Losing weight & lifting

shannonman81

Hi guys.
Been a while since I posted. Had a second child and diet/fitness went pear shaped.
Anyway I have been back training since end of November and being more disciplined about my diet since middle January. I have lost 10 kilos or there abouts and I'm sitting at 89k at the moment.
I'm happy to keep losing weight for a while yet before I start to put some back on the right way.
I have been losing weight using my fitness pal and inputting everything I eat.

The question I have is I have tried to keep my protein intake anywhere from 150g too 200g a day while still eating in a deficit... This of course is costly so I'm just wondering have I wasted money, in the sense that I'm not building muscle when I'm in a deficit so do I need that much protein it could I have got my calories from any food as long as in stayed under allowance or by eating protein have I given myself a chance of at least holding on to the muscle I had?

I know this has probably been asked before..

marialouise

Hey shannonman, well done on the 10kg weight loss and getting back into training. 
You're not building muscle in a deficit but maintaining what you have is important, and getting enough protein is especially important when losing weight as opposed to gaining. At 89kg, 160-175g protein is fine, you shouldn't need to go all the way up to 200g, so you can already save a little bit there. Where are you getting your protein from? 
Some fish and meats will obviously be more expensive than others, so you have to choose your protein sources carefully. See can you buy meat, fish, eggs in bulk from your local butcher, fishmonger or supermarket. Kerrigan's Meats deliver nationwide and do bulk deliveries of chicken fillets and turkey burgers, if you have room in your freezer. Look out for offers in your supermarket for meat & fish eg sometimes supervalu do three packs of lean beef mince for €10 or something, and greek yoghurt such as Liberté is often on sale. Cook in bulk and freeze dinners if you can. 
Look out for sales on MyProtein, BulkPowders, Discount Supplements if you're using supplements. Protein bars and stuff are usually expensive so not a cheap source of protein but keep an eye out nonetheless for whey powder, if you're using it. 
This video was posted the other day: 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hHrysja5lYw&t=408s
Clarence Kennedy is a vegan weightlifting legend and talks about his sources of protein, some of which are really cheap. Adding foods like beans, legumes, lentils and grains like quinoa, oats as your carb sources can help keep protein up. Even some veg are higher in protein than others, eg cauliflower has more protein than peppers for example. (This might be negligible but when I got down to 1500cals a day, I was still eating huge volumes of veg and I could be getting 5-10g just from my vegetables with 20g from meat per meal). You're on the right track anyway, and don't worry if the odd day you only hit 150g, nothing bad is going to happen!
Anyway I don't think it's a waste of money but you do have to be careful as it does all add up. Good luck!

Dtp1979

marialouise wrote: »

Hey shannonman, well done on the 10kg weight loss and getting back into training. 
You're not building muscle in a deficit but maintaining what you have is important, and getting enough protein is especially important when losing weight as opposed to gaining. At 89kg, 160-175g protein is fine, you shouldn't need to go all the way up to 200g, so you can already save a little bit there. Where are you getting your protein from? 
Some fish and meats will obviously be more expensive than others, so you have to choose your protein sources carefully. See can you buy meat, fish, eggs in bulk from your local butcher, fishmonger or supermarket. Kerrigan's Meats deliver nationwide and do bulk deliveries of chicken fillets and turkey burgers, if you have room in your freezer. Look out for offers in your supermarket for meat & fish eg sometimes supervalu do three packs of lean beef mince for €10 or something, and greek yoghurt such as Liberté is often on sale. Cook in bulk and freeze dinners if you can. 
Look out for sales on MyProtein, BulkPowders, Discount Supplements if you're using supplements. Protein bars and stuff are usually expensive so not a cheap source of protein but keep an eye out nonetheless for whey powder, if you're using it. 
This video was posted the other day: 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hHrysja5lYw&t=408s
Clarence Kennedy is a vegan bodybuilder and talks about his sources of protein, some of which are really cheap. Adding foods like beans, legumes, lentils and grains like quinoa, oats as your carb sources can help keep protein up. Even some veg are higher in protein than others, eg cauliflower has more protein than peppers for example. (This might be negligible but when I got down to 1500cals a day, I was still eating huge volumes of veg and I could be getting 5-10g just from my vegetables with 20g from meat per meal). You're on the right track anyway, and don't worry if the odd day you only hit 150g, nothing bad is going to happen!
Anyway I don't think it's a waste of money but you do have to be careful as it does all add up. Good luck!

Clarence ain't no bodybuilder

marialouise

Ugh why did I type that!? Edited accordingly...