Protein- How to easily get it, and is the 1 pound per body weight a myth?

[Mai72]

How can I easily reach my daily protein intake without resorting to expensive protein drinks/bars all the time?

I always include at least 1-2 servings of chicken, beef or eggs in the day. I also like to include Greek yogurt, almonds, almond milk, and tuna. I also consume 1 pouch of MetRx vanilla protein a day. It's a meal replacement that I incorporate with my dinner.

I'm currently using MyFitnessPal to track my calories, macros, and nutrients. When I look at my protein intake it's always very low. I weigh 195lbs, so I set my macro intake for protein at 30%. Actually my macro goals are at 40% carbs, 30% protein and 30% fat. I normally get about 110 grams of protein. I'm not even close to the 195lb mark.

Which brings me to my next question. Is the 1 pound per body weight a myth? I've checked out a video and the guy on the YT video said that it's a myth. And that a high intake of protein can even lead to a greater rate of cancer. Now, I don't know if this is bull. The video was produced by a vegan.

 

[deadlyapp]

1g per pound of body weight isn't a myth, but is on the high side and should really be only if you're lifting a lot. Between .8 and .9 is more traditional.

I'm actually a bit over 1g per pound right now for plan but usually hit close to 1g per pound. I lift once or twice a day 6-7 days a week.

 

[SlitheryDee]

I think it's a myth that everyone needs that much protein. Maybe pro bodybuilders who are essentially in a constant battle with their bodies to avoid muscle loss need that and more to maintain, but us plebs can probably get by with much less without even noticing the difference. I tend to go through cycles where I prioritize different things. If I'm losing weight primarily, I'll let protein intake go a bit in favor of reducing calories. I still end up getting around 150 grams every day, but if I get less I don't sweat it. When I'm primarily building muscle I go for 200 grams or better, mostly because it's easy to do when my calorie restrictions are looser, and it probably doesn't hurt at least.

 

[ElFenix]

pork loin often on sale near a dollar a pound and chicken breast often on sale at under $2 a pound is much cheaper than whey. especially if you're buying individually packaged servings of whey. bulk whey is about 2.77 cents per gram of protein (ON gold standard 6 lb bag at costco for $60). that works out to about the same as chicken breast for $4/lb or pork loin for $3.40 per pound. eggs are about the same cost ($2 per dozen). milk on sale is a little more expensive (~$1.77 for milk to get equivalent cost).

 

[deadlyapp]

pork loin often on sale near a dollar a pound and chicken breast often on sale at under $2 a pound is much cheaper than whey. especially if you're buying individually packaged servings of whey. bulk whey is about 2.77 cents per gram of protein (ON gold standard 6 lb bag at costco for $60). that works out to about the same as chicken breast for $4/lb or pork loin for $3.40 per pound. eggs are about the same cost ($2 per dozen). milk on sale is a little more expensive (~$1.77 for milk to get equivalent cost).

Pretty good note to make. I spent some time comparing protein based on the labdoor testing that was done here: https://labdoor.com/rankings/protein .

Rank	Brand	Serving (gm)	Servings	Protein	Lb	Size	Price	Price/lb	Price/oz	Price/g
31	Whey Tech	30.4	74	24	4.96	79.35	 $49.99 	 $10.08 	 $0.630 	 $0.028 
28	ON Gold Std 100% whey	32	71	24	5.01	80.14	57.99	 $11.58 	 $0.724 	 $0.034 
39	Body Fortress Super Advanced	50	18	30	1.98	31.75	17.08	 $8.61 	 $0.538 	 $0.032 
14	ON Gold Std Natural	32	68	24	4.80	76.76	57.94	 $12.08 	 $0.755 	 $0.036 
29	ON Hydro Whey	39	40	30	3.44	55.03	54.97	 $15.98 	 $0.999 	 $0.046 
15	Dymatize Iso-100	31	73	25	4.99	79.82	72.99	 $14.63 	 $0.914 	 $0.040 
10	MRM 100% Natural	25.5	36	18	2.02	32.38	22.97	 $11.35 	 $0.709 	 $0.035 
4	Now Whey Isolate	44	62	24	6.01	96.23	64.99	 $10.81 	 $0.675 	 $0.044 
1	Myprotein Impact Whey Isolate	25	40	20.5	2.20	35.27	28.96	 $13.14 	 $0.821 	 $0.035 
		29.4	123	24	7.97	127.56	89.99	 $11.29 	 $0.705 	 $0.030

I have been using Whey Tech for some time (vitamin shoppe branded ON gold) but just purchased MRM and NOW to compare. The NOW is one of the most expensive per gram of protein while the MRM is one of the least expensive. So far I enjoy both but it's pretty damn hard to beat the WheyTech especially when it's on sale or buy one get one half off.

