Protein Overload and How to Simplify Following the Plan

[AnnieB]

Two questions: I'm new to Protein Power and have been on PP for two weeks and have done well -- no real carb cravings anymore. However, I'm having trouble getting in all the protein called for. Some days I feel like another bite will be too much. How do those of you who have done this for awhile get all the protein?
Second, is there some way to simplify following the plan? I hate to plan meals but can if I have to. I guess my question is how do you live with it day to day so that meals and eating become easy.

[LisaS]

Don't eat stuff from a package.
Eat meat (beef, pork, eggs, fish, poultry)
Eat non-starchy vegetables like salads, broccoli, asparagus, peppers, cauliflower, green beans and so on.
Limit amounts of the sweet veggies like carrots, tomatoes, onions.
Once a day, have some fruit. Berries are a good choice.
Don't avoid good fats like avocados, olives, nuts, coconut.
Limit sugary condiments like ketchup, BBQ sauce and so forth.

For me, most weekdays this means:
Breakfast: protein shake + frozen berries + a few nuts
Lunch: meat + raw veg (crudite or salad) + dressing or dip
Dinner: meat + cooked veg + (most days) salad & dressing
Dessert (if wanted) : piece of dark chocolate & almonds
or cheese + a little fruit (melon, grapes, cherries)
or cheese + salami/pepperoni
or greek yogurt + frozen berries

[jkmfrog]

Other opinions may differ, but in the 5 or so years I've been doing this I never forced myself to eat the reccomended amount if I was full. Some folks supplement with whey protein powder.

My simplification: eat a well seasoned meat, eat a veggie. a couple of times a week I get fancy and make a sauce, or a special salad with lots of ingredients, but most nights and lunchs are a meat (pork chop, roast chicken, grilled chicken, pork roast, steak, beef roast, lamb, smoked turkey leg, turkey breast, the list is endless), and a cooked or raw veggie (green beans, lettuce, broccoli, asparagus, cauliflower, mushrooms, summer squash, eggplant, etc. you get the idea). I always make sure the meat is well seasoned, or marinated, in somethign low carb. Some dishes are quick cooked in a pan or on the grill and some are roasted or slow cooked in the oven. Also, I like to make a stew in the crockpot during the day while I'm gone to work

Invest in a couple of low carb cookbooks - tons of them available through online sources - in case you need ideas for seasonings or marinades.


Breakfast is simple too: one or two of the following: leftover dinner meat traditional breakfast meat, lunch meat, egg, LC fruit, nuts, protein smothie. Veggies and or cheese may be added to this as well if you want to take the time or have leftovers from another meal. I try to vary this daily so I don't get bored, but during a single week I might eat only 3-4 of any of these things.

[Gaelen]

Hi, AnnieB...welcome in.
I find that if I don't get my minimum protein recommendation, I stop losing. I don't worry too much about missing the mark on a single day, as long as my average intake over a week comes out to what it should be. A day or two on the low end will balance out a day or two eating more.

That said, if you're using the 'average' protein portions recommended in either Protein Power Life Plan or the 30-day low carb Diet Solution books, then you should realize that if you go back to Protein Power (the first book) and do the actual tape measure measurements and calculations, your minimum recommended protein, factoring in your activity level, could be significantly lower...up to a third lower...because it's based on an estimate of your lean body mass, not an estimate of your height + weight + sex. A lot of people are intimidated by the whole calculations thing, but get out your tape measure and your calculator and make the effort...for me, the recommendations differ by around 30g of protein, which is a whole meal. So you may want to find a copy of the original book and do the math.

As for simplifying the plan, planning IS pretty important in the beginning. Once you know counts in your head and don't have to look everything up, you can wing it--but in the beginning, when you're still getting used to eating low carb, you may find that planning and lists of carb counts that are easily accessible are the way to go. For me the easy way to simplify is to spend a little time doing homework, and then make two lists: one of foods I can buy without having to read the label every time, and one a repertoire of dishes I can make that I know fit on plan.

For instance, I don't worry about whether my ketchup, mustard and BBQ sauce have too many carbs...I find the one that is the lowest possible carbs, and then that's all I keep in the house. I use Heinz organic ketchup, several varieties of mustards that are all zero carbs, and Dinosaur BBQ sauce, as well as a couple of organic salad dressings that are 1g carbs per tablespoon. I buy diced cannned no-salt-added tomatoes to use in recipes that are 3g ECC per 1/2 cup, or around 10g ECC for the whole 14 oz. can. If it's packaged, I know its carb (and protein) count without having to check it every time. And I don't have to deny myself the pleasure of a condiment because the only condiments in the house are the ones that fit on plan.

