Calling all women! How much protein in your diet?

Good day,

 I am about 5'0", 123lbs and my goal is 117lbs.  The closest I have ever been able to get to this goal is about 119 lbs.  I do cardio and lift weights and I exercise probably everyday... I might take 1 day off a week.

 Anyway, I am curious as to how much protein the women in here are eating.  I don't think I consume enough protein.  But I am wondering about some of your experiences.  Did anyone increase their protein intake and find it helped them lose weight?

Any input here would be appreciated.  Thanks!

D

xo

I aim for about 20%, which is 90 grams or so a day. I'm vegetarian so I have to work really hard to get that much.

at my last checkup recently my doctor wanted me to eat 4.5 g per 10# of weight.

thats not how he told me, but thats what it breaks down to.

i aim for 20% as well, or a minimum of 60 grams/day.

I agree with ohio45 - that is what mine works out to.  A lot of people on these boards go way above this, however.  Getting too much protein can be hard on the ol' kidneys, though (not to mention that depending on what your protein sources are, it can contribute to calcium loss from your bones).

Original Post by cheree89:

I agree with ohio45 - that is what mine works out to. A lot of people on these boards go way above this, however. Getting too much protein can be hard on the ol' kidneys, though (not to mention that depending on what your protein sources are, it can contribute to calcium loss from your bones).

According to that calculation, I would only need 33 grams of protein a day. The government recommends that someone of my stature should have at least 50 grams per day if they are SEDENTARY, so I think that calculation is off. I try to get at least 80 since I'm working on building muscle and I'm very active.

Wow...4.5 grams/ 10 lbs of body weight...that boils down to 54 grams of protein for a 120 lb. person...for a 1400 calorie diet, at 120 lbs. that would be about 4% protein...way too low.

The percentages of protein I use are:

30% protein, 25% fat, and 45% carbs.

For fat I try to keep away from saturated (animal) fats and use more olive and canola oil (for the omega-3 fatty acids). The slightly higer fat and protein content keeps me full longer. I have less craving to eat all day. And my blood sugar stays level.

For carbs I try to eat mostly whole grains (brown rice, whole wheat, whole oats, etc.). I find that when I eat more than 45% carbs, I am more hungry during the day and crave more sweets/salty foods. I also get the afternoon slump around 3pm.

There are 4 calories for every one gram of protein and for every one gram of carbs. There are 9 calories for every one gram of fat.

To calculate your needed grams per day use the following formulas:

Protein: For 1500 calories at 30% protein, you need:

1500 cal times 30% (.30) to get the correct percentage of calories that should come from protein. Then you divide by 4 (the number of calories in one gram of protein) to get the total grams of protein.

(1500* .30)/4 = 112 grams of protein

For fat, you simply change the percentage and divide by 9 (the number of calories in one gram of fat). For carbs, you divide by 4.

I usually have a hard time reaching that goal, but I get pretty close by adding almonds (or other nuts) to cereals and yogurt, having at least 1 protein shake per day (I use slimfast high protein with 2% milk), eating cottage cheese, eating more beans and legumes, and at least 1-2 servings of meat (turkey, chicken, tuna, lean beef, salmon) per day. One grilled or roasted 4.5 oz boneless, skinless chicken breast has about 26 grams of protein and about 3 grams of fat. I add ground turkey or a can of tuna to anything I can. One whole can of tuna (which is 2 servings) in water has about 25 grams of protein and 2 grams of fat.

If you don't have ANY problems with your kidneys (or history of reoccuring infections), 30-35% protein should not hurt you IF you drink enough water. You should make sure that you are consistantly drinking the MINIMUM of eight 8 oz (1 cup) glasses of water a day. The water will flush out any extra ketones from your system. I also have a hard time reaching that goal. If you do have kidney problems drop down to 25%, or below, protein and See your doctor BEFORE and during your diet.

If you get too low on your protein, your body will start burning your muscle tissue during workouts and will not build new muscle. The more muscle you have, the more fat and calories you will burn daily. When you loose muscle tissue you burn less fat, and the harder and harder it gets to loose weight (and keep it off). Try adding 5-20 lbs. of weights to your exercises and more protein to keep muscle tissue.

Hope this helps.

The RDA (US gov't) for protein is .8 grams per 2.2 lbs of body weight.

aurea47 - if I am doing the math right, 54 grams of protein for a 120 lb person on a 1400 cal diet works out to more than 15%.