 

[edro]

I prefer a high protein diet because it means I am proportionally eating less fat and carbs (assuming you are restricting total calories).

I don't know of a bad effect of a high protein diet.
High carbs (sugars and processed carbs) negatively affect your blood sugar and insulin response, which over time can cause diabetes.

 

[Aristotelian]

I get my protein from two major sources:

(i) I go to my local butcher and normally ask what's on special, avoiding sausages etc. but also not shying away from non-prime cuts. I like a breakfast of veal liver + caramelized onions (naturally - no sugar or whatever added) and some scrambled eggs on a Sunday morning. I am also following the "primal" concept but I do slip quite frequently.

(ii) I use protein powder like this: https://www.amazon.com/Source-Organic-Whey-Protein-Grass-Finished/dp/B007B7UGHM it's not the exact product - mine is grass fed (not finished), and whey isolate (a higher protein content). I mix that with some milk and a few blueberries.

I don't really calculate how much protein I eat, but maybe I should?

 

[cbrunny]

Balance of macros depends a lot on your fitness regime too. Lifters (presumably) need more protein. Endurance athletes need more carbs, and depending on your distances fat too. For an average joe, the balance is probably 30/30/40 p/f/c, but of course everyone is a bit different.

 

[ElFenix]

I prefer a high protein diet because it means I am proportionally eating less fat and carbs (assuming you are restricting total calories).

I don't know of a bad effect of a high protein diet.
High carbs (sugars and processed carbs) negatively affect your blood sugar and insulin response, which over time can cause diabetes.

iirc it can be hard on your kidneys

 

[purbeast0]

protein drinks are not expensive at all. i'd say they are actually cheaper than getting it from a real source like chicken at the cost/gram level if you are buying powder and mixing it.

i drink 3 shakes a day of about 50g/shake then usually eat about 1-2lbs or so of some type of meat a day as well.

 

[edro]

iirc it can be hard on your kidneys

kidneys schmidneys

 

[SP33Demon]

I only hit 120g at around 195-200lbs and still hitting strength gains by adding aminos. Although I'm not really gaining any weight, so will probably up that number slightly in the near future. You really only need .6-.7 unless you're a hardcore bodybuilder. For strength training good fats are probably just as important as well as joint supps when compared to protein intake.

 

[VirtualLarry]

I don't know of a bad effect of a high protein diet.

A friend of mine said that most serial killers had an enormously high-protein diet. He constantly worries about getting too much protein.

High carbs (sugars and processed carbs) negatively affect your blood sugar and insulin response, which over time can cause diabetes.

No question there.

My mother used to say, that most men needed 60g of protein a day.

I'm not familiar with the 1g per lb of body weight. Maybe if you're "all muscle" and working out all the time. (eg. "Bodybuilder diet")

I mean, looking at various frozen dinner options, you're lucky if they have 25g of protein in them.

Are you'all telling me that you eat the equivalent of three frozen dinners per meal?

Maybe eating Burger King isn't so bad? I think burgers have good protein. Lots of carbs and salt too, though.

 

[Aristotelian]

No, I'm saying now:

(i) Eating Burger King is garbage;

(ii) the fundamentals of eating cleanly are roughly agreed upon: - loads of leafy greens, eating bounties of fresh vegetables. Quality sources of protein/fat (wild fish, beef that lived on grassy plains etc), while minimizing sugar intake in all of its sources, particularly refined stuff, while also extending to certain fruits.

