You can find the previous post in this series that discusses the workouts, right here.
I’m not going to lie to you: this could be the most controversial post of the Leangains series. I suppose the reason for that, were I to sum it up, is that the readership of this blog largely focusses on those with current or formerly damaged and broken metabolisms, and Martin Berkhan’s approach does not seem to zero in on that — at least from my perspective. A low-carb predisposition is an understandable aspect of my readership and in Martin’s case, low-carb, while being a valuable tool anyone can use, is not a requirement for all.
So I think it’s fair to say that a lot of paleo / Primal practitioners out there might not necessarily see eye to eye with all the Leangains approach to diet prescribes. But I also see this as a temporary thing for me. I simply want to get as lean as I want to be and then carry on more or less as before, though with a Leangains informed approach, which I might sum up as: lift really heavy; briefly, a couple times a week, eat lots of meat, and go good & hungry for some period almost every day. Also, from my perspective, I see Martin as highly supportive of paleo principles, but with some added tweaks owing to what he knows about the science of nutrition and conditioning.
As reported in the previous reports in this series I have thus far dropped about 10 pounds even though I often feel as though I eat more than ever.
The basic approach is simple enough and there’s lots more in The Leangains Guide:
- You have to count calories
- You have to track macronutrient ratios
- No processed junk food
- Relatively high intake of protein all the time
- Higher carb / lower fat on workout days
- Higher fat / lower carb on rest days
It should also be pointed out that a crucial, foundational aspect of the whole integrated Leangains method is the incorporation of intermittent fasting, 16 hours per day. We’ll cover the science of fasting in the next post in the series (and I’ll have lots to offer from my significant experience pre-Leangains) but for now just keep in mind that all this eating is done every day in the space of eight hours. Here’s just a few examples of some of the meals I eat during that eight hour window. You can also review the Food Porn category and at the end of the post I’ll give you a list to specific food posts I’ve done that highlight the high-protein spirit of Leangains. All photos I post can be clicked on for the hi-res versions.
Big Filet
You’re going to see lots and lots of sauces. This will really help you down the amount of protein you need to down. This way, you don’t need to choke it down at all, but savor it, wishing you had more — even after a pound or two of it has crossed your palette. And that sauce is low fat, super low carb, low calorie and Big Flavor.
Let me give you the basic method:
- Slowly reduce about 1/2 C of red wine per serving until you get a syrup, like a few Tbsp.
- Add your beef stock. I typically use about a cup of Trader Joe’s organic (per serving).
- Reduce the whole thing to about 1/3 C per serving.
- Add a pat of butter per serving.
- Bring to a boil and add 1/4 tsp potato starch per serving to just enough cold stock to make a slurry. Stir, watch it thicken, serve.
You can play with it, too. For instance, use some ratio of vegetable stock or mushroom stock with the beef stock. You can add spices & herbs like rosemary, sage, garlic (salt & pepper, of course). This is great with beef, venison, lamb. For chicken, pork, fish, just use white wine for the reduction and chicken stock in place of the beef (and with ratios of vegetable and/or mushroom stock too). For herbs & spices, think tarragon (my personal favorite — and less is more…hint).
What I’d suggest is to first get down the basic method and then start playing with the ratios of the stock you use and herbs & spices…or even fruit or peppers. For example, some crushed blueberries or cherries or even jalapeno peppers work wonders in the beef stock and try persimmons in the chicken stock. When you use herbs, spices, & fruits, always strain your sauce before you thicken. A wire strainer works fine.
Big Post-Workout Meal
This is my favorite high protein post-workout meal. I get it at a local Harry’s Hofbrau. $12, with the iced tea. That’s about a pound of roast beef, simple beef consume (calling it "au jus" is a pet peeve — don’t do it!), about 2/3 C mashed potatoes, 2/3 C low-fat cottage cheese, and 1/2 tsp horseradish all mixed together.
That is high protein. And here’s just another variation on the same theme.
Big Meal
And with that, let’s get into some questions for Martin.
~~~
I notice that you require a significant amount of protein. Any particular reason(s) why? Is there any such thing as a "metabolic advantage," or is it only calories that count?
There is a “metabolic advantage” for protein and it’s for protein only. We count protein calories per the old Atwater-formula from the 19th century that states that one gram of protein yields 4 kcal.
A more precise method of estimating energy yield for one gram of protein is by looking at the net metabolizable energy, which is calorie yield after accounting for TEF. TEF is the increase in energy expenditure that is due primarily to the metabolic cost of transporting and converting the absorbed nutrients into their respective storage forms.
Accounting for TEF, which is substantial for protein (20-30%) protein comes in at around 3-3.2 g per gram depending on the amino acid composition of the protein source. For fat and carbs, TEF is negligible; 2-7% depending on the sources and where is ends up (i.e. muscle glycogen, liver glycogen for carbs, and oxidation or storage of fatty acids). The current nutritional labeling of 4 and 9 kcal per gram is therefore not far off the mark for carbs and fat.
