is 'more protein' just the latest new fad?

[BarrelOfOtters]

Like no carbs or intermittent fasting....

I don't mind eating more protein but I don't want to go the protein shake route.

We're you on my pre surgery course? That's not the recommendation as part of that.

carbs are not the devil and not unhealthy as such.
refined carbs, sugar and starches should be reduced to a minimum but complex carbs such as wholegrains, fruit and veg are a good thing.

Wow very rude. I don't think I'm the one with the issue. How embarrassing for you.

😂 aww bless.

I'm not the one who's had a post deleted for rudeness. It is embarrassing for you.

You keep telling yourself that if it makes you feel better, pet.

I aim for 100g of protein a day, sometimes it's under, sometimes over, today its 89g. Protein shakes are useful for adding in protein for not many calories too.

I find if I have more protein for breakfast I can go longer before I need to eat but a protein shake regardless of protein quantity will not cut it on a work day. Not so bad on a non work day, I'll have a shake or a protein smoothie before my run or gym then have something substantial when I get back like an omelette.

Low carb doesn't work for me either mentally or physically.

I weight lift and I run so I need protein for muscle building and carbs for energy.

@Pickingmyselfup but high protein often means you are low carb, or a lower proportion of your calories are carb?

My carbs are always more than my protein, today they are 210g to 89 protein. A lot of it comes from the fruit I've had (100g raspberries, 100g strawberries, 100g grapes) as well as oats and rice. I naturally limit things like potatoes, rice, pasta due to the calories but I don't things like carby vegetables or fruit.

I wouldn’t necessarily call that high protein. If you read the whole 2 month old thread you resurrected today, you will see some recommending one gram per lb of body weight. Do you weight only 89lbs?

No today its not particularly high protein, I weigh around about 110lbs so I try aim for 100g a day but some days are better than others. It depends what I eat tbh.

Today has been quite carb heavy due to fruit, porridge and sushi, good for sustaining my run tonight though.

It's very difficult trying to get the balance right of carbs vs protein and calories for training vs less calories for weight loss. Cut them to low and I can't keep my protein levels high enough and I have no energy for running and I feel weaker in the gym. Have them too high and my running and gym performance could be amazing but I won't lose weight.

I think it is a fad, yes; with results of studies on heavily training populations then applied to people who move much less and train much less.

I am now going steadily through various publications and books written on results of the ongoing Okinawa Centenarian Study as I am now more interested in maintaining health and my current weight than in weight loss. It’s very clear that the longest living healthy population on earth eat a diet high in complex carbs and low in protein and saturated fat, with a very high variety of plants and soy as the main source of protein followed by fish and very little meat. Similarly in mainland Japan where estimated healthy life years are also much longer than in the West, the traditional diet is high in carbs, lower in protein and very low in dairy products.

I have lost weight quite easily this year in my early 40s by counting protein and fibre only, not calories. I’d had a few fits and starts on Fast 800 and low carb, the latter I hated.

It took a few weeks but I truthfully got to the point where I really just wanted protein/veg/fruit/nuts and dense carbs. The “protein leverage” hypothesis seems to work for me; this theorises that mid life weight gain is due to the increased protein need to maintain muscle. You will keep eating until this need is met.

My diet definitely isn’t low carb, usually around 150g/day.

I lift weights once or twice a week and walk for exercise.

Oh and I actively avoid UPFs. I do have a protein shake some days but using organic 100% pure whey powder. I eat a lot of eggs, beans, Greek yoghurt, cheese, chia, nuts, dense seeded bread, chicken, and a bit of fish and beef.

Hi @Shoobydoowahwah, would you mind sharing what a typical lunch and dinner is for you to achieve your target calories and protein?

Not new. The nutritionist John Yudkin advocated this way of eating in the 1970s. It was the standard way to lose weight then.

I always thought that protein was one thing most people eating western diets got enough of easily. Am I wrong?

Also the idea you can’t overeat chicken - I’ve had to stop buying chicken legs and thighs with the intention of eating some for tea and the rest for lunch the next day, because I can’t resist eating them all once I’ve cooked them. I honestly think I could eat a whole chicken 😅

If your average is like 60/70g a day then it's pretty easy to achieve. 130+g not so much.

Chicken is pretty filling and excellent in protein but you do get sick of the sight of it if you have it often. I've had to have a rest for a bit .