(iii) protein shakes can help in a lot of ways - I recently steamed and blitzed an entire head of kale and made two shakes out of it, with some scoops of protein, it was a savoury shake and a nice boost. And even my organic, grass-fed beef sourced whey is not expensive when compared with the aforementioned sources. I go to a butcher (Jack O'Shea) and tend to ask what their specials are, and I eat off cuts as well, and fatty cuts, because I'm not worried about the effect that fatty pieces of meat have on me when I'm not eating carbs in a significant way.

Eating right can be done at reasonable prices, but it takes a bit of effort, including in one's cooking. It's really easy to come home after work and make some pasta with a marinara sauce and eat that but my question would be: how can that compare nutritionally to some roasted chicken thighs (on the bone), with a celeriac puree as a side, and a leafy salad with an olive oil based dressing?

 

[edro]

I mean, looking at various frozen dinner options, you're lucky if they have 25g of protein in them.
Are you'all telling me that you eat the equivalent of three frozen dinners per meal?

No, it means frozen dinners are shit.
Protein is much more expensive than fat and carbs, so processed foods are always low in protein.

If the food industry had their way, you would only eat fat and carbs.
And it just so happens that's what a huge portion of the population does.
Then they wonder why they have diabetes and no muscle mass.

 

[cbrunny]

(ii) the fundamentals of eating cleanly are roughly agreed upon: - loads of leafy greens, eating bounties of fresh vegetables. Quality sources of protein/fat (wild fish, beef that lived on grassy plains etc), while minimizing sugar intake in all of its sources, particularly refined stuff, while also extending to certain fruits.

Shenanigans. Bolded parts. Refined sugar is awful, no question. But carbs are essential. The amount you eat varies based on your particular fitness goals but every individual should have a carb component in their diet. Overeating fruit can be bad, but overeating anything is bad. I'm not totally sure what you mean to say by this either because it seems based on your comments that you have a reasonable balance of carbs in your diet.

Also, where do you get fish that live on grassy plains?

 

[Aristotelian]

Shenanigans. Bolded parts. Refined sugar is awful, no question. But carbs are essential. The amount you eat varies based on your particular fitness goals but every individual should have a carb component in their diet. Overeating fruit can be bad, but overeating anything is bad. I'm not totally sure what you mean to say by this either because it seems based on your comments that you have a reasonable balance of carbs in your diet.

Also, where do you get fish that live on grassy plains?

Carbs are essential, but at amounts much, much lower than the average person eats. Keep in mind that I was responding to a comment suggesting that eating Burger King may actually be healthy.

I am arguing that fruit featuring at the high end of the glycemic index has no necessary place in a healthy diet. I eat blueberries or strawberries, or cherries on a fairly regular basis. But I go out of my way to avoid melons, mangoes, pineapple and other fruit that is high in sugar. I didn't say that "no one should eat carbs", I said that "sugar intake" should be minimized, in all of its sources - that's shorthand for glucose, fructose, etc. My argument against sugar does not mean that I am completely anti-carb.

But - and perhaps this is what you were getting at - I'm more likely to eat dinners like the one I highlighted than spaghetti with marinara sauce, or pasta with salmon, or fried rice, or pizza...see the trend?

And "wild fish" or "grass fed and pastured beef" or "pigs that led happy lives" or "lamb" etc, I was simply promoting "quality protein sources". They have nice fats, too.

On "overeating anything can be bad" - I don't know many people overeating kale or cabbage and developing diabetes. I'm not being cheeky here either - do you really think most people that have meat/potato type diets get enough leafy greens or quality proteins in their diets?

 

[cbrunny]

Ah so you prefer starches and fibres over sugar. Makes sense. I follow and agree.

 

[magomago]

Carbs are essential, but at amounts much, much lower than the average person eats. Keep in mind that I was responding to a comment suggesting that eating Burger King may actually be healthy.

I am arguing that fruit featuring at the high end of the glycemic index has no necessary place in a healthy diet. I eat blueberries or strawberries, or cherries on a fairly regular basis. But I go out of my way to avoid melons, mangoes, pineapple and other fruit that is high in sugar. I didn't say that "no one should eat carbs", I said that "sugar intake" should be minimized, in all of its sources - that's shorthand for glucose, fructose, etc. My argument against sugar does not mean that I am completely anti-carb.

