why eat 1g protein or more per lb your weight?

**randymeans** · 11-10-2011, 02:14 PM

25/m/5'7"/190lbs

Ive did alot of reading and cant make this make sense! Ive heard people my size eating 1g up to 2g or protein of their body weight! 10 months ago i weighed 165-170lbs at 11% bf and i was eating around 250g protein and 200g carbs! i changed my diet then and over the last nine months ive been eating around 150g protein and 180g carbs and i weigh 190lbs now and 12%bf! My training is the same but ive actually picked up more cardio so i should be less bf! anyone know why this is?

**gbrice75** · 11-10-2011, 02:36 PM

I don't understand how the subject line relates to your question/problem here, but to answer your question - are you sure you've gained 1% bodyfat? How do you know?

Regardless - assuming that's accurate, you've gained 20-25lbs and only gained 1% bodyfat - I'd say that's pretty fvckin sweet!! Do you have before and after pics?
You also failed to mention what was happening at the original caloric intake. i.e. were you simply maintaining at that intake?

**randymeans** · 11-10-2011, 03:59 PM

im trying to figure out how i gained weight when i dropped my protein intake in half and reduced carbs just a little! 9month previous i was eating 4 meals a day with a 5th meal being a post workout shake and bananas so actually 5 meals a day! 4 of the 5 meals were 50g protein with 30g carbs and the post workout would be roughly 50g protein and 50ish grams of carbs from 2 medium bananas and i did this diet for almost a year then 9 months ago starting at the end of jan i changed my diet to the zone diet! which is 9/7/1.5(carbs,proetin,fat) so i eat 3 meals and 2 snacks. The 3 meals i eat are 40g protein,45g carbs,and 10g fat and the two snacks being 15g protein,20g carbs,and maybe 5g fat! I know my bf percentage because ive looked at enough pics to know mine, and i didnt have any1 disagree with me when i loaded a pic in the "AAS' part of the forum! I could see my ouline of abs and the line down the center and now i cant see the line as good so im assuming no more than 14% bf! But i gained 25 damn pounds!

okay so the question is why does people eat alot of protein? If i can gain weight without it then how does it help when it seems like your body rejects it or something! The only think ive changed is eating more organic and grassfed animals! oh and i had a baby if that makes anything different! gimme a bit and ill upload pics, itll take a sec to because i gotta photoshop my face out!

**randymeans** · 11-10-2011, 04:05 PM

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before then after! maybe i slowed down my weight lifting and gave my muscles more time to recover but i really think dropping protein may have helped!

**Doctapeppa** · 11-10-2011, 04:31 PM

You look like you had more muscle mass in the before picture! The before pic is the one with your right arm down, right? It's weird that there is a 25 lb difference between those two pics; very hard to tell.

TEF of protein might have something to do with it. Basically, it's thought that protein actually provides less than 4 calories/gram and carbs a bit more, because it's harder for your body to process protein. So potentially in the long run it could make a pretty big difference as far as the energy value of food.

There are a lot of different variables here though and analyzing this on yourself is unlikely to give you the best answer. I'm not sure from your post whether you are happy with the results you made with lower protein or if you are not but if you believe lower protein helped you out then stick with that.

**Mr_Prop_var_Testen** · 11-10-2011, 08:35 PM

Strangely I see both pics u look the same....????

**Dr Pepper** · 11-11-2011, 07:25 AM

Not being a hater but that doesn't look like 11-12% bf. maybe some one more experienced can chime in have aguess

**zaggahamma** · 11-11-2011, 07:57 AM

Originally Posted by Doctapeppa

You look like you had more muscle mass in the before picture! The before pic is the one with your right arm down, right? It's weird that there is a 25 lb difference between those two pics; very hard to tell.

TEF of protein might have something to do with it. Basically, it's thought that protein actually provides less than 4 calories/gram and carbs a bit more, because it's harder for your body to process protein. So potentially in the long run it could make a pretty big difference as far as the energy value of food.

There are a lot of different variables here though and analyzing this on yourself is unlikely to give you the best answer. I'm not sure from your post whether you are happy with the results you made with lower protein or if you are not but if you believe lower protein helped you out then stick with that.

......
this

btw i think the protein requirements has been debated if i'm not mistaken

**redz** · 11-11-2011, 09:29 AM

That doesn`t seem like a 25lb difference between pics. It would have helped more if you had posed the same way before and after.

**gbrice75** · 11-13-2011, 08:24 AM

Agreed with the rest... I don't see anything close to a 25lb difference. Legs? Doubtful... not calling you a liar, just saying it doesn't translate in the pics.