Argh!!! How do you BFFMers do it?!?

M

MCunningham

Cathlete
Okay, so I posted late last week that I had bought Burn the Fat, Feed the Muscle... I'm reading it now, and I've figured out things like how many calories I should be eating to lose weight based on his formula, which seems WAAYYY off to me (2100?!?!). And while figuring out the Carb/Protein/Fat grams on the baseline 55-30-25 macronutrient ratio, it looks like I'm supposed to eat something like 127+ grams of protein every day?!?! That's insane!!! I only normally eat something like 30-50 grams, and I struggle to get that! (I eat mostly vegetarian and little dairy.)

How do you guys do this?!? This feels really out of balance to me. Why do I need this much protein when I'm focusing almost exclusively on cardio and not weight lifting?

Help! Am I doing something wrong?

FYI, in case you want to do the math yourself, I'm 205lbs, 69 inches tall, and 28 years old (well, next month, but close enough), and I workout about 50-75 minutes 5x per week.

Any clarification on this would be great, since this seems kind of ridiculous to me...

MC
 
Hi.

You really should not be discluding weight training from your fitness plan. You need it. It's an intergral part of overall fitness no matter what stage of the game you are at.

That being said, protein is very important to your muscles so you need to make sure you are getting enough of it. If you have a hard time finding it in "real" foods then why not try a protein powder to supplement?

Just a few thoughts. HTH!:)
 
Hey, Wendy!

Actually, I'm not really cutting out weight training entirely, it's just this month, since I've been doing weight training almost continuously since January and, while I can feel that I'm gaining muscle, I'm not really losing much of the fat. So, this month, I'm drawing down the weight training to focus on burning off some of the fat!

I have thought about protein powder... but no one else thinks that 127 grams of protein for an only-casual weight lifter is a bit excessive?

MC
 
Hi MC,

First let me say that my anecdotal experience is just that - definitely not any kind of medical opinion.

I tried both BFFM and Precision Nutrition on a vegetarian diet and in my case, the level of protein both of those programs was too much for my body. I used a combination of whey and hemp proteins and eggs to boost my protein levels. I am allergic to soy so I did not use tofu etc. foods.

After a few months at the recommended levels of protein intake, I began having a number of persistent symptoms - acne that would not resolve, fatigue, and stomach problems. I went to my internist, who approaches her job very holistically, and she did a test on my blood which shows protein markers for proteins you are sensitive to. My test came back positive for soy (which I already knew) and eggs, which I was never sensitive/allergic to before! Her theory was that I ate so much of them that I developed a sensitivity to them.

I have since gone back to a much more low protein diet and rarely even supplement with whey anymore (I do eat dairy mostly in the form of yogurt and cheese). I do take 1/2 TB of organic bee pollen a day (high in protein) and I also supplement with spirulina, which is also very high in protein. I feel much better!

Now in my case I am a mesomorph and can build muscle just by unloading the dishwasher. :+ Burning fat is much more a concern for me as opposed to feeding the muscle! So I am on a different regimen now, more focused just on weight loss, but not at the expense of muscle tissue.

I agree with what the others have said in that everyone is different. Try ramping up to the amount of protein recommended by BFFM slowly and see how your body responds to it. Also, really emphasize the fiber - that will help keep things balanced! All that protein will tend to "clog things up" if not balanced by a good amount of fiber (25-30g/day).

Just my experience - again, not intended to be any kind of indicator as to what your experience would be on this program. I know lots of people use PN and BFFM with no problems at all. :)

--Kristina


“You guys can argue about training theories all you want.  I’ll be in the gym . . . it’s leg day.”

-- Dave Draper, author and former Mr. Universe
 
Kristina,

Thank you for sharing your experience... I'm sorry to hear that things went downhill for you!

The protein thing has me really thrown... I guess I'll try it out and see what happens, but so far, I must say that this whole system feels really out of whack for what my body usually responds to, so it should be interesting.

I'm interested to hear about others' experiences, too, and any tips you may have... this is just kind of overwhelming!! x(

MC
 
Perhaps just try upping your proteins slowly. I have been amazed at how much protein is in asparagus and spinach. Also found some amazingly wonderful La Tortilla Factory whole grain tortillas that have 8 grams of protein in them.

I eat cottage cheese when I am tired of protein powders and chicken, fish, etc.