But - and perhaps this is what you were getting at - I'm more likely to eat dinners like the one I highlighted than spaghetti with marinara sauce, or pasta with salmon, or fried rice, or pizza...see the trend?

And "wild fish" or "grass fed and pastured beef" or "pigs that led happy lives" or "lamb" etc, I was simply promoting "quality protein sources". They have nice fats, too.

On "overeating anything can be bad" - I don't know many people overeating kale or cabbage and developing diabetes. I'm not being cheeky here either - do you really think most people that have meat/potato type diets get enough leafy greens or quality proteins in their diets?

Respectfully disagree - carbs are THE preferred energy source. Fruits in as much quantities as possible is helpful. Diabetes is a disease of fat toxicity.

Taking refined sugar, that is, pure sugar crystals, as very similar to fruit is nonsense. The former is completely devoid of the phyto-nutrients, fiber, and all additional matter that actually make up fruit.

Edit: For at least the average person, its a myth. Body Building may be different, but that doesn't imply acceptance of broscience. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7NW32vLq340

 

[cbrunny]

In general terms, there are three kinds of carbs. Sugar, Starch, and Fibre. They're different.

 

[Kaido]

Which brings me to my next question. Is the 1 pound per body weight a myth? I've checked out a video and the guy on the YT video said that it's a myth. And that a high intake of protein can even lead to a greater rate of cancer. Now, I don't know if this is bull. The video was produced by a vegan.

Read this:

http://bayesianbodybuilding.com/the-myth-of-1glb-optimal-protein-intake-for-bodybuilders/

TL;DR:

There is normally no advantage to consuming more than 0.82g/lb (1.8g/kg) of protein per day to preserve or build muscle once you’re past the novice level as a natural trainee. This already includes a mark-up, since most research finds no more benefits after 0.64 g/lb.

On a tangent (speaking of nutritional requirements & results), one of the things I like about IIFYM is that it myth-busts a lot of stuff that has been gospel in the bodybuilding community for a long time. One of the first shockers for me was seeing people get a six-pack while eating ice cream...that turned everything I thought I knew about clean eating for results on its head! And then seeing how people ditched stuff like cardio, meal timing, etc. & still got phenomenal aesthetic results. I remember reading an article about Michael Jordan in the height of his performance & how his nutritionist was a pretty frustrated cat because Mikey ate a bunch of junk food & didn't follow his diet plan at all, yet still got great results. Similar stuff with Michael Phelps for his Olympic training diet. Apparently Usain Bolt ate a thousand chicken nuggets from McDonalds at the Beijing Olympics because the native food scared him:

http://time.com/3912896/usain-bolt-chicken-mcnuggets-olympics/

There's so much conflicting information out there...we know surprisingly little about health, despite having a lot of data available. We do know that you increase your risk of problems by not exercising, eating too much red meat, etc. But, eventually everyone dies anyway, and the longer you live, the more likely you are to get cancer, so you kind of have to balance feeling good, enjoying life, and minimizing exposure to known risks.

 

[Aristotelian]

Respectfully disagree - carbs are THE preferred energy source. Fruits in as much quantities as possible is helpful. Diabetes is a disease of fat toxicity.

Taking refined sugar, that is, pure sugar crystals, as very similar to fruit is nonsense. The former is completely devoid of the phyto-nutrients, fiber, and all additional matter that actually make up fruit.

Edit: For at least the average person, its a myth. Body Building may be different, but that doesn't imply acceptance of broscience. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7NW32vLq340

I wouldn't have posted again if it were not for your "broscience" comment. I'm not sure what you mean by "energy source" but I guess you mean that carbs form the preferential part of a human's nutritional intake. If so, I disagree.

My point is that the logic "fructose comes from fruit sources, and since fruit is nutritious and fructose isn't that bad, therefore fruits are an important food source" is partly correct, and I highlighted above the kinds of fruits that are low on the glycemic index and represent a good nutritional balance. But to use "fructose" in a blanket way to represent all fruit is worse than a myth - it's the misinformation propagated by sectors within the fruit lobby (as the counter-attack against refined carbohydrates is largely led by the wheat/grain lobby). While fructose raises insulin levels less than glucose does, fructose causes higher ghrelin levels - and ghrelin boosts appetite levels.

