Is it important to hit protein macros

(Mark Heard) #1

Hi. 3 weeks on a Keto way of eating. Obviously the most important point is to keep carbs under 20g. There are times when at the end of the day I don’t feel hungry BUT am well short of my protein requirements (on that day my fat may also be low but also sometime at my full macro level) - more often when I weigh myself the following day I also havent lost any yet. Would this be because my metabolism has slow because my protein is too low? But my main question after keeping under 20 carbs, how important is getting my protein upto the 1-1.5g/kg LBM???

#2

It is important. It is not the end of the world if you have the odd day when you don’t and it is not an issue when you are fasting (obviously) but you need to hit your protein macros, yes. You need to feed your building blocks!

(You've tried everything else; why not try bacon?) #3

The protein is the building blocks for muscle repairs and for producing the minimal amount of glucose essential for the proper functioning of the brain. A protein deficiency can cause serious effects. Eating too much protein can cause bad effects, as well—fortunately the safe range is quite wide. But the recommendations I’ve seen range from as low as 0.8 g/kg of lean body mass up to the 1.5 you mentioned in your post. So perhaps you’ve come closer to the minimum than you’ve realized, on those low-protein days.

(Mark Heard) #4

Thanks Daisy. So am I correct in saying everyday my aim is to keep carbs under 20, protein for my LBM & fat to satiety BUT i will lose weight faster IF the fat is lower?

(Naomi Brewster) #5

Slight adjustment Mark - Carbs under 20gm, Protein .08-1.5 of LBM and fat to satiety. I don’t keep track of fat but if I hit my carb and protein goals and have eaten to satiety then I know my fat is fine.

#6

Ah now, I am not an advocate of low fat no. Personally I think it is important to keep fat at the level that keeps you happy! Now that varies and tuning into satiety signals can be difficult, especially if you have decades of poor eating habits under your belt. For some (me!) the battle with head hunger and emotional eating is also very real. There are people who can tune in and eat to satiety signals very well and literally do what their body is telling them it needs to do. If you are one of those people hurrah! If you are not then you may have to put a routine and meal plan in place and then do your best to stick to it. You really should not be going hungry though or getting hangry! What you want is to be able to eat 3 meals (or fewer - that depends on you) a day with no snacking between and establish the normal rhythm of building hunger before a meal then satiating it without feeling like you can’t move and on to the next meal. It is also a good idea to lengthen your fasting window so that you have both a decent time between your last meal and bedtime and then continue that through to whenever you breakfast.

I tend to eat 2 meals a day, for example, but have a really bad snack habit that I am trying to get under control. It is not actual hunger but rather head hunger of some kind. Keeping it keto has helped considerably and meant that maintaining weight is not a problem but it is still something I need to get in check. I am also a late night snack hound - also needs to stop!

The thing that will ramp up weight loss will be bringing in some IF (Intermittent Fasting) but I really wouldn’t recommend this until you are a bit further into keto. Try and get past the old calories in calories out and fat phobic mentalities and embrace keto. Try and stick to a fairly basic plan of whole foods and don’t go too mad on the things that can easily stack up the carbs and also lead to overeating - things like keto treats and pizzas and the like. They are not a bad thing by any means - just watch them if you tend to go a bit OTT with them. Keep your protein as fatty as possible, try and get the bulk of your carbs from above ground veg and a few nuts and seeds and be liberal with the keto fats.

What might prove useful is to keep a track of what you are doing and how you are feeling. So keep a journal with some or all of the following. This will really help you see how you are progressing and also give you some ideas if things aren’t going the way you want them to.

  • what you eat. It is useful to track macros for a while until you have a good idea of how much is in what. It is not essential though, especially if you stick to quite a basic range of foods.
  • your measurements and weight
  • photos. People often skip these but those who do them regularly (say monthly) have a great record to look back on. I think this can be one of the best motivators and also reminders when you think things aren’t going well when actually they are.
  • mood and stress levels. Nearly always underestimated when it comes to impacting weight loss.
  • sleep length and quality. Also underestimated.

A journal is also a great place to just write down anything else you feel like that day and/or venting! I appreciate it is often more a female domain but it is useful nonetheless.

Good luck. x

(Mark Heard) #7

Again, Thankyou everyone for your support. What is the best way to calculate LBM?

#8

The very best way is to get a DEXA scan but that also has a reasonably hefty price tag. If you want accuracy and have a spare bob then that is your best option. Failing that, you can get a reasonable idea with an online calculator like this one…

http://www.calculator.net/lean-body-mass-calculator.html

I just use that and take an average of the results. If you do a lot of strength/weights work or anything that builds muscle, you might find that you are more dense. Richard Morris has a high LBM for example, especially in his long-distance cyclers’ legs :smiley:

In fact, I think he has an LBM that is more than an entire me! I forget… @richard what is your LBM again?

#9

You don’t need to be very accurate for LBM, your “ideal” weight will work too. 1,5x weight for protein is high unless you exercise heavily (serious lifting, high mileage running).

(Mark Heard) #10

I did the LBM calculations & that says around 80kg’s so 1-1.5g/gk LBM would be 80-120. The aim I gather would be aim for nearer 80g. I have a sedentary job & walk approx. 30 min/day.

(Richard Morris) #11

80.380kg at my last DEXA

#12

See that is incredible. You are surely way over average? My weight fluctuates but is around 67kg. So I am not even all your dense bit. That blows my mind a bit. Muscleman!

(Richard Morris) #13

My dad played representative rugby, he was a front rower for the Queensland reds in the 60s. So I may have some specific genetic advantage for building lean mass.

(Ken) #14

It appears that specific genetic traits do influence the ability to gain and maintain muscle mass. This has long been attributed to the myostatin response, which determines how much you can add. The higher the response, the harder to gain and maintain muscle. This appears to be an evolutionary adaptation to prevent excess mass since it’s metabolically expensive in terms of energy requirements. It’s interesting, as there appears to be a correlation with leptin response as well. Cold weather genetics appears to play a part, as more mass is a positive survival trait in cold weather (temperate zone) ecosystems, as opposed to tropical zone genetics. Initial fat storage areas play a part as well, subcutaneous fat being beneficial in cold weather, but internal fat storage being better in tropical ecosystems.

I have the cold weather traits, which is also why I was a Forward when I was playing rugby.

This is also why I think the higher 60/35/5% paleo protein macro has worked so well for me, my body is geared for higher muscle mass, needing more protein for growth and maintenance.