Needless to say, the high TEF of protein results in a metabolic advantage for the higher protein diet when comparing two equicaloric diets if we count protein as 4 kcal per gram. If the increase is substantial, i.e. if we compare a 2000 kcal SAD with 15% protein intake versus a 2000 kcal 45% protein diet, the difference will be significant. Adding to that, other advantages of high-protein diets are superior effects on satiety and better lean mass retention during weight loss.
Doesn’t a very high protein intake both stimulate insulin release and initiate gluconeogenesis? If so, why the need for the higher carbs specifically after a workout and in general on workout days?
Good question. Yes, you could probably satisfy the demand for muscle glycogen via protein only whilst following a low-volume training approach and consuming a high-protein diet.
The question is more along the lines of what’s practical and feasible, and what macronutrient is preferable for post-workout consumption if the choice stands between fat and carbs.
In between carbs and fat, carbs are the superior choice due to the insulinogenic effect and contribution to muscle glycogen. This is desirable for muscle gain and recovery. The combo of high protein and high carbs impacts gene expression related to muscle hypertrophy more so than a higher fat intake in place of carbs.
Furthermore, in the context of the Leangains approach for fat loss, there are other desirable effects of this high-carb refeed, such as the impact of carbs on leptin, which is superior for carbs.
How about insulin? One often gets the feeling in low-carb circles that it’s Beelzebub, only with more horns. What’s your take, in general? And how about to someone with a severely damaged or broken metabolism?
I don’t know where to start with that one. I’ll just say that the fear of carbs and insulin is vastly exaggerated and taken out of context. I’ve talked too much about this in the past, so you could say I’ve burned out trying to explain or defend insulin. Anyone who has spent some time on my site should get an idea of my thoughts. Most recently, I discussed the effects of insulin in Cheat Day strategies for the hedonist.
For someone with poor insulin sensitivity, I would certainly prescribe a less insulinogenic diet on training days, i.e. training days will be lower in carbs and higher in fat.
However, it’s worth noting that just about everyone seems to believe that they have poor insulin sensitivity and react poorly to carbs. Going by my practical experiences, it’s a rare phenomenon. I’ve asked hundreds of people via my questionnaire that I send out for consultations and 8 or 9 out of 10 will note that they react poorly to carbs, or imply it by stating that they do much better with low-carb diets. It never turned out to be the case when they started following my approach with large post-workout meals, sometimes of more than a hundred carbs in one sitting. Their "poor insulin sensitivity" and low carb tolerance simply never manifested itself as they would have predicted.
I think people tend to think of their reaction to carbs in extremes, such as: "How do I feel when I eat a large bowl of Cornflakes/rice/bread" (Insert other high-GI high-carb meal here that includes hundreds of fast-digesting carbs), etc. Just about anyone will get drowsy and lethargic after such meals. It’s quite a different thing from eating a big plate of veggies, potatoes, and meat. Meal composition and carb sources matter a great deal.
So what makes the Leangains approach superior to other dietary regimes you’ve seen and tried? If it’s not just about the calories, what is it?
From a behavioral point of view, which is the most important aspect to consider for long-term health and weight control, Leangains is very easy to follow for a lot of people. In the context of dieting, it’s also a very attractive approach since you get to eat large meals to fullness whilst still losing fat.
From a physiological point of view, the Leangains approach incorporates controlled overfeeding and underfeeding in a strategic manner that may provide superior nutrient partitioning effects. I’m saying “may” because it’s impossible to find hard evidence for this in the scientific literature. But in practical terms, you are providing a surplus of calories at a time where they are most likely to be used for muscle building and recovery. As protein synthesis levels off, so does calorie intake. I don’t think it’s a far-fetched hypothesis that timing overfeeding in this manner would be beneficial for body composition. In bodybuilding lingo, you’re basically bulking for one third of the day and cutting for two thirds of the day. Furthermore, the strategic refeeds provides a timely leptin-boost that may be of benefit to fat loss, metabolic rate, and other parameters related to leptin (such as libido, testosterone, etc). It is also interesting to speculate whether there is any synergy of intermittent fasting and refeeding after workouts. I could talk a lot about this topic and I will elaborate more when the time comes.
Lastly, from a health perspective, intermittent fasting may be beneficial. I should note that this is a relatively new area of research that has only really started to take off in the last five years. However, the effect of intermittent fasting on health parameters such as blood lipids, insulin sensitivity and protection against certain diseases (such as Alzheimer’s) looks promising.
Finally, it’s gonna be asked so we might as well touch on it here: what are the pros & cons of drinking your protein?
