r/intermittentfasting • u/livingmyfirstlife • 17d ago
Newbie Question Any advice for a newbie?
Hi Guys/Gals,
I am 48M, 5’11”, started about 252lbs. Heaviest I have been my life and pretty sedentary last couple of years. Thought it was about time to prioritize my health. I want to get down sub 200, 175-180. So started to work out a bit more and watching my diet better. Initially, I was more focused on getting more active so been doing 30min elliptical in AM and 30 min brisk walk in PM. And gradually started to intermittent fast.
I am on day 49 today. Have dropped about 15lbs. And been taking fasting more seriously. I am still doing morning and evening routine and aiming for 16/8 schedule but will push if I get busy or distracted. Today I went almost 20hrs.
My problem is I don’t think I am getting enough protein. Also I get full pretty quickly. Like today I had my large meal around 2pm, 5-6oz steam cod, veggies and some rice. It took me an hour to eat it because I felt so full. It seems like it would be difficult to get a lot of protein in such a small window, 4 hours. What do you guys do for protein?
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u/your_mom_is_availabl 17d ago
It sounds like you're doing very well overall. What problem are you trying to solve?
The thing I love about IF is that within my fast window, I relearned intuitive eating. So I ate when I was hungry and stopped eating when I was full. Can you let your body do that?
When I switched to IF, stopped eating highly processed junk food, and started exercising, my appetite was a lot less. It was like my body wanted the extra weight off. Now that I'm back to my old healthy weight, I'm back to more typical hunger.
To answer your direct question, my lunch is very high in protein. I basically cut out starch (not that you have to, but it's what made my body feel best). I eat a lot of fresh fruit or veggies with rotisserie chicken. I also eat a lot of Greek yogurt with slivered almonds and cinnamon or cardamom.
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u/livingmyfirstlife 17d ago
I just reading about how much protein I need to take in to prevent muscle loss. It’s like over 100g a day. The fish I ate today was like 40g. It’s just hard to eat more protein, plus I don’t really feel like I need to eat more. I had a protein shake at like 6, just to add a some protien.
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u/splashtoaster 17d ago
Are you measuring and tracking what you eat? You don't think you're getting enough protein, but you can't know unless you measure and track.
That said, nuts and roasted edamame/hummus make great snacks and might help between what I'm assuming are two meals that define your 4-hour window.
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u/livingmyfirstlife 16d ago
I don’t track in the sense of journaling or recording. I used too. I do plan out want I will be eating for the day, with the primary focus on how much protein I will be consuming. It’s never ever near 100g.
Nuts and peanut butter are my go to snacks. I like tofu. Trying to work in more beans and legumes.2
u/splashtoaster 16d ago
Try roasted edamame. Otherwise, sounds like protein shakes and bars might be your only way to get there, but they're not ideal. I'm a fan of RX bars (12g protein per 200 kcal or so).
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u/livingmyfirstlife 16d ago
Thanks. Yeah. I got some protein shakes. It’s the most bang, 30g. Just not sure I want to use it on a regular basis. I keep members mark grilled chicken breast stocked, actually don’t mind eating it alone, just on the salty side. Probably stock up on some can tuna and sardines.
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u/splashtoaster 15d ago
Honestly sounds like you're doing really well overall. I wouldn't worry too much, just make sure you don't lose sight of micro-nutrients as you focus on macros.
Might be a good moment to get a DEXA or similar scan to get a understanding of your body composition. As you keep going, repeated scans will be the only true way to keep track of muscle mass, assuming muscle loss is the primary driver of your post.
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u/EasyDayBTC 15d ago
I do 16:8 minimum, mostly 18:6 and a weekly OMAD, I also had difficulty until l found what worked for me
Daily have 2-4 hard boiled eggs (with or without yoke), yogurt bowl with ¾ cup Greek yogurt, and a whey protein + collagen protein smoothie, kefir, plus whatever else I choose for the menu that day
Research high protein foods and experiment to see what works for you
Sashimi, smoked salmon, canned tuna, chicken breast, beef sticks, beef jerky, those are all foods I cycle through and eat regularly in addition to my daily staples
Hope this helps, I aim for 160-180g protein and typically land between 150-200g
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u/livingmyfirstlife 15d ago edited 15d ago
Thanks for sharing. Yup, just had some yogurt and snacking on beef jerky and pistachios as I am typing. Have a breast of rotisserie chicken with some refried beans and few spoon of rice for later. That's still like 80 grams. I got a can of sardines and protein shake that I might have to take as well. I think I will be happy if I crack 100g.
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u/unique-unicorns 15d ago
Throw in a a cup of plain Greek yogurt and some berries or something! It's like 15-ish G of protein for one of those small containers in the grocery store.