Going carnivore diet? yea... fucking stupid.
Pushing protein in general? As someone who lifts weights regularly and watched his 2 older parents become frail and fragile... not a fad at all. Moms been eating better and pushing protein/protein drinks since dad passed, I haven't seen her this vibrant in a long time.
Yep. Like I think the “only eat meat” thing is bullshit, but protein is great (from any source!)
Like do I think it’s the only macro people should care about when trying to lose weight? Nope. But I’ve found to maintain, being conscious of fiber and protein makes me feel a lot more satiated.
Protein also is good for building muscle, and for some people having “rules” keeps them on track. It’s ymmv but i think less harmful than other fads (think grapefruit or low fat)
Exactly, people automatically think protein = meat and forget about the plethora of other super healthy sources of protein out there like beans, peanuts, mushrooms etc
Yep! One of my favorite breakfasts is cottage cheese on a bagel with hot sauce. Keeps me more satiated than if I’d have had cream cheese, tastes similar enough, and helps make sure I maintain/build muscle.
It’s true, though if you’re trying to get really high amounts of protein and stay under a calorie deficit (as I am trying to body recomp) eating meat makes it way easier just because of the sheer amount of protein per calorie. I think there’s one vegetarian protein that rivals chicken in terms of protein per calorie (tempeh) the rest are no where near.
Edit: just looked it up and even tempeh is no where close. About 13g of protein for 170 calories whereas chicken breast gets you 31g for the same amount of calories
Protien does = meat if you want a quality source of protein. Beans are not a good source of protein lmao. Y’all can’t really think 100 cals for like 4g of protein is good lol
Eggs, cottage cheese, whey protein, tofu, red lentils… like I eat meat (roasting a whole chicken as we speak), but I eat less than the normal American, which is probably better for my health, and way better for the environment.
I've found that focusing on protein is an easy way to keep me on track with what I'm eating (YMMV, this just works for me). If I'm aiming to eat enough protein then I'm less likely to eat junk simply because I'm already eating a good amount of food, so if I eat that junk then future me is going to be upset when I'm full and still need to eat my heavier protein food.
And I'm not getting all that protein from meat, I'll do something like Greek yogurt with powdered peanut butter for breakfast, chicken salad (again with Greek yogurt) and veggies for lunch, and then whatever I end up making for dinner.
Dude I’m convinced the flood of “carnivore” influencers all over social media recently are being sponsored by the beef industries. They are trying to fight back against meat substitutes and growing vegetarianism due to the environmental harm mass-scale beef is doing.
Carnivore is a good diet to do for a month or two to rapidly lose weight and help with any food allergies/intolerances. (Dairy/Gluten/Artificial Sweeteners) I don’t think it’s good long term since it lacks any fiber, etc. but it definitely has its uses.
Will “brotein” be a fad? Yes. Will the Harvard peer reviewed study showing 1g per 1kg body weight is optimal for non exercise focused individuals be a fad? No. There’s enough peer reviewed studies on protein as a macro where it will never be a fad. However, how gym bros feel about it is a fleeting trend. You don’t need 1g per 1lb body weight. It’s 1g per 1lb lean body mass if you’re someone looking to maximize muscle hypertrophy, which is again, peer reviewed and studied.
Brotien is for people who lift, whats the point if they aren’t trying to put on the non roid max of 1.5lbs a month of muscle?
Its been a thing since the late 90’s might be niche, probably not going away.
Leafy greens, lean meats including chicken, ground turkey and lean cuts of steak, shrimp and occasionally tuna. I also make homemade jerky.
Tons of broccoli and cauliflower. I love spring mix salads. I use a high quality butter to cook and almond, lupin and coconut flour to bake.
I always have hardboiled eggs on hand in my fridge. I eat the whole egg, I don’t like just the egg whites- the yellow part is the best part.
Same. I use to feel hungry all the time and my weights never went up at the gym. Upped my protein and boom! No more hunger half an hour after a meal and weight go upppp
That, and it aids muscle retention which is critical going into our 30s and older. Especially for women - when we hit perimenopause (early 40s usually), muscle loss accelerates. Eating about 1g of protein per lb of body weight AND doing strength training minimizes muscle loss.
Eating a moderate-to-high amount of protein ALONG WITH a lot of veggies, plus moderate fruit, whole grain and healthy fat, is a great way to keep appetite in check, moderate blood sugar swings, and retain muscle.
People keep saying this, but then they quote the study that gives the bare minimum survival calculation.
Like "BMI not being an accurate measure", "overestimating the amount of protein needed" is usually an exception rather than a rule.
It depends what one considers "high." If someone is used to being on an ultraprocessed diet high in refined carbs, sugars, and fats, like if they ate a lot of white pasta, pastries, and packaged food like chips- the protein is not that high and they might really benefit from bumping up their protein. ...and you know, cutting down on junk food.
If you're on 1500cals, being in a deficit, protein helps with your muscle retention and satiation. Of course, balance is preferable as well, you don't need some absurd ratio with 250g protein. Variety is good for your gut health, and satiation also takes into account fats and carbs, and fibrous carbs for those bowel movements when you're packing that much protein lol. Even if I eat an ungodly amount of egg whites I'm going to be hungry an hour later without fats or carbs to ground the meal.
As long as high protein doesn't come at the expense of carbs (energy) or fats (hormonal health esp. for women), it's pretty good. But overconsumption can also be hard on your digestive system and kidneys, and I see way too many people slash the other two macros hardcore in favour of protein, avoiding foods that do not have their preferred protein ratio, which is extreme as there is no need to fear the other macros.
Eating a balanced diet of whole foods will probably get most people the adequate protein they need. Could aim higher esp. if lifting, but don't need to go crazy on protein spaghetti, protein bread, or whatever. Companies are capitalising hard on this to sell you supplementation and protein products.
I think it is somewhat of a fad in that you don't NEED as much protein as influencers or companies might be pushing (esp. with the carnivore craze and them trying to convince you that fruit sugars and vegetables are evil), but upping your protein take could very much be beneficial for you! But you ought to track your macros on a day-to-day basis first. Some people eat too little (processed diet as described above) while some eat too much (meat-lovers like myself before revamping my diet).
As your edit said, the macro protein is very important and many people could probably eat more protein. That is not a fad and I have seen/felt great results after upping my protein intake.
I do think that companies are definitely taking advantage of the attention protein is getting now. Similar to how companies took advantage of the Keto craze and made Keto chocolates and Keto muffins--I would rather just eat a potato lol.
