How to manage high protein intake but keep calories low

[Mini1977]

Started a diet recently and decided rather than just calorie counting i was going to make sure i was getting my correct macronutrients.

So for my body weight, age and height i should be eating 123.8g carbs, 185.7g protein, 45.9g fat over 1651 calories per day.

Can anyone help me with meal ideas in how i can reach these goals or if there is any supplements etc.

so far today i have had protein pancakes & protein yoghurt i have consumed 528 calories 62.6g carbs, 14.9g fat & 36.7g protein.

Really not sure how i am going to reach my protein intake and stay under calories.

TIA

I've found it helpful to base all my meals around the protein as the star component of the menu so I will always choose that first, then a compliment to go with it

So I will say I am having eggs
then add in other items such as veg and a slice of sourdough

or I am having a chicken based meal
then add in brown rice and veg

or I’m having Greek yoghurt, then add in fruit

The protein foods they sell in shops are not that great, the only things I buy are the Warburtons protein bagels as they are very nice and a protein yoghurt from time to time. The desserts are really dense and high in cals and don’t always taste that nice you can tell they have protein powder in them it’s like a dusty texture 😂

@Thegreatgiginthesky Very interesting to read.

That feels more sensible. I have a similar target and get it easily - yesterday was Greek yogurt mixed with protein powder and oats (overnight oats), two chicken thighs with salad and sweet potato for lunch and then we had steak for dinner. Calories left for snacks and coffees!

@Menora Yeah i think i'm going to go with this idea, pick the protein then vegies and carbs. I've tried a few protein yoghurts and i'm with you on that they are quite disgusting some of the yoghurts are just way too thick.

Sounds like I have a similar diet and target macros to @Proteinpud so I second her post!

The other thing is, yeah the calculation say X amount per kg bodyweight, but you can take that as lean bodyweight, which will reduce your target a bit.

Like I said, I aim for 120g protein on my 65kg bodyweight (and consider it OK if it's over 100g)
but if I hit the Ben & Jerry's a bit too hard and put on 20kg fat, I wouldn't be needing another 20g protein per day?
I'd be using more calories to get around all day, sure, but I wouldn't have grown any more muscle to feed. Unless I went mad on the weightlifting too (and probably not even then, I don't gain muscle easily!)

Yeah I'm not keen on the protein bars etc, protein pancakes etc, they're usually very processed and high in calories (as they're aimed at men who are more likely to go high protein high calorie to bulk)

As my username suggests, I do like high protein yogurts and puddings, the former are often mainly quark (remember that? Showing my age!) and the latter I find a good substitute for a dessert as I actually like the taste and they're not 'dusty'! Eg Aldi's caramel protein pudding. But otherwise, protein from whole foods is the way to go. Just add more of the meat/fish than you might think, and cut down the pasta/rice/bread. No need to eliminate any specific food type, just look at the balance of them. So I'll still have say, tuna pasta in a ready made sauce when I'm stuck for time, but I use a tin of tuna per serving and I'll have half the pasta I would have done in the past. If I have a chicken pitta I'll be having a whole chicken breast, and thinking about what veg I can add to my meal. Like @Menora said, it's starting the meal around the protein and then thinking what to add to complement it.

@radishpatch Sounds quite nice, saving all these ideas for lunches and dinners :) What protein powder do you use?

@DecayedStrumpet cross posted, but hello macro twin 😂 love the user name btw!

Another recommendation for easy meal ideas is to look at the supermarket ranges - eg Tesco near me have 'firepit' range in the summer, and they have lots of marinated meat type items. Obviously you can make your own at home but Im not that organised and I find the convenience of them pretty good, especially to say, cook some for dinner and cook extra to have as leftovers for lunch the next day, or to keep in the fridge for snacking.

@DecayedStrumpet So do you think aiming to get around 100g a day is a bit more manageable?

@Proteinpud Thanks for all your info, feeling a bit more confident about it now and taken on board your meal ideas going to sit down tonight and do some meal planning.

How does all this protein supplementing with powders play against the anti-UPF movement? Are people who consider they have healthy diets avoiding UPFs in solid food and drink, but then piling them on in heavy doses of protein powder?

'Diet' (as in food intake, not restriction) advice is just beyond confusing these days.

