Hello everyone, since i started calorie counting i've found it really hard to get my protein percentage above 20% and some days it doesn't get above 15% and all the calories which aren't coming from protein are coming from fat! I think this may be the reason why i don't seem to be losing weight at all for most of the time and on the days where i do manage to have a high protein % i have weight loss in the morning. Do you think i should start using a protein shake or something maybe at breakfast? I hate seeing my fat percentage in the 30%'s .
Could someone advise me please
Thanks

Hi lovedeathcab .

I looked through your fitday and am going to be honest with you, I see a lot of cake, fries, pizza and processed foods, all of which are high in fat content. There isn't much "lean" protein in your diet and hardly any veggies.

Your days on 1 April and 28 March looked pretty good though! Your fat was good although could be better and your protein was great! I would suggest adding lean proteins into your diet by which I mean salmon, tuna, chicken breast, turkey, deli meats (lean cuts) boiled egg whites, greek yoghurt (can buy this stuff fat free with 22g of protein per cup!!! and it tastes good!!) I like to mix 1/2 cup of greek yoghurt with 1oz walnuts (good fats) and 1/4 cup whole wheat flakes (good carbs) and yum, insta-snack.

Try limiting the sweets, fries, pizza to a once a week treat and see what happens. If you have to have potato with your meal, maybe you could substitute the fries for a baked potato?

Edit: I have trouble some days getting my protein to 100g I average about 70g per day, so anything above that, imo anyway, is great.

Beans are a great low fat source of protein. Try substituting a bean soup for tomato soup or adding beans to the vegetable stew you've been eating.

Also, have you tried a nut butter instead of regular butter. You would be getting healthier fat and it would have protein. Try a sugar-free peanut butter or an almond or cashew butter.

What about tuna?? like plain tuna on my salad sometimes.... or you could always make it with fat free mayo.

I have to admit to not making the best decisions recently, when i'm at boarding school its easy for me to control what i eat as i have a choice but when i'm at home its more difficult especially when my dad is home. I guess i just have to have some self restraint! I also need to exercise more. Ugh, now i feel all lazy and bad for eating those things. I've also had a bit of a comfort eating day today as my dad left for Sierra Leone for another 3 months this morning.

I have to agree with Lynne. If you want more protein and less fat, you'll have to get rid of the daily cakes, cookies, fries. Look for more nutritionally dense foods. Read labels. What has the most protein and least fat calorie for calorie?

Some good choices have already been mentioned, but to make room for them in your daily calories, you will have to reduce the treats!

(Sorry, I cross-posted this with your comment above.)

Don't feel bad or guilty - that doesn't lead to better choices. Just start now with a clean slate, and you'll be okay!

I would not worry about your protein only being 20% at best. Your issue is that your fat is too high.

I average 20% protein on a calorie budgt of 1400 - 1500 calories and it works for me. If you were telling me that you are having trouble staying within you calorie target or if you are hungry eventhough you just ate, this would indicate a possible need to add more protein to each meal. The % by itself is not a problem.

Sounds like you need to ask yourself why you keep making high fat food choices. If it is because you are consistently hungry then yes - try more protein. But if it is emotional eating you could substitute carbs as well.

Lori

I have trouble with protein, too. I can generally keep my fats down, but I sacrifice protein for carbs. I'm not doing low carb or anything, but I still would like to get more protein in my diet. I've been toying with getting protein powder and making shakes. I've used it before and I would have a protein shake for breakfast and be full for hours, and for a while was able to get my protein up over 30%, but I was generally eating healthier then (and had more time and money--protein powder is expensive!).

Anyway, it is an option. You can get flavoured stuff that is great in smoothies (which is how I always took it).

I found a new tasty way of getting my protein in. It satisfies my carby taste along with the protein. I take a chocolate bar like Hersheys and melt it in the microwave. Then I take a cup of TVP (textured vegetable protein) and mix it in and drop it in to little cookie like clumps. It makes my "cheat" healthier with more protein. If I get it just right, it feels like I'm eating a chocolate bar with crisps in it. =)

great sources of protein are lean meats (chicken, pork), fish (fat, but healthy), cottage cheese and some other lowfat dairy, and things like protein powder count too.

Thanks for all your help

I'm going to re-start tomorow, starting with a visit to the supermarket with my mom!

I would suggest cottage cheese- high protien content, fairly low fat and super yummy. I'll eat the chive flavor right out of the container or on some healthy crackers like reduced fat wheat thins. Cottage cheese will keep me satisfied for a long time, and it's only 120 calories per serving!

I was going to post some great sources of protein, and it looks like you have already, Heather!

I'm on a low carb, high fat diet...so I guess my advice doesn't necessarily apply. I count my calories in addition to my carbs, and I average 120-150g protein a day on a 1500-1700 calorie intake. I do get most of my protein from chicken (both light and dark meat), but I also have fish, pork, turkey, and beef. I have an animal-based protein source with every meal (except for snacks if I'm on the run), and usually have a vegetable as a side. I would maybe look into cooking some of your own meals, if you have that option. I pre-cook my proteins early in the week, so I have a selection of options available.

There are also some powders to put in your bottled water that provide protein and/or fiber, depending on what you want. For both, I use the South Beach brand in a yummy strawberry/banana flavor. For just protein, there is a Special K version but it has more calories (50, 20 more than SB). I only use about half the powder in the tube to keep the flavor from being too sweet. Easy way to add protein and helps me feel fuller longer between meals. Lisa

I try to eat around 100g of protein a day. I manage it by eating 1 cup of non-fat yogurt for breakfast (20g of protein right there), making sure I eat 2 to 4 oz of lean meat with lunch and 4 to 6 oz of lean meat with dinner.

But to get my protein up to 100g per day, I also have to focus on eating snacks that are high in protein. Some of my fav protein snacks are:

• non-fat cottage cheese
• oatmeal or oat bran (sometimes I stir in 1 tbsp of SnacLite Power PB, which has 1.5 times the protein of regular PB)
• low carb wrap (La Tortilla Factory) with laughing cow cheese wedge (heat it in the microwave and it gets all warm and melty). I'll also sometimes throw on some lean lunch meat, sun-dried tomatoes, or sliced fruit.
• kippered herring or sardines on water crackers
• hard-boiled egg (sometimes I scoop out the yolk, mix it with dijon mustard, and then scoop it back into the whites to make a sort of quick deviled egg)
• egg-white omelets--usually with spinach and a laughing cow cheese wedge (sometimes I also add mushrooms or sun-dried tomatoes and top it with salsa).
• Egg-white salad from Trader Joe's on a low carb wrap
• Baked tofu from Trader Joe's
• Yogurt vegetable salad: Mix 1/4 cup nonfat yogurt, 1/4 cup chickpeas, 2.5 oz diced cucumber, 1/5 oz halved cherry tomatoes, 1 tsp dijon mustard, 1 tbsp minced fresh basil or mint, sea salt, and pepper.

I don't use protein powder, drink protein shakes, or eat protein bars because they are all so caloric.