Protein levels

[honeybee37]

Hi,
I've been doing the LE diet for around 6 weeks, tracking protein and fat levels carefully. I had a few wobbles over Christmas but other than that, I've been pretty strict. However, today I've freaked myself out by reading a study which claimed that low protein levels affected egg quality and caused women to have more miscarriages and struggle to conceive. So I guess my question is: how little is too little? I have been having around 35g per day, some days less. Today I made a conscious effort to have a little more and had around 42. I have also been doing 60-65 min cardio 5 days a week and have lost a ton of weight (my BMI was only 19 to start with so I'm conscious I don't want to lose too much more).
Should I be aiming for more protein than this do you think, or is it about right (or even too much?)
BTW I should add, we've become veggie since November too.
Thank you!

[honeybee37]

Argh, I've just been checking through my MFP levels, and some days I was really low - like 21g of protein. Having just read the PDF again (the paid for guide), I now feel really stupid and am worried Ive jeopardised my sway and possibly eggs by going too low on the protein. We are meant to be having our first attempt 3 weeks from now so I hope I've not ruined my eggs for that month's try... I think I worked out I'd maybe gone in a little too low when I was dreaming of chicken and cheese.... Don't tell me off, Atomic!!

[Butterflies buttercups]

That's strange as I've been having the opposite problem and my protein being too high - I think it's because I add hummus and cheese to either lunch or dinner evry day so I'm trying to cut that out a bit ...
I think it's important to be Atleast the minimums on the LE diet for health reasons maybe add in a little extra protein over the next few weeks before your attempt ?


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[honeybee37]

Yeah, cheese has always been a bit part of my life (!) and I've been trying to avoid it as I tend to go for a massive handful (which I weighed and it was A LOT!). I've been having a salad pitta for lunch plus chocolate, and veg based pasta or rice for dinner (only a tiny bit of cheese). Today I added in a little more and it did add on a few grams. I'm going to aim for 40 at least, over the next three weeks. Just worried that having 20-30 for a few weeks will have made me have dodgy eggs!
Ooo, hummus.. I love hummus - good idea!

[Butterflies buttercups]

I've been trying to substitute cheddar for Philadelphia cream cheese it's not the same but better than nothing in a salad pitta ! Yes try hummus mmm! X


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[has2gentlemen]

Atomic has said over and over that the minimum matters more than the maximum. You MUST get 40g protein and 30g fat per day for your health. Any less isn't good and you really need to be getting closer to the max for the next few weeks. Have some peanut butter or dried nuts, a handful has a ton of protein and not many calories, or add a serving of full fat dairy for the egg health benefit.


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[covered in blue]

How many calories are you doing? You will need to up calories as well as protein. The protein by it's self will not slow the weight loss. Good luck for your attempt coming up!

[maidentomother]

You've gotta meet the minimums, as said, especially with cardio and a low BMI. I wouldn't worry that just weeks of low protein has significantly impacted your eggs, but I'd definitely increase your protein consumption. I also have difficulty meeting my protein minimum many days. What typically ends up happening is I have, for every 2-3 days of not quite enough protein, 1 day of more than enough protein. It ends up balancing out so I meet my minimums if I 'average' the days over a week, and that works for me. I find it too stressful to try to be perfect on a daily basis.

Personally, I think keeping fat low and minimising blue friendly fats while eating more/mostly pink friendly fats, combined with overall lowered cal intake, are the most important dietary aspects of swaying pink. I do think eating less protein sways pink, but not as strongly. Which means I think it's okay to have a more moderate amount if fat & cals are still low.

[ksmom]

In the past I had trouble getting enough protein too, just barely getting the minimum with some days not being enough. I did have two losses last year but I don't know if it was related to that or not. I've been making a conscious effort to do whatever I can to get between 40-50g by eating more beans, sometimes egg whites, and yogurt. I already eat lots of rice, rice pasta, potatoes, and gluten free bread but those don't have that much protein in them. A good "quick fix" for protein besides egg whites is cottage cheese. I can't stomach the stuff but it's packed with protein so it's good if you're really low for the day. Nonfat greek yogurt is great if you need a protein boost but are maxed out on fat. It's saved me a handful of times.

[honeybee37]

Thanks everyone. Maidentomother - I've been very conscious of limiting boy-friendly fats, eating mostly horrid vegetable fats and rubbish... Kcal varying between 1,200 and up to 1,900 at the weekend. I've just been looking over my fat levels and they have varied quite a lot, between 21, and occasionally up to 50/55 (on a bad day!). I think I've been more hung up on protein and maybe should have paid closer attention to fat levels, although probably averaged around 30-35 so not so bad.
Thanks for all your advice. I do have the occasional whole egg and I do quite like cottage cheese so I will get some of that too.

[maidentomother]

I probably consume more fat than I should...but I consume less than 1/4 of what I used to, so I think I'm doing okay. I honestly wouldn't get hung up on ANY specifics and it's totally normal and ok to have daily fluctuations.

[XXforhubby]

I personally believe that stressing over limits and trying hard to stick to them, sways blue. When I was swaying, I literally kept track of everything and made sure to stick to the limits, and I'm holding my beautiful sweet DS3.

Track in the beginning and then let it go. If you feel you go over one day, cut back the next. A relaxed approach is the way to go! Any decrease will make a huge difference from when you got you DS's.

FX and GL to you!!


DS1[emoji125]🏼, DS2[emoji577], & DS3[emoji602] completes our family [emoji170]!

