I posted this question on the Atkins\Low Carb forum, but I was directed to this forum in hopes of some advice\knowledge about protein. I recently just started repunching all my foods into fitday since I am trying to really monitor my food intake for awhile. Before having dinner yesterday I had consumed about 136 g. of protein. This sounds high to me. I was just wondering if it is possible that the reason for my stop in weight loss is because of my protein intake? Feel free to visit my journal to see what i consume. I currently weight 133.5 (weighed for the first time in about a yr. this morning) I thought I was 130, but obviously not (perhaps it's because I had a strenuous workout yesterday...hopefully). I am 5'7". About how much protein should I be consuming? What is too much? Can any of you protein power folks help me out?

I see that your profile indicates that you have not read any books on diet. I am a STRONG advocate of reading BOTH books by the Eades, PP and PPLifeplan. Please do, they are less than twenty dollars for the both, and if you get used ones off Amazon.com they will be cheaper. MUST reads if you are intrested in good health the REST of your life. Wish I would have been able to start eating right when I was your age. At 67 all those bad eating years could not have done my body much good. I was never over 155 pounds at 5'8" but I did have high triglicerides and only average HDL/LDL numbers. NOW my numbers are a lot better. Tri's are a quarter of what they were and HDL is half again higher.

So now to your question, my PPLP book says you need 27 grams of protein per meal as a MINIMUM. You can go higher, and I would say that twice that amount is still OK. Would prefer you at about 120 grams for the day, but your number is not that much over. You need to eat a little more in the morning, and less in the evening since in the morning you need food for the activities of the day.

As far as weight loss, there seems to be a natural range of weight that many people arrive at and have trouble getting below. A visit to http://ppwol.suddenlaunch3.com/ might help you since there are several older ladies haveing problems with hitting a plateau or even solwly gaining while still on plan. At least you will see that this is a problem a lot of people have.

Clearly the biggest issue with weight loss is what is your body fat percentage and then how much carbohydrate are you eating. Then you can get caught by the "I'm starving" instinct your body has if you are not eating enough calories. Calories by them selves are a BAD measure many times but still need not to be overlooked. What I am saying is your body needs a certian energy supply, which is measured by calories, but protein is used in so many other ways that you should not use it in your calorie calculations, unless you are eating way too much and your body is then using the excess for fuel. Using protein for fuel is inefficient and your body really does not want to do it, unless you are in the last stages of starvation.

SO fat is the energy source of choice for the body, as dictated by the millions of years of evolution and how long we have been in the current evolutionary state. This is a topic that I cannot do justice to here, you just need to read how important fats are in your diet. But I do need to say that when you reduce carbohydrate you need to replace the energy lost with something and the only choice is fat, GOOD fat, coconut olive and butter come immediately into mind. BIG thing to know is that IF you eat carbs, then they get used as energy FIRST before you start using any fat, wether it is dietary or stored that you want to get rid of.

YOU just HAVE to read the books, there is SO much MORE to a good healthy diet than lowering your carbs and eating enough protein. I have read the PPLP book three times and still I find things that I over looked when I go look for an answer to a question like yours.

Here is to your good health.
Larry

Larry, would you be my friend? You seem to know so much. I did bristle a bit at your crack about the "older ladies"!

I just checked out the link you posted. Is this the "official" PP site? I've been waiting for this. I just registered (guess it's not the old site) and posted my introductory message.

I have a doctor's appointment in the morning and hope to get some answers, or at least a plan of action.

And just so you don't think I'm horning in on your post, Sxy29, I think your protein level is just fine. I only wish I weighed 130 (or even 133!) at 5'6"!

But, of Course! Just come and join in with the other ladies in the Long Road Forum. They get special attention from me.
Only they get flowers from me ! Check it out !
Did YOU?? I guess being an ol' F**T! of 67 has made my skin to tough to notice - or maybe it is my eye sight, I just could not read what you wrote - or maybe it is my memory, I could not remember what I read at the first when I got the end.

No it is an UNOFFICIAL site, the official site sponsored by the Eades was hacked the end of Sept. The moderators had set up a Yahoo board to use if the PPBBS went down. So they started using the Yahoo site. But a number of people just had problems with the serial nature of that board for doing posts - think just ONE thread. So Aaron found the suddenlaunch site and set up the board you registered on. (that is a sore point with the old PPBBS moderators) A bunch of the rest of the old PPBBS folks have been using the site and we are trying to make it as much like home (the old PPBBS) as we can. I am glad you have joined in, there are some replies to your first posts. I can see that now that I have gotten a little better acquainted with this site, I will come back and continue to participate. I think that "cross fertilization", for lack of a better term, is good for both boards. But you must know that we are very dedicated to the PP/PPLP WOL !