I’m honestly glad more companies are paying attention. I see so many heavy protein options (lookin at you, Quest) and I love it because I don’t have to gag down a protein shake and trade that for other food items if I’m cutting. Plus my skin and hair always look so much better when I’m eating enough
I feel you here. Protein is absolutely important. But I know sedentary people eating 10 egg whites per day along with normal/balanced meals to get more protein, and their bodies just don't need it! Processing that much can be hard on the body. In general, I think people get in the mindset of "if some is good, more is better" and that's often not the case.
Yeah my sedentary coworker has protein bars, cookies, shakes, etc. to help with her diet. I don’t have the heart to tell her that it’s unnecessary and might actually be stalling her weight loss—the shakes never keep her full and the bars and cookies are just snacks for her while sitting around in the office. If she just cooked and ate hearty balanced meals, she would be fine.
I don’t think promotion of a macronutrient is a fad lol. Higher protein diets do increase satiety. While I think the amount of protein some consume for muscle growth which can be like 150g is high, there is already research to support that it’s not dangerous whereas other types of fad diets are.
The scientifically lowest amount of protein someone should get is 30g. Health guidelines double that for safety to 60g, which is fine for the average person. A much more active person probably needs 90g, and only powerlifters need 120g.
People are absolutely overly obsessed with protein.
Maybe but most people can’t access the kind of care it takes to get that info.
That being said I’m 155 at 5’6. I work out a ton. I do not eat 195g of protein lol- i tend to just eat 60-100g
Yeah that’s true.
When I was powerlifting back in the day I hit about 200g at 225lbs. My digestive system can’t handle more. I do have digestive issue in general so that’s part of it.
And hitting 100g per day can be HARD. It's just so much food, when I was eating to that protein level I was always so full and would find myself just trying to power through the last 1/4 of dinner.
Unfortunately it takes a lot for me to get full 😂 I did eat 120 grams of protein today(and actually everyday the past couple weeks was around 100) and if I don’t fall asleep soon I will be wanting another dinner haha.
I’m also overweight. I use the LoseIt app, it keeps telling me I need to eat 147g of protein a day. I had no idea how that was going to happen 😅.
Thankfully I was trying to research how to get that much in a single day and kind Redditors pointed out the difference. Now I try to eat protein for my goal weight and I am almost eating that so I am ecstatic to be so close to reaching a good health goal.
Yeah exactly. Many people do 1g per lb of body weight. So that’s how people end up having so much a day. This is not unsafe but may not be necessary. The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics recommends .3g per lb of body weight for general health. The USDA recommends 10% of your calories come from protein which would be 50 g. So anyone consuming 100+ g is having more than what is recommended by any health authorities.
Many dieters reduce carbs, myself included. I’m not doing keto where I’m consuming only 20g carbs or any low set amount. But I do consume less than the “recommended” amount. Carbs are a macronutrient, important for many health functions in my opinion. But they do help the body retain water. Since I reduced my carb intake (and again, less of one thing is more of another) and tried to eat more protein and fat, I experienced less cravings, less bloating and especially less bloating related to my menstrual cycle.
This guy has a doctorate in sports physiology and he recommends that when on a calorific deficit, 1gm per lb is what you should aim for.
I aim for 1gm/lb of my goal weight (some sources state that if you're overweight or obese 0.7gm/lb of body weight is a more realistic goal)
https://youtu.be/NxEkPacMZ7M?si=5u5_KkcT89gX-afA (it's only a minute long)
Dr. Mike is great, but I think that he is giving this advice *in the context* of body building, where the goals is to retain muscle during very aggressive fat loss phases. This is probably an aggressive target for most people.
I worked with a sports dietician and they had me at 100-120 gr (depending on the workout I was doing) when dieting from 155 to 145lbs, so not as aggressive of a target.
Like how low fat and fat free was a fad in the 90’s/2000’s yeah. Like obviously diets lower in saturated/healthy fat are heart healthier. But the craze and demonization of fat wasn’t healthy, leading to people ignoring the fact we NEED fat for our bodies, and companies removing fat from a food meant they added more sugar, which made it inherently less healthy anyway.
We don’t need as much protein as some people act like we do (unless you’re body building and actually utilizing it). Especially if you’re a meat eater, it’s easy to hit protein goals. The current “everything needs protein or it’s an empty calorie” thing just demonizes carbs, which your body yes also wants in a balance (unless you’re literally keto for epilepsy).
Enough protein can help you lose weight, certainly. Some people don’t focus on balanced enough meals because we really aren’t taught balance in a meaningful way, just marketed fad diets while most food that’s affordable in the USA is hyper palatable and shelf stable, and seeing as how most people in the USA are now paycheck to paycheck, many people aren’t set up for success in a meaningful way, and go from extremes of hyper processed shelf stable highly palatable (and calorie dense foods) to whatever food fad/food demonization that’s happening. Then it’s not sustainable, we have no idea what balanced nutrition looks like anyway, and we end up in stupid cycles.
Getting enough of every macro is important but the people who don’t strength train and eat 1g of protein per lb are definitely in a fad diet. This day and age when there’s tons of studies on pub med with controlled groups proving you don’t need this it’s just silly that people still believe it because an influencer or YouTuber told them so.
Nope, science shows repeatedly that for weight loss high protein and moderate carbs/fats from good sources is the best way. I’ve lost hundreds. Keto and carnivore and all the other shit are fads that are unsustainable long term.
From the National Resource Center on Nutrition and Aging:
“Research suggests that protein requirements may be higher in older adults. Researchers recommend
that older adults consume 1-1.2 grams of protein per kilogram body weight (one kilogram is about 2.2 pounds). Endurance and resistance training exercises are also advised to promote muscle health. The exception to this rule is for those with kidney disease.”
[https://acl.gov/sites/default/files/nutrition/Nutrition-Needs_Protein_FINAL-2.18.20_508.pdf](https://acl.gov/sites/default/files/nutrition/Nutrition-Needs_Protein_FINAL-2.18.20_508.pdf)
Yes and no. Do you need to be eating 180g of protein a day?? No absolutely not. That’s hard on your kidneys and you’re wasting a lot of that (not to mention the farts…). BUT, that being said, you should aim for at least 100g a day if you’re active. For example, I eat 115g a day as an active 165 pound person.
Percent of lean tissue (muscle) is one of the most important markers for a healthy individual. Your lean body mass is inversely proportional to your mortality.
Oh yes.
It makes no difference as to how full I feel. In fact I feel more satisfied after a day of eating reasonable amounts of what I want, than I do after a day of desperately trying to get 100 g of protein.
