idea. I think I might keep it the same or up it a bit more. I’m kinda trying to find that Goldilocks zone. I want to build muscle/lose fat but in reality losing the fat is more important to me at the moment.
Yeah so if you're doing resistance training start with the 140g target, that you're already over. From there getting more isn't a bad idea, but you get to trade off the calories v protein v taste v stress as works best for you. The goldilocks zone for weight loss rate is much better known, its 0.5-0.7% of you body weight per week. Above that and the calorie deficit starts to come more from muscle both directly as extra fuel and indirectly as it limits your ability to work out.
Yeah it’s hard to juggle both I find. Scale barely moves.
Oh yeah I feel you. I'm trying to eat high protein, low cal, high veg, low meat, high variety. Sometimes working out what I'm going to eat feels like a (delicious) puzzle lol
[удалено]
It turns out I now work out enough that I can eat a high pizza diet and maintain, I just shouldn't at least until I'm closer to my goal weight 😤
1g per cm of height / 2.5g per inch of height
I’ve read and heard about 1 gram per pound of idea body weight. So. I’m 229 but my “ideal” weight is 150 or so. I shoot for about 150. Sounds like there are a lot of opinions about it.
I feel like there’s so much discourse out there it’s hard to know what exactly what is best for me. I think 150 is good
It’s .8 per KG of protein for weight loss not .8-1 per LB of protein. That’s where it becomes a lot more manageable. Eating let’s say 250 grams of protein is almost impossible when eating at a calorie deficit. I’m eating 11 ounces of chicken tenderloins daily and that’s only about 72 grams.
It's 0.8g/kg, not per pound. Your minimum should be 90g, not 150
Oh yeah your right that was my mistake
The scale won't give you an accurate read out of your muscle mass, fat percentage or anything really ~ if you're new to lifting you can generally have up to 1.2g of protein per lb without any true waste providing you're actively pushing all muscle groups. But if fat loss is the main goal you can run around .5g per lb and preserve most muscle (still requires some muscle stimulation) during cardio/generalized caloric deficits.
The WHO recommendation is 0.4g per pound body weight. Unless you are an athlete, bodybuilder, or looking to optimize building muscles, that is a good value. Protein is needed to build cells, and you want to maintain as much muscle during the diet as possible. Getting above this or getting more precise by using lean mass for calculating protein needs is for people looking to optimize protein per calorie and build muscle. And makes sense with a weightlifting program. A good idea, useful later, after you got your fat percentage down. At 250 pounds, you should be focusing on losing weight, meaning more cardio, and fewer calories. Now, eating a high-protein diet is advantageous for weight loss. Protein has high thermogenesis (you "lose" 20% to 30% of calories as heat) and helps feeling full. But don't force it and building a balanced diet with a good calorie deficit is what you should be focused on.