rousseau

How much protein should a person who is active take in? I've seen calculations like this:

1. Weight in pounds divided by 2.2 = weight in kg
2. Weight in kg x 0.8-1.8 g/kg = protein intake per day.

I'm currently 240 lb. I ride my bike every day and weight train three times a week. Yes, I'm about sixty pounds overweight, but I'm on a low dose of an antidepressant and my mother was fat, so losing weight is very difficult for me. If I go by these calculations and use 1.5 gm/kg as a person taking regular exercise, then:

240 / 2.2 = 109 x 1.5 = 163 g

According to my FitDay calculations I actually average 120 g of protein per day. Is there a chance that I'm actually not getting enough protein in my diet, which, having eliminated any other potential medical factors, might be a partial explanation for the fatigue I often feel? I should add that I don't ride or lift all that particularly hard.

Just curious.

Carbonfiberboy 

120g of protein is plenty. Probably more than enough. What you want to use in those calculations is not your current weight, but rather your desired weight.

For the fatigue and depression problems, I suggest riding much harder, hard and long enough so that you get high from it. Unfortunately, one has to get fairly fit before this is possible. Your body will make the drugs you need, all by itself, but it needs some help from you to do it. It's always a problem with reinforcement: we do the things for which we get positive reinforcement. But it's hard to get that cycle started. Once you get it going, it will run by itself though. Rock on.

I_like_cereal

I use one gram per pound of body weight as a ceiling. I use about 3/4 of that. I also use my body type for nutritional needs. Ectomorph, Mesomorph, and I forget the third.

Ectos need more carbs and less protein. Protein is good for muscle, but carbs are the fuel that your muscle uses.

Check out Livestrong.com for the food tracker. It has some great resources and its free.

paulclaude

Personally, I wouldn't worry so much about grams of protein in your diet. If you are eating a healthy range of whole grains, vegetables and fruits then you will likely find you are pretty much reaching required protein amounts already. At 120g per day, lack of protein isn't likely to be the problem. Carbohydrates provide energy to the brain and working muscle, if you are feeling fatigued then you are more likely to be lacking in carbohydrates. Remember, calories are what matters in weight loss. If you are cycling, you need carbohydrates to give you the energy to perform.... and feel good!

travelmama

I agree with this. If your goal is to drop weight, I think it is better to eat a well balance diet than to be concerned with protein intake. At your weight, if a little more is put on your riding, the weight will come off before you know it.

531phile 

I at this stage now after being really overweight all of last year. Getting high is fun.

531phile 

I think is is partially true, but if you want to lose weight and having problem lowering your caloric intake, proteins help a lot in this department because you feel fuller eating protein rich foods like low fat chicken, non-fat yogurt, etc. etc. You would have to eat more whole grains, veggies and fruits to match the proteins found in low fat meats and yogurt which means you will eat more calories, making it harder to lose weight.

Carbonfiberboy 

I agree. One of my weight loss strategies is to have 15g of whey protein 1/2 hour before every meal. That makes me eat less at that meal, and makes feel satisfied longer, out of proportion to the 60 cal. cost of the protein. Whole grains, veggies, and fruit are still the basis of my diet, however. There's a lot of protein in broccoli: it's mostly carbs, a little fat, and 1/3 protein.

Pat

For protein, I have heard 1 g per Kg. Remember, this is protein from all sources. Even things that one does not think of as being sources of protein like bread and vegetables has some protein. For weight loss, there are some things that you can eat that have virtually no calories: lettuce, celery, many of the green leafy vegetables, green beans, and so on. One problem is that many people add very calorie rich sources in their diet. Many dieters think they are doing well by eating a salad. But they can be getting a pile of calories in the salad dressing (usually chock full of high energy fats). On any diet, you should run an analysis of grams of fat (saturated and unsaturated), grams of carbohydrate (simple, complex and fiber) and grams of protein and finally total calories.

