MFP has a 20% of calories goal for protein. This week I'm at 20%, weeks before that: 19, 22, 21, 19, 20, 19, 19, 19, 20.

What would you recommend as a % of calories goal? Any specific tips you would include for boosting protein? I usually will use the Light & Fit Greek Yogurts on days where I feel like I need extra protein, adds 12g on only 80 cal.

MFP's recommendations are bad and should feel bad.

0.6-0.8 g/lb of bodyweight is a pretty good target imo. This article may be a useful read, if a bit neckbeardy. Mostly I just think you should eat more because meat tastes good and more protein generally helps satiety, which helps compliance.

If you're going to eat yogurt, eat something decent like Fage (and slice some fresh fruit into it) and not that artificially flavored horse semen you just mentioned.

Do you think those numbers are good/necessary for a sedentary person?

Also, I mean, I like the Dannon 80 calorie yogurts, I think the 'horse semen' is a bit over the top. They are really easy and convenient, as compared to having to have fresh fruit on hand wherever I am. Also the Fage isn't sold where I shop.

Meh protein doesn't seem too bad for someone who doesn't even lift imo. If satiety isn't a problem that is.

Maybe I was being uncharitable . . . bull semen perhaps?

In any case, just trust me. Find any reputable brand of real yogurt (I prefer greek, you may not) and keep some fresh fruit in the fridge in your office. If you're on the road, buy the pre-cut stuff in a supermarket and expense it. It tastes loads better and is actually real food.

I can't eat the plain Fage stuff, it's gross. Good texture but gross.

I like the Dannons but like the yoplaits whips even more, even though 100 cals. The puffy texture in the whips is A+.

loco,

It's probably because you've been conditioned from birth to expect sour cream when you see something with that color and consistency, and then you're disappointed when it's not.

I hate sour cream. I hate all plain yogurt, only when it's masked in sugar do I like.

This goes go back to my childhood though. Lactose intolerant and forced to drink and eat tons of milk products all my life, lived in a ranch.

Yeah, I had some plain greek yogurt with honey a few years ago at an Omni Hotel and it was awful. Maybe another brand is different? I dunno, this seems a very small issue, considering I am living a joyless existence and not getting a workout, the differences in these yogurts seems small, especially considering the difference in convenience, price, and being able to get my GF and kids to eat them.

Dannon Light & Fit Greek: 9g carb, 0g fat, 12g protein, 80 calories
FAGE Total Plain 0% Greek: 7g carb, 0g fat, 18g protein, 100 calories.

BUT, I would need to add fruit which will add calories and carbs, but no/minimal protein. If after fruit, the FAGE is 120 cals, the cal/protein ratio is literally exactly the same, but is a bigger calorie investment.

FAGE also has a 0% split cup, with fruit already in. 17g carb, 0g fat, 13g protien, 120 calories. So an extra 40 calories, plus twice the carbs for a single extra gram of protein?

The only ingredients that comprise more than 1% in the Dannon are: cultured milk, fructose, and water. The Strawberry Cheesecake includes strawberry puree.

I dunno, this seems kind of like more of a 'food snob' thing than a nutritional thing. In October, when I go to the Oklahoma-Texas football game, I will be logging several Coors Lights or equivalent. Yes, I'm aware that, for 4x the price, I could have a micro-brewed craft IPA wharkadoodle. However, when drinking for volume at 9am, good ole American mass brew is where it's at.

I do sincerely appreciate all input though! Let me know if I'm missing something in the above.

4/21: Just for Montecore (), I ate 10 oz of grilled chicken for lunch. Was prepping, because my kiddos had a birthday party to go to that night. Sure enough, pizza the only option. Fairly decent job limiting myself to 3 slices, and skipped the cookie cake. Gotta be happy with sub-1500 with pizza for dinner!

Lol +1

Horse semen isn't over the top.

