OK. I avoid tracking things because I hate math and I find it annoying, but I decided to for the past 5 days because I am where you were awhile back, @skwigg with clothes feeling tighter than I would like, feeling puffy, etc. I can post my height/weight if that would be helpful and not offend anyone.
I discovered that I am struggling to get 40g of protein per day. This seems very low. It is the bare minimum using the 1g protein for every .8kg that you weigh, if that is accurate whatsoever.
I do not know how accurate my calorie tracking has been, but I have done my best, and actually have measured things, which also annoys me and seem to be around 1500ish a day?
I am a vegetarian, but still. I do find myself hungry/unsatisfied much more than would be ideal. I have been vegetarian for maybe 25 years and satisfaction has never been a problem. But this is new.
I think this may be related to the fact that I have finally been able to get off of a migraine preventative medication (yay!) I was taking that cut my appetite wayyyyyyy down. So, it's quite possible that I have been feeding myself inadequately for years, and didn't know because my hunger was blunted.
I got a plant-based protein powder that my friend likes, and I hate it. I have tried whey/soy protein powders in the past and have hated all of those too, lol. I think what I hate is the weird fake vanilla/chocolate/weird "natural" sweetener flavor? So, I ordered a plant-based protein powder that is unflavored and unsweetened. Hopefully I will like that better, or find it acceptable. I am hoping to find a good oatmeal or pancake protein powder combo, that would be easy.
I like yogurt and kefir, but do not like Greek yogurt, which would obviously be better. Maybe I can add something to improve the texture and then I would like it?
Dairy and eggs in general are OK. But I cannot deal with eggs in the morning, unless they are disguised into some kind of baked good or pancake :)
I love nuts and nut butter, but you have to eat massive quantities to get a sufficient amount of protein. Same with lentils/beans, which I also like.
Anyone have suggestions? It maybe seems possible that by making a few changes I could improve my energy level/body composition without doing anything drastic, which I heavily resist. I fully admit that I love to eat and bake and don't want to have to stop eating any of those things, even though my fitness-minded friend says I must. She is maybe not a good person to ask, haha.
I am not a hard core exerciser by any means. But I could maybe improve in this area. I currently do 20 min of yoga every morning (I enjoy this, look forward to it, and it improves my patience level in the classroom, haha), 10-15 min. of short Zuzka-style workouts (not always her specifically) but not heavy weights, I can't keep up if I use more than 8-10 lbs., and I am on my feet moving around a good bit at work all day if that counts for anything. No clue if this is adequate or not, and also no idea how much of me is fat vs. muscle, etc.
Sorry for the long post! Any ideas, anyone?
Uh-oh, I’m not sure if amber is human. LOL
It's great to hear about your progress after incorporating a "protein-first" approach into your diet! Increasing your daily protein intake to around 50-60g is a significant improvement from the previous 30g you were struggling with. Every step towards a higher protein intake can have positive impacts on your overall health and fitness goals. As a vegan, I rely on helpful resources like veganalyze.com/nutrients/high_protein_foods_vegan_sources.html to explore a wide range of high-protein plant-based options for my diet.
The improvements you're noticing in your workouts are a testament to the benefits of adequate protein consumption. Being able to comfortably handle 10 lb dumbbells during your Zuzka/Zuzka-like workouts shows that your muscles are getting stronger and adapting to the increased workload. By gradually progressing to heavier weights and incorporating slower, controlled movements, you can continue challenging yourself and further improve your strength and endurance.
Oh, and good luck with the shifting hormones. Hopefully, it will be a breeze!
I'm happy to hear that you're feeling stronger and more energetic. My husband and I noticed that too. It's subtle, but strength workouts feel easier and meals are more satisfying. I had gotten used to feeling run down and vaguely hungry. Most of the time it wasn't horrible, so I didn't really notice the difference until it started going away. The strength workouts were the first big ah-ha, being noticeably stronger on exercises I'd previously struggled through.
It's now been about a month of "protein-first". From my informal estimates/looking at food labels every so often, I am now getting about 50-60g protein per day, which still isn't a ton, but it sure is better than the 30g I was struggling to get before.
I sporadically weigh myself, and I seem to be about a half pound lighter? But the interesting thing is that where I was struggling to complete Zuzka/Zuzka-like workouts with 5-8 lb dumbbells, now I find I can do 10 lbs. no problem. I am going to try some slower workouts with the 10 lbs. and see if I can progress to heavier from there. Hopping around makes it harder to go heavier.