I use vegetables freely, because I took the time to learn the carb counts of the ones I use most often, and I posted the list right on the fridge. So I know that a 1/2 cup of diced onion is only 5g ECC, and a clove of garlic is about a tablespoon, or 1g ECC, and a 1/2 cup of diced tomato is about 5g ECC. Mitra posted a list in the 'Getting Started' forums that lists all the carb bargains...everything that is just 1g ECC, 3g ECC or 5g ECC or less.
http://www.proteinpower.com/forum/showthread.php?t=62

Make a list of the reliable meals you can depend on...and they don't all have to be meat. Omelets, curried spinach and paneer, grilled salmon burgers, caprese salad--they all fit on plan, and if they're things you like to eat, make sure you have those ingredients on hand all the time. Start out with two or three go-to meals, and then add a new meal every now and then until you're up to a week of meals you can make and rely on. Check out the recipes section to find things that appeal to you, and make sure those ingredients are always in your pantry.

Hope this helps.

[WakefieldWendy]

I think one of the ways that makes things easy is to find a meal or two that works for your breakfasts, and a meal or two that works as your lunch. Then you can eat those "without thinking" and only really need to plan dinner.

Hope that helps.

[AnnieB]

Thanks for the suggestions. I can see they'll help. I guess it all boils down to time and experience. Luckily I like to cook and I'm retired.

I'm committed to this forever. My goals aren't beauty (although that will help) but to avoid diabetes and to get off the cholesterol and high blood pressure meds. If anyone needs motivation read "The Diabetes Solution" by Dr. Richard K. Bernstein. That did it for me.

[maxlharris]

I'd add the following:
If you don't cook for others, dump starches from your house. If you have only LC things, you don't need to worry.

Build a meal (planned or on the fly) with protein first, then add stuff.

Breakfast can be challenging. If I had a nickel for everytime I heard someone on another forum ask about breakfast solutions, well, I'd be rich enough to not care about much. Opening the definition of breakfast to be simply meal #1 helps. I like protein shakes for breakfast. Breaking down my mental image of breakfast as a meal vs. a fueling necessity has been really helpful.

I like the go-to's. I would add my tip: Make a lot of different rubs, compound butters, and finishing sauces that you can have on hand and ready to go. You can take the same old meat dinner and really kick it to something else pretty easily.

I don't plan. I have my breakfast shake, and my post workout shake, but mostly, lunch is leftovers or unplanned, and dinner is defrosted and generally unplanned. If you keep staples, you change them to fit the new diet, and you can, with time, be very effortless in your efforts.

[Spruce Goose]

One of the things I found hardest at the beginning were planning for meals.

Breakfast: This one is rough for me. I don't have a lot of time in the morning and I don't feel like getting too involved. My brain is on autopilot so I try to keep it simple. For a while I was nuking an egg patty and a sausage patty which was ok. Then I switch to low-carb tortilla with lunch meat and protein shake. Right now I'm trying to get away from this because the lunch meat is so processed. I'm leaning towards doing paleolithic punch (maybe use vanilla shake as liquid) and maybe something a little more solid like a boiled egg.

Lunch: I've finally settled in on making tuna. I figure it's a good way to get some omega 3s and if I use one of the family packs it ends up being a fair amount of food with a ton of protein :) I don't eat it every day but usually 3 days out of the week.

Dinner: This was hard at first but now that my wife and I have a lot of low-carb recipes it's much easier. We're always on the lookout for new recipes to add more options.

[Anniesnan]

It's interesting to read about which meals different people have problems with.

I could eat breakfast for every meal. I love eggs and except for the year I took bio in high school, I've eaten eggs at least 6 out of 7 days a week ever since I learned to cook. I will eat them any way except poached or soft boiled. When I wake up late or for some other reason I really have no time - I throw some in a pot to boil while I am showering and dressing.
(and then I'll take them with me).
I adore bacon, too, and my only variation is 3 strips or 2:D.

Dinner is also not a problem. It's not usually pre-planned (who knows what dh will want), but it's some sort of protein and some sort of lower carb veggie (spinach, broccoli, green beans) and sometimes a salad.

Lunch is my problem meal. I usually eat alone, so it's all about me. I don't want to take a lot of time prepping food, though. And I get tired of tuna really fast. Processed meats are okay, but I try to stay away from them.
Shakes are out - I could never even drink a milk shake or thick shake.

Thanks to Max's Challenge this month, and my response - to PLAN MY LUNCHES - I've been doing better. Lunch is now often left-over from dinner. Or made ahead chef salad or chicken breast with salad.