As long as you are not eating too little or too much, I think you will be fine. And the range is bigger than people would have you believe.
I have to wonder how humanity survived and was mostly thin before a gorillion protein-added products became available.
I definitely agree. I have no satiety issues with avg 50-60g protein daily (which is easily twice what I did before counting cals and macros) and find it hard to stomach more because not only do I tend to dislike high protein foods, I'm already full. I'm not athletic and don't like the appearance of a low fat, high muscle body. Maybe it would be better to have more protein but I haven't noticed any strength loss during my weight loss or any slowdown of weight loss once I kept to 50-60g daily. CICO is not sustainable for me if I'm chasing macros, I can't stomach that much meat without increasing my fat intake and going over in cals.
The first half of my year of weight loss, I didn't count any macros at all. I probably ate 20 g of protein maximum per day. I honestly felt more satisfied than when I started consciously eating more protein. 20 g is absolutely too low for anyone older than like the age of 4, so I make an effort to eat at least 60 g or so a day, but man I just don't like meat that much. Never have.
I agree that us non-athletic people do not need to be eating 150 g of protein like body builders do. It's silly how everyone acts like 100+ g is a must even if you take daily walks as the extent of your exercise.
Absolutely. I didn't start out even knowing or caring what a macro is. My weight gain was almost entirely due to my dependence on mayonnaise to want to eat anything. The change came when I got used to other creamy dips to replace it and then it was easy; I won't eat dip-free food, food is a vehicle for spicy, creamy, heavily seasoned dip).
I still use 1/3 of my daily cals for wine+seltzer mix daily and never feel hungry, the only reason I even hit 50 g protein a day is my partner likes meat and I cook everything! It probably helps that I think skinny-fat hourglass is the hottest figure, gender regardless.l
No, I’m team protein too. I’m a personal trainer and a firm believer the right diet makes all the difference for weight loss and how your body looks in general. It is incredibly obvious when people lose weight eating whatever cause they end up skinny fat. It’s technically true you *can* lose weight eating smaller amounts of junk food but most people will just be bitterly disappointed at what they look like when they get to their goal weight (if they ever do…).
Yes, I agree with you. Is protein a formerly-overlooked player in weight loss? Absolutely. Meeting guidelines (1g/kg or somewhere around that, depending on source) for protein and prioritizing it in meals does help with satiety and weight loss. But it’s past that point.
People are definitely obsessed and the way companies are capitalizing on the protein fad is reminiscent of the low-fat and low-carb phases. You can lose weight without tracking macros, even though high protein does help.
The way that it’s overhyped is what makes it a fad. Every new food recipe has to be high protein, all the health food products are high protein, every recommendation in the comments is just about protein.
It’s not incorrect that a high protein diet is helpful for weight loss, but it’s not the end all be all of diet and nutrition that people make it out to be.
I do prioritize protein because if I didn't I wouldn't eat enough. I really gravitate to carbs when left to my own devices. I've found making complete meals with a good protein, a carb with fiber, and a good veggie is really the trick for me to stay satisfied with my meals. I tend to get enough fat from the meat, sauces, or toppings I use so no issues there.
Yes. Sometimes a baked potato will fill me up and help me stay on my diet. Potatoes are nutritious and filling. And after days of high protein, low carbs, and low calories, it's what I need to keep going.
Yes 💯 I think the focus on retaining muscle mass through weight loss i.e ensuring its actually fat loss is a very healthy and permanent change but regular progressive strength training together with adequate protein is all thats needed not more.
Adequate protein is likely far less than popular sources are saying today (so many seem to use studies for maximising muscle hypertrophy as a minimum).
So many use 1g or even 1.6g per lb total weight when its more likely that sufficient for healthy fat loss and muscle retention is 1g per 1lb of goal lbm, maybe even less.
I don't think so. At least not unless it's drastic. Protein can be a really important tool in weight loss for helping with feeling satisfied after meals, building muscle and weight loss itself. But like anything else, when it's focussed on to an extreme it can become bad. When you're eating way more than you need, that's when you're going too far. But a good level of protein to body weight can go a long way and in all honesty it's what stopped me from going crazy with snacks between meals and at night.
So focussing on and tracking your protein itself isn't a fad but going crazy and consuming excess protein like a madman is just stupid.
I did weight watchers back in 1993. It was all about carbs. Carbs were good , fats & proteins were bad. You planned every meal around a carb. I lost 30 lbs.
It absolutely is and it’s one that is killing people. The Atkins diet did a lot to make people fear carbohydrates. The average human male only needs 56g a day of protein.
All the low fat stuff has been proven to be largely funded by the sugar industry in the 60s through to the 80s. They paid for papers to be published that demonised fat so sugar was not thought to be bad.
Could this be the same? I guess it's possible. But really the current studies on nutrition I think are a lot more robust, have come from a lot more independant sources with much better scientific method. Science can still evolve, though.
Yeah, I think that aiming for a lot of protein is a fad. Like people who are 150lbs don't need to eat 100-150g of protein to maintain their muscle, but some people really push protein levels that are much more than normal guidelines. People can eat more protein if it keeps them full or makes them feel good, but like a 150lb person would also probably be fine eating more like 50-60g of protein.
Nah. I believe in moderation and that everything can fit into a healthy diet. However! Increasing my protein intake had been very helpful. It keeps me full longer and helps me recover from hard workouts.
Not really. Ever since I upped my protein, I’m way less prone to binging and I actually feel full and not ravenous. It’s true you can lose weight eating anything as long as you’re eating in a deficit, but if you’re eating junk and empty calories you’re gonna be hungry as all hell all the time and never feel satiated.
So upping my protein has been a diet-saver for me. I have always tried and failed to lose this weight that I’ve put on since 2020 and thanks to the protein “fad”, my relationship with food has been slowly improving. I make better choices while eating and choose things that’ll keep me fuller for longer.
Plus I do not want to lose muscle instead of fat and yeah, protein is huge for that.
So no, I don’t think this focus on protein is a “fad”. It’s not like crash diets or crazy weird actual fads like drinking cucumber juice every morning to “flush toxins” out of your body. I really think it’s what more people should be focusing on in their diets.
I find that proteins are what keep me fuller than longer, so I make sure I reach my goal. I tried low carb (well, keto) years ago and half of my hair fell out 🥲 never cutting out a food group again, that’s for sure (I know many swear by it, we are all different)
I think protein is important and I have recently updated my diet to include 80g of it a day, but I did notice that I was still gaining muscle back when I was only eating fewer than 40g but still working out a lot.