It has helped me, but right now I am following NROLW and it is helping me build muscle, lose a little fat but no weight yet.:p

It is really amazing what switching up can do for you whether your calories/macros and/or your exercise routines.

Hope you can find something that works for you !
 
>I have thought about protein powder... but no one else thinks
>that 127 grams of protein for an only-casual weight lifter is
>a bit excessive?
>
>MC

I guess it depends on what you consider a "casual weightlifter".

Anyway, I am doing a fat loss program right now. The author who is an extremely well respected leader in the fitness industry stresses the importance of high protein in your diet during this program. The program is comprised of full body weight work outs and HIIT cardio. The macros are 20% fat/50% carbs/30% protein. For me that's about 100 grams a day of protein. I wasn't taken aback by the recommendation at all. I've seen it many times before.

Bottom line is that we all have to tweak each and every fitness/nutrition program we do to fit our lifestyles and bodies. If such a high protein intake doesn't work for you then adjust it. If you are still seeing results after the adjustment is made then it's all good. :)
 
Hi MC,

You've already gotten some great advice above!

I don't like meat or fish, so I try to increase my protein intake with protein powders, nuts and nut butters, Fage Greek yogurt, cottage cheese, and Eggbeaters (I get grossed out eating "real" eggs that I have to crack). Just start slowly and don't eat those 127+ grams if you feel like that much protein isn't agreeing with your body.

One of the best things I gained from BFFM was just to consume some protein at every meal/mini-meal. That really helps me stay full and not eat as much throughout the day.

HTH! :)
 
>>
>One of the best things I gained from BFFM was just to consume
>some protein at every meal/mini-meal. That really helps me
>stay full and not eat as much throughout the day.
>

Hi MC

I agree with Leanne about the best thing I learned from BFFM was simply to make sure to have some type of protein food with every meal. Another important thing for me was his advice to listen to your own body. I started with a pretty high protein ratio because I thought it would help me lean out faster, but my energy crashed because I wasn't getting the carbs I was used to. There wasn't much point in eating all that protein if I couldn't muster up the energy to lift as heavy as I can LOL!

I have since adjusted to 20% fat 40% carbs and 40% protein, with higher carbs every 3 days or so. This has worked very well FOR ME. I get about 130 grams of protein throughout the day and have only had problems sticking with my eating plan when I have waited too long between meals. (I am 39yo, 5'3" and 136 pounds) I have lost 10 pounds since I started eating this way at the end of April! Averaging 1.75 pounds per week which is just shy of 2 lb/week goal (I think the first chapter of BFFM is important too). I notice the biggest change in the fat around my abdomen (which is was what I was hoping :)) and my bust x( LOL!

Kristina:
I have started having problems with acne and diminishing energy in the pm. I thought it might be the whey protein, but I saw your post and I am now wondering if it is the large amount of egg whites I am eating (I don't eat meat and I love eggs :)). Do you know how the blood test works? How long after you increased your protein did you notice the acne problems?
I am going to eliminate eggs for a week and see if that makes a difference for me. Perhaps I should ask my doctor about being tested - is there a specific name for the blood test you had?

Thanks!
Corrie
 
i think its soooo important to realize that not one diet fits all and you found that out first hand. its so great that you listened to your body and went back to a diet more suitable for your body. its not different then finding the right combo for weights and cardio. each person needs to find a diet that they feel best on whether that be high protein low carb or higher carb and lower protein. sometimes i still fall into thinking that there is only one way of doing things but i'm learning to listen to my body. for me a higher protein/fat diet does well for me and keeps me satisfied. i'm also a 3 meal a day person and not 5 or 6. this works for me. its great to keep an open mind and give things a try but whats most important is what your body is telling you in the end.
 
Are you sure you are counting the protein in everything you are eating?
1 cup of dry oatmeal has 10g of protein.

Maybe you could try more grains that have protein in them like Quinoa (it is really good).

If you want to post what you typically eat or like to eat maybe others would have more suggestions on how to add a little more protein here and there.

A few ways I get more protein...

Chopped nuts or nut butters in my oatmeal
Shrimp or beans added to the top of a salad
Smoothies that have milk or yogurt in them

I typically eat about 20g of protein at each meal and 5 meals a day, so I am at around 100

Hope you find something that works for you.
 
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