Calculating Protein Requirements

[forbey]

I was just reading through the thread "Atkins Critiques" and went to the link included to calculate the protein required for a daily intake.

How Much Protein Do You Need?

The calculator asks for your age group, and weight. It doesn't say whether you should enter your current weight or your desired weight.

For example, I entered "adult" (physically, not mentally, after all, I am a 52 year old male, which means I'm about 14 years old mentally!)

I entered my weight (rounded) of 290.

The result was 93 grams of protein.

I entered my goal weight of 225, I got a protein intake of 71 grams.

Exactly how much protein does it take to support 65 pounds of unwanted fat? Then again, why would I want to support 65 pounds of unwanted fat?

forbey

[forbey]

Re: Calculating Protein Requirements

I always love it when I can answer my own questions: Another page of the "Becomehealthynow.com website is at the following link:

Calculating Your Protein Intake

On that page the following section is provided. The operative phrase is to enter your "Desired body weight":

"To calculate your daily protein need (the easy way):
Desired body weight _______, in kilos times 0.8-1.2 grams; in pounds times 0.36-0.6 grams; equals _______ grams per day.
Use the lower figure if you are in perfect health and physically fit. Use a higher number if you are under stress, emotional or physical.
The highest number, 1.2 grams per kilo or 0.6 grams per pound, is used pre- and post-surgery, during pregnancy, after illness and for weight training.
Example: A healthy man, 175 lbs./79.54 kilos, exercising regularly with no health problems would need 72 (71.59) grams of protein per day. That works out to about 24 grams per meal. If stressed or ill the calculation might go as high as 95 grams per day."

forbey

[2big4mysize]

Re: Calculating Protein Requirements

just remember those needs are not based on low carb eating where you will also be using your dietary protein intake to meet your glucose needs

[forbey]

Re: Calculating Protein Requirements

I'm feeling dense, please expound on your statement. "just remember those needs are not based on low carb eating where you will also be using your dietary protein intake to meet your glucose needs "

Does that mean I should up my protein requirements above what the calculator recommends, or is there a protein calculator for our WOE?

At present, I'm actually going by the "Eat till I'm satisfied" program as far as fats and protein are concerned. So my step in the direction of counting protein grams is in the works... sort of!

I'm just beginning to really try and nail down the carb count.

Yeah, I know... I'm BAD!

But I'm trying to get better.

[thin4summer]

Re: Calculating Protein Requirements

sounds to complicate for me! I just eat protein,fat and carbs from veg with each meal ..couldn't bear to count protein!

[Georgiana]

Re: Calculating Protein Requirements

I'm feeling dense, please expound on your statement. "just remember those needs are not based on low carb eating where you will also be using your dietary protein intake to meet your glucose needs "

On a very low carbohydrate diet, part of the glucose required by some parts is derived from protein in a process known as gluconeogenesis. Therefore, the protein requirements for someone following a very low carbohydrate diet will be higher than if the same person were to follow a high carbohydrate diet.

is there a protein calculator for our WOE?

No, there isn't.

The minimum protein intake required to prevent loss of lean body mass on a very low carbohydrate diet (<50 g carbohydrate) is 1-1.5 g of protein per kg of body weight. There's no maximum... but as it was discussed in another thread of yours, too much protein can be converted to glucose, and that might interfere with fat burning.

I'm actually going by the "Eat till I'm satisfied" program

I don't know why you think that's "bad"...

Are you losing weight?

Is your appetite under control? Are you experiencing any cravings?

Did you retake the blood sugar instability test in DANDR?

I'm just beginning to really try and nail down the carb count.

Are you using FitDay? It calculates everything for you.

[forbey]

Re: Calculating Protein Requirements

Thin4 Summer:

Counting the carbs has been the hard part for me, the easy part has been how to make excuses for not counting them. I'm not sure if I could survive the counting of protein and fat grams as well. I was just curious about which weight we would use to calculate protein needs. Now I know!