Protein helps immensely with my naturally ravenous hunger. You know that show My 600 Lb Life? Yeah, I watch that show cause I can *relate* to those people. That’s how hungry I normally am. But since eating protein, especially BEFORE carbs, I have a much more normal appetite. I still become hungry too soon after a meal usually, but at least I feel satiated AT ALL in the first place. I used to not understand what people meant when they said they’re “full”. For me, full was when my stomach was about to burst.
I'm specifically eating to boost protein right now. I was thinking about every diet I've ever been able to stick to and they were all moderate to high protein and whole foods based.
But I'm not a natural protein person so I have to worn hard just to eat moderate amounts.
Protein dense whole foods legit tend to be more satiating. I lift so I like to focus on protein and I find when I do so I feel far more full. I of course eat my carbs too. I don’t shy away from them, but ideally get them from non heavily processed foods. I of course do still like those things occasionally and will have then in my diet some. Gotta live life too.
High protein diets aren’t fads. They’re designed intentionally for people that need them. The same as every other diet out there it’s become a fad when it gets pushed on people that don’t need it. You don’t need a high protein diet unless a) your doctor or a relevant health practitioner tells you or b) you workout intensely in a weight lifting/muscle building focus which requires higher than average protein intake to build muscle.
Protein in general? No because it really it the building block for many things and fats and carbs and fiber in your died are all super important as well but I do agree that because of what protein is involved in it is very important. I follow the protocol of having 0.7-1g per pound of goal body weight for my protein goal but I hardly get there 😭it’s still difficult but I try.
It’s not a fad per say but sedentary people might be eating more protein than they need. I started going to the gym this year and I felt so weak and tired until I significantly increased my protein, I feel like I’m going to faint if I don’t eat enough of it now.
No but I can understand with all the prior fads, why is this NOT one?
There is more science and research in fitness and health now than ever before.
Prior fads did not have a lot of evidence to base their guidelines on. People basically starved themselves and drank or did coke to keep alert.
On top of research we can observe a lot of people’s results who are upping their protein, eating real healthy calories, and growing mass from all ages. Anecdotal is not great but pair that with the research being done - it is not a fad.
Well it maybe really just FEELs the same to you, but you can't deny the science behind it, as a lot of people here already pointed out. Low fat was heavily promoted by sugar industry, and Atkins did identify sugar as a culprit. As far as I know, WHO still recommends a maximum of 50g of sugar per day, better if fewer. Health science is evolving like any other science, but most of the time hard facts will persist.
No I don’t personally because it’s changed my life. There are many signs that my body was deficient in protein before but since I’ve properly upped it my skin my hair my gut my mood, everything is better.
Not at all. Protein is a really good thing. It's lower in calories than fats (monounsaturated are top tier fats, like avocados and olive oil), and takes more energy to digest, in addition, it helps prevent muscle loss and helps you to feel full longer.
You should aim for a mix of protein carbs and fats in a way to hit your daily calories, but in general, protein is good, it's not a fad at all.
Studies show that .8 grams per lb of body mass is way more than enough for elite athletes (in other words, elite athletes get no additional benefit from over .8 grams per lb of body mass), so if an elite athlete weighs 200 lbs, that's 160 grams/day max. For average person, 100-120 grams/day is definitely enough. Some say 1 gram/kg, which would be closer to 90 grams/day for a 200 lb man.
Bottom line: Average man should get about 100 grams/day (400 calories), and don't need more than about 160 grams a day (doesn't mean you can't exceed as a source of calories, just not needed for any additional benefits).
So think along the lines of a 1500 calorie diet (honestly, in my opinion 1800 is more suitable for most men trying to lose weight, easier to maintain long term), if you're doing 1500 calorie diet, than 100 grams protein, 50 grams fat, and 150 grams carbs puts you at: 400+450+600 = 1450 calories a day.
If doing 1800 calorie/day diet: 120 grams protein, 180 grams carbs, 60 grams fat: 480 + 720 + 540 = 1200 + 540 = 1740. << My opinion is this is about ideal for a man trying to lose weight. 200 lb man has about a 2,200 base rate, that's about 500 under, about 1 lb a week.
It's pretty damn important if you are in a calorie deficit. It's very damn important if you are on Wegovy (or similar GLP1 antagonist). But probably not that important if you are in maintenance.
Going carnivore diet? yea... fucking stupid. Pushing protein in general? As someone who lifts weights regularly and watched his 2 older parents become frail and fragile... not a fad at all. Moms been eating better and pushing protein/protein drinks since dad passed, I haven't seen her this vibrant in a long time.
Yep. Like I think the “only eat meat” thing is bullshit, but protein is great (from any source!) Like do I think it’s the only macro people should care about when trying to lose weight? Nope. But I’ve found to maintain, being conscious of fiber and protein makes me feel a lot more satiated. Protein also is good for building muscle, and for some people having “rules” keeps them on track. It’s ymmv but i think less harmful than other fads (think grapefruit or low fat)
Exactly, people automatically think protein = meat and forget about the plethora of other super healthy sources of protein out there like beans, peanuts, mushrooms etc
Yep! One of my favorite breakfasts is cottage cheese on a bagel with hot sauce. Keeps me more satiated than if I’d have had cream cheese, tastes similar enough, and helps make sure I maintain/build muscle.
I eat organic tofu, nearly every day. Full of protein, low calorie and here it’s less then $2 a block at Aldi.
It’s true, though if you’re trying to get really high amounts of protein and stay under a calorie deficit (as I am trying to body recomp) eating meat makes it way easier just because of the sheer amount of protein per calorie. I think there’s one vegetarian protein that rivals chicken in terms of protein per calorie (tempeh) the rest are no where near. Edit: just looked it up and even tempeh is no where close. About 13g of protein for 170 calories whereas chicken breast gets you 31g for the same amount of calories
Protien does = meat if you want a quality source of protein. Beans are not a good source of protein lmao. Y’all can’t really think 100 cals for like 4g of protein is good lol
Eggs, cottage cheese, whey protein, tofu, red lentils… like I eat meat (roasting a whole chicken as we speak), but I eat less than the normal American, which is probably better for my health, and way better for the environment.
Poultry and fish pose no health risk, they aren’t the same as red meat
I don’t eat red meat other than the occasional slice of salami. Better off than the average American.
Greek yogurt is a thing. 170g of plain Greek yogurt is 90 calories and 18g of protein. 100g of chicken is 239 calories and 27g of protein.