When you get time to read more of the posts and get to know some of the ladies there, you will find that somewhere between 40 and 60 you ladies become "hormonally" challenged. And those hormones just do what they want to and don’t give you much saying the matter. So like I said, come and read and post and get some sympathetic ears that are going what you are going through. After all, support for each other is a BIG part of these boards.

Me either, Sxy29, but this is one of the things that happens on these boards. Just like any other conversation with a group of people, where someone says something that turns the topic and the next thing you know you are way off the original topic.

That said, is your question answered? We cannot know unless you reply.

NO worries to you both. Feel free to go off on any tangent you like at my expense Yes, you did answer my question. I need to read a book but I am not sure which one would be best for me, since I tend to follow Atkins more than any other plan. Even Atkins, I tweak to my own lifestyle and needs. I posted on the Low-Carb Forum and was told to pop in here and pick one or all of your brains, so I did. So knowing that I do a 'modified' Atkins (not saying that there is such a thing, but for me there is) what book would you recommend me reading?

I just don't seem to be loosing and I know I am close to my goal, but I am not ok with gaining and I think I am inching that way ever so slightly. I am trying to look into all possibilities. I never thought (until recently when I started plugging into fitday again), that perhaps I am eating 'too' much protein...if there is such a thing as that. Who knows. It's all a neverending battle trying to figure out what works for oneself.

Geez, you got that right! Life is one big experiment. I really do wish there was a magic pill or formula that would work for everyone. But, sad to say, it takes hard work and perserverence.

I will say that I believe calories matter, especially when you're close to your goal and on the thin side. At 5'7" and 130 or so pounds, you're definitely on the thin side. I just checked out those stats on my FitDay (PC version), and you come in at the low end of normal. I'm an inch shorter than you, and it says a healthy weight for me is 115 to 155. I can't imagine weighing as little as 115. I can see maybe 130, but not much less than that.

So, you might need to restrict calories a bit more, and cutting back on your protein is one way. Maybe shoot for around 110 grams of protein a day for a good solid two weeks and see what happens. Cut back a tad on the other macros too (carbs and fat) to drop the calories a bit. Do you know how many calories you tend to eat in a day?

I just started punching in Fitday again last week. It appears that I have been eating between 1250-1400 on most days (1400 on my famished days). Somedays I noticed my cal.s a bit lower than they should be near the end of my work day. If that's the case then I eat a bit more the latter end (prior to dinner, since dinner is usually very lite) so I don't go under 1200. I exercise daily so I don't want to restrict too much(especially when I run I notice if I don't have enough fuel...sometimes I think I need to up the carbs a bit prior to a run). I am gonna try to cut back on the protein. Experiment with that a bit. I am not sure what to substitute for the protein. I always opt for my veggies but I also know they don't satiate me as long as protein does, any
suggestions without adding too much fat, since that only makes my calories go through the roof.

When I first started low-carbing I actually did get down to 117 and on my medium frame body believe me I don't want to EVER get that low again!!!!!! I gained a bit too much weight when I quit smoking, so if I could loose about 5-7 I would be happy. If not then oh well, still just trying to find what works for me and what enables my body to function and run it's best.

No, I wouldn't drop the calories lower than that, especially not if you're working out regularly. Maybe just up the fat a little bit (fat is 9 calories per gram, carbs and protein both are 4 calories per gram).

Are you sure that you really need to lose more pounds? Do you do any strength training? That's really the only way to re-shape your body. Without strength training, you end up just a smaller version of your fatter self (make sense?).

Body for Life is a great (but grueling) workout regimen. I've done it, and still follow the principles. There are other great programs out there also.

Ok, I will try and up the fat I guess. Stinks because I do loooovee my protein.

I use to lift light weights with higher reps. now i run for 30 minutes then do 30-40 minutes of advanced vinyasa yoga right after. I do this about 5-6 times a week along with my normal daily dog walks. I am def. toned and I get many compliments on my physique, but I still want to be a smidge smaller and I know my body and it's totally doable (and healthy)

I don't know about BFL and I am not sure I want to totally restructure my workout, since I actually look forward to mine!! Maybe I will jolt things up with adding some weights back in...hey, trial and error, right? I am gonna try and post my fitday link in here so you can tell me what you think of my daily intake thus far. I know the coffee is a bit high (that is calculated with my cream not the splenda) though I have cut my daily intake in half believe it or not...baby steps, right? . Today already I probably ate 250 cals. more than usual (3pm now). I doubled up on the bacon too (which is rare), but dinner will be kind of lite (just protein and veggies) and I am gonna get a nice workout in, so I am not overly worried Let me know what you think

Shoot I can't figure out how to create a link to my fitday Any advice?

I don't remember how to link the Fitday. I think there's someplace on the site that says something like "share my Fitday" or something like that. Then it gives you a web link and you copy that into your signature on this board.