54 grams * 4 cals/gram = 216 calories
216 calories of protein/1400 total calories = 15.42%


It is true that excessive protein did not appear to affect those with healthy kidney function (according to the Harvard Nurses Study).    However, according to Knight et al. 2003, as many as one in four adults in the United States show reduced kidney function, suggesting that most people who have renal problems are unaware of that fact and do not realize that high-protein diets may put them at risk for further problems.

That being said, I think a little extra protein is fine - especially if you find that you are low in any one particular essential amino acid due to diet choices/restrictions.  I usually hit somewhere in the 18 - 20% range.  Much more than this, in my opinion, is overkill and may in fact be harmful.  It's just not something I choose to do.  Best of luck whatever your decision!

edited to add: ainedb, I think your calculation might be a bit off as well...if for example you weighed 140 lbs, that amounts to:

4.5*14 = 63 grams

You would have to weigh less than 70 lbs to get a 30 grams of protein daily requirement out of that calculation!!!

Original Post by cheree89:

It is true that excessive protein did not appear to affect those with healthy kidney function (according to the Harvard Nurses Study).    However, according to Knight et al. 2003, as many as one in four adults in the United States show reduced kidney function, suggesting that most people who have renal problems are unaware of that fact and do not realize that high-protein diets may put them at risk for further problems.

 

According to the July-August 1997 American Fitness, healthy adults can process .9 grams per pound of body weight each day in protein.  (For me at 185 pounds that would be 166.5 grams of protein)  This is actually a very high number for me to achieve; for me to get 166.5 grams of protein I would have to eat 18 oz or 3 whole chicken breasts per day or almost 21 8 oz glasses of milk per day.  I highly doubt most americans are consuming anywhere near .9 grams per pound each day as the typical american diet is very high in simple carbs and fat and not so high in protein. 

 It is my theory that most American adults' health problems can be traced back to diets high in carbs and/or fat and that excess protein has very little to do with it.

We can process large amounts of protein (digest - e.g. it doesn't go straight through us as it came in), but we only utilize limited amounts for protein synthesis (e.g. tissue growth, repair, general cell turnover, etc).


Nearly all protein that your body can't use for growth will be shuttled into a process where it is broken down (deaminated: meaning the nitrogen is removed from the molecule and it becomes a carbon skeleton) to be used in energy pathways (e.g fuel for the body - just like any old calorie - regardless of the source).  The deamination process produces ammonia (toxic), which the kidneys convert to urea. The more protein you consume, in excess of what your body needs for protein synthesis, the more ammonia your kidneys have to deal with and hence the problem.

The RDA figure is only valid for sedentary individuals. People who work in offices, drive everywhere and veg out in front of the TV all day.

 For active individuals, the figure is higher, up to 1.6-1.8 grams of protein per kilo of bodyweight according to the latest research in  Journal of American College of Nutrition. So unless you're glued to your chair all day, that figure is wrong.

 Oh, and given that men and women have the same skeletal muscle structure and biology, there's no difference in the protein needs either, only in muscle mass and the absolute amount of protein.

 Caution: Slightly speculative opinion ahead:

 There hasn't been a single peer-reviewed study linking protein consumption to renal failure in healthy adults, only to potentially exerbating existing dysfunctions in individuals with damaged kidney functions, and even those studies have been questioned lately.

 Even bodybuilders who routinely consume 2-4g/lbs of protein haven't had kidney dysfunctions traceable to protein consumption - there have been cases of renal failure but that's been traced to steroid use, not protein consuption.

 Inadequate hydration can be a problem, but that's only peripherally linked to your protein metabolism.

 What can be a problem is calcium - some individuals require a proportional increase in their calcium intake when their protein intake increases; this is especially common in women.

edited to add: ainedb, I think your calculation might be a bit off as well...if for example you weighed 140 lbs, that amounts to:

4.5*14 = 63 grams

If I calculate it from .8 grams per 2.2 lbs of body weight, I get 53 grams for 146 pounds, so I'm not sure of your numbers there. The RDA is for basic needs of a mostly sedentary individual, so I add a bit to the RDA when I can. I think I average 75-95 grams a day.

ainedb - since the RDA is for sedentary to lightly active adults as has been mentioned, I like to use the same back of the envelope calc that ohio45 was given by her doctor - which is approx. equivalent to 1 gram per 2.2 lbs.  My point was that your calculation of 30 grams was not in the right ballpark.  no biggie...

