Protein 'stuff'

[Mathsdebator]

I'm 3 stone 8lb down but have hit a plateau. I'm dragging out 10mg pens due to cost and, although I'm not really hungry and I'm eating sensibly I'm not really losing.

I could do with upping my protein and have gone down a rabbit hole on tiktok with protein overnight oats etc.

Are they just gimmicks or are protein specific things useful? I buy protein Warburton thins but more because I like them that the protein side.

In my opinion protein is very helpful in assisting you to feel full for longer and it’s necessary to help prevent muscle loss which is an undesirable but frequent consequence of weight loss. I believe what you should be focusing on is controlling your blood sugar. For a comprehensive guide of how to do this I would recommend taking a look at the glucose goddess online. Her first ‘hack’ is not to have a sweet breakfast which overnight oats are because they raise your insulin first thing in the morning. Personally I don’t eat breakfast at all because extending our overnight fast is another way of regulating our blood glucose. I don’t think the glucose goddess recommends fasting but it is a useful tool.
This said plateaus are common and you could try calorie cycling which I also practice where you have some days of the week where you have much lower calories and others higher ones, this sometimes helps your body to not just get used to what you’re consuming and just sit in a groove.
I have recently started to try and maintain after losing 5 stone in 11 months. There were many times I raged at the injustice of slow and difficult my progress was compared to others but here I am and you can be too.

I don't do tiktok but are these recipes for high protein meals? You say gimmicky and mention processed food labelled as protein, so do you mean things you can buy?

I would avoid UPF and make something naturally high protein. I got a great recipe book that has smoothies and breakfast bowl type things that are high protein and less than 350cals, with no protein powder or anything highly processed or artificial

@Icanthinkformyselfthanks that makes sense with regards to avoiding sugar for as long as possible during the day. I'd fast till lunch if I didn't have a morning coffee with milk but it's a long formed habit! I'll look up the goddess. Thank you

Yes, they are sweet flavours - berry etc. Lots of people at work have protein shakes etc, one buys "This is Food" drinks but I tried one and they're literally like Nesquick!

You'd be better off avoiding UPFs like these shakes and focus on eating a range of whole food sources of protein - eggs, unprocessed meat, fish, beans, lentils, tofu, seeds etc.

I eat circa 120g protein a day. 30g per meal.

I wouldn’t buy protein thins as the amount of protein is minimal and it’s a gimmick.

i have
30g breakfast in Greek 0% yoghurt
30g lunch eg tin tuna or egg whites (from carton) mixed with 2 whole eggs
30g mid afternoon protein shake (it’s basically just protein minimum fat or carbs)
30-40g dinner eg chicken

Do you actually work out/lift weights? If you don't any excess protein that you eat turns into fat as it's not used for muscle gain/muscle repair. If the goal is to feel full for longer I would go for fiber instead.

Not quite.

Firstly unlike carbs or fat there is a thermic effect such that the body needs to use around 25% of the calories to burn the protein.

After that it’s just the same as any other food source - extra calories over maintainance stored as fat. that applies whether lifting weights or not. If eating in a deficit won’t store it as fat but the body might convert it to carbs if needed for energy. If eating in a surplus can be stored as fat. There are interesting studies showing that less muscle is lost on a high protein diet (assuming in a deficit) even without the weight lifting. Of course, the best way to preserve muscle is to both eat protein and lift.

Have a look at Dominique Ludwig on insta. @dominiqueludwig_nutrition

You have to increase it a lot. So more dairy. Fat free Greek yogurt is great. I have it mixed in a salad. Also mix it with sliced apples and cinnamon.
Eggs are also great. So have 2 fried eggs in the Warburton thins.
Meat, chicken and fish are one of the easiest ways to get protein. Increase those and decrease the carbs.

If you post up an average days food and drink we can look over it an give pointers.

There might be more fundamental issues than lack of protein. The obvious question is what are you currently eating that you want to replace?

What is your exercise routine like? You might not need as much protein as social media/adverts are telling you.

I'm not on WLI, but eat 120g of protein a day.