If you love your protein (and I sure do!), how about selecting higher-fat cuts of meat? I have filet mignon or T-bone or Porterhouse at least a couple days a week.

I am a fanatic about "you should have and read BOTH books, PP and PPLP!" They view the same basic plan from slightly different approches. One may speak to you better than the other. BUT the also have enough individual differences that I think you miss some if you only have one book. Where there are "disagreements" between the two the Eades say something like, in PP we wrote, but now we have found that . . so PPLP being based upon newer research will have the latest info.

As far as "modifying" the diet, that is the thing that "sold" me on PP, other than the science which is first and fore most. The Eades are not "doctrinair" but realize people can only go so far away from what is all around them AND not every body is the same so they "allow" for you to taylor your eating. They set out the science behind nutrition/metabolsm and give you some guide lines to start you on the way. After that you have to work out what is best for you. This is where boards like this are SO much help. Here you can usually find someone that has been down the same path you are on to warn you about things that can get you off track, Help you through the rough frustrations that happen, like where you seem to be now.

I keep on preaching that the most important thing to keep in mind is the overall health that is SO much better the closer you can follow a plan like PP/PPLP. I posted on my board that it is too bad that we cannot easily track the blood lipids (and a few other similar parameters), which are the true measure of how good your health is rather than have to use weight, fit of clothes and other subjective measures.

Larry

Ok I will try that I think I remember seeing that link on the fitday site.

Yeah, I was thinking the same so I have been eating filet (once last week for dinner and once this week). I am not a big red meat eater (just how I was raised...we always had venison(so very lean) and fish growing up), but I do love a good piece of filet!! I am gonna try to incorporate some red meats into my diet again. I know this summer I was taking a big piece of london broil and cooking it on the grill then using it for my salads all week at work. That was yum!!! Perhaps I will start that again.

I agree. Which is why I am not going to be devistated if I NEVER get to my goal weight. Overall I feel healthier than I EVER have. I exercise regularly, eat healthy, and I am aware and in tune with my body that if something is 'off' I tackle the problem and work on it. Being in tune with your body and knowing it's needs\wants, then nourishing them (mentally, physically, and of course nutritionally) is such an important thing to acquire IMHO

Oops sorry Larry. Some how half of my response ended up in your quote!!! Still trying to figure this forum out. Sorry again!!

Do not worry about it, in fact I am glad you did. That will let me be a "teacher" for you. (I really liked the one year I taught drafting in college, teaching seems almost instinctive for me.)

When you select the "Quote" button in a post/reply you get a page that is the "compose post/reply" page with a text entry box AND already in that box is the post/reply that you hit the "Quote" button in. So in the entry box that I am typing this in, it has this already in it - {QUOTE=sxy29}Oops sorry Larry. Some how half of my response ended up in your quote!!! Still trying to figure this forum out. Sorry again!!{/QUOTE} (with curley brackets substituted for the straight ones so you can see them, otherwise your web browser thinks that there is a "command" following the bracket)

Now the commands to the web browser are almost always in pairs. A beginning one and an ending one. The beginning command for a quote is "{QUOTE}" and to indicate that it is a quote from you, there is a modifier added that is "=sxy29" making the beginning command look like this - {QUOTE=sxy29}. There are "legal" modifiers for a number of the commands - more than you need to get into here. Usually the ending commands are the beginning one with a / inserted just after the first bracket. So the ending command is "{/QUOTE}", the command is simplified to just the command itself (/QUOTE) without the modifiers (=sxy29).

So now if I wanted to break your post/reply up so I could intersperse my comments within the quoted text so that my comments would be right after the section of the quote I was commenting on. I would copy the "{/QUOTE}", the ending command. Then paste it back in at the ending of the text of the quote that I was going to comment on. And it would look something like this.
{QUOTE=sxy29}Oops sorry Larry. Some how half of my response ended up in your quote!!!{/QUOTE} Still trying to figure this forum out. Sorry again!!{/QUOTE}

So now I need to add a start command in just after the end command I placed in the middle of the quote. This is so that the commands are paired up. If you forget to do this you will get weird results. And It looks like this;
{QUOTE=sxy29}Oops sorry Larry. Some how half of my response ended up in your quote!!!{/QUOTE} {QUOTE=sxy29}Still trying to figure this forum out. Sorry again!!{/QUOTE}

Then you add your comments in between the end and start commands like this;
{QUOTE=sxy29}Oops sorry Larry. Some how half of my response ended up in your quote!!!{/QUOTE}That is OK, I am haveing fun telling you how to be fancy. {QUOTE=sxy29}Still trying to figure this forum out. Sorry again!!{/QUOTE}Please don't be!

So if I changing from curley to straight brackets in the same example above, it looks like this;
That is OK, I am haveing fun telling you how to be fancy. Please don't be!

End of lesson.
Got it
Larry