Missing My Protein!

#1

Hi there! Just joined and would really appreciate some advice. Been doing keto for about a week. Not new to low carb; I initially went low carb (paleo) back in 2010 and lost about 30lbs in ~2 months with Mark Sissons advice. Now I’ve decided to go keto because I vainly want to get into fantastic shape (really admiring Ruth May And Stefanie Keto Person on Youtube if anyone watches them). I’m not overweight, I’m 117lbs at the moment but my goal is 95-100lbs (I want to get VERY lean, this is not too low a weight because I am 5ft nothing F). I’ve lost 2lbs already. Trouble is that I’m finding I can’t hardly eat any protein without upsetting the 70-80% fat to 20-25% protein ratio. Maybe its because I am used to paleo which is more protein centered but I’m really missing having meat…I easily cut my carbs down from what I was used to but my protein seems so low. Here is what I ate yesterday and what I plan on having today (currently fasting). Its hard to tell but macros were ~71F, 18P, 11C yesterday and ~73F, 18P, 8C today.

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Basically at most I can have a few oz for dinner, even of something fatty like chicken thighs and token amounts on a lunch salad. I have found if I eat breakfast I can’t afford any real meat at dinner and still fit it in my macros. Even a couple fried eggs or ones scrambled in bacon grease add up to too much protein. I skip it now or have butter/creamed coffee. Am I missing something? Can I eat more meat if I go about things differently?

(Ron) #2

Your doing great. You are keeping your carbs down below what is allowed by crono that is set on moderate level. This setting gives you 40g for carbs but you don’t want to reach that macro so the calories reserved for those need to be distributed to the other macro fields. This is where it is suggested to maintain the 70/25/5 % daily averages. As long as you keep the carbs under the 20g mark you have some wiggle room with the others.
60/35/5 is still acceptable if you go that high with proteins occasionally.

(Robert C) #3

Your detailed lists look great but, I can see why you might never be feeling satiated.

If I were in your shoes – trying to get very thin but also looking for some more on the plate once in a while, I would try out OMAD (one meal a day) or ADF (alternate day fasting).

For example, OMAD could give you a half pound ribeye steak topped with melted blue cheese and accompanied by some heavily sautéed (lots of ghee) leafy green vegetable and some raw macadamia nuts or pork rinds. A hearty meal that will get you the percentages you want. Another benefit here that doesn’t get much attention is that it is a single meal planning and meal prep per day. True time saver! I also found it much easier to get macros straight when all in one meal.

ADF will accomplish a similar thing as, on your eating day, you’re supposed to have close to what you’d regularly have over 2 days - pretty much doubling meal size.

Either of these strategies would probably get you to your goal faster than straight keto.

I would stay away from thoughts of extended fasts – I always hear they are a bad idea for people that do not have a generous fat store to pull from.

(Pete A) #4

Ii don’t do OMAD as @robc mentions, and while I’d enjoy eating your full menu, it does look awfully snacky.

I eat around 25% protein a day but bigger meat portions than yours, with no snacking (3 meals a day, 4-5 hours between, 16/8) Benefit for you to think about this or OMAD would be a shorter list of overall food through the day, with more of your protein coming from meat like you desire.

Just my two cents, you’re in an enviable position basically looking to get in “fantastic shape” haha and being so close!

(karen) #5

I feel your pain, I’m 5’1 and at 125, hoping to get that down to about 110-115. I can’t eat Anything but lettuce in the quantities I’d like!

Looking at your diet today, lox could be a problem. Don’t get me wrong, I love lox and I’d have a macro of 50% lox if I could, but it’s really got very little fat in comparison to protein. Today I’m having open faced lox sandwiches using the keto roll recipe (which is primarily almond flour and has loads of fat), keeping the lox to 2 oz or slightly less, and using either butter or cream cheese on the rolls.:yum:

#6

Thanks guys. Do many people get away with 35% protein because that would be nice but I’m kinda scared of messing with it. I kinda like the idea of trying 1 meal per day. At least sometimes because I like eating haha. Already having only 2 has helped. The ADF would make me too sad I think. It might be rough watching my husband eat the roast dinner I made him and not get any at all! Though I might give it a try to see. On paleo I used to commonly have a whole 8-10oz steak for dinner with buttered broccoli on the side. Or a whole chicken quarter with fried onions and mushrooms. That sort of thing. I kind of thought it wouldn’t take much tweaking to get into keto from that but boy was I wrong! Its that kind of thing that I miss but I guess I’ll just have ration a bit to have more meat at one meal. No pain no gain I suppose.

@Pete_A I guess it looks like a lot of snacks because its itemized weirdly (I made some mistakes and went back to edit) but I’ve been eating 2x a day: on day 1 for lunch I had a steak with celery sticks w/ a dip made of mayo & yogurt and a handful of almonds and for dinner had a BLAT salad with a bit of mayo for dinner. I had creamed/butter coffee throughout the day. Do those count as snacks? I was low on fats. Today’s menu is avocado topped salad and lox on the side for lunch and chicken thigh w/hollandaise dressed asparagus for dinner. Once again planning on having buttered and heavy creamed coffee throughout the day to bring fats up. I do enjoy them as well I guess but I usually have my coffee black. My meals have so much fat in them already it was an easy way for me to improve macros. Would it be better for me to add another tbs of olive oil to my salad instead or something?

