[IanG]

What is the weight protein ratio calculation you mentioned and how should I calculate it?

I aim for about 1g of protein for 1lb of bodyweight. But that is because I am trying to build muscle.

I think for sedentary people the recommendation is 0.36g per pound of bodyweight but the feeling is that may be too low, at least for active people.

I would go for somewhere in between, say 0.55g per pound of bodyweight if your calories allow it. I eat a lot of fish because you get a lot of protein for not many calories. Eggs and chicken work well too.

I see you are eating 89g per day. That's great. Stick with it. You should be able to lose fat, maintain muscle and avoid feeling hungry with that kind of protein intake and with those calories. The sweet spot.

If you want more fiber then either up the veggies (kale, spring greens I consider calorie free) or try some beans (kidney, black, whatever) or hummus. Beans will give you protein too. I also eat dried fruit to get my fiber up (dates, figs, dried apricots). And I used to eat steelcut oats but had to give up because they bloated me out.

In fact my treat is a chocolate covered date.

I would not worry too much about fiber though unless you are getting constipation. With your diet profile you probably won't need much, otherwise. For example, fiber can help slow the absorption of carbs but you are not eating many of those.

One more thought. Try smoked salmon, scrambled or poached eggs and boiled broccoli or cauliflower for breakfast as a (expensive) treat. That will do everything you want and it's delish...and very bodybuilder friendly!

[Palestrina]

Bodybuilders are unlike other athletes in that they don't try to get their body to do anything other than look a certain way. It's a bit of a narcissistic occupation imo and it results in some pretty bizarre and obsessive behavior. I don't think there is anything healthy about eating one kind of meal over and over again. On the other hand, I believe that some people don't like food as much as others do and don't find anything boring about eating the same foods over and over again.

But although bodybuilders take this to the extreme they're not the only ones. Most people I know are very limited in what they eat. We all stick to our basic favorites and spin offs. I eat a salad every day. I try to change up the veggies sometimes but let's face it, I pretty much always include cucumbers, peas and avocado. I can eat them every day without feeling too tired of them. I don't know if that's boring or unhealthy. But of course it's not the only thing I eat, I have to have my weekly hit of sushi, my weekly hit of stir fry, I gotta have a sandwich once in a while, gotta have my eggs, I love broccoli but I want cauliflower too and peppers and spinach and chicken and sausage and pork and salmon. So I don't feel too boring about that salad afterall.

In my opinion a varied diet with plenty of fresh fruits and veggies and occasional treats is not only good for the body but for the mind. But I can only enjoy my diet and never mimic anyone else's. Like IanG for example, sure his diet sounds kind of healthy if not a little excessive but the thought of eating that much canned animal flesh is far from appetizing to me.

[IanG]

So you won't be coming for dinner then Palestrina?

In case anyone is wondering, here is my lunch tomorrow:


And my canned fish portioned out for the week (yep, 7 a day!):


Delish!

I would also like to add that weightloss without some sort of strength training/weight training is really only a job half done.

At least for a guy.

You see, when losing weight you lose muscle with fat. At the end of the journey you may want to build some of that muscle back. Else you get the skinny-fat guy look. Which did not work well for me.

You need to break it down to build it up again.

[skittlesfirehawk]

i dont see the point in bashing someonelse's eating habits.

[Palestrina]

I'll definitely come for dinner! I just can't eat it at every meal

[nelie]

I'm a woman so I can only speak about my own physiology but you don't need a ton of protein to gain muscle. At my most muscly, I was eating 100g/protein or less and I can tell you I didn't weigh 100 lbs But generally the guidelines are around .8g protein/lb of lean body weight (so weight minus fat weight). And even at 100g/day, I was less than that but I gained a ton of muscle over a 1 year period. I was doing slightly assisted pull-ups (with a band), deadlifting 250lbs,, doing 150lb+ squats (forget exact number) and lots of other things. I was one of the strongest women at my gym if not the strongest, I know no one could deadlift as much as me but deadlifts are also assisted by short legs The key really was that I was lifting really heavy 2-3 days/week with doing some weights 5 days/week.

Now my goals are different but I'm lifting weights regularly again with not the biggest number I can be as the goal. And my protein is still under 100g/day

[Annii2901]

Thanks IanG, I am learning low carb as I'm trying it, so every bit of info helps.

Anni