When I first tried Atkins, in 1982, the Marines in my barracks swore I couldn't loose weight the way my wife was cooking for me. She would drop off a lunch of half a baked chicken, with mushrooms and green beans sauteed in butter. Or several burgers with cheese (although I admit she fed me a lot of mushrooms and whatever, sauteed in butter)

I managed to loose 20 plus pounds in less than a month.

But, I do need to get a handle on the carbs though.

forbey

[2big4mysize]

Re: Calculating Protein Requirements

I'm feeling dense, please expound on your statement. "just remember those needs are not based on low carb eating where you will also be using your dietary protein intake to meet your glucose needs "

Does that mean I should up my protein requirements above what the calculator recommends, or is there a protein calculator for our WOE?

At present, I'm actually going by the "Eat till I'm satisfied" program as far as fats and protein are concerned. So my step in the direction of counting protein grams is in the works... sort of!

I'm just beginning to really try and nail down the carb count.

Yeah, I know... I'm BAD!

But I'm trying to get better.

you have the added issue of being a diabetic going on so you may need less protein then the average low carber but protein calculators on line on most sites are based on high carb eating so the body parts that can't metabolize fatty acids nor ketones will be fed from the gluocse of the carbs and the blood sugar levels will be maintained by the glucose from the carbs. Those calculators are figuring just the amounts needed for growth and repair not including any glucose prodcution amounts.

Low carbers need more then just the basic amount needed for growth and repair that the online calculators figure. We will be using glucogenesis to manufacture glucose molecules from proteins, spent anerobically reacted glucose molecules and the hydrocarbon backbone of dietary fats. Since we can't ration glucose to only the body parts that can't use fatty acids there will always be some cells sucking glucose from the blood streamto use to make energy. this will result in blood sugar levels going down and the body signally the glucogenesis production to keep going to maintain our blood glucose levels in what is a normal for us range. this makes low carbers need more protein in their diet.

Regina Whiltshire, a registered nutritionist who is a low carber has said low carbers need a minimum of 1 gram of protein for each kilogram of body weight. She doesn't have an adjustment for atkins induction level carbs nor for CCLL eating though. Bloodsugar101 has a diabetic website that says we need even more protein when doing atkins induction level carbs and will adjust the protein recommendations for the amount of carbs being eatten.


BTW how is your blood glucose levels reacting to continued atkins eating and where are you holding your carb intake now?

[thin4summer]

Re: Calculating Protein Requirements

bless you...I admire those who do count and it is probably the way to do it ...just me being lazy I hope you get the answer you need and good luck

[forbey]

Re: Calculating Protein Requirements

I'm holding the line on the carbs, for the most part, I have been looking at labels closer and finding out some of my choices had hidden carbs in them. So, the struggle to refine the search for total net carbs continues.

My sugar ranges from 220 to 270 (fasting) I am currently taking two types of meds, Metformin and Januvia. Both used to decrease resistance.

As for the insulin, I only use it if my fasting blood sugar is over 300. In the last 2 weeks, I believe, that has been twice.

So we are working on breaking the 200 barrier with finding the hidden carbs and increasing activity.

[2big4mysize]

Re: Calculating Protein Requirements

I'm holding the line on the carbs, for the most part, I have been looking at labels closer and finding out some of my choices had hidden carbs in them. So, the struggle to refine the search for total net carbs continues.

My sugar ranges from 220 to 270 (fasting) I am currently taking two types of meds, Metformin and Januvia. Both used to decrease resistance.

As for the insulin, I only use it if my fasting blood sugar is over 300. In the last 2 weeks, I believe, that has been twice.

So we are working on breaking the 200 barrier with finding the hidden carbs and increasing activity.

have you been discussing thse very high blood sugars with your treatment team even though you are several weeks into Atkins low carbing? granted they are down from when you started but they are still damaging your boidy every second of every day being that high.

[forbey]

Re: Calculating Protein Requirements

I am discussing it with my Dr. and eye Dr., but I can jump my weight 4 or 5 pounds in a day or 2 on insulin, and it really doesn't bring down the blood sugars.