That's 200g of Greek yoghurt with a scoop of protein powder for breakfast (I use an all-natural type). = 40g

Lunch is a salad with either a chicken breast or a tin of tuna and 2 hard boiled eggs, or smoked mackerel with 2 fried eggs and asparagus, or a smoked salmon frittata with 3 eggs. = 40g

Dinner is beef/pork meatballs and veg, or a chicken breast with vegetable tagine, or chicken thigh chilli. = 40g

You're better off getting your protein from meat, chicken, eggs, tofu, lentils, dairy than you are getting it from processed products such as supermarket bread with protein added, as your body can "use" the protein more easily.

5 stone in 11 months isn’t slow?! I’ve lost 14lb in 14 weeks 🤣

Other than that I like your advice! 😁

I really think the whole protein shake thing is the next scandal waiting to happen , it’s barely regulated. Eat tuna, eggs and chicken. And equally importantly lots of fibre, up your veg and beans and lentil intake.

if you mostly eat real food cooked by yourself with lots of veg, that’s sustainable and good for you. I’m not freaked out by UPF but I think the whole protein bar /shake thing is an absolute con.

This article is good https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2024/apr/15/truth-about-protein-how-to-get-enough-every-age?CMP=ShareiOSAppOther
‘This is partly why she doesn’t recommend protein shakes and the like. “Some protein shakes work for some people, as long as they don’t become a substitute for good, proper nutritional habits,” says Patel. “Because in a chicken, you’re not just getting protein, you’re getting magnesium, B vitamins, zinc and iron. In a protein shake, you’re just getting protein.”

Research shows that you need a baseline of protein that is not super high and then after that, protein is no more satiating than carbs or fat. FYI.

If you’re in a plateau I’d check your calorie intake and if you’re in a deficit just wait it out.

@Icanthinkformyselfthanks well done on your amazing weight loss! I also think you have given sound advice here for the OP.

No, im not weight lifting (or doing anything exercise wise except walking)

Breakfast and lunch are the same every day except Saturday and Sunday where I skip breakfast and have egg and sausage with mushrooms and tomatoes for lunch.

Breakfast: Protein thin with chicken. Coffee with milk. Pint of water

Lunch: chicken, edamame, seeds, cucumber, tomatoes, raddishes, tablespoon of light mayo or sweet chilli jam. Coffee with milk. Water.

Dinner: small portion of whatever the family are having (spaghetti bol / chilli / roast dinner etc) or a massive salad / pile of tenderstem broccoli with fajita or something dolloped on.

Snack: one of those crappy skinny whip bars

Pic of Thursday's tea is the broccoli and fajita.

I need to count properly and vary things. I make the same breakfast and lunch literally every day for work which seems ridiculous really!

This has been my usual day since Feb when I started Mounjaro.

Pic

Try to get into weight lifting. Even if you do body weight exercises. They increase your metabolism and allow you to eat more food.

Right now your body is probably in an equilibrium, you’re eating at maintenance.

If you build some muscle and burn calories working out, your body will either need more calories to maintain or will burn more fat. I would suggest you look at 20 min body weight resistance training on YouTube and do this 3 times a week.

You need protein when dropping weight quickly to protect the amount of muscle you’ll lose.

Yes, but it’s far more effective (protection of muscle) with resistance training.

Just wanna stand up for protein shakes and bars. I lost 9 stone in 9 months and have kept my weight off for 6 years by having a shake and a bar every day alongside healthy fresh food. It stops me craving chocolate and means I don’t have a binge and go off track. I work out too

Thank you. ☺️

I'm afraid you need to start tracking to make sure that you are in a deficit. Your TDEE will have reduced as your body has got smaller. You are right to prioritise protein but don't forget fibre, too.

@ResusciAnnie , yes I’m aware of that now but sometimes I found it very difficult when I had spent the week doing all the right things and managed somehow to put on weight or lose nothing. I just wanted to know that I’d had my frustrations but that eventually I did also have my success. Online GPL-1 forums are full of people dropping weight at a rate of knots and it can be a bit dispiriting at times. I had a healthy average weight loss of 1.5Lbs a week.
Maintaining is proving to be a whole new ball game.