Not sure if Im getting enough protein

[teddybear3]

Hi everyone,
I just started Protein Power today. I did really good on my carbs. I actually had less then 30 grams. My problem is that Im not sure how to measure out the protein. Like for meats, there are approximately 20 grams of protein in 4oz. of meat. Which Is what I am supposed to have, 20 grams per meal. Do you measure the 4oz by weight or what?? Im not sure if I had enough protein today. Another problem is I am really bad about skipping meals. I have never been a breakfast eater and sometimes I would skip breakfast and lunch. Is this bad? I mean as far as getting the minimum amount of protein? Can anyone suggest ways to do this if Im not hungry at lunch ...is there some kind of snack or something small I could eat instead of a full meal in order to get the protein? Thanks for all your help!

[Karen]

You measure by weight. But all you have to do is eat a piece the size of the palm of your hand...you don't have to measure. It's also OK to go over 20 grams per meal so don't sweat it!

As for eating, you may want to eat five or six smaller meals a day. A boiled egg, a few chicken wings, a slice of meat, a piece of hard cheese, a can of tuna or salmon along with some cooked or raw vegetables. Or, some people like to have a protein shake for breakfast or lunch.

Abd a bit more advice...less carbs will not necessarily make you lose faster! Enjoy your vegetables and fruit if you choose to eat fruit and don't worry about ketosis or ketostix!

Karen

[doreen T]

hi Jamie,

Karen is right, it's fine to go over what you've calculated to be your minimum amount of protein per meal. What you need to be careful is that you don't go BELOW that amount. Especially breakfast ... a lot of folks don't get the full requirement for protein at breakfast.

A protein shake might be an option for breakfast. Use a protein powder (whey or soy isolate) which provides 4g carbs or less per serving ... blend with water, a little cream or yogurt, and ½ cup fresh or frozen berries. You may wish to add a Tbsp fresh flaxseed oil to boost the nutrition. Most protein powders provide roughly 25 - 30g protein per serving.

The other thing is to make sure that your daily carb allotment is divided relatively evenly between meals and snacks through the day. This is important to keep insulin balanced ... don't save up all the carbs to eat at one meal. No single meal should have more than 10g ECC (for phase 1) or 15g ECC (for phase 2).

BTW, most meats provide 7g protein per ounce .. unless it's very fatty, or a processed meat such as bologna or weiners ... those are full of fillers.

hth,

Doreen

[teddybear3]

Your input helped alot. As far as the fruit goes...if i wanted to have an apple....how much could i have? Or how many carbs are in an apple ? Thanks again!

[doreen T]

hi Jamie,

If you check in the Protein Power book (you do have the book, right?? ;)) ... there are charts of carb foods listed by portion size in 5 gram ECC increments. Half a med. apple is 9g ECC.

Actually, there are also lists of how much meat, eggs, cheese, tofu etc you need to eat at each meal in order to get your full protein requirement.

These lists, as well as meal plans etc are all in Chapter 5, "Putting it all Together".

A good carb counter would be helpful for you .. there's a link at the top of every page, from the orange menu bar. Just click on Low Carb Tools. The nutrient counts include ECC :thup:

hth,

Doreen

[teddybear3]

Thanks alot for your help again :D
Yes i do have the book, Im just new at all this counting and measuring and all...kinda slow at figuring it all out. :p

Thanks ! :)

[rainn]

Hiya Jamie... The first time hubby and i did the PP plan( a few years ago)... we had a rough time finding stuff in the book... I knew I had read it somewhere but just couldnt find it for some reason... so what we did was we went through the book again and marked the pages we used a lot... My SIL went a step further and printed out the protein lists as well as the carb lists and pasted them on her fridge... it really helped. :D Hang in there, you will get the hang of it and do just fine!

[MsJinx]

did someone suggest using www.fitday.com? It's a free service that will help you see how much you're eating - protein, carbs, fat, etc. GREAT!
Jinx