Also, some of the power yoga sequences I've added over the past month are getting easier, whereas the first time I tried, I fell flat on my face, collapsed in laughter :)
I seem to be improving energy-wise, I think? I have weird work days where I am in 2-3 different locations a day, and I used to rely on a 20 min. power nap at some point to get me through all of the running around, and I have found that over the past 2 weeks or so, I don't need it.
I have found some new foods/meals that I like, so thanks for your suggestions, everyone! 2 things that I really hated before, protein powder and Greek yogurt, I actually like in different brands/different food contexts. I did share a few of those in a previous post. Who knew that unsweetened/unflavored protein powder was the way to go? And I have found ways of making Greek yogurt palatable.
@skwigg I have found the same thing about simply adding an egg or a piece of cheese, nothing crazy, making all the difference in how satisfying a meal is!
I am starting to have some problems with the Nuvaring after having been on it for more than a decade, so I made a dr. appt. to discuss options. Might be going off as I am now 40 and history of stroke runs in my family. Hopefully I won't be in total hormonal hell once whatever happens with bc is done, because I think I'm moving in the right direction now.
Thanks for the tip, Joyce! I'll check that out next. I do like the unsweetened/unflavored one I got. Definitely wouldn't be for everyone, or even most people.
I am experimenting with different higher-protein meals and snacks, and it is kind of fun. In no way will I EVER replace real cookies with these, but these are good to have around if I am hungry between breakfast and lunch: https://www.eatingbirdfood.com/flourless-peanut-butter-protein-cookies/#wprm-recipe-container-33587 I did Silk Protein Milk instead of applesauce, and used about 1/2 c., since it was really dry. But they taste OK.
Protein powder in oatmeal is TERRIBLE (at least how I did it), but it works with Cream of Rice cereal (like Cream of Wheat, but rice) and Silk Protein Milk. So that's an easy way to get 20+g of protein at breakfast.
Since I can't seem to make myself like Greek yogurt, I tried Skyr, which has similar protein, but a texture I like better. Too bad it's expensive.
I also got some hemp hearts, which are also OK and high in protein.
So far I have noticed that I am less hungry at night than usual, probably from feeling more full from earlier meals? This is probably good. I have not declared a single thing off limits, or decreed that snacks after dinner are bad, or anything. I just find myself not really wanting anything? Or like, a piece of fruit or chocolate, and that's it. Interesting.
Can you change to a whey or whey/casein blend for protein powder? They generally taste waaaay better than any premium plant-based ones. I particularly like PE Science's vanilla cake pop protein powder. That said, their chocolate vegan one is pretty good, and you can get a decent protein per serving portion.
That is really helpful. So interesting about your weight being the same but body composition changing. I do need some kind of big picture reason for why I want to make changes. For now, I'll work on a "protein first" philosophy and see where that gets me. My new unsweetened, unflavored protein powder (https://www.vitacost.com/vega-protein-greens-plain) arrived, and I find it infinitely more palatable. I'll report back on this. Thanks so much for your help, @skwigg and @sarah too !
I’ll add that even with my own “protein first” philosophy, there are still meals that are just candy. 🤣 I don’t take any of this super seriously or try to do it perfectly. Maybe I have M&Ms for one meal/snack, but then I make a point of getting adequate protein and a few plants later. So, big picture as opposed to obsessive details.
Ok, where was I? 😀 I don’t find any value in daily tracking of food. For me, it’s so obsessive and pointless that it’s actively counterproductive. I want the way I eat to be easy, fun, truly second nature. Translating meals into math formulas is the opposite of that. Instead, I keep in mind the big picture or how I want my life to be. I want to be healthy and fit, sure, but also relaxed and flexible while enjoying all kinds of delicious food. It is possible to make adjustments without doing anything rigid or extreme. The key to it is being clear on your “why,” and also taking a long time horizon. It doesn’t matter how long it takes if the journey itself is a joy. For me, I had come out of that devastating, months-long autoimmune reaction where I couldn’t workout at all and would get winded standing up in the shower. I have never experienced fatigue like that. I lost a lot of muscle mass and my body comp changed completely. There were certainly some aesthetic goals tied up in my desire to muscle back up, but I was driven to regain my strength and endurance for quality of life reasons too. I want to be a badass old person. I want to stay out of assisted living. It’s important to be clear on your why. Looking a certain way was never a healthy motivator for me when I was pursuing it in isolation. WHY do I want to make an adjustment to my eating? What do I hope to achieve? It becomes less nebulous if there is a clear reason for the changes and then clear indications on whether it’s working. Using me as an example, before I increased my protein intake, I had some clear indicators that what I had been doing wasn’t working