Protein in a lchf diet how much?

[alliebee]

I read on here that lchf means limiting your protein to approz 1g per 1kg body weight.
So a 6 oz steak is approx 48g. If someone weighed 80kg then needs no more than 80g a day. So I guess what I'm asking is this is easily done by say 2 eggs for breakfast. Say a very small amount of tuna or other fish. And let's say an 8oz steak. ( a reasonable size).....its certainly means watching portion sizes... reading through the what did you eat today thread...some people eat more protein than this. I've recently bought this fantastic book ...Carbs and Cals. And the pictures show approx portions and weights. I think I've been eating more protein than I should...not much more. But do any of you eat a little more protein? And does it affect your weight loss? When you read online lots of sites say you can eat protein in amounts until satisfied. I'm aware the fats are important too... it can be confusing

 

[alliebee]

I should clarify I mean say. 2 eggs at breakfast
Maybe fish at lunch
And the steak for dinner... it doesn't seem a lot to bring you to the recommended allowance

 

[Bluetit1802]

My thinking on this is that you only need to worry about protein levels if you have underlying health problems that require less protein, such as kidney problems. There is a recommended daily allowance, which for women is 0.75g per kilo of body weight. That would give me only 44g a day, which is clearly insufficient for me. I am eating the same amount of protein more or less that I ate before I started this diet, about 78g to 95g a day, so twice the recommended allowance. None of my blood tests (and I have 11 of these) have shown any problems in my kidneys, liver, bones or urine.

 

[AndBreathe]

Allie - If I could give you some advice, it would be not to be too rigid on rules. Obviously, some require more rigour than others (for example, on frank suagrs), but when it comes to levels of carbs, fats and protein, you really do have to work it out for yourself, by sensible eating and then testing, and recording it all. When I say sensible, I mean recognising that steak is generally good, but a 16 or 32oz steak is excessive in almost anyone's world.

Many folks say we should eat as few carbs as we can function on. My body tells me it doesn't like to go too low, carb-wise. If I do trim carbs too much, my levels rise, not fall, as my liver has to get into over-drive to keep my scores off the floor. Obviously we're at different stages of this numbers journey, but you get the drift? What works for any of the others may not work for me, but might be wonderful for you, and so on.

This thing can mess with your head, so that's why recording everything is incredibly important. I might recall I scored x when I last ate y meal, but today I score z, which is much higher, or lower. In that case, I find it useful to be able to look back in my records to sense check my thinking. Of course that can sometimes mean it confirms a particularly tasty bite has to come off the "Yes" list, and move to the "Sometimes" or the "Flippin' 'eck, never" lists.

The other this might just be not to be constantly changing what you do. Any changes should be given time to show an impact. Constantly tweaking without firm evidence has the potential to lengthen, not shorten your learning curve.

I'm sorry that's not more helpful, but there are few hard and fast rules with diabetes, as there are so many variables at play.

 

[alliebee]

Thankyou that's such sensible advice...I think I'm trying to get to obsessive lol...I think partly because I'm so pleased to have taken a bit of control back after a year of not looking after my diabetes and this time its for life ...I know I feel good. And my readings are getting better all the time...I'm often impatient and that weight increase I had wobbled me a bit. But I'm losing again now..I so appreciate you taking the time to reply. I'm in this for the long haul and I'm learning all the time thanks to you all and my trusty meter...test test test...and drink drink drink

 

[AndBreathe]

...test test test...and drink drink drink

And the third member of the triumvirate; moisturise, moisturise, moisturise.

(Of course, it should be exercise, but I prefer moisturise.)

 

[alliebee]

Ha ha. No doubt admiring the slimming down body whilst you moisurise .

 

[Mud Island Dweller]

l put it up and that came from my PT and was placed in response to the person who appeared to be using on loads of protein.

 

[modesty007]

Look at your target weight not your current weight, app 0,5 - 1 gram protein per kilo, up to 1,5 gram per kilo if you're doing resistant training on a regular basis. This would be a mean value, so no need to worry if you one day have a bit more and the next a little less.
In addition fat twice as much in grams as protein and carbs together.

 

[Brunneria]

There's another factor (and I'm not sure about the precise detail on this).

But is the 'recommended' protein intake you are looking at, a figure for pure protein, or grammes of meat?

Because a fair chunk of that 8oz steak is made up of fat and water. The actual protein in it will come to significantly less than 8oz.

So it is always worth checking which measure of protein (g of pure protein, or g of meat) you source is using. It would be a pity to miss out if you can eat larger portions, eh?

Me? I try really hard not to get trapped by rules.
But I have learned that if I eat too much protein I feel meh in a leaden way, and my base BG levels rise a bit.
And if I eat too little. I feel meh (technical term) in a listless way.
So I eat to my appetite between those two.