4/22 - This was set to be a good day, I had consumed few calories in preparation for being out of town Sunday-Wednesday. Went to my daughter's roller derby game, and they had $5 pina coladas, who could turn one of those down? Then my dad and his gf invited us out to dinner afterwards, and we hadn't hung out in a long time. We went to a Mexican food restaurant, and I did my best, having no chips (literally first time in my life at a Mexican restaurant not having chips) and having beer instead of a margarita. Street tacos were not bad calorically. Dad and his gf ordered Mexican egg rolls, which were stuffed with beef, cheese and jalapenos and were amazing. Split one with my gf, and turned down offer of another, which was superhuman.



4/23 - We had a late lunch/early dinner with my gf's mom and brother and his gf, so I only had 3 hard-boiled eggs and coffee until then. Allowed me to have what I wanted at dinner and still be comfortably under my target for the day.



4/24 - Had dinner with my gf's dad and his gf, so I only had one meal for breakfast/lunch. Food for the day was within target, but had two awesome margaritas at dinner, and then a couple drinks back at the hotel. Was happy with my dinner, got shrimp/steak/chicken fajitas, only used one corn and one flour tortilla, and just ate the rest of the meat with the veggies, and very sparingly used the cheese. Rationed out 10 chips, heh.



4/25 - GF sabotage tour continues, as she really wanted a Rocky Mountain caramel apple. We got two and shared, I got the "apple pie" one and she got the "Snickers" one. Outrageously delicious honestly, but just horrendous nutritionally. Dinner out with friends, had an awesome soft-shell crab app and sushi. No breakfast, light lunch, which helped not bomb the day entirely.



4/26 - GF and I had brunch at Genghis (Gangis?) Grill. The nutrition calculator on their site is busted, but I did my best. We also split the dessert that was shown on MLYLT's thread. Was amazeballs. I had that for my only meal of the day, with just a horse semen yogurt at night, so way under target even with the dessert. Played golf in the afternoon and had a Dos XX while I played.

Nice work. Finding balance and still enjoying social settings and restaurant food while making solid choices is what it's all about imo.

Thanks rAv!

4/27 -

Logs coming shortly. Weighed in twice this morning per bet. Weighed 188.0 in one and 187.8 in the other. By rule, official weigh in is 188.0, -3.4 lb for April.

Black,

Congrats, awesome progress!

+1

Great progress OP, especially with all the business travel.

4/28 - Had a work meeting at a Mexican restaurant for lunch, so skipped breakfast and kept things regulated. Breakfast for dinner, yum.



4/29 - Had my older daughter's Math Pentathlon competition. Grabbed one breakfast taco there, which was a win considering they had donuts and tacos. Also had to use sugar in my coffee, they had no calorie-free sweetener. For lunch, one sausage wrap, and 5 of my younger daughter's nachos. Competition ran long, and my older daughter wasn't able to go out of town to see her cousins as planned. For consolation, and since she went 5-0 to earn a gold medal and Hall of Fame spot, she got to select the evening's activities, which were pizza and a movie. Lots of fat today, but still under 2k!



4/30 - GF's birthday. Went out to eat at a locally-sourced food place for brunch, was great. Took GF and kiddo for frozen yogurt, then grilled NY Strips for dinner. Over calories today, no ragrets.

Thanks y'all! Long way to go, particularly for fitness, but can't complain about -16 lbs in 3 months.

Black,

It's fitting that you are utilizing many of the suggestions given to mlylt in her thread.

Lots of good advice in there!

So black wins this month by default?

She has until the end of the day to post a weight. She has an email address that she can send info to. If I don't get a weigh in by the end of the day, then I would say yes. Given how her April was going, I can't imagine she lost more than 1.8% of her body weight for the month, which she would have needed to do.

It's called splitting?

Black Aces,

Congrats on the weight loss and being in the 180's. Nice job!

Thanks! I haven't been in the 170s since college, so full steam ahead!