Reducing my protein

(Matt Rogers) #1

Hey everybody,

I am now 6 weeks into the keto lifestyle, I am 50 pounds down and still losing. I am in love with how I feel and I can’t see myself going back to how I was. Also, the best part, my blood sugars went from average of 280 fasting to an average of 105 fasting. I am really looking forward to the day I no longer need to use insulin.

Anyway, the main topic, I am having trouble staying below my protein limit of 100g/day and reaching my 190g/day goal. I average around 140g of protein daily and around 170g of fat daily. I am now working out 4-5 times a week, doing mostly cardio. I am wondering if with the working out the extra protein is ok? Or should I be really focusing on keeping the protein below the 100g?

Do you have any tips when it comes to meals to help reduce the amount of meat I eat? Fatty side dishes that are low carb? I enjoy eating extra meat due to them having no to very little carbs and it fills me up. I do try to incorporate vegetables with every meal as well (green beans, brussel sprouts, asparagus, etc). Any ideas would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

(hottie turned hag) #2

WOW awesome losses! Welcome, and hellyeah! :smiley:

(Susan) #3

Welcome to the forum, Matt and you are doing great.

Since you are still losing, it looks like what you are doing is working for you, so I would just continue that for now =).

(Cristian Lopez) #4

Protein is the most thermogenic macro nutrient🤠

#5

The proteins macro should be a lower limit, while the carbs and fats are upper limits. Too much protein typically shouldn’t be a concern.

(Robert C) #6

Hi @Matt_Rogers,

50 pounds in 6 weeks is 1.2 pounds a day (assuming no plateaus).
You are losing weight very fast and might bounce if you further reduce intake.
Keto alone does not usually get these results.
Calorie restriction or over exercising might though.

Maybe take a deep dive into what you are really doing.
It seems common around here to find people are eating “Keto” foods but in fact, are also calorie restricting.
The results from plain Keto (eating to satiety, eating only when hungry) are usually gradual weight loss with a soft landing at a reasonable maintenance weight.
The result from calorie restricting or over exercising while eating “Keto” foods (but too little) is likely going to be what those always lead to - a bounce to yet a higher weight.

You should probably increase intake (both fat and protein to satiety) to lock in your weight loss (and avoid a bounce). Just an idea - you have to determine if this applies.

(Matt Rogers) #7

Hi Rob,

Actually I haven’t been cutting calories. I don’t really track them tho they are tracked on my carb manager app. Most days I average around 2800 calories but there have been some days that I have been under 2000-2100 calories.

I usually eat 1-2 times a day and I feel satiated and not hungry. I am pretty sure I am fat adapted now due to my increase in energy but I am not positive. I usually exercise 25-30 minutes, mixing walking and jogging. I don’t feel like I am over exercising at this point.

I do worry about gaining the weight back due to getting comfortable and going back to eating in a non-keto carb rich fashion like I have in the past when I have lost weight. However, this lifestyle change I am truly enjoying and believe I can stay the path. I am mentally preparing myself for when I hit a plateau and want to keep myself motivated to continue by not focusing on the scale.

Thank you for your input and I will keep it in mind going forward.

#8

Since you’re losing bodyfat at that amount of protein, even with injecting insulin, then it should be even easier once you taper down the dose. If you’ve been on insulin for a long time, your pancreas may or may not make the correct amount on its own any more, so absolutely coordinate the dosage with your doctor. And good luck. :slight_smile:

(mole person) #9

You do not need to be hitting your fat target if you are not hungry for it. It sounds like you are doing wonderfully well and there is no reason to worry about your protein amount as long as you are losing weight at a good rate; which you are. You may need to make adjustments to this later if you stall out but for now just continue doing what is working so well.

(Allie) #10

I wouldn’t worry, sounds like what you’re doing is working for you. Don’t feel you have to change something just to mark someone else’s checkbox.

(Bob M) #11

“Reduce” and “protein” don’t belong in the same sentence, in my opinion (unless there’s a medically necessary reason to do so).

50 pounds in 6 weeks is unbelievable. I lost that amount of weight in 6 YEARS.