@Mini1977 i saw this very funny reel on insta about the reality of trying to eat one of those dense thick protein yoghurt it cracked me up. You start out thinking hmm ok, this isn’t too bad. By the 5th mouthful you can’t face another spoon of it. Why are there lumps? Why is this going on so long? What is this taste? 😂😂😂😂

@MuscariFan most people I know take the approach that 'perfect' isn't possible, unless you are super rich and have a chef on call. It's very difficult to entirely avoid highly processed food.
I don't personally like protein drinks, but on balance I'd rather eat a protein yogurt as a desert if it helps me stay full and avoid snacking on whatever is available in the office.

Protein powders are UPF, but they're majority whey protein with some sweeteners. It's hardly the same as chowing down on a McDonald's. And though it is upf it does avoid some of the worst aspects of UPF food which is to be very addictive and stimulate appetite.

@MuscariFan personally for me I buy whey powder that is single origin and UK produced using organic UK milk and has no other additives. Then I add that as an ingredient to home made items such as overnight oats etc.

I’m not a fan of UPFs at all, but I also weight train and don’t want to live off chicken and salmon, so it’s a balance.

It’s literally everywhere now, whole sections in shops with big labels on with the protein content. I think this started a few years back with gym culture as Aldi used to sell out of the protein yoghurt like mad but now it’s just everywhere you look and it’s another UPF. They give me the runs 😂. I don’t mind the pouches of the thin yoghurt on the go and they taste nice, but the bars are rank I don’t know how anyone enjoys them

@Proteinpud there is one in Tesco which deceived me saying it would be a nice salted caramel mousse but the worst ones are the Gym Kitchen desserts I think cheesecake? They are basically dusty

@Menora I actually laughed out loud because it couldn't be any more true. I'm not much of a waster so there was a time where i had eaten one (Ehrmann caramel style pudding) and the willpower it took not to boak was just crazy.

@Menora The gym kitchen ones are enormous! The mousse ones are way too high volume so I don't tend to eat those either - mousse should be light!
I quite like the Lindahls ones, mainly as a base for berries and apple slices as breakfast. I can't stomach eggs or meat first thing.

@menora i actually quite like protein bars. Some are yuck but the fulfil ones are delightful :)

Yes Lindahls are good or the Tesco pouches as they are thin and just taste normal!

A full tub of cottage cheese ice cream with some flavdrops from MyProtein (I have this pudding every night)

Low cal and high protein: Turkey mince (fab macros) prawns and chicken breast.

Greek yogurt (again with flav drops, so you can keep it varied and delicious)

I'm on 1500 calories and average 140g of protein every day because I'm aiming for body recomposition; lose fat and gain muscle (or at least not lose it) at the same time.

@Mini1977 the main thing is to be sustainable long term I'd say
If you can get into a nice pattern of eating that leaves you mostly feeling full, gradually losing weight (if that's your goal), and not spending a fortune on steak... then I wouldn't sweat it if it's 'only' 100g protein.

Oh and if you try and live off chicken breasts and eggs, you will get horrendous constipation too, no-one seems to have mentioned that yet 😳

@Proteinpud thanks 🤣I think my name is from an insult Jack Sparrow used once that tickled me, I could be wrong, my memory isn't what it was

@GlobalCitz Cottage cheese ice cream 🤔I don't think i have muscle st the moment so i'm just looking to loose weight and see what happens lol.

@DecayedStrumpet Yes this is what i need to sort out, meals that will help fill me up, when i tried dieting before it was low cal but i was still looking for food after dinner which isn't good. Tbh i have a love hate relationship with chicken so won't be eating it daily anyway. I have a horrendous fear that chicken is undercooked so i sit with a flash light and check each bite, its tiring and not enjoyable but saying that i do actually enjoy chicken ha-ha just cant get past the worry of it being undercooked.

One gram for every pound of your goal weight is what I've heard. No way can I manage that on 1500 cal a day.
So I do percentages: 40% carb, 30% fat 30% protein.
Usually it ends up being 40-50% fat, 30-40% carb 20% protein. The fat is so high as I eat avocado, eggs, salmon, meat. But as I usually consume 1350 calories those fats carry more 'weight' - if I was eating 2000 calories a day I wouldn't be increasing my fats or carbs much but would be protein so the macros would be different.

@GlobalCitz do you have any recommendations for turkey mince recipes? I've never really found something I've been satisfied with, I do tend to use 5% beef mince in a lot of my cooking.

@DecayedStrumpet I tried to be polite by mentioning 'digestion issues' but yes, balance - and fibre - is key!

@Mini1977 I would just add that I've adjusted my diet over time. If you go from eating say, 40g protein on a typical day to 40g per meal it might not feel great. Try gradually increasing, and seeing where you can make good swaps. That's easier than overhauling your entire diet in one go