[honeybee37]

XXforhubby, that is exactly what I'm like. I'm like it with everything in life - I don't know how to switch off from it! Seriously - there are around 22 days until our first attempt and every time I think about it, I get a huge surge of panic. Then I panic more because I know this sways blue! I suspect I'm destined to have a third son as well, which would be fine of course, but it's annoying that I am jeopardising my attempt despite myself! That's part of the reason I do the cardio as I find it has a hugely relaxing effect on me.
Thanks for your reply.

[atomic sagebrush]

It's 40-50 g protein in LE Diet for standard dieters, 50-60 g for alternate dieters. These amounts are safe pre-pregnancy for women of childbearing age as confirmed by the World Health Organization and other governmental and health/nutrition agencies. No one should ever drop below that level, it's very important that you not do that. It is supposed to be LOW everything, not NO everything.

Additionally you need to NOT COUNT the amounts of protein in fruit and vegetables. They are all free for protein and you do not count the protein in them at all. This means that you need to be getting 40-50 or 50-60 g protein WITHOUT counting the amount in fruit and veg so if you were (and I believe MFP does this by default so you'd have to change the settings) you may need even more.

[atomic sagebrush]

Also not to add insult to injury but no one wiht BMI of 19 should lose any weight at all anyway. DO NOT drop below BMI 18.5 under any circumstances and wherever you are right now, hold steady and don't lose any more.

[atomic sagebrush]

XXforhubby, that is exactly what I'm like. I'm like it with everything in life - I don't know how to switch off from it! Seriously - there are around 22 days until our first attempt and every time I think about it, I get a huge surge of panic. Then I panic more because I know this sways blue! I suspect I'm destined to have a third son as well, which would be fine of course, but it's annoying that I am jeopardising my attempt despite myself! That's part of the reason I do the cardio as I find it has a hugely relaxing effect on me.
Thanks for your reply.

I'm sure you realize this but panicking over panic only makes matters worse. Trust me, we are all nervous (severely) going into our sways, and yet still we do get girls despite this. Please don't overthink this aspect. The only reason why I have EVER even mentioned the psychological aspect, is simply to prevent people from launching into "Swaymageddon 2016" and doing these all encompassing mighty sways. It was never my intention to have you guys trade stressing over temp charts and pH sticks, for stressing over stress. We all have nerves, anxiety, stress, and so on, boy and girl mom alike.

[atomic sagebrush]

Yeah, cheese has always been a bit part of my life (!) and I've been trying to avoid it as I tend to go for a massive handful (which I weighed and it was A LOT!). I've been having a salad pitta for lunch plus chocolate, and veg based pasta or rice for dinner (only a tiny bit of cheese). Today I added in a little more and it did add on a few grams. I'm going to aim for 40 at least, over the next three weeks. Just worried that having 20-30 for a few weeks will have made me have dodgy eggs!
Ooo, hummus.. I love hummus - good idea!

Please don't worry or overthink the egg quality element. There are women out there, many, who have lived on a yoplait light for brekkie, a bagel and cream cheese for lunch, and salad or pasta for dinner. Year in, year out, and they think they're eating super healthy diets. These women are the ones who have egg quality issues. A few weeks cannot do any harm.

[atomic sagebrush]

I've been trying to substitute cheddar for Philadelphia cream cheese it's not the same but better than nothing in a salad pitta ! Yes try hummus mmm! X


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Why?? Philly is good too.

[atomic sagebrush]

Thanks everyone. Maidentomother - I've been very conscious of limiting boy-friendly fats, eating mostly horrid vegetable fats and rubbish... Kcal varying between 1,200 and up to 1,900 at the weekend. I've just been looking over my fat levels and they have varied quite a lot, between 21, and occasionally up to 50/55 (on a bad day!). I think I've been more hung up on protein and maybe should have paid closer attention to fat levels, although probably averaged around 30-35 so not so bad.
Thanks for all your advice. I do have the occasional whole egg and I do quite like cottage cheese so I will get some of that too.

I really prefer people stick between 1500-1800 cals and even up to 1800-2000 has gotten good results.

21 is not enough. 25 is barest minimum for fat and I am now recommending more like 30 as the lower level because too many people have had O go missing at 25. 50-55 is NOT a bad day. the limits for fat are 20-30% of days' cals and this shakes out to be 30-60 g (30% of 1800 cals is 60 g fat)

[honeybee37]

Thanks so much atomic! Great advice! Thank you.

[Mama2many]

My highest protein seems to be about 55. I feel like I'm eating a lot more stuff with protein in them like rice, pasta, and soy than I use to. Hmm

[Mama2many]

That's counting veggies and fruit

[Mama2many]

Topping the charts with carbs and sugar. . Great

[honeybee37]

Rice doesn't have much protein? Nor pasta, not really. I think as long as you're cutting down on really nutritious protein rich foods like salmon and chicken, while eggs and healthy beans etc, that that's the main thing. You have to eat something :)

[Mama2many]

I don't eat meat. Even before swaying. Or seafood.

[atomic sagebrush]

My highest protein seems to be about 55. I feel like I'm eating a lot more stuff with protein in them like rice, pasta, and soy than I use to. Hmm

That is a fine range and really not too high - especially since you are counting veggies and fruit which you are NOT supposed to count in your protein total.

[atomic sagebrush]

Rice doesn't have much protein? Nor pasta, not really. I think as long as you're cutting down on really nutritious protein rich foods like salmon and chicken, while eggs and healthy beans etc, that that's the main thing. You have to eat something :)

:agree: The point is that you're eating less than when you got your boys, but still enough to get and stay pregnant. If you're a vegetarian, then cut back on your normal sources of protein soemwhat.