For me, the ticket to muscle gain is not an increase in protein consumption, but fat, especially saturated fat. I am 75kg in body weight. I’ve gained quite a bit of muscle while eating only 60grams of protein, in addition to alot of saturated fat. I think the ticket is that a high fat diet provides energy so that my body doesn’t need to degrade my own muscle for fuel.

In relation to another readers comment, yes it is true that a high carb diet can make one’s muscles look “fuller”, but it is only a facade. If one follows a low carb diet rich in fat, there body might look small for a few weeks as it loses retained fluid, but then suddenly the body will take on a much fuller look once it has fat-adapted.

I recall a bodybuilder back in the day who gained alot of muscle (and loss body fat) eating a diet low in carbs, lowish in protein and extremely high in fat, so much so that he was eating in the neighbourhood of 8000 calories daily as he “dieted” for a contest. That is no misprint. I cant recall his name, but it is indeed true.

i didn’t remember the wrist, for obvious reasons.

It’s not quite the same. The one in PP requires men to obtain a wrist measurement, which is a stand in for bone structure size.

If I am gaining instead of losing, isn’t reasonable to cut back on the amount of protein?

I have been eating low carb (under 100 gr) for the last 5 years. Could I have adapted to a lower need for protein?

Marilyn

It’s difficult for me to tell what’s going on with you without knowing a whole lot more. The protein calculations are not ‘not to exceed amounts.’ If you are having difficulty in consuming 120 g of protein, back off a little until you find an amount that is satisfying and stick there. Make sure you take in plenty of good quality fat, too.

Not much exercise in either group. Wasn’t a big part of the study.

There are a bunch of different methods to calculate body fat. Most come up with figures that are reasonably accurate. The important thing is to use the same methods to determine improvement in body composition and not jump from method to method.

No problem. I thought that’s what it was, but wasn’t sure.

You have decided to eat 30 grams of carbohydrate a day. To avoid loss of lean muscle mass you must eat 162 grams of high quality protein each day. This can be found in 27.1 ounces of meat, eggs, or hard cheese.

Round out your diet with 203 grams of fat.

I can’t see consuming that much fat. I’d have to drink cups of olive oil! I’d rather increase the amount of protein.

I think it would be difficult to consume 2,600 calories per day on a good quality low-carb diet. Most people settle in at around, or even below, 2000 calories per day.

My own diet is around 60-65% fat, 25-30% protein, and 5-10% carbs. I would think that ideal would be somewhere in this range. Were I you, I would probably up my fat a little.