very well. I was hungry and tired. I could barely do one chin-up anymore, and my eyes almost popped out of my head from the strain. I had lost all the muscle definition in my legs. They were getting small and soft. I found myself having to hold onto something and use my arms to get up off the floor, which was scary and nuts. My previously flat and defined abdomen puffed out and folded over my waistband even though my weight hadn’t changed. My white blood cell count was low on multiple occasions, which kept freaking out my doctor. Things were going wrong, and I knew that eating less food or burning more calories would not solve it. I would make a change, like adding protein powder to breakfast, and see how that felt. It felt goood! I noticed a difference in my workouts right away, so I added more protein to lunch and dinner. I found that dairy fat/protein in the form of cheese was making me feel exceptionally good, so cheese it is! No more of the weird vegan “cheez” that even the dog won’t eat. Overall, nothing was happening really quickly, but I could tell that I was headed in the right direction based on my strength, energy, and enjoyment of my meals. There was no clear trend with my scale weight, but I could tell my body comp was shifting for the better. I was feeling good mentally and physically. I liked my food more. That’s reason enough to keep going. So, look at what you feel is off right now and how you think it could be better. Try those things without any pressure or rules, just noticing if they work for you. I like what Sarah said about putting protein first, as in just making sure there is some in your meals and snacks. That one change over a few weeks could make a big difference in satisfaction and energy. Then, evaluate further based on feeling even better and having even more fun with your food. There never needs to be deprivation or rigid adherence. I never calculated how many grams of anything I might need or forced myself to eat to a math equation. Generally, our own body is telling us plenty, and if there’s a problem it’s because we’re not listening.
Yeah, I think having my appetite unblunted (after coming off the migraine-preventative) made me realize that I am unsatisfied/hungry too often, and I am now realizing that I eat mostly carbs and low protein, and low-ish fat, I think? But finding protein-rich foods I like and incorporate regularly seems like a good approach.
@snail I've only ever tracked calories and points when I was deep in restrictive eating. It was really destructive for me. I never really learned about macros in that I can tell you exactly how many calories a banana has but I have no idea how many grams of carbs are in a banana.
I think knowing generally how many macro grams or calories we should be consuming may be a good guide but our bodies aren't that simple. Some days you may need more or less or generally maybe someone thrives more on carbs than protein. My theory based on nothing I've read but just my own hunches is that people who like animal protein and thrive on it maybe need or do better on higher protein diets. And vegan/vegetarians who feel good eating that way don't need as much. (That doesn't mean that I think vegetarian/vegans diets are deficient in protein.).
If I felt like I needed more protein I'd probably try to base each meal around protein FIRST and sort of get in the habit of choosing protein rich foods.
Thanks, @sarah too . So, tracking didn't really help anything? I would honestly like it to not be that helpful because it's a PITA.
Don’t forget about tofu & tempeh. Also seeds - especially hemp seeds have a lot of protein. I’m the odd person out in that I really don’t like protein powders. A good way to ruin a smoothie in my opinion. But to each they’re own. I think if you’re vegetarian (and not vegan) and include dairy and eggs in your diet and are eating from all the other general protein sources - legumes, eggs, seeds, nuts, grains, you can get enough protein without a supplement.
I‘ve never tracked macros and honestly have no idea what’s considered high or low. I found this government calculator I thought was interesting https://www.nal.usda.gov/human-nutrition-and-food-safety/dri-calculator It says I need 49 grams of protein per day. Maybe I’ll go figure out what that means. Bu agree with skwigg, if I thought I needed more protein I’d just start eating more of it without the tracking. Btdt and I’m so glad I broke that habit.
“Basically, I don't know how to navigate a vague "I don't look and feel my best but don't want to do anything rigid or extreme" scenario.” That is a great topic of conversation! I will elaborate on how I approach that mindset tomorrow. For now, know that I’d rather stab myself in the eye than track calories and macros. I know there are people who find it helpful or do it peacefully, but I am not that person. If I intend to eat more protein foods or smaller pieces of cake, I just do. There is no reason to then enter it into software and make myself mental.
This is super helpful! Thanks so much for taking the time to write all this out.
One other question: is there any value in tracking anything? Is a vague aiming for more protein and fat enough? Tracking things is annoying and drives me nuts and makes me feel like I'm doing homework, but if it's useful to do more than 5 days, I can suck it up.
Basically, I don't know how to navigate a vague "I don't look and feel my best but don't want to do anything rigid or extreme" scenario.