There are no pros of drinking your protein unless it’s in the context of quickly increasing amino acid levels in the blood, such as in the case of fasted training. In other cases, whole food protein is the superior choice due to the effects on satiety.
Learn to eat and chew your protein. It might seem hard at first if you’re not used to it, but you will get used to it and eventually learn to enjoy it. Adapting to a habitual high-protein diet is one of the most important changes you can do for long-term body fat control. An indirect effect of this will likely be better health and more muscle as well.
~~~
And now here is a number of food posts over the months since I began Leangains that serve to show you the spirit of the thing, not only in a high-protein theme, but perhaps more importantly, shattering the notion that a leaning, even body building program necessitates bland and boring meals (dry chicken breasts, protein powders, tubs of cottage cheese, and so on).
- Meat & Potatoes
- Salads, Cheeseburgers & Tacos
- Two Potatoes; and Meat & Sauce
- High Protein and Low Fat, KFC Style
- Too Many Meals for One Post
- The High Protein KFC Double Down Applied to Beef
- Not Pizza; Meatza
- Big Ass Beef Filets Sous Vide; Sauce & Veggies
- Pork Baby Back Ribs, Dry Rub and a Paleo Compliant BBQ Sauce
- Just Make a Double or Triple Recipe of These Braised Beef Short Ribs
- If You’re Cooking for Two, You’ll Need Two of These Grilled Flank Steaks
- Three Big Meals; All of Your Favorites
- Overfeeding or Leangains?
- Chili Dogs on a Low-Carb Day
- If You Get Enough Carne Asada, Everyone Can Overdose Protein
- Make Sure You Do Some Lamb; Cook it Right
- Life Gets in The Way; But Not of Good Filets
- Wall to Wall Protein Options
- Basic: Omelet & Bacon
- BBQ Protein Gluttony
- Some Do High Protein Leangains in Restaurants
- Finally, a Protein Theme
I know that most of my regular readers have seen many of those food posts. I might suggest that it’s interesting to see them all again one after the other.
But my main reason for doing all those is for Martin’s readers who’re not regulars here. Martin doesn’t focus a whole lot on food preparation, gourmet, or anything like that, so here’s now someplace he and his advocates can send people to demonstrate that….
You can have a lot of fun eating a lot of protein.
Next up, we’ll delve into intermittent fasting, the core foundation of the Leangains method.
Update: While reading the comments tonight, I fixed this. All elements included. Click to hi-res it.
Filet & Sirloin & Potatoes
That’s a grassfed filet and a grassfed sirloin (the wife got 2-3 slices :). Did the sauce thing in the basic fashion, i.e., the three ingredients plus the starch to thicken. Here’s an added tip I didn’t mention: when the wine is almost there, add the butter and fire it up in order to brown the solids a bit. Adds a lot of flavor. Oh, that’s 3/4 white sweet potato mixed with 1/4 orange.
I might mention that I didn’t have any chance to add or rework anything after getting Martin’s answers and the one thing I’d have to emphatically agree with is where he describes the distinction between a high-carb meal of rice crispies (or whatever) vs. one of veggies and/or potatoes. I have never felt anything but great and invigorated after. He’s so right about that. After a deadlift session today of 315 x 3 and 285 x 4 (and the other stuff) and a post workout meal of a culotte steak, fruit, cottage cheese, hard boiled egg and some veggies, this rounded out the evening along with some scotch and one of the macadamia nut cookies my wife is fixing for holiday baskets.
Life is good.
VW 
mike 
Martin Berkhan 
JimS 
MountainDew 
Nick 
Jarrett
Thank you for this series of articles. Great stuff. Much appreciated.
I’ve been eating within a 7-hour window these last few weeks. It’s been easy and I feel absolutely great.
i cant seem to find the macro ratio for off days and on days lol i don’t think they exist it be nice if i had them for buliding muscle and losing fat doing the fasting leangains approach
Awesome interview!
I agree 100% with Leangains & IF being a damn easy and enjoyable diet approach to follow for fat loss and bodyrecomposition.
win-win situation 🙂
keep up the good work
Great post Richard! I’ve been reading through the Lean Gains blog trying to figure out his nutritional strategy from a layman’s perspective, and this post did a wonderful job of explaining it.
If you don’t mind, how do you (or anyone) decided how many calories to consume for their needs ie weight gain, maintenance , weight loss?
I am 5’10”, weigh 115 lbs and can’t put on weight if my life depended on it, or rather, I can’t keep it on. I’ve tried shakes, MRPs, 8 meals a day, you name it and nothting seems to work. I have had blood work done twice and all of my numbers (TSH, etc) came back normal.
Start at BW x 20 and go up from there. No matter how fidgety you are, you’ll eventually start to put on weight. Drink your calories if you have to.
yea id suggest starting strength and the gallon of milk a day protocol.
Nice post Richard (and Martin)!