 

[alliebee]

Thankyou. That's very helpful. I've read up a bit more and I've come to the conclusion that this a lifestyle now. Weight loss or not. My bg readings are down and that's the main thing.as I told @jack412. My dn had said I may have to go back on insulin and after being off it. I so want to try myself first ( I was on levemir). But after 3 stone weight loss I didn't need it....however my HbA 1c was 66 and that showed id crept back to bad habits.
I'm now firmly into ketosis and my daytime readings are good..I need to lose another stone too....wish me luck

 

[jack412]

I wouldn't do it every day and as has been said, it depends on you kidneys and over 50 and diabetic is enough risk for a lot to have reduced function.
do you know your eGFR? good is over 90

https://www.google.com.au/#q=8oz+steak+protein
protein 77g 154% RDA

 

[alliebee]

Just to add that's very intetesting about the weight of protein...I asked the question I suppose because I wanted to see the best weight loss I could get in ketosis. I'm understanding more now about the balance you suggest without feeling meh! Lol. Love it....finding your helpful posts of such benefit. Esp your nuts first thing. They bring my readings down first thing really quickly.

 

[alliebee]

I don't know it no but was told my kidney function was good. I think I was probably getting my fats to protein ratio wrong. May well try this coconut oil next. Not sure about the fat coffee though. Is it nice?

 

[jack412]

from the stories on the net, the Dr always say kidneys are good till they are bad and spilling protein
you didn't get a copy of your bloods? you can ask the receptionist if you want to
if you know your Serum Creatinine:? this is one way and the resulting number is close enough to the % of kidney function
GFR Calculator (CKD-EPI formula)
http://www.kidney.org.au/HealthProfessionals/GFRCalculatorCKDEPI/tabid/803/Default.aspx

also the protein per kg, is lean body mass, that's your BMI with the fat deducted

 

[alliebee]

Thanks. That's a good idea. I'm going up to surgery later so I will ask...its not that I want to scoff lots of protein ( well maybe lol). But I want to get a handle on how much is right. Esp as too much is turned into glucose I understand.

 

[AndBreathe]

Thanks. That's a good idea. I'm going up to surgery later so I will ask...its not that I want to scoff lots of protein ( well maybe lol). But I want to get a handle on how much is right. Esp as too much is turned into glucose I understand.

Alliebee - I do admire your desire to do the absolute best you can for yourself in tuning your diet, but I would yet again suggest you perhaps consider how often you are making changes to your approach. The thing about that level of fine tuning is that it'll never stop, because as you tweak and tweak to achieve an improvement a bit quicker than is happening now, your body will change; ideally improving it's coping mechanisms, and you'll be off again on another round of tweakery. (I think I just made that word up, but I quite like it. )

I found this place about a month after diagnosis, by which time I had sussed the role of carbs, although not to the extent I understand it now. I had also relocated 4500 to spend the winter in the sun, but effectively removing myself from reliable food sources and other consumables like additional test strips. Effectively, that meant my options for tweaking were capped, but I think in the end that may have just worked in my favour. I was forced to stick with the plan for a while before seeking out available options, but it also meant I could settle into a plan and save myself a load of mental gymnastics and angst. (I didn't weight myself for almost 4 months after diagnosis, until I found some scales in a hardware shop, and I stepped on; purely to test them, you understand. )

The enforced approach probably enabled me to relax a bit.

I liken it to sailing. On a passage, we can either be up and down twitching and constantly adjusting our sail plan, or we can set our course, set the auto pilot and read a book, then modify every few hours. I will reach the same destination, but it may have taken me a couple of hours longer. One way, I burn a few more calories and sweat a lot; the other I read books, listen to music, watch dolphins and birds and enjoy the scenery. In this life, I feel it's important to observe the scenery on any journey we take, because sometimes when we get to our destination there's no going back.

 

[pavlosn]

I liken it to sailing. On a passage, we can either be up and down twitching and constantly adjusting our sail plan, or we can set our course, set the auto pilot and read a book, then modify every few hours. I will reach the same destination, but it may have taken me a couple of hours longer. One way, I burn a few more calories and sweat a lot; the other I read books, listen to music, watch dolphins and birds and enjoy the scenery. In this life, I feel it's important to observe the scenery on any journey we take, because sometimes when we get to our destination there's no going back.

Very wise words!

 

[alliebee]

Taking advice on board ( xcuse pun). We kept a yaught at southampton so I'm am avid sailor so appreciate the analagy. A bit of a perfectionist due to my medical background so I'm going to try and relax and enjoy the sail awhile. I've only a stone to lose so bg readings are more important I'm losing still and all is good. Thankyou for taking the time to help and advise..wise words indeed

 

[alliebee]

Love the ' tweakery'. Its in my vocabulary now...