I am 265 and have about 41% body fat. Sad I know. How much protein should I be getting in my system per day? I read conflicting reports. One said that I should get 1g of protein for every lb of lean muscle I have. The other said I should take quite a bit more. If the first one is correct, how do I go about figuring the weight of my lean muscle. I mean the total weight of my body includes muscle, fat, organs, and a skeleton. I don't know how to figure out what the muscle ways. Any help would be appreciated.
Sport How much protein
- Thread starter Okieslims
- Start date
Sport Fitness
Well this has been a major debate for quite some time and their are many conflicting answers out there
however
Both Lou Ferrigno and Arnold Schwarzenegger claim to have an intake of 1 gram of protein per pound
And many studys have shown there is no benefit to take in more then 1 - 1.2 grams times your body weight. Anymore then that only a stresses on your kidneys and raises Homocysteine levels in the blood, and causes your bones to excrete calcium rather then absorb it correctly
Most Medical doctors suggest no more then 140 grams a day for the "average" person though im not sure what they would suggest for a BodyBuilder
Registered Dietitian's also do not suggest more then 1.2 times your body weight for Body builders
I like Bodyweight multiplied by 1.25 or 1.5.
Even if 40% of that bodyweight is fat? I just dont want to be wasting money on more protein than my body will actually use. I'm poorish
Start out with 1gram times your body weight, but remember to count your protein shake intake and your diets intake of protein.
For instance, say your getting 50grams of protein a day through your diet. Then add 1gram per pound from your protein shake. Now a 100pound man would be getting 150 grams of protein. Which equals 1.5 times his bodyweight, and i know some people will disagree with me on this but i do not agree with going over that 1.5grams your body weight.
Oh and last but not least try to take your last protein shake of the day about an hour before bed
Even if 40% of that bodyweight is fat? I just dont want to be wasting money on more protein than my body will actually use. I'm poorish
Well, if you really need to lose 40% bodyfat to get to a healthy weight, then you need to find your LEAN body mass.
basic math really....if you know your body fat percentage, multiply total weight x .41 = pounds of fat, which you just subtract from total weight.
for example, if you weighed 100lbs, x .41 = 41lbs of fat subracted from 100lbs is 59lbs of lean mass.
then you base calculations off lean mass weight...and I would not cut calories from what your lean body needs.
meaning, if you eat 4000cals a day right now, and that go you to 265+ lbs, then your lean body may only need 2,000 cals a day. don't subtract from 2,000 right now to get lean. just eat 2,000, avoid processed carbs, bread, pasta, potatoes...and stick to protein and as much veggies as you want.
exercise, lift weights, and the fat will melt off. you'll need to eat at least 1g of protein per pound of lean mass, probably pushing 2g/lb.
Why?
well, you've GOT to limit your carb intake. carbs got you to your present shape, so removing carbs is going to try to get your body to burn fat for energy.
I'm not saying go full Atkins...but carb cycling wouldn't be bad for your goals.
Malkore said it well and something i for got to mention that he pointed out, is
If you are loosing weight then it is ok to go to go above the 1.5grams per pound of protein because it will be short term to loose weight
Why should you limit your Carb intake and raise your protein intake? easy heres why
A low carb ratio to protein shifts our bodys into whats called a "Ketogenic state" Ketogenesis is a special process of the body in which when stress happens "Exercise" your body will rely more on fat as fuel.
BTW
Just make sure you do not cut carbs out all together because that has a negative affect on ones insulin
Thanks guys
I can figure how much my fat weighs. But there are 2 factors left out of the equation when they tell you your bodyfat. 1. skeleton weight 2. Organ's which I guess could be considered muscle mass in some cases. So with that I have no idea exactly how much my lean muscle actually weighs.
I guess it doesnt matter too much. I'm hitting 200 grams of protein easily right now. On lifting days I get even more in my system. I ussually drink a protein ice right after my work out. Those things taste awesome and have 42 grams of protein and 0 sugar, carbs, or fat. Bit expensive though.