Back in the day, as a child, I remember thinking that oranges were a great source of vitamin C - and then I found broccoli, and kale. So you're telling me that I'm better off (given a finite appetite), blitzing up an orange in my protein shake than some steamed kale (to make a savoury one)?

I'm not referring to broscience here. The OP asked how to get enough protein in his/her diet and questioned a supposed myth about it. I'm saying - things that raise your insulin level aren't that great to eat and can be easily substituted. For the fruit camp I'd like to see what nutrients they think they get that I don't while eating enormous amounts of leafy greens a week, plus berries (as my fruit - usually in my shakes, and berries have fiber too!), and quality protein/fat products.

 

[utahraptor]

I eat 3 x 60g of protein cans of chicken breast a day lolz. It is disgusting, but effective.

 

[Ancalagon44]

@Aristotelian

Sadly most people cling to the myth that carbohydrates are our preferred energy source, despite this myth being created relatively recently by the breakfast cereal companies. Carbohydrates are simply not essential at all.

It's funny how such a recently created idea has become so entrenched. Like the idea that eggs are bad for you because of the cholesterol they contain. Even the USDA has changed it's mind on that, but you will still find people saying they avoid eggs because of the cholesterol. Ask them what cholesterol actually is and they have no idea.

 

[magomago]

I wouldn't have posted again if it were not for your "broscience" comment. I'm not sure what you mean by "energy source" but I guess you mean that carbs form the preferential part of a human's nutritional intake. If so, I disagree.

My point is that the logic "fructose comes from fruit sources, and since fruit is nutritious and fructose isn't that bad, therefore fruits are an important food source" is partly correct, and I highlighted above the kinds of fruits that are low on the glycemic index and represent a good nutritional balance. But to use "fructose" in a blanket way to represent all fruit is worse than a myth - it's the misinformation propagated by sectors within the fruit lobby (as the counter-attack against refined carbohydrates is largely led by the wheat/grain lobby). While fructose raises insulin levels less than glucose does, fructose causes higher ghrelin levels - and ghrelin boosts appetite levels.

Back in the day, as a child, I remember thinking that oranges were a great source of vitamin C - and then I found broccoli, and kale. So you're telling me that I'm better off (given a finite appetite), blitzing up an orange in my protein shake than some steamed kale (to make a savoury one)?

I'm not referring to broscience here. The OP asked how to get enough protein in his/her diet and questioned a supposed myth about it. I'm saying - things that raise your insulin level aren't that great to eat and can be easily substituted. For the fruit camp I'd like to see what nutrients they think they get that I don't while eating enormous amounts of leafy greens a week, plus berries (as my fruit - usually in my shakes, and berries have fiber too!), and quality protein/fat products.

It looks like a couple points here, I'll try to be brief because I feel the OP's thread is getting derailed:

(1) Energy source = calories, and carbs are the preferred calorie. Nutrients are needed to promote health, but we don't use nutrients as energy.
EX: Kale is nutrient dense and healthy, but it is a poor source of energy because you could stuff yourself with Kale and still struggle to hit 500 calories.

(2) Not interested in fruit lobby here, only good science. The idea that some fruit is bad because it has lots of sugars is flat out wrong.
Concern about glyemic index and blood sugar control implies concern about diabetes or pre-diabetes. Since diabetes is a disease of fat toxicity, cutting out the primary sources of fat (meat, dairies, eggs) and increasing carbs (including "high GI fruits" like Mangoes, Pineapple, Melons) will cause your blood sugar to return to normal.

(3) Yes protein requirements are overstated. My comment about broscience was to imply that a serious body builder is probably going to have higher protein needs, but how much...I don't know, or claim to know. But just because I don't know, doesn't mean that 'broscience' is authoritative on the question, or even correct.

(4) Have your shakes however you want it. If you like it with Kale, use Kale. If you like it with oranges, use oranges. I prefer mine with Banana/Blueberries/Kale, but will pretty much take any smoothie. The most plants the better, no discrimination on that point.