I found myself in a similar predicament while eating almost totally plant-based, as opposed to vegetarian where eggs and dairy were options. I had been feeling fairly ravenous, but also bloated and softer, while getting a lot of my protein from things like beans, lentils, and whole grain bread. Those are legitimate sources of protein. It all adds up. For me, it just wasn’t adding up high enough to look, feel, and perform my best. I did some spot checks, like you, and found that I was scraping in at 30-40g of protein most days and that my fat intake was also woefully low. In vegan lore, if you’re eating “starch based,” aka McDougall, eating too much fat with that many carbs is frowned upon for causing fat gain. I wanted to write this off as pure diet lunacy, but that starch/fat combo did seem to be bad news for me post-menopause, so eating a bunch more nuts and nut butter to up the protein didn’t seem like the best course of action. The first thing I did that made a HUGE difference was that I started to put a scoop of 20g of protein powder into my morning smoothie. Later, I also started putting a scoop of powdered peanut butter (along with some real peanut butter) in my oatmeal to up the protein there. I switched from using regular almond milk, which only has like 2g of protein and no fat, to Silk Protein almond milk, which has 10g of protein and quite a bit of fat. I tried to drink 1-2 cups per day. Then, I added a protein bar in the afternoon before dinner. You would think that adding extra foods would have caused weight gain, and it did for a couple weeks, but then everything just started to work better. I was feeling stronger and lifting heavier. As my protein intake went up, I was less hungry, and I wasn’t relying as much on whole grain bread and chickpea pasta for my protein. At that point, I put back some animal foods and saw another leap in benefits. I have found that adding even small portions of animal protein to an otherwise plant-based meal makes a big difference in how my body is able to utilize the protein. I’m talking one egg or one piece of cheese, not anything crazy. Like, red lentils, an egg and asparagus for lunch. A piece of mozzarella cheese and a handful of almonds or cherry tomatoes as a snack. There is also the timing thing. As I’ve said in other posts, having a little quality protein frequently throughout the day works fantastically for me. It turns out to be way better than my old fitness/fasting method of eating a giant portion of meat and then nothing for hours. Everyone’s protein powder flavor preferences are different. I like pea protein blends. I can’t stand anything with Splenda/sucralose or Ace-k. I like protein powders sweetened with cane sugar, coconut sugar, monk fruit, and stevia, usually some combination of those. My favorite is the Hy-Vee grocery store Energy Edge plant protein, which is good because it’s the cheapest. I also like KOS. Manitoba Harvest hemp protein powder is pretty good. The main thing is to always make protein shakes with other fruit, fat, and milk. My days of mixing it with water in a shaker bottle and gagging it down are long behind me. Unsweetened would be good because then you can sweeten it however you want. I also like mixing some protein powder with that Silk Protein Milk in vanilla or chocolate. I had a shake tonight that was chocolate protein milk, chocolate protein powder, peanut butter powder, and real peanut butter. It was blended and then frozen for an hour to become truly milkshakes-like. Protein bars are similar to powders in that one person’s delicious treat will make another person hurl. My favorite bars are Nature Valley Protein Chewy Bars in dark chocolate peanut butter. These are granola bars in a box from the grocery store, but they have 10g of protein along with some good fat and fiber. I like Nugo dark chocolate mint. They taste like Girl Scout Thin Mint cookies to me but like furniture polish to my husband. We both like the chocolate peanut butter Clif Builders Bars that people here recommended. If it’s only an hour or so until my next meal, I’ll cut them in half. If it’s two or more hours until a meal, I’ll eat a whole one. You mention oatmeal and pancake options. I never liked protein powder in either one of those. I like a spoonful of peanut butter and a scoop of peanut butter powder (PB Fit) in oatmeal, sweetened with honey and banana. For protein pancakes, I made some a couple weeks ago that were oatmeal, eggs, bananas, vanilla, cinnamon, and ground flaxseed. Even my husband loved those and he was highly skeptical. Yoga is awesome. Doing some kind of strength training a few days a week is awesome. Personally, I see the best results when I’m making a deliberate effort to get stronger. That can be more challenging body weight exercises, holding yoga poses longer, or using heavier weights. I found joy in backing off of the “jumping around like a rabbit” type workouts in favor of picking up something heavy and putting it down a few times. Slowly. With plenty of rest between sets and days off in between workouts. There is nothing I’ve had to stop eating, but I did have to make a mental switch to start prioritizing protein and eating enough overall. If I’m doing that, my metabolism and hormones are happy and I can enjoy any food I want. I may play with portion size and frequency, but I never tell myself I can’t have something.
I am so excited to discuss this! I have many thoughts since I just went through similar and was able to improve satiety and body comp without doing anything radical. I am also, unfortunately, late for work. I hope to post a whole lot more in a few hours when I have more time to write. I can't wait!