Problem with protein

(Casey Brown) #1

I’m 8 days in, feeling pretty good. It’s been easy to stay under 20g carbs, but my problem is protein. I’m having trouble staying low enough. Like today for instance I had 15g carbs but almost 100g protein (which is way too much as I only weigh 160 lbs and definitely not all of that is lean body mass.) Any suggestions?

(Guardian of the bacon) #2

What did your meal plan look like?

#3

I started doing keto coffee in the mornings which got my total protein for the day down. Alternatively you could try something like noatmeal which would be lower protein than bacon and eggs would be. I make the recipe with unsweetened almond milk and a few pceans and it’s about 10 grams of protein by my calculation.

http://screwedonstraight.net/noatmeal-for-breakfast-keto-oatmeal/

(Jason Webb) #4

I’m the same. I can be a protein fiend with little effort.

I get probably 90% of my calories in the evening with dinner. As soon as you feel comfy doing so, skip breakfast. An IF routine has so many benefits and it’s so easy once you’re fat adapted. To keep your protein down, pick the fattier cuts of meat(thighs instead of breast if chicken, chuck or rib eye instead of sirloin if beef). With your veggies, load them up with some butter and reduce your portion of the meat. That will fill you up and help keep your protein intake down.

#5

Firstly, don’t get too het up about it yet. You are still getting used to the keto way and it will take some time for you to find the right balance. I would say just focus on keeping the carbs down for the next few weeks until you get fat adapted. Yes start to think about ways of altering the fat:protein ratio but don’t worry too much. Once you are fat adapted, you will likely find your appetite diminishes and you may even feel like skipping meals like breakfast anyway. The important thing for now is to get through the first month or two and find your keto legs.

I do feel your pain though. It is something I need to stop being in denial about as I often go over my daily quota. So when you are a bit further down the line and IF you are still having problems then (you might not be by then) try the following.

First work out what your range actually is. There is a LBM calculator here…

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

Then you should be between 0.8 to 1.5g per kg of LBM unless you are working out a LOT then maybe up to around 2g.

Then it is a case of using fat to fill the void after you have had your protein and carbs until you are no longer hungry.

I completely agree with this. They are the tastiest too so it is a win/win.

BUT please don’t worry just yet. Don’t even think about trying to fast unless you literally have no desire for a meal. Start tuning back in to your body - listen to what it is telling you. If you are hungry, eat. If you are really not fussed - don’t bother.

Make sure you are drinking plenty of water - hunger is often just thirst in disguise. Get enough salt and consider a magnesium supplement if you get any cramps or restless legs (can also help for headaches). Most prefer citrate or glycinate.

#6

It’s going to depend how you make it. according to the recipe page, their typical bowl has the following stats…

 just under 300cal, 4g net carbs, 15g fat, 20g protein, and 14g fiber

That is a lot of protein (you could have 3 eggs for that) and a pretty hefty whack of carbs too, especially if you are using <20 total. I am not sure what the total carb count is on the above but it is at least 18g, maybe more. So proceed with caution.

(Casey Brown) #7

It varies day by day. I think I’m having too much meat and cheese, though. I haven’t been eating breakfast, just coffee and cream.

(Guardian of the bacon) #8

Would be easier for folks to offer up suggestions if they knew what you were already eating.

Eat more bacon, add more butter.

(Scott Shillady) #9

Bacon, Butter and Brie, it’s all you really need

#10

Not such a great idea if you are trying to reduce protein. :wink:

(Guardian of the bacon) #11

Better than chicken breast.

#12

True. Great as a switch out but not as an added extra.

(Casey Brown) #13

@jfricke @Daisy I failed again today on the protein, and I think it’s the cheese. Plus, according to that lean body mass calculator I’m only supposed to have about 42 grams a day. The trouble is that cheese is very quick and portable. Do you have suggestions for other things to eat?

(Guardian of the bacon) #14

Again…hard to advise when we don’t know what and how much you ate.

(Casey Brown) #15

Today:
Breakfast-coffee with 2 Tbs HWC
Lunch- jimmy john’s “unwich” (lettuce wrap) with provolone, extra mayo, slice of tomato, slice of cucumber, avocado
Snack- about 3 oz of cheese and some salami slices
Dinner-3/4 c beef tips with butter, 3/4 c Brussels sprouts pan fried in bacon and butter

I’m at 87g protein after all of this, 86 g fat, 19g total carbs (11 net)

#16

That does seem quite low. How tall are you?

(Casey Brown) #17

5’5". I was going on 1 gram per kg of lean body mass, which is what that calculator came to. Thank you for all of the help and advice by the way!!

(Guardian of the bacon) #18

So your calculating your LBM at 92.4 lbs?
42g x 2.2 = 92.4 Math and metric isn’t my strong suit though.

(Casey Brown) #19

IMG_7121.PNG640×1136 91.2 KB

This is what the calculator came up with for my lean body mass, and then I Googled it to convert it to kg which is between 40 and 50 depending on what number you use.

#20

The easiest way if to go to metric units which gives you an average of 48kg. So for 1-1.5g per kg LBM, that would be 48-72g of protein per day.

Where are you tracking - on an app?

Please do take heed of what I said to start with though that it matters less in the early stages. Your appetite and tastes will change as you get fat adapted. It is still early and you will be more likely to want snacks, especially protein. Give it some time before you worry to much about macro details and let your body find its keto rhythm.