@kib RIGHT? Its so sad…wish I was a 6+ dude so I could have a whole steak :wink: thanks for the tip…I’ll try changing that. Its funny you’re right its pretty low fat but I always think of salmon as fatty.

(karen) #7

I’m experimenting with Alternate Day Fasting at the moment. Just started that so I don’t know how it will work but I find it easier to eat a larger amount of carefully calibrated food at the meals I do eat than stress over my macros twice a day. Maybe OMAD will have a similar effect for you. I know people say eat to satiety, but my experience is that I’m a 200 pound eater in a 125 pound body. A 16 oz steak is child’s play. I’ve always been that way, but as I get older - and got back to carby eating - I’ve become a 200 pound eater in a 140 pound body and going in the wrong direction. I’m eating keto primarily for health rather than weight loss, but … I’m still vain, getting rid of the extra fat would be nice. Someday I hope to be a fat burning machine who can eat 2000 calories, “to satiety” and maintain a smaller size, but at the moment that doesn’t seem to be working.

(Raj Seth) #8

:rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl:. I resemble that remark

#9

yeah me too :smiley: I can really put away a steak especially. That’s one reason why low carb initially appealed to me in the first place.

(Raj Seth) #10

Given your setup - relatively slim, near goal weight, etc - I don’t see why you are all worked up about this. I think if you just eliminate the carbs and go medieval on the meat - you’ll be fine! Just try it for a month or two. You may get exactly the result you want. Look into Carnivore/ Zero Carb. It may be the solution for you. Google Shawn Baker MD.

#11

@Rajseth I suppose the reason I thought keto in particular would be good is I have been low carb for so long and stayed about the same I thought I should change something if I wanted to improve. I have been as low as 110lbs before I had my baby last year but 115ish has been a typical weight for me since late 2010. I ran into the youtube channels of the ladies I mentioned before and thought what they were doing seemed to be working. My plan was step 1 Keto step 2 increase activity. I was really active before baby but I got sick after (sepsis +sever blood loss) Only just now feeling up to increasing my activity again. Another reason keto appealed is seemingly quick results. I would like to get fit sooner than later because my husband and I want another baby soon and I want to be in better shape while pregnant than last time. It wasn’t bad last time starting at 110 but I think I would have felt better if I wasn’t carrying an extra 15 on me BEFORE the baby haha! I will look those up though, I have never heard of them. Thanks!

(Banting & Yudkin & Atkins & Eadeses & Cordain & Taubes & Volek & Naiman & Bikman ) #12

I’m fine with 35% protein or higher. Eades, Naiman, and others suggest it, particularly if you are active.

(Robert C) #13

I am not sure that getting “ripped” is a good goal to have while planning on a baby. My earlier fasting suggestions do not sound right for this scenario. Neither does anything that gets you down to where you could lose your time-of-the-month.

Given this new information I would re-embrace Paleo and keep your 110 to 115 weight. Get pregnant and have a baby. Research what is really best in terms of shape for pregnancy. I am pretty sure the old pickles and ice cream days are long gone but I also don’t think trying to start with a huge body fat deficit is good either.

Trying to get down to 95-100 lb. pre-pregnancy weight (a big drop from your usual 115) just does not sound right.

#14

You really think so? I was just thinking getting healthy as possible would be ideal. Of the two ladies I admire only 1 is young enough to have a time of the month and she hasn’t lost it. I just thought she looked super healthy and in way better shape than me. By the end of my last pregnancy I was 135lbs. I had the minimum recommended 25lbs weight gain. I seemed too big though and after I had my baby I was still 123lbs. I thought it was too much. I can’t change how much I gain on my pregnancy since I was already at the minimum but I can change what I start with. That was my thinking anyway. Does it really seem so unhealthy? Just doing my usual diet has slowly gotten me back to about my usual weight but I was hoping to be fitter for the next one. Plus I want to look great in the mean time. From what I’ve seen doctors only recommend to not be over or underweight. That’s below 94 or above 128 for me.

(Ron) #15

I think something being overlooked here is the benefits to her health that Keto will do. Coming from a Paleo diet she has already improved (or maintained) good health but by removing other causes of inflammation such as the grains, legumes, etc, are going to improve that at an even greater level even without weight loss. There is also the potential for body recompositioning and structuring that would fit the goals she is looking for.

(Robert C) #16

I do not think “abs” and pregnancy mix. Your goal is best health for you and your baby. Follow that goal above all else, not the pounds or appearance goals.

I would be very upset (if I were you) if I had tried to keep weight measurements or a slim look a priority but wound up with an underweight and / or semi-malnourished baby.

“I was just thinking getting healthy as possible would be ideal.” This does not mean lowest weight. This means readiness for growing another person inside of you.

#17

Yes, of course my babies health (and mine) is most important. I was never planning on keeping abs while pregnant. I didn’t think this goal was unhealthy despite mainly doing it for vanity…in fact I though it would improve my health and the babies as well as make me look nice. Last time I did paleo during my pregnancy (not low carb, I included potatoes and freely ate in season fruit) and my doctors were very happy with my diet and my baby was a healthy weight. I had planned on doing the same this time. I will ask a doctor to make sure what I plan to do now is okay. Though the only trouble with that is most doctors think just a regular low carb diet will kill you.

(Robert C) #18

Keep this mindset “my baby’s health and mine are most important”. Detach from all other standards (what you think your husband wants, what you think society wants). Good luck!

#19

Thanks for the advice!

(Raj Seth) #20

And who made them the king of you? ignore them and you do you!