Anyways, I have actually had success with the atkins diet in the past. I felt horrible, but I lost 40 lbs without lifting a finger.
My current diet has about 120 carbs a day max. Mostly from wheat bread sandwhiches, wheat pasta, fruit, and vegetables. I'm eating 5-6 small meals per day. I'm also working out like a mad man. 6 days per week. 4 days weights and light cardio(ussually inclined treadmill hike for 30 mins) and 2 days of intense cardio. My body feels really good right now though I know Im not losing weight as fast as I would if I cut my carbs to < 20 per day. I've lost 1.5 lbs after 1 week of busting my ass. So I am definitely going to start cutting carbs a bit more. I dread the constapation though!
I can figure how much my fat weighs. But there are 2 factors left out of the equation when they tell you your bodyfat. 1. skeleton weight 2. Organ's which I guess could be considered muscle mass in some cases. So with that I have no idea exactly how much my lean muscle actually weighs.
I guess it doesnt matter too much. I'm hitting 200 grams of protein easily right now. On lifting days I get even more in my system. I ussually drink a protein ice right after my work out. Those things taste awesome and have 42 grams of protein and 0 sugar, carbs, or fat. Bit expensive though.
Anyways, I have actually had success with the atkins diet in the past. I felt horrible, but I lost 40 lbs without lifting a finger.
My current diet has about 120 carbs a day max. Mostly from wheat bread sandwhiches, wheat pasta, fruit, and vegetables. I'm eating 5-6 small meals per day. I'm also working out like a mad man. 6 days per week. 4 days weights and light cardio(ussually inclined treadmill hike for 30 mins) and 2 days of intense cardio. My body feels really good right now though I know Im not losing weight as fast as I would if I cut my carbs to < 20 per day. I've lost 1.5 lbs after 1 week of busting my ass. So I am definitely going to start cutting carbs a bit more. I dread the constapation though!
. So I am definitely going to start cutting carbs a bit more. I dread the constapation though!
Just make sure your getting enough fiber.
Do NOT cut carbs all the way out of your diet as you said you were going to here http://training.fitness.com/nutrition/one-meal-22097.html
like i said it makes your insulin less effective, therefore destabilizing your blood sugar levels which is not a good thing.
I meant to say "cut carbs back". 2 pieces of toast is like 40 carbs though. I plan on cutting to that amount of carbs max. I want to definitely keep some quality vegetables in my diet. I think I'm going to cycle on and off every 2-3 weeks. I'll get some good green vegetable suppliments and perhaps an antioxidant suppliment as well to make up for what I'm lacking in my diet.
I have a question. A lot of boxes indicate a food item with 20 carbs and 14g dietary fiber only has 6 carbs. Does dietary fiber cancel carbs?
I have a question. A lot of boxes indicate a food item with 20 carbs and 14g dietary fiber only has 6 carbs. Does dietary fiber cancel carbs?
Dietary fiber means it contains both soluble fiber and insoluble fiber
I do not think i am understanding the question correctly ,but,
-no- fiber does not cancel out carbs.
Lower your overall Carb intake (mainly simple carbs,Monosaccharides,-
Disaccharides)
and at the same time try to raise your fiber intake, and try to keep a steady complex, low-glycemic index carbs intake.
Will do.
To explain.. some packages say 4 grams of carbs on the front and you flip em over and it it says 20 carbs and 16 grams of dietary fiber. I've seen this a lot so I assumed that dietary fiber must cancel the effect of carbs or something. Good to know thats not the case. I wonder how they can get away with saying that.
To explain.. some packages say 4 grams of carbs on the front and you flip em over and it it says 20 carbs and 16 grams of dietary fiber. I've seen this a lot so I assumed that dietary fiber must cancel the effect of carbs or something. Good to know thats not the case. I wonder how they can get away with saying that.
I have never seen that before, i will look for something like that the next time i go food shopping.