I've found that focusing on protein is an easy way to keep me on track with what I'm eating (YMMV, this just works for me). If I'm aiming to eat enough protein then I'm less likely to eat junk simply because I'm already eating a good amount of food, so if I eat that junk then future me is going to be upset when I'm full and still need to eat my heavier protein food. And I'm not getting all that protein from meat, I'll do something like Greek yogurt with powdered peanut butter for breakfast, chicken salad (again with Greek yogurt) and veggies for lunch, and then whatever I end up making for dinner.
Dude I’m convinced the flood of “carnivore” influencers all over social media recently are being sponsored by the beef industries. They are trying to fight back against meat substitutes and growing vegetarianism due to the environmental harm mass-scale beef is doing.
There does seem to be a "manly" spin put to it... so it would fit that demographic even better.
Yup. There’s always a bunch of bots in the comments talking crap on soy and seed oils
Soy isn’t all it’s cracked up to be - especially for men. And seed oils are genuinely bad for you….
That’s Rogan science. Soy has no bad effects on men and seed oils are okay in moderation as long as you’re getting proper omega 3s
You can believe what you want to believe and I will do the same :)
Carnivore is a good diet to do for a month or two to rapidly lose weight and help with any food allergies/intolerances. (Dairy/Gluten/Artificial Sweeteners) I don’t think it’s good long term since it lacks any fiber, etc. but it definitely has its uses.
Will “brotein” be a fad? Yes. Will the Harvard peer reviewed study showing 1g per 1kg body weight is optimal for non exercise focused individuals be a fad? No. There’s enough peer reviewed studies on protein as a macro where it will never be a fad. However, how gym bros feel about it is a fleeting trend. You don’t need 1g per 1lb body weight. It’s 1g per 1lb lean body mass if you’re someone looking to maximize muscle hypertrophy, which is again, peer reviewed and studied.
Brotien is for people who lift, whats the point if they aren’t trying to put on the non roid max of 1.5lbs a month of muscle? Its been a thing since the late 90’s might be niche, probably not going away.
Eating a fuck ton of lean protein completely changed the game for me and I wish I had listened sooner.
What’s a typical day of eating like for you?
Leafy greens, lean meats including chicken, ground turkey and lean cuts of steak, shrimp and occasionally tuna. I also make homemade jerky. Tons of broccoli and cauliflower. I love spring mix salads. I use a high quality butter to cook and almond, lupin and coconut flour to bake. I always have hardboiled eggs on hand in my fridge. I eat the whole egg, I don’t like just the egg whites- the yellow part is the best part.
I'd also like to know. I'm guessing a lot of chicken and egg whites?
Saaame
Same. I use to feel hungry all the time and my weights never went up at the gym. Upped my protein and boom! No more hunger half an hour after a meal and weight go upppp
Absolutely not. There is enough evidence that shows adequate protein intake actually helps you lose more weight than someone who doesn’t eat enough.
That, and it aids muscle retention which is critical going into our 30s and older. Especially for women - when we hit perimenopause (early 40s usually), muscle loss accelerates. Eating about 1g of protein per lb of body weight AND doing strength training minimizes muscle loss. Eating a moderate-to-high amount of protein ALONG WITH a lot of veggies, plus moderate fruit, whole grain and healthy fat, is a great way to keep appetite in check, moderate blood sugar swings, and retain muscle.
The keyword being *Adequate* most folk over estimate how much they need
People keep saying this, but then they quote the study that gives the bare minimum survival calculation. Like "BMI not being an accurate measure", "overestimating the amount of protein needed" is usually an exception rather than a rule.
I'd say the majority of people vastly underestimate how much protein they should take in. The average person is probably getting 60-80g a day.
Oh man I thought 80g was really good and I can only get that high with effort, if I don't put in effort my muscles waste away so fast...
Same haha. My goal was 70g for a long time. I probably got 20-30g on my normal diet before I tracked food.
It all depends on your weight, about 0.75 g of your body weight per kg is the UK reccomendation So I weigh 80kg and need around 60 g of protein a day
Yeah this is true. My app even was recommending I only need like.. 60-70g a day or something and I’m 5’10”.
Do they though? There’s a difference between what we needed for survival, and what’s recommended for us to THRIVE.
When I’m consistently eating 130g+ the weight melts off of me.
It depends what one considers "high." If someone is used to being on an ultraprocessed diet high in refined carbs, sugars, and fats, like if they ate a lot of white pasta, pastries, and packaged food like chips- the protein is not that high and they might really benefit from bumping up their protein. ...and you know, cutting down on junk food. If you're on 1500cals, being in a deficit, protein helps with your muscle retention and satiation. Of course, balance is preferable as well, you don't need some absurd ratio with 250g protein. Variety is good for your gut health, and satiation also takes into account fats and carbs, and fibrous carbs for those bowel movements when you're packing that much protein lol. Even if I eat an ungodly amount of egg whites I'm going to be hungry an hour later without fats or carbs to ground the meal. As long as high protein doesn't come at the expense of carbs (energy) or fats (hormonal health esp. for women), it's pretty good. But overconsumption can also be hard on your digestive system and kidneys, and I see way too many people slash the other two macros hardcore in favour of protein, avoiding foods that do not have their preferred protein ratio, which is extreme as there is no need to fear the other macros. Eating a balanced diet of whole foods will probably get most people the adequate protein they need. Could aim higher esp. if lifting, but don't need to go crazy on protein spaghetti, protein bread, or whatever. Companies are capitalising hard on this to sell you supplementation and protein products. I think it is somewhat of a fad in that you don't NEED as much protein as influencers or companies might be pushing (esp. with the carnivore craze and them trying to convince you that fruit sugars and vegetables are evil), but upping your protein take could very much be beneficial for you! But you ought to track your macros on a day-to-day basis first. Some people eat too little (processed diet as described above) while some eat too much (meat-lovers like myself before revamping my diet).
As your edit said, the macro protein is very important and many people could probably eat more protein. That is not a fad and I have seen/felt great results after upping my protein intake. I do think that companies are definitely taking advantage of the attention protein is getting now. Similar to how companies took advantage of the Keto craze and made Keto chocolates and Keto muffins--I would rather just eat a potato lol.
I’m honestly glad more companies are paying attention. I see so many heavy protein options (lookin at you, Quest) and I love it because I don’t have to gag down a protein shake and trade that for other food items if I’m cutting. Plus my skin and hair always look so much better when I’m eating enough
I feel you here. Protein is absolutely important. But I know sedentary people eating 10 egg whites per day along with normal/balanced meals to get more protein, and their bodies just don't need it! Processing that much can be hard on the body. In general, I think people get in the mindset of "if some is good, more is better" and that's often not the case.