[BluQQ]

is there a simple formula for eating?
how many grams of XYZ are allowed each day?
Im confussssssssssed

[Benay]

BluQQ, you will find that we all recommend reading the books. Protein Power Life Plan and the 30 Day books both give some very simplified rules for the amount of protein and carbohydrate to eat at a meal. In addition, if you go to the top of the forums to the introduction section, there is a post called "Protein power in a Nutshell" and there too you will find some basic guidelines. Again, buy one of the books or get it from the library. It's a good investment for your health.

[maxlharris]

is there a simple formula for eating?
how many grams of XYZ are allowed each day?
Im confussssssssssed

Yes. And no.
If you are looking to lose weight, 30-40g of carbs, maximum, per day. Ideally, broken out to no more than 10/meal. That's the yes.

The no is the protein. You figure your lean body mass with a formula (or you look up your height and weight on a table, depending on which book you are using). You figure out how active you are gonna be (forget if this matters in PP Life Plan, but it was pretty important in PP). You take LBM, multiply by an activity factor (.5 for lump like, .9 for NFL training camp), and you have your daily protein minimum. For most people, between ~70 and ~130. You break that up into meals, and make sure you get your per meal minimum in each meal. This is a floor, not a ceiling. Eating extra protein is fine.

Lastly, fat. Eat till you are satisfied, not full. Learn the difference.

That's the bare bones of it. For meal planning, it means:
Start with protein. Don't sweat the fat. Limit the carbs. Not terribly difficult once you get over the hump.

[Bev-Ann]

I find the original poster's dilemma very strange. I have the opposite problem...my daily minimum protein is only 48g (based on the detailed calcs from the original book that Gaelen mentioned) which is riduculously low for what I like to eat. Even in PPLP where there is no calc, the chart only gives me 60g/day. I do what Max recommended...build my meals around the protein portion. That's just how I was brought up. I end up over 100g/day quite often.
I've been following PP since March of 2004 and this has worked for me...that is until April of this year when I quit smoking. For details, see my thread http://www.proteinpower.com/forum/showthread.php?t=3744.
I've gained 27 pounds and still going. I'm wondering now if I'm getting too much protein? I found the other threads that discuss the issue of excess protein but I didn't see a definitive answer. There was a lot of scientific jargon flying around but nothing a lay-person like me could look to to say "Yes, I'm eating too much protein" or "No, that's not why I'm still gaining weight".

[butterfly]

I find the original poster's dilemma very strange. I have the opposite problem...my daily minimum protein is only 48g (based on the detailed calcs from the original book that Gaelen mentioned) which is riduculously low for what I like to eat. Even in PPLP where there is no calc, the chart only gives me 60g/day. I do what Max recommended...build my meals around the protein portion. That's just how I was brought up. I end up over 100g/day quite often.
I've been following PP since March of 2004 and this has worked for me...that is until April of this year when I quit smoking. For details, see my thread http://www.proteinpower.com/forum/showthread.php?t=3744.
I've gained 27 pounds and still going. I'm wondering now if I'm getting too much protein? I found the other threads that discuss the issue of excess protein but I didn't see a definitive answer. There was a lot of scientific jargon flying around but nothing a lay-person like me could look to to say "Yes, I'm eating too much protein" or "No, that's not why I'm still gaining weight".

Your protein requirement for the day seems awfully low-are you sure you calculated correctly?

[laughingW]

There was a lot of scientific jargon flying around but nothing a lay-person like me could look to to say "Yes, I'm eating too much protein" or "No, that's not why I'm still gaining weight".
Well short of asking Dr. Michael Eades himself - all we can do is read threads like that to get informed, and then make a choice for ourselves.

Have you tried lowering the protein, and replace it with fat so you're not hungry?

[Taterhead]

Here is the basic sample plan from the 30 days lowcarb book.

Eat 7-10 net carbs per meal or snack, don't save up carbs for later and think I can have 20 net for dinner since I didn't eat but 3 carbs for breakfast. No more then 30-40 net carbs per day total during the weight loss phase.

Fruit should always be eaten with some protein like cheese or nuts, never eaten alone.

B. eggs, any style, with choice of bacon, ham, sausage or fish. 1 slice low-carb toast with butter if "desired"

L. Bacon cheeseburger or grilled chicken breast, no bun, with a side salad with low-starch veggies w/ full fat dressing.

Snack, 1/2 small serving of fruit,with nuts or cheese

Dinner. Choice of grilled/broiled steak, chicken, pork or fish. 1/2-1 cup green or colorful low starch veggies and side salad with real full fat dressing. 1/2 cup berries.