Fear of gaining weight if increased protein intake????

R

RhiannonW

Cathlete
Does anyone share my fear?
I tried increasing my protein and lowering carbs, but only for a couple of weeks. It seemed I gained a slight amount of weight. Was this gain in my head, that time of the month(I don't remember this was a while ago), or reality? I don't know. Also, I found very few foods with Low carbs/@equal protein & fat. I have frequently heard that too much protein makes you gain weight.
Anyone have input on this?
 
I didn't experience that, but when I tried increasing my protein intake I naturally decreased my carb intake. People will have different opinions on this, but I believe calorie intake is important to consider overall if you are trying to attain fat loss or weight loss.
 
I agree with the above poster that if you increase your protein intake you still need to watch the calories so maybe less carbs. I try and always eat more protein then carbs and I always lean out when doing this. Just remeber to watch the overall calories. Don't increase your protein and keep everything else the same because then you will be eating more total
 
Are you putting on more muscle? How many grams of protein were you consuming? How much fiber? Yes at first you will gain weight but you should've stuck to it much longer than just 2 wks. your would've been seeing a change soon after. You needed to give your body a chance to adjust. I cycle every 6 wks. my protein & fiber intake; I went down a size; you should be eating the same grams of protein as your weight & taking in 30g of fiber for the 1st 6 wks.; you should be consuming a large salad a day w/high fibrous veggies such as jicama, avocado, beets just to name a few; you should also be consuming a high fibrous cereal that's low in sugar such as the new Kashi cereal that came out; drink 1-2 cups of green tea; try to eliminate your caffeine. I'm sure you already know what to do. The protein is for your muscle repair & recovery coupled w/your weight training. I don't know how heavy your lifting. I've had no problems at all w/consuming 165g of protein & 60g of fiber which is my fat burning stage; that's a lot of food & I'm only 5'2" weighing in at only 110#s & a size 2 but packed w/a lot of muscle. So don't fear the protein but you should be higher in carbs for energy. HTH, Kathy:D
 
Kathy-
How do you get 60g of fiber a day? That is a lot of fiber!! I have really been trying to up my protein intake, but I always feel like I am not getting nearly enough fiber to balance it out (my digestion seems to slow way down when I up my protein level). Do you use some sort of fiber supplement? I have tried adding psyllium husks, but I feel sort of bloated. Or are you just consuming huge amounts of fruits andvegetables?

I find when I have tried to increase my protein I really have to watch my fat grams - they really shoot up with the increase. I try to only consume lean protein, but it still seems to be a problem for me.
 
How is it possible to eat more protein than carbs? I've never understood this. Is it a ratio thing? Most foods have 20+ carbs, with <10 protein.
 
I'm eating 214 g of protein a day and losing steadily--two pounds a week for the past 7 weeks. I eat between 200-350 g of carbs a day and 20-27 g of fat. I've made enormous strength gains since I began eating this much protein. I agree with the others--wait it out. And look for lower-fat forms of protein: whey protein, vital wheat gluten, TVP, chicken, tuna (good fats). Your weight should level out very soon. You might try Fitday.com to keep close tabs on your food intake.
 
Yes it is hard to consume 60g of fiber a day but when you cycle it for instance, the 1st 6 wks. will be 30g; then the 2nd cycle is 45g; then the 3rd 60; its best to do it this way otherwise your stomach won't be able to handle it. For 60g you really have to know how many grams there are to each veggie; for instance for 1 medium jicama its 10g; artichokes have 6g; raspberries contain 8g, etc. I shoot for all the high ones & just whip up 2 large salads a day, one at lunch & another at dinner & take in a lot of fruit; fruit will go into my protein shake which sometimes will consist of 2 a day; having fruit w/my cottage cheese or cheese stick; eating a 3 bean chili will consist of 23g of protein & 10g of fiber in just 1 cup. I'm following the BodyRX program which has done wonders for me. I don't rely on Fiber One cereal (this made me bloat) as well as fiber supplements (not good for you) just try to reach my #s every day w/fruits, veggies, dairy, cereal & meat, fish or beans. Read the book; the good doctor is now working on 2 more books & can't wait for them to hit the market. HTH, Kathy;)
 
Don't you find fitday to be quite cumbersome? How do you put in all the customized foods? Many on the list just wasn't what I was consuming. Kathy
 
I don't actually use Fitday. I use physiquetransformation.com. But I don't want to sound like a commercial for their program. Fitday is free and can help you understand what you're REALLY eating. I had no concept. If I remember right, can't you also add "custom foods?" So you could enter info from your own food labels. I don't really find it cumbersome, or at least I find it cumbersome in a worthwhile way. I don't mind taking the extra time if I learn from the experience, and if I'm seeing results from what I've learned. But I was desperate for understanding at the time I used Fitday, and it helped.
 
RE: Fear of gaining weight if increased protein intake?...

Hi Wutherhi ... my question is after the 5 day trial, how much does it cost to continue with phsiquetransformation ? It looks interesting but I am not sure ... I don't need to lose but another 6-8 lbs or so, so I don't know if this is something that would be worth it to me, depending on the cost. ...... Thanks Rhonda:7
 
RE: Fear of gaining weight if increased protein intake?...

It's $7.95 a month, on a month to month basis--no contract or anything.
 
RE: Fear of gaining weight if increased protein intake?...

i pretty much agree with the person that said it basically is about calories in and calories out. i like the suggestion to use a calorie counting program and track your calories. yes, it is cumbersome, especially at the beginning. but once you have the hang of it you will develop a deeper understand of how your nutrition affects your weight. you'll be able to look back at what you ate when your weight went up, or stayed the same, or went down and be better able to make necessary changes.

so basically - if you don't want to fear gaining weight, then you should know your numbers... in this case.. we're talking calories. a few good sites were recommended - fitday.com, physique transformation... a program i used and really liked was dietpower. you can try it for free at http://www.dietpower.com/freedown.htm

hope that helps,
divina
 
RE: Fear of gaining weight if increased protein intake?...

Hi,

I was also fearful of gaining weight but when the weight didn't come off no matter how hard I worked out with cardio/weight training I knew I had to do something. My counselor advised me on increasing my p/c/f - in fact I went from 1800 calories a day to almost 3000. Sounds like a lot but the minute my intake of food increased the quicker my metabolism kicked in and the weight started coming off. I haven't really worked out lately because of a setback with my back and my physical therapist and doctor have suggested that I cut back, but I have been able to maintain my weight at the level it should be. Keeping a journal really helps because you are able to go back and see where you were right on with your program and also where you were not.

Take care,

Iris
:D
 
RE: Fear of gaining weight if increased protein intake?...

Heres what i eat, when i want to lose weight and get REALLY LEAN

Breakfast

Turkey Rasher Wrap, 30g protein, 2g fat, 20g Carbs

Lunch

Fresh Salad (large), Half baked potato, Chicken Breast (1), lots of olive oil, 35g protein, 20g fat, 25 Carbs

Dinner

Salmon or Lamb Chop (lean), Vegetbales (lots), Butter (lots) 40 g Protein, 20g Carbs, Fat 20g

Snacks

Cheese String
Cottage cheese
Protein Shake
Nuts

When i eat this way, i lose weight (fat) real quick. If i keep my carb intake below 120g per day i can pretty much eat as much caloires as i like and still lose weight. Anyway, this is me. :)
 
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