If you learn these things, there are tasty things that you will probably discard from your diet. I practically never eat certain foods. Sure I like them. But they are so calorie rich, that I would rather eat all sorts of other things in larger quantities.

rousseau

Thanks very much for the replies. I've purchased some whey powder and have been having it in shakes with soy milk and fruit after rides/workouts for the last few days, and it seems to be doing the trick. I don't feel tired after working out anymore, and the extra protein and calories is helping to ward off the urge to eat sweets and donuts.

I'm convinced now that over the past few years I kept overtraining because I wasn't getting enough protein in my diet. My muscles weren't recovering very fast, and I was pushing myself. Also, there seems to be a consensus online that endomorphs need to eat a higher proportion of protein and ease off on the carbohydrates in order to lose weight. So I'm going to adjust my eating habits in this fashion and see where it takes me.

JLV

Just curious, how many calories a day are you eating?

John

rousseau

I generally eat about 2,500 or so. But I've recently had a revelation: protein is good!

Yesterday I had lunch and then a soy-whey shake (25 g of protein) about an hour before my ride, and my energy was absolutely off the charts. It was like a drug. I felt powerful and calm, and my quads weren't sore afterward. For so long I'd taken the standard recommendations for recovery nutrition after exercising to heart, but I'd never paid any attention to what I had before riding.

What was even more incredible was that for the rest of the evening I felt energetic and not even hungry. I had to force myself to have a bit of food later on just to settle my stomach so that the last thing in it for the day wasn't the whey.

I woke up this morning feeling really good, too, though it started to wear off about mid-day. I didn't have any whey protein today, so I feel more normal. But I'm now convinced that an endomorph like me needs a higher proportion of protein in my diet and a big cut in carbs. I'm the sort of person who gets sleepy after a few slices of pizza or something like that. So no more pizza for me!

I'm quite excited about this discovery.

colombo357

Don't get too excited about the protein. As your fitness level increases, you'll need it less and less.

If weight loss is your goal, taking in more will only hamper your progress. Only drink a shake after a tougher-than-usual ride. Otherwise, stick to bananas.

paulclaude

Agreed. If I want to get as lean as possible in conjunction with cycling/endurance sport, I always find it's best acheived with minimal protein, higher carb and lower fat. I also find protein (especially animal protein) just makes me feel lethargic and slow. I feel lighter and faster by keeping to quality carbs throughout the day, and only eating protein sources in the evening, when I can afford to relax. You just have to find what works for you.

rousseau

I think the key is what works for you. I weigh 240 lbs. When I up the protein content in my diet I feel terrific, but when it's low I feel lethargic.

My thinking is that if I can keep my calories consistent while increasing the protein in my diet I will have more energy, my muscles won't break down, I won't overtrain, so I'll be in better shape. Having the whey shakes makes me less hungry at dinner and less covetous of donuts and baked goods. I haven't been to Tim Horton's in a week. This is good.

But see me in a month when I've lost five pounds (setting myself up for a challenge there!).

paulclaude

Glad to hear the extra protein has cured your craving for baked goods. Like you say, what ever works for you! Best of luck on the weight loss, keep at it :-)

TromboneAl

This can be less complicated:

(Your weight in pounds) * .68 = grams of protein intake per day.

For example:

240 lbs * .68 g/lb = 163 grams.

twobadfish

When I'm trying to build A LOT of muscle with intense weight lifting I strive for .75g/lb of body weight. Bodybuilders generally push for 1g/lb but I'm not a body builder and all that extra protein does nothing more than damage the liver. If you aren't trying to build muscle .5g/lb should be an AMPLE amount.

Source: The Book of Muscle

rousseau

Update: The extra protein makes my muscles feel terrific and gives me energy, but now I'm having digestive issues.

1. Soy isolate and soy milk or water on empty stomach: Horrendous stomach cramps and diarrhea four hours later.
2. Either of the above with two pieces of toast: Slightly better, but ultimately cramps and diarrhea.

I'm definitely lactose intolerant, I've known that for years now. I thought whey isolate was supposed to be the optimum choice for that? What might be some alternatives?