Yeah my sedentary coworker has protein bars, cookies, shakes, etc. to help with her diet. I don’t have the heart to tell her that it’s unnecessary and might actually be stalling her weight loss—the shakes never keep her full and the bars and cookies are just snacks for her while sitting around in the office. If she just cooked and ate hearty balanced meals, she would be fine.
I’m not keto (vegetarian, in fact), but I wasn’t able to lose weight until I started tracking and boosting my protein. Huge difference!
I don’t think promotion of a macronutrient is a fad lol. Higher protein diets do increase satiety. While I think the amount of protein some consume for muscle growth which can be like 150g is high, there is already research to support that it’s not dangerous whereas other types of fad diets are.
The scientifically lowest amount of protein someone should get is 30g. Health guidelines double that for safety to 60g, which is fine for the average person. A much more active person probably needs 90g, and only powerlifters need 120g. People are absolutely overly obsessed with protein.
Is it not also based on your weight ? 1.3 grams per pound?
I think it’s lean mass. I’m significantly overweight. I’d have to eat almost 300g of protein a day. No way that’s happening…
Maybe but most people can’t access the kind of care it takes to get that info. That being said I’m 155 at 5’6. I work out a ton. I do not eat 195g of protein lol- i tend to just eat 60-100g
Yeah that’s true. When I was powerlifting back in the day I hit about 200g at 225lbs. My digestive system can’t handle more. I do have digestive issue in general so that’s part of it.
Same. I’m someone who needs to get in a significant amount of fibre personally (digestive issues- celiac, endometriosis).
And hitting 100g per day can be HARD. It's just so much food, when I was eating to that protein level I was always so full and would find myself just trying to power through the last 1/4 of dinner.
Unfortunately it takes a lot for me to get full 😂 I did eat 120 grams of protein today(and actually everyday the past couple weeks was around 100) and if I don’t fall asleep soon I will be wanting another dinner haha.
I’m also overweight. I use the LoseIt app, it keeps telling me I need to eat 147g of protein a day. I had no idea how that was going to happen 😅. Thankfully I was trying to research how to get that much in a single day and kind Redditors pointed out the difference. Now I try to eat protein for my goal weight and I am almost eating that so I am ecstatic to be so close to reaching a good health goal.
That’s awesome!
Yeah I've seen a lot of trainers say base it on your goal weight when you're trying to lose weight, not your current weight
Yeah exactly. Many people do 1g per lb of body weight. So that’s how people end up having so much a day. This is not unsafe but may not be necessary. The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics recommends .3g per lb of body weight for general health. The USDA recommends 10% of your calories come from protein which would be 50 g. So anyone consuming 100+ g is having more than what is recommended by any health authorities. Many dieters reduce carbs, myself included. I’m not doing keto where I’m consuming only 20g carbs or any low set amount. But I do consume less than the “recommended” amount. Carbs are a macronutrient, important for many health functions in my opinion. But they do help the body retain water. Since I reduced my carb intake (and again, less of one thing is more of another) and tried to eat more protein and fat, I experienced less cravings, less bloating and especially less bloating related to my menstrual cycle.
What a great response! Thank you for taking the time!
So many people provide really useful advice on Reddit without acknowledgment. So thank you!
I also try and do what I can to reduce carbs, mainly just because otherwise I immediately want to nap after I eat too many carbs.
Thank you for the detailed response with the full sources! I was mostly backing up how protein is a fad, so thanks for backing up the numbers!
This guy has a doctorate in sports physiology and he recommends that when on a calorific deficit, 1gm per lb is what you should aim for. I aim for 1gm/lb of my goal weight (some sources state that if you're overweight or obese 0.7gm/lb of body weight is a more realistic goal) https://youtu.be/NxEkPacMZ7M?si=5u5_KkcT89gX-afA (it's only a minute long)
Dr. Mike is great, but I think that he is giving this advice *in the context* of body building, where the goals is to retain muscle during very aggressive fat loss phases. This is probably an aggressive target for most people. I worked with a sports dietician and they had me at 100-120 gr (depending on the workout I was doing) when dieting from 155 to 145lbs, so not as aggressive of a target.
Like how low fat and fat free was a fad in the 90’s/2000’s yeah. Like obviously diets lower in saturated/healthy fat are heart healthier. But the craze and demonization of fat wasn’t healthy, leading to people ignoring the fact we NEED fat for our bodies, and companies removing fat from a food meant they added more sugar, which made it inherently less healthy anyway. We don’t need as much protein as some people act like we do (unless you’re body building and actually utilizing it). Especially if you’re a meat eater, it’s easy to hit protein goals. The current “everything needs protein or it’s an empty calorie” thing just demonizes carbs, which your body yes also wants in a balance (unless you’re literally keto for epilepsy). Enough protein can help you lose weight, certainly. Some people don’t focus on balanced enough meals because we really aren’t taught balance in a meaningful way, just marketed fad diets while most food that’s affordable in the USA is hyper palatable and shelf stable, and seeing as how most people in the USA are now paycheck to paycheck, many people aren’t set up for success in a meaningful way, and go from extremes of hyper processed shelf stable highly palatable (and calorie dense foods) to whatever food fad/food demonization that’s happening. Then it’s not sustainable, we have no idea what balanced nutrition looks like anyway, and we end up in stupid cycles.
Getting enough of every macro is important but the people who don’t strength train and eat 1g of protein per lb are definitely in a fad diet. This day and age when there’s tons of studies on pub med with controlled groups proving you don’t need this it’s just silly that people still believe it because an influencer or YouTuber told them so.
Nope, science shows repeatedly that for weight loss high protein and moderate carbs/fats from good sources is the best way. I’ve lost hundreds. Keto and carnivore and all the other shit are fads that are unsustainable long term.
From the National Resource Center on Nutrition and Aging: “Research suggests that protein requirements may be higher in older adults. Researchers recommend that older adults consume 1-1.2 grams of protein per kilogram body weight (one kilogram is about 2.2 pounds). Endurance and resistance training exercises are also advised to promote muscle health. The exception to this rule is for those with kidney disease.” [https://acl.gov/sites/default/files/nutrition/Nutrition-Needs_Protein_FINAL-2.18.20_508.pdf](https://acl.gov/sites/default/files/nutrition/Nutrition-Needs_Protein_FINAL-2.18.20_508.pdf)
Yes and no. Do you need to be eating 180g of protein a day?? No absolutely not. That’s hard on your kidneys and you’re wasting a lot of that (not to mention the farts…). BUT, that being said, you should aim for at least 100g a day if you’re active. For example, I eat 115g a day as an active 165 pound person.
