@christopherv So here's the perspective of a not-vegan:
I used to be vegan, and coincidentally I was in the best shape of my life back then. I had absolutely no problem getting the amount of protein I felt best on, which was only 100+ grams. I made great gains on that and recovered fine. Which was neat because I was in college and rice and beans were what I could afford lol. That's the thing - you can show me all the scientific studies you want about how much protein I need or how one particular style of eating is "optimal" for my goals but you can't argue me out of how I feel. Even if it's a placebo effect. I mean I wish you could, because I would love for a lower protein diet to make me feel less hungry than it does. The reason I had no problem getting tons of protein was because this was back in college and I played 3 sports in addition to lifting. I had trouble getting enough food period, so protein absolutely wasn't an issue.
But now it's several years later and aside from long distance backpacking I've fallen into the "sports guy graduates uni and gets fat" meme. My diet is ~1200-1500 kcal/day (basically same stats as OP but a man) and I've found a high protein diet helps me not be hungry.
I prefer eating plant-based for the environment. After I diet down and can go back to eating a more normal 2000-2500 kcals/day I will go back to mostly plant based. But to be mostly plant based right now would require eating like tons of DIY soylent made from soy protein isolate and PB2 and I don't love the environment enough to do that for months. I already do that when hiking because it's light and you don't need to cook it lol.
So if y'all could be understanding and maybe help me out that would be cool. I wish keto-style didn't work so well for me but it does.
@jdowler Do you eat a can of black beans? Or soak your own and cook them till tender in a crock pot? Do you have a whole foods or a veg-friendly grocery store nearby? They should have something called tempeh. It's delicious and around $1 a serving. There are hundreds of youtube videos on how to make delicious tofu.
You can also buy lentils. Lentils are unbelievably filling. They do take a couple weeks to get used to but it's worth it. Unbelievably cheap and high satiation.
@savinghopexx You know what I might actually just try that. Maybe beans will be filling enough even though they have a lot of carbs. Back when I was in college I went though ~1/3-1/2 lb dried beans a day because I was in college and beans are cheap lol. Just beans + leafy veggies like collards would probably be pretty filling.
You know I actually did pick up tempeh the other day to try it out (never had tempeh before because that $4 was too much for me at the time compared to the $2 for tofu). I didn't even have to go to a specific grocery store for the tempeh, it was right next to the tofu in my normal grocery store. Still haven't done anything with them yet though because I forgot how to cool them lol. TVP is decently low in carbs too.
Actually this is a lot more do-able than I thought it would be.
@jdowler I steam the tempeh on a pan for about 1 minute and then drench it in soy sauce or if i'm feeling sassy some good bbq sauce, in a couple minutes it's perfect. don't overcook it it can break down real quick.
Jokes aside, this article shows you only need between .6-.8 g protein/LB of BW if you're working out.
Considering you don't seem to work out that much, how much you're eating rn (70 g) seems perfectly reasonable.
Edit: the answer to your question: I usually go with .6-.8 number as the studies show, but most of the time I eat roughly the same stuff, so I don't really keep track of my protein or macros/micros.
@grademacher Hahaha I still have meat on my bones at 125, trust me. It's tough being short!
I appreciate the help. I think it seems reasonable for what I'm doing at the moment, but I'm bummed that I'll likely have to eat more protein if I increase the intensity and frequency of my workouts, which I intend to do.
Although if I do that, I'm sure I'll have more wiggle room with calories.
I strongly recommend you take the time to learn how to run barefoot style. At one point, knee pain and shin splints had me concluding that I'd never run again. After reading some articles online, I picked up a pair of $20 water deck shoes and cured myself.
Barefoot style is not running on the balls of your feet. This is style of running is called 'trying to injure your feet'. Barefoot running involves landing on the midfoot/ball and yet push off your stride with your heel. You will need to move your weight forward over your feet and increase the bend in your knees to do this efficiently.
It took ~six weeks of daily practice before I was comfortable. But worth it: I've eliminated my knee pain and never get shin splints.
As far as exercise protein requirements, I'd go with the advice of the people who are more educated and informed about protein over the people more educated and informed about ethical animal treatment.
@bellab Man, barefoot running seems to be something people are either strongly for or strongly against, and nothing in between. I've never tried it but I'm sure there is something to it. I injured myself while wearing Hokas which are probably the most cushioned running shoe you could buy.
That said, I know why I got hurt and it wasn't just because of the shoes. I was stupid and I jumped in to half marathon training after several months of not running a single mile and never having a very consistent base to begin with. I fucked myself up badly enough that I was only a few runs away from stress fractures. This was over the summer and I'm still recovering, slowly but surely. But I'm going for my first test run in a while this weekend! I'm wearing Brooks now which are the shoes that always worked for me in the past.
@christopherv Ah, ok. That's different -- I'd assumed the more common injury caused by repeated stress. If it's working for you, then it's working. Good luck.
@christopherv As a counter to barefoot, I trained to forefoot strike and not overstride,and eliminated my knee and shin pain. Overstriding is the one thing everyone agrees is bad....
@christopherv What exactly is your goal? I know you mentioned you are doing basic lifts and exercise right now. How do you want to utilize protein in your diet. Maintain, gain, lose weight?
If you are looking for basic info on how much humans "need", I have done my own research. I have looked into many, MANY, articles, podcasts, and journals. A constant I keep seeing is for males, 50 grams is optimum protein. I am positive, without a doubt, you can easily hit that on a daily basis.
Edit: Males "need" 50 grams. Females is around 42 grams.
@lyndas I mentioned I'd like to lose a little bit of weight--but as for how protein plays into that, I want to maintain muscle while doing so and not feel crazy hungry. Eventually I'd like to gain some muscle but not a ton. I'm basically looking for a bit of a recomp.
Also, aren't those numbers the bare minimum RDA for inactive/sedentary people?
@christopherv Ok, I thought that is what your case was. Yes, 50 is optimum even for sedentary individuals. Let's say you are looking to put on serious mass, the rule of thumb is, as you may know, consume your body weight in grams. In your case, I honestly would shoot for about 60-70 grams for now. That won't make you huge or anything such as that.
Also, this whole "WE NEED PROTEIN" movement, is a marketing ploy. As humans, we should be MORE concerned with getting enough fiber into our diets.
@christopherv I think the proof is in the pudding! I am currently able to progress in my fitness goals, feel like I recover relatively quickly, have plenty of energy, and my doctor says my blood work looks good. As long as that stays true for you, who cares what people on the internet are saying is the theoretical best diet out there?
FWIW, I'm also 5'3", and weigh around 130. I have come to the conclusion that I'm good when I get around 15% of my calories from protein. For 1800 calories, that's 270 calories coming from protein, or 67.5 grams of protein. So your goal of 70 sounds perfect!
@christopherv Check out YouTube vlogger naturally stefanie, she's a weight lifting vegan who often shows her daily food intake including numbers. But she also has amazing recipes and ideas that show vegan food can be fun!
Well there is quite a range and as a vegan you almost certainly won't get too much so all you really have to focus on is a minimum, which I would personally say is 1.2 g/kg of your ideal weight. So if you want to be 55 kg, then 66+ grams. If you feel like you aren't achieving your weight goals, try for 1.4 g/kg, then 1.6, etc.
