Protein recommendation seems high... how much should I really be eating? Topic

U1196195634 07/30/23
I am just starting my journey towards better health, beginning by spending a few days trying to eat as "typically" as I can, to get a starting point that I can adjust from. The biggest thing that has jumped out at me right off the bat is that the amount of protein I've been getting is quite a bit lower than I expected, and significantly less than the amount I've seen recommended in various places (and a protein deficiency would explain, well, quite a few things).

However, I'm having trouble figuring out how MyNetDiary's protein recommendation is calculated. I currently weigh 170lbs and my long-term goal is 140lbs. Based on other information I've read, I should be eating between 50 and 60 grams of protein/day (depending on whether I use my target weight vs my current weight to do the calculations), but MyNetDiary is recommending 102g without exercise logging (which is fairly minimal). So... how much protein should I actually be consuming as a baseline, before taking exercise into account?

(as a note: I currently have my weight goal set to "maintain" my current weight for a few weeks while I get the hang of things, but even for maintaining my current weight, the amount of protein recommended is significantly higher than I've seen recommended elsewhere, so I am confused)

U1195826789 07/30/23
I am not an expert, but my father, a doctor tells me that a generally good baseline for protein consumption is 0.5 to 1 gram of protein per pound of bodyweight. For people looking to gain muscle they will lean toward the higher end of that spectrum and those losing mass will need less. before exercising, i would say that 102 would likely be overboard for your purposes, and you would fall closer to needing 70-90 grams of protein a day

Dietician 07/31/23 replied to U1196195634
Hi U1196195634-
Welcome to MyNetDiary!
I hope your first few days of tracking are going well~

MyNetDiary is very flexible and allows users to pursue health goals by following and tracking a host of eating patterns. The default eating plan in the app is called "Premium calorie counting" and includes 45% of calories from carbohydrates, 35% from fat, and 20% from protein. For example, if your calorie budget was 1600 calories/day and you were following the default macros this would equal 80 grams of protein/day. Many people unconsciously fall short of protein goals-

You are not alone! You may find this article helpful as it outlines a variety of lean, protein-rich foods to experiment with: https://www.mynetdiary.com/benefits-of-eating-protein.html
Have a great day! Joanna (MyNetDiary Dietitian)

U1196427845 08/13/23
What works for me is high protein, high fat. Low carb and sugar

U1196348597 08/14/23
💙 thank you for this post

Protein recommendation seems high... how much should I really be eating?