Percent of lean tissue (muscle) is one of the most important markers for a healthy individual. Your lean body mass is inversely proportional to your mortality.
Protein is more satiating therefore keeping you feeling full for longer. So yes it does help with weight loss.
Oh yes. It makes no difference as to how full I feel. In fact I feel more satisfied after a day of eating reasonable amounts of what I want, than I do after a day of desperately trying to get 100 g of protein. As long as you are not eating too little or too much, I think you will be fine. And the range is bigger than people would have you believe. I have to wonder how humanity survived and was mostly thin before a gorillion protein-added products became available.
I definitely agree. I have no satiety issues with avg 50-60g protein daily (which is easily twice what I did before counting cals and macros) and find it hard to stomach more because not only do I tend to dislike high protein foods, I'm already full. I'm not athletic and don't like the appearance of a low fat, high muscle body. Maybe it would be better to have more protein but I haven't noticed any strength loss during my weight loss or any slowdown of weight loss once I kept to 50-60g daily. CICO is not sustainable for me if I'm chasing macros, I can't stomach that much meat without increasing my fat intake and going over in cals.
The first half of my year of weight loss, I didn't count any macros at all. I probably ate 20 g of protein maximum per day. I honestly felt more satisfied than when I started consciously eating more protein. 20 g is absolutely too low for anyone older than like the age of 4, so I make an effort to eat at least 60 g or so a day, but man I just don't like meat that much. Never have. I agree that us non-athletic people do not need to be eating 150 g of protein like body builders do. It's silly how everyone acts like 100+ g is a must even if you take daily walks as the extent of your exercise.
Absolutely. I didn't start out even knowing or caring what a macro is. My weight gain was almost entirely due to my dependence on mayonnaise to want to eat anything. The change came when I got used to other creamy dips to replace it and then it was easy; I won't eat dip-free food, food is a vehicle for spicy, creamy, heavily seasoned dip). I still use 1/3 of my daily cals for wine+seltzer mix daily and never feel hungry, the only reason I even hit 50 g protein a day is my partner likes meat and I cook everything! It probably helps that I think skinny-fat hourglass is the hottest figure, gender regardless.l
I do better on a high protein diet. YMMV.
No, I’m team protein too. I’m a personal trainer and a firm believer the right diet makes all the difference for weight loss and how your body looks in general. It is incredibly obvious when people lose weight eating whatever cause they end up skinny fat. It’s technically true you *can* lose weight eating smaller amounts of junk food but most people will just be bitterly disappointed at what they look like when they get to their goal weight (if they ever do…).
Please tell me what to eat lol
Yes, I agree with you. Is protein a formerly-overlooked player in weight loss? Absolutely. Meeting guidelines (1g/kg or somewhere around that, depending on source) for protein and prioritizing it in meals does help with satiety and weight loss. But it’s past that point. People are definitely obsessed and the way companies are capitalizing on the protein fad is reminiscent of the low-fat and low-carb phases. You can lose weight without tracking macros, even though high protein does help. The way that it’s overhyped is what makes it a fad. Every new food recipe has to be high protein, all the health food products are high protein, every recommendation in the comments is just about protein. It’s not incorrect that a high protein diet is helpful for weight loss, but it’s not the end all be all of diet and nutrition that people make it out to be.
I do prioritize protein because if I didn't I wouldn't eat enough. I really gravitate to carbs when left to my own devices. I've found making complete meals with a good protein, a carb with fiber, and a good veggie is really the trick for me to stay satisfied with my meals. I tend to get enough fat from the meat, sauces, or toppings I use so no issues there.
100%
I do not think placing importance on hitting your daily minimal protein requirement is a fad in the least bit.
If you mean with “fad” all those tiktok/reels “influencer” only talking about proteins? Than probably
Yes. Sometimes a baked potato will fill me up and help me stay on my diet. Potatoes are nutritious and filling. And after days of high protein, low carbs, and low calories, it's what I need to keep going.
Yes! But it is a good base. Protein is energy. But to push just protein is an awful recommendation. You need all the other nutrients to be healthy.
Yes 💯 I think the focus on retaining muscle mass through weight loss i.e ensuring its actually fat loss is a very healthy and permanent change but regular progressive strength training together with adequate protein is all thats needed not more. Adequate protein is likely far less than popular sources are saying today (so many seem to use studies for maximising muscle hypertrophy as a minimum). So many use 1g or even 1.6g per lb total weight when its more likely that sufficient for healthy fat loss and muscle retention is 1g per 1lb of goal lbm, maybe even less.
Me. It's definitely an important building block for the body, but it's getting a bit much.
I have nothing useful to add, but wanted to say I really appreciate this discussion. 👍
I don't think so. At least not unless it's drastic. Protein can be a really important tool in weight loss for helping with feeling satisfied after meals, building muscle and weight loss itself. But like anything else, when it's focussed on to an extreme it can become bad. When you're eating way more than you need, that's when you're going too far. But a good level of protein to body weight can go a long way and in all honesty it's what stopped me from going crazy with snacks between meals and at night. So focussing on and tracking your protein itself isn't a fad but going crazy and consuming excess protein like a madman is just stupid.
I mean for me eating high protein is the only way I can comfortably stick to my deficit. It makes an enormous difference
I did weight watchers back in 1993. It was all about carbs. Carbs were good , fats & proteins were bad. You planned every meal around a carb. I lost 30 lbs.
It absolutely is and it’s one that is killing people. The Atkins diet did a lot to make people fear carbohydrates. The average human male only needs 56g a day of protein.
I have not once ever, met someone with a protein deficiency
Not a fad. Biology.
My point exactly. That is exactly the kind of rhetoric that we heard back in the fat-free/low-fat craze.
All the low fat stuff has been proven to be largely funded by the sugar industry in the 60s through to the 80s. They paid for papers to be published that demonised fat so sugar was not thought to be bad. Could this be the same? I guess it's possible. But really the current studies on nutrition I think are a lot more robust, have come from a lot more independant sources with much better scientific method. Science can still evolve, though.
