I was struggling - still am - with recovery and didn’t realize that my protein intake was way below the recommended levels. I weighed 70kg, was gaining weight and my legs were always cooked. Then, after investigating, someone suggested RED-S, and it seems to be an early stage. I was running a deficit of 1000cal a day doing dome rogh math, with protein below 50g daily.
I’m counting my intake and realize it isn’t easy to get 150gr or more of protein daily. Aside from all the suggestions, I’m using powdered milk. It’s less expensive than whey, and it tastes better - for me. You can add to overnight oats, porridge, yogurt, etc.
I had around 300g of protein today, out of a total caloric consumption of around 6,000.
My primary protein sources were:
Fage 5% greek yogurt
Chocolate whey protein powder (mixed into oatmeal)
Eggs
2% milk fat cottage cheese
Pork tenderloin
Tuna fish
Non-fat greek yogurt
I find a variety of sources, spaced throughout the day, makes this much easier to achieve. Protein dense (i.e. low fat/carb) things like lean meats and yogurts are staples for me every single day
ETA: For what it’s worth, from a macro perspective, the above was in the context of around 930 g of carbs, 300 g of protein and 150 g of fat
Does anyone have any advice or insight for meeting protein goals on a vegetarian or plant-based diet?
After hearing Alex and Kyle’s insights on the podcast I realized that I’m not even getting close to recommended protein values. Based on my weight I’m looking to get 100-120g of protein a day (1.5 g/kg).
I’ve been finding this really difficult to do as a vegetarian. I have to supplement with a protein shake (30g), and even then it’s almost 5 meals of 20g of protein per.
I think what I find difficult is that I can’t “accidentally” ever hit my protein goals. It’s a conscious effort to hit that 20g/meal goal and there’s only so much yogurt one can eat in a day
Currently I try to get my protein from:
tofu
cottage cheese
yogurt
nuts
lentils (I need to be a lot better about this one)
I hear you on chasing the protein as a vegetarian. It’s definitely an intentional choice and when you combine trying to lose weight with limiting calories, it makes it even harder to skew towards more protein. There’s this thread that had a lot of tips: Vegetarians/Vegans how are you getting 1.5g/kg of protein per day?
Greek yogurt, as mentioned here, has a lot of protein for the calories.
Seitan and tempeh are also other plant-based options for protein.
I take a couple of different protein supplements (one’s a powder and the other a pre-made shake) a day to try to keep up but it’s very easy to get off track.
Thanks for the link! Should have actually looked through the forum first
You’re completely right about losing weight while skewing toward protein. It’s so easy to get carbs and fat - and a ton of these vegetarian protein options are high in fat as well.
There are some mornings where I’m just lazy and don’t want to prep anything - and then suddenly I am way behind and won’t be able to meet my protein goals for the day.
One simple solution is to double your powder when drinking it. Example - I do 2 scoops protein powder, a banana, some blueberries, and avocado or nut butter (if I want the fats) in a simple smoothie.
At around 900-1000 g of carb on an average day I’m sitting around 12 g of carbs per kg of body weight on my normal day
I can reduce protein down to the 150-200 range (2ish g per kg) at this burn and consumption rate, but honestly struggle to get fat much lower than I did today. I can, but as a percentage I don’t find it problematic so I don’t push it
On larger volume days where I up consumption to 8-10k the protein and fat numbers stay relatively constant and carbs makes up the increase
I don’t have any significant GI issues, likely because I’m consuming this daily and it isn’t a large day to day fluctuation. I’m gassier than I would like, but I think that’s because of the amount of raw vegetables in my diet not my macro ratios
Good idea, it definitely couldn’t hurt to go above the serving size. I think it depends on the protein powder too - the one I was using has a 2 scoop serving size (21g protein) already. Going to 4 would probably be too much in one serving, but I should try 3.
I like @wintysingh’s idea about two different supplements too. That would help with variety. A pre-made one would be nice when I’m lazy in the morning and then can make the one from powder as dessert.
I’ve read that there’s a limit to how many grams of protein can be utilized by the body in one sitting before the excess gets pushed to other metabolic pathways. I think it was around 30 grams-ish so I try to keep my per-serving consumption to about that amount. One could digest more than that but the excess doesn’t get used for muscle-building.
The pre-made shakes are really convenient and, as you point out @navganti, it helps with variety. I keep them handy in the fridge at home or at work when I start feeling snacky between meals.
I’m always dubious of statements like “your body can only use 30g at a time”. How long do I have to wait between servings? If I have a second serving 90 minutes later is it all converted to fat but if I have it 91 minutes later it’s all used to grow/repair muscle? I heard you have to use it within 20 minutes of exercise. If I can’t use it until 25 minutes, is it wasted? What if I make a smoothie with 40g but take 90 minutes to drink it? Do I have a continuously beneficial stream? I’m being extreme, but I think it points out how flawed a lot of these “rules” can be.
And, like carbs, would depend on what you’re eating it with as to the processing time. While it may have theoretical science base, I file under bro science for the real world.
I hit 140-150 grams per day quite easily on a full vegan diet even when cutting.
I enjoy using Tofu as that is pretty high in protein, fake meats and beans as well. Wheat has a good chunk of protein so if you track you’ll be surprised how much you get. I use a mixed protein powder with pea, rice and soy. If you eat animal products it should be super easy.
You can eat more than 30 grams of protein in a serving. How do you think body builders who intermittent fast get big?
I’d recommend avoiding ultra processed foods. When you eat whole grains, they tend to have lots of protein. For example, a peanut butter sandwich on whole wheat bread is about 15g protein. If you’re training hard, have two for lunch.
Just eat sensibly with only whole foods (ie not ultra processed) and you should fairly easily get sufficient protein.
50g of pea protein is like eating 3.5 lbs of (unprocessed) peas, which is ridiculous.
Eat meat or fish for a high protein intake once a day.
Exactly, 2 slices plus PB for 15g. If you just buy generic 100% whole grain bread that is about 100cal per slice, they all are about 5g per slice.
A half cup scoop of rolled oats is 5g. 1 serving of 100% whole wheat pasta is about 8g, etc etc.
Most plant proteins don’t have the same amino acid profile as animal proteins, so vegetarians need supplements. But if you aren’t opposed to animal products, have a few eggs and call it a day
I shifted my diet a little over a year ago to mostly whole grains and alternative “grains” like quinoa and was amazed at how much plant protein I picked up as a result of doing that. If you start throwing things like lentil pasta into the mix, you get even more.