It was interesting to read the article that melkor linked to.  I definitely don't take in that much protein (more in the 1.1 range is about my average).  Of course, I am likely not nearly as active as those weight lifters that appear to require the most protein (with endurance trainers requiring less - between the RDA and the high end 1.6 to 1.8 values).  Although, I have to say I am no slouch either - I am 5'7" and can pull off about 3 pull ups - I am training to be able to do 5 easily- pretty good for a girl if I do say so...It was also interesting to read about the difference between those individuals that ate more carbs or less carbs combined with high protein - bottom line is that we need carbs.

It is true about the calcium, if your protein is from animal sources (but not if your protein comes from plants).  This has to do with animal protein changing the pH of your blood, which is regulated to optimum levels by calcium carbonate leaching from your bones. 

my turn for speculation...

Also, about high protein intake- again, I agree that no study has shown a link in healthy individuals to excess protein intake, but I, personally, have never had my kidney function analysed to check it out.  Since it is well known that excessive protein intake does damage individuals with poor kidney function and that poor kidney function is often undiagnosed, why risk it?  Especially if we have a pretty good idea about how much protein we actually need (e.g consuming 2-4lbs of protein doesn't provide added benefit)?  My whole point, really, is that we should do what is right for the health of our bodies, not what will make us lose weight more quickly.  I feel like higher protein intakes are pushed on this board for no other reason than it is a weight loss fad.  I really appreciate learning about the science behind a concept - so thanks for the article melkor...


sorry if this took over the thread... ;-)

my Dr. told me this after I told him I'm going on 25 mile bike rides, plus the long hikes.  I'm an 'older' female, so maybe it varies for age???

I will say, it's a pain in the neck, to have to eat this much.  And, by the time I eat veggies and fruit and a little milk, I have no calories left over for anything else.  I get tired of things so rotate between beef, poultry, wild salmon and beans, to get protein.  For whatever reason, I haven't been having the 'tired' spells I used to get.  Probably  combined healthier eating, eating more often, plus exercise.

don't forget, doctors went to med school a long time ago, and their specialty is not nutrition, so i would not hesitate to consult other sources and weigh your doctors opinion as just that- ONE opinion.

just my two cents.

(basically, i would eat more protein than that)

I agree, protein is important! Not only did MDs go to med school a long time ago, but I read an article that said that most medical students only recieve a few hours of nutritional training period these days. Not credit hours, actually hours (ie, a couple of lectures as part of a larger course). Scary to think of, huh?

I'm also 5'0" and weigh around 112. 

Since I am lifting weights and am very active, I try to get 2 grams of protein per kg of bodyweight (get your weight in kg by dividing your weight in pounds by 2.2). 

This works out to about 100 grams of protein.  Usually I make it to about 90 grams easily, and then get the last 10 in the form of a protein shake.  I do this only if I'm still under my calorie limit - I try to keep a 300 calorie defecit.

approx 100g.

i'm 5'3, 132...lift about 2-3x a week...cardio nutter...in the gym 6 days a week too. 

Has anyone read The China Study?

I am cutting back on my animal proteins and increasing veggie proteins...beans/vegetables/fruit. I'll report back in a month on how I feel.

I'm going to try this for a while and hopefully make it a way of life.

Everything I've read...this book and otherwise...says excess animal proteins are not healthy for human consumption.

i've never measured the amount of protein i eat, but i do eat a lot of it. my body really likes it.

yesterday i just had a bunch of fruit for breakfast, figuring i'd skip the usual eggs to see how i'd do calorically. bad idea! i was hungrier after breakfast, and had to eat my lunch two hours early!

but even that didn't help. i'd brought a huge salad w/just an ounce or two of meat in it. didn't quell the hunger pangs. it really hurt! i tried a few low-cal(protein-free) snacks to calm my tummy down, but it was still raging.

so after waiting a few more hours to make sure i was actually hungry and not just digesting my lunch, i downed a boiled egg and an ounce of cheddar. my gut immediately quieted down and staved off hunger for like, 5 hours.

personally, i couldn't do the china study. i likes me some meat!

 

I was searching out resources to determine my protein needs just the other day and found this helpful:

http://www.ehow.com/how_2084077_compute-prote in-needs-using-lean.html

I also found an easier generalization (but can't remember the link now) and it basically said to imagine the weight of your leanest body (i.e., you with no fat) and multiply that by 0.8 grams per pound. So if your ideal body would be 120 pounds, you should be eating 96 grams of protein.

It makes sense to base protein consumption on your lean mass because you want to be sure to provide enough fuel for the muscle, existing and the muscle you are building. Any estimate based on total current weight could be confusing and not really accurate if you are carrying around excess fat..... like me :)