How much protein do I really need?

[intotheblack]

Do I need protein with every meal or is once per day enough? I don’t eat meat so am cooking things like beans and lentils. 
How much protein does one really need though?

[7thLetter]

@intotheblack

Depends on several things such as your body weight, activity level, muscle mass, overall health, etc.

Learned this from a nutrition class I took years ago and forgot about the answer, but Googled it for you and for the sake of answering your question.

The commonly recommended range of protein for both men and women is roughly 0.8 to 1.0 grams per pound of weight (in kilograms) or 0.36 to 0.45 grams per pound of body weight.

Google is your friend

[Michael569]

I wouldn't worry too much about the particular number but it is a good idea to include a portion of protein source with each of your main meals. On a plant-based diet, this could be something like a cup of cooked beans/lentils.chickpeas, 200g of tofu, tempeh, a bunch of nuts or similar. If you eat eggs, 2 eggs would also count in a portion but I wouldn't consume more than 2 boiled eggs per day. 

Rather than looking at numbers, check with your body how it feels. If you feel tired, lose hair, have poor overall hair/nails/skin quality and have unstable mood it may be you have protein deficiency. Otherwise, if you feel alright with good quality of hair and strong nails you are likely getting enough. 

Hope that helps 

[Opo]

1 hour ago, Michael569 said:

I wouldn't consume more than 2 boiled eggs per day. 

Why not? 

I thought eggs were the perfect food. 

[Michael569]

7 minutes ago, Opo said:

Why not? 

I thought eggs were the perfect food.

I don't wanna hijack OP's post with a long answer but with eggs, there are is things as too much of a good thing. 

[AdamDiC]

Focus on eating a diverse amount of fruits and vegetables rather than protein.

Protein has zero vitamins. And most veggies have protein.

[RendHeaven]

I am 148lbs (male, 21) with the goal of putting on more muscle (aiming for 152lbs by February).

I exercise and take roughly 135g of protein every day.

I am mostly vegan with the exception of eggs. I believe the internet calls people like me "ovo-vegetarian" lol 

 

As a woman, you probably don't need as much protein as me.

Optimal protein intake depends on weight (heavier people need more protein than lighter people).

Optimal protein intake depends on your goals (are you looking to be more fit? or just to maintain your current health?).

Optimal protein intake depends on the frequency and intensity of your exercise (athletes and bodybuilders need more protein).

 

A quick google search says 60g of protein every day is a healthy range for the average woman, which seems right because most women aren't heavy athletes/bodybuilders looking to maximize fitness.

[LfcCharlie4]

@RendHeaven Lol this is crazy but I’m exactly the same age and weight as you ?

And Vegan ?

Although my goal is to get to a lower body fat before a “Main Gain” 

How’s your training? I really recommend coach Greg he’s helped me understand building muscle healthily so much better! 
 

Although it is defo more difficult eating high protein as a vegan! 

[7thLetter]

21 hours ago, Opo said:

Why not? 

I thought eggs were the perfect food. 

Egg whites are fine but eating the egg yolk is the one that should be limited because its high in cholesterol

[PurpleTree]

41 minutes ago, 7thLetter said:

Egg whites are fine but eating the egg yolk is the one that should be limited because its high in cholesterol

"Answer From Francisco Lopez-Jimenez, M.D. Chicken eggs are an affordable source of protein and other nutrients. They're also naturally high in cholesterol. But the cholesterol in eggs doesn't seem to raise cholesterol levels the way other cholesterol-containing foods do, such as trans fats and saturated fats."

 

https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/high-blood-cholesterol/expert-answers/cholesterol/faq-20058468

 

personally i'm not a huge fan of eggs but i think i function generally better with more protein, especially in the morning, less anxiety etc.

[UDT]

Too Much Portein causes Kidney stress, especially when NOT paired with sufficient Carbohydrates, because excess Protein is metabolized by the kidnesys into glucose. As a byproduc you produce acidity. 

 

[fridjonk]

I personally always include some amount of protein with every meal. 

From eggs to protein bread, or peanut butter. 

But I don't count the amount, can't be bothered with taking it that seriously.  

[7thLetter]

@PurpleTree I actually read that on Google right before I posted what I just said.

The way I understood or interpreted that idea is that, yes it doesn’t raise cholesterol levels in a similar way that trans fat and saturated fat does, but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t raise cholesterol levels at all. It just raises cholesterol levels at a reduced rate compared to trans & saturated fat.

Its sort of like comparing how healthy eating A&W vs McDonalds is. You could get the same exact meal of a burger, fries and a coke. Both meals are unhealthy for you but McDonalds is the option that is worse for your health because of the extra shit they add into the food. In this case, A&W is the egg yolk, and McDonalds is the trans fat, saturated fat.

Or even organic chocolate vs a Kit-Kat bar, choosing the organic chocolate is healthier but its still unhealthy for you to eat like the Kit-Kat bar but not as much. You get the point.

So my point still stands, limit egg yolk intake.

[Opo]

3 hours ago, 7thLetter said:

@PurpleTree The way I understood or interpreted that idea is that, yes it doesn’t raise cholesterol levels in a similar way that trans fat and saturated fat does, but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t raise cholesterol levels at all. It just raises cholesterol levels at a reduced rate compared to trans & saturated fat.

Here is Rhonda Patrick explaining why eating cholesterol is bad only if you have unhealthy gut. 

 

[Michael569]

Its not just cholesterol guys. Compounds like TMAO and formation of endotoxins are far greater problem

[fridjonk]

25 minutes ago, Michael569 said:

Its not just cholesterol guys. Compounds like TMAO and formation of endotoxins are far greater problem

I'm eating 3-4 eggs daily, is this something I should be rethinking? 

I feel great so far. 

[Michael569]

On 06/12/2020 at 9:08 PM, fridjonk said:

I'm eating 3-4 eggs daily, is this something I should be rethinking? 

I feel great so far. 

sorry mate, I missed this. 

Use your best judgement. I would still advise you don't fry them but boil instead and eat them with a lot of fibre to minimise formation of TMAO, cholesterol oxidation or cholesterol absorption. If you are otherwise healthy you can pull it off but if you have a family history of heart disease, prostate cancer or any of that I'd cut it down to 2.

Hope that helps

[fridjonk]

@Michael569 I'm always careful about including enough fiber, so I guess I'm good then. Thanks. 

[RendHeaven]

On 12/6/2020 at 3:37 AM, LfcCharlie4 said:

@RendHeaven Lol this is crazy but I’m exactly the same age and weight as you ?

And Vegan ?

Although my goal is to get to a lower body fat before a “Main Gain” 

How’s your training? I really recommend coach Greg he’s helped me understand building muscle healthily so much better! 
 

Although it is defo more difficult eating high protein as a vegan! 

I don't have any access to a gym because of quarantine, so I've been trying calisthenics at home.

Chris Heria is my go-to guy rn

The hardest part for me is breaking plateaus, I had some crazy gains in the beginning but now I'm pretty stagnant. 

[Villager Albert]

It really depends on the source of protein and how active you are but generally 0.5g / lb of bodyweight should be enough unless you're an athlete. For sedentary people, as little as 0.3 is enough in my opinion. Also there is no problem with eating it all at once, muscle protein synthesis isn't something you have to care about unless you're a professional bodybuilder or something.