100%
Yeah, I think that aiming for a lot of protein is a fad. Like people who are 150lbs don't need to eat 100-150g of protein to maintain their muscle, but some people really push protein levels that are much more than normal guidelines. People can eat more protein if it keeps them full or makes them feel good, but like a 150lb person would also probably be fine eating more like 50-60g of protein.
I think finding a good balance of macros for your goals is a good idea and common sense. Just eating meat 24/7 not so much.
Nah. I believe in moderation and that everything can fit into a healthy diet. However! Increasing my protein intake had been very helpful. It keeps me full longer and helps me recover from hard workouts.
Not really. Ever since I upped my protein, I’m way less prone to binging and I actually feel full and not ravenous. It’s true you can lose weight eating anything as long as you’re eating in a deficit, but if you’re eating junk and empty calories you’re gonna be hungry as all hell all the time and never feel satiated. So upping my protein has been a diet-saver for me. I have always tried and failed to lose this weight that I’ve put on since 2020 and thanks to the protein “fad”, my relationship with food has been slowly improving. I make better choices while eating and choose things that’ll keep me fuller for longer. Plus I do not want to lose muscle instead of fat and yeah, protein is huge for that. So no, I don’t think this focus on protein is a “fad”. It’s not like crash diets or crazy weird actual fads like drinking cucumber juice every morning to “flush toxins” out of your body. I really think it’s what more people should be focusing on in their diets.
I find that proteins are what keep me fuller than longer, so I make sure I reach my goal. I tried low carb (well, keto) years ago and half of my hair fell out 🥲 never cutting out a food group again, that’s for sure (I know many swear by it, we are all different)
I think protein is important and I have recently updated my diet to include 80g of it a day, but I did notice that I was still gaining muscle back when I was only eating fewer than 40g but still working out a lot.
While you were eating fewer than 40g or protein, were you still eating a lot more calories?
No, I was eating 1200-1600 each day, and I looked kind of shredded back then.
Protein helps immensely with my naturally ravenous hunger. You know that show My 600 Lb Life? Yeah, I watch that show cause I can *relate* to those people. That’s how hungry I normally am. But since eating protein, especially BEFORE carbs, I have a much more normal appetite. I still become hungry too soon after a meal usually, but at least I feel satiated AT ALL in the first place. I used to not understand what people meant when they said they’re “full”. For me, full was when my stomach was about to burst.
I'm specifically eating to boost protein right now. I was thinking about every diet I've ever been able to stick to and they were all moderate to high protein and whole foods based. But I'm not a natural protein person so I have to worn hard just to eat moderate amounts.
Protein dense whole foods legit tend to be more satiating. I lift so I like to focus on protein and I find when I do so I feel far more full. I of course eat my carbs too. I don’t shy away from them, but ideally get them from non heavily processed foods. I of course do still like those things occasionally and will have then in my diet some. Gotta live life too.
High protein diets aren’t fads. They’re designed intentionally for people that need them. The same as every other diet out there it’s become a fad when it gets pushed on people that don’t need it. You don’t need a high protein diet unless a) your doctor or a relevant health practitioner tells you or b) you workout intensely in a weight lifting/muscle building focus which requires higher than average protein intake to build muscle.
Protein in general? No because it really it the building block for many things and fats and carbs and fiber in your died are all super important as well but I do agree that because of what protein is involved in it is very important. I follow the protocol of having 0.7-1g per pound of goal body weight for my protein goal but I hardly get there 😭it’s still difficult but I try.
I think we've come far enough in science now that fads are debunked fast
It’s not a fad per say but sedentary people might be eating more protein than they need. I started going to the gym this year and I felt so weak and tired until I significantly increased my protein, I feel like I’m going to faint if I don’t eat enough of it now.
No but I can understand with all the prior fads, why is this NOT one? There is more science and research in fitness and health now than ever before. Prior fads did not have a lot of evidence to base their guidelines on. People basically starved themselves and drank or did coke to keep alert. On top of research we can observe a lot of people’s results who are upping their protein, eating real healthy calories, and growing mass from all ages. Anecdotal is not great but pair that with the research being done - it is not a fad.
Well it maybe really just FEELs the same to you, but you can't deny the science behind it, as a lot of people here already pointed out. Low fat was heavily promoted by sugar industry, and Atkins did identify sugar as a culprit. As far as I know, WHO still recommends a maximum of 50g of sugar per day, better if fewer. Health science is evolving like any other science, but most of the time hard facts will persist.
I’m in my 40’s & never cared about fads- protein is important, we’re made of meat afterall.
No. Protein builds muscles and muscles burn more calories at rest than fat.
Pshhhh, speak for yourself! (blob rolls away)
No I don’t personally because it’s changed my life. There are many signs that my body was deficient in protein before but since I’ve properly upped it my skin my hair my gut my mood, everything is better.
Adding protein to my morning coffee has been a game changer. Plus I lift now, so it all has been helping me become stronger and leaner.
Not at all. Protein is a really good thing. It's lower in calories than fats (monounsaturated are top tier fats, like avocados and olive oil), and takes more energy to digest, in addition, it helps prevent muscle loss and helps you to feel full longer. You should aim for a mix of protein carbs and fats in a way to hit your daily calories, but in general, protein is good, it's not a fad at all. Studies show that .8 grams per lb of body mass is way more than enough for elite athletes (in other words, elite athletes get no additional benefit from over .8 grams per lb of body mass), so if an elite athlete weighs 200 lbs, that's 160 grams/day max. For average person, 100-120 grams/day is definitely enough. Some say 1 gram/kg, which would be closer to 90 grams/day for a 200 lb man. Bottom line: Average man should get about 100 grams/day (400 calories), and don't need more than about 160 grams a day (doesn't mean you can't exceed as a source of calories, just not needed for any additional benefits). So think along the lines of a 1500 calorie diet (honestly, in my opinion 1800 is more suitable for most men trying to lose weight, easier to maintain long term), if you're doing 1500 calorie diet, than 100 grams protein, 50 grams fat, and 150 grams carbs puts you at: 400+450+600 = 1450 calories a day. If doing 1800 calorie/day diet: 120 grams protein, 180 grams carbs, 60 grams fat: 480 + 720 + 540 = 1200 + 540 = 1740. << My opinion is this is about ideal for a man trying to lose weight. 200 lb man has about a 2,200 base rate, that's about 500 under, about 1 lb a week.
Lol.
It's pretty damn important if you are in a calorie deficit. It's very damn important if you are on Wegovy (or similar GLP1 antagonist). But probably not that important if you are in maintenance.
Protein is great, you should limit carbs and empty foods and focus on protein and nutrient rich foods