Is it ok that I'm under on protein?

[Navywife620]

I started the diet 4 days ago. I wasn't going to track my food but I decided to put in what I have been eating on my fitness pal. I put it yesterday's and today's. ive been at 22g both days. I feel competely fine.

[Erin514]

That's very low. Being at 22 one day won't hurt you, but if you're regularly under, you risk not being healthy enough to conceive and carry to term. There are also studies that link a low protein diet BEFORE conception to health problems for the baby down the road, even if the mother ate a healthy diet during pregnancy. The LE limits are for healthy weight loss. I really wouldn't feel safe going below them.

[Navywife620]

What should I add to my diet. I've been eating things off of the 21 day menu. So I figured they would be good enough.

[Erin514]

If your calories and fat are OK and all you need is more protein, you could try beans, legumes, tofu, cottage cheese or other low fat dairy. If you eat meat, a small portion of chicken will up protein very quickly. If you're low on fat too I find peanut butter a good one to up both, as it's one of the less nutrient-dense nuts.

[Navywife620]

See I'm not low in fat and calories are fine. Maybe I'll get some hummus or avocado. I need something low in fat but higher in protein I guess.

[3'sacharm]

In that case I would have thought chicken or fish would be your best bet, or low fat yogurt as you'll still get the protein without the fat x

[Navywife620]

I think chicken will put me over on protein. I did have some yogurt yesterday after I posted this. But I still was only at 30g of protein for the day. Maybe egg whites?

[atomic sagebrush]

No, it's not ok. The LE Diet is meant to be a healthy pre-pregnancy diet (it's just at the lower end of the spectrum) so you can't cut back any lower than 40 g.

Additionally I want you to be very sure you're not counting protein in things like fruit and veg. those things are free for protein, the kind of protein in them is not well used by the body (plus the government rounds it up, so it's usually NOT 1 g of protein or whatever is supposedly in lettuce LOL) and that 40-50 g protein means actual protein in forms you can use.

[atomic sagebrush]

What should I add to my diet. I've been eating things off of the 21 day menu. So I figured they would be good enough.

The 21 day diet book is not balanced by the day. I put them in day form just to illustrate what a person's day might look like, but I did not want you guys locked into eating certain breakfast, lunch, dinner combos (I've tried meal plans like that before and they're really tough to stick to and take this attention to detail that is not great for pink sways)

Can you tell me what exactly your'e eating?

[atomic sagebrush]

I think chicken will put me over on protein. I did have some yogurt yesterday after I posted this. But I still was only at 30g of protein for the day. Maybe egg whites?

You can eat a small piece of chicken, as an example, or an egg, or skim yogurt.

AT the end of the 21 day diet book there are reference materials that have tons of suggestions in them for things that have protein and not much else going on (or fat, cals, potassium, etc)