As someone following Leangains, I initially found two things difficult (coming from more of a low-carb/paleo background):
– Getting in enough protein
– Not eating too much fat
That said, with the help of some protein powder (usually only necessary on workout days as non-workout days require less protein), I’ve found I can usually manage pretty well. Otherwise I find it hard to eat enough LEAN protein and still keep fat low on workout days.
One thing LG diet has helped me understand is that low-carb is important if you’re going to eat high-fat — but if you’re going to eat high-carb, DON’T eat high-fat, too — the reason being that in the presence of a lot of insulin, the fat is going to get stored. This isn’t so much a problem when low-carbbing and high-fatting b/c of the lack of insulin. This is my simple conceptualization of this, so I’m curious if Martin or Richard would agree.
And why high-carb at all? Offset negative effects of dieting the other 4 days of the week you’re not working out (1), and (2) nutrient partitioning — match macros to activity (heavy lifting).
Anyway, one last comment on TEF — I’ve noticed very consistently that I get hot after my big post-workout, post-fast meal — where I consume upwards of 125 – 150 gm of protein. Never noticed TEF before, but it’s definitely there when I eat this much food.
Justin,
If you eat a high-fat meal, you’ll store that fat just fine with only base levels of insulin. Happens via acylation stimulating protein.
But it’s a moot point, given that some protein sources are insulinogenic and some protein sources even more so than an equivalent amount of carbs.
The fact that you’ll store fat from high-fat meals is also a moot point, given that fatty acids are continuously trafficked in and out of adipose tissue. In after meals and out in between meals.
So it boils down to calories in/calories out with protein having a metabolic advantage due to the satiating effect and the TEF?
High-carb diets and non-IF eating seem to both work against insulin sensitivity — do you think the real culprit to insulin getting a bad name (and being looked at as something that should be avoided like the plague) may have something to do with high-carb/non-IF eating leading to impaired insulin sensitivity, which in turn sparks any number of health problems?
just a thought, but maybe since protein elicits a measurable insulin response which is longer lasting than carbs, and common folk who eat 4-6 times a day are getting that extended level-raised insulin from protein coupled with even more raised insulin with carbs and constant feedings, are storing fat and giving carbs a bad name. prolly would lead to inflammation and insulin resistance as well.
Yea Justin, a high protein meal lights up a furnace in me like nothing else.
THAT SAUCE…. i have been waiting for a basic run down on how to start it and make it!!!!!!!!!!!! halleluia (even tho your atheist lol)
i agree with martin, insulin is way procrastinated into something it simply is not. and not to mention how he said people who deem themselves insulin resistant, as i once swore to, are not. i get a much higher prolonged insulin surge from protein than i do from carbs. when i do a lower fat high carb meal i can usually get my BS to spike around 130, but an hour later it’s back down to 95, and usually ends up in the 80’s post 16 hours
Me too! I tried googling wine reduction sauces a couple times, but they never seemed to taste like I imagined your pictures would taste, if that makes any sense. I know what I’m having for dinner tonight.
Same here, sauces have always been a mystery to me, Richard explained it in a way even a caveman could understand.
Key is to get the red wine reduced to the consistency of cough syrup first, then butter, then a quality beef stock reduced by 75%, then just enough potato starch in a cold stock slurry (otherwise, it will lump & clump) to thicken. herbs, spices, fruits or peppers as desired.
DROOLING…. i have never bought wine in my life, gotta find some after work. any recommendations?
Don’t go expensive for a reduction. 2 buck chuck is fine.
BTW, you can do the same with balsamic. Get the less expensive stuff and reduce and it rivals those high end products in taste.
Absolutely, on the balsamic. Did a reduction for a sauteed liver deal the other day and my wife actually enjoyed it !
Would you use the same amount (1/2 cup) of balsamic in that recipe?
When i have some wine I’d rather drink it… *cough*
I’ve started a Leangains-type regime based on your posts and Martin’s site, but haven’t fully moved into the fasted workout, drinking BCAA drinks, etc., mold and probably won’t. (see Martin’s site and the fasted workout post) So far, I’m really enjoying the lifting, as I was getting tired of my modified Body By Science regime and my gains there were slowing way down. Deadlift workout tonight, and I’m looking forward to it!
I have a simple logistical question for Richard about sauces.
How long does it take you to make a sauce, and do you have any tricks for speeding it up? I have a full-time job, long commute, and two young kids. Making a good paleo dinner is hard enough to find time for without adding in a reduction sauce that takes 30 mins. Any ideas for “sauces on a time budget?”
It would be tough to do it in less than 30 minutes. Usually I do it concurrently with other stuff like the veggies roasting in the oven (~20 minutes) and then the meat on the grill (~10 minutes) so a meal with a sauce usually takes my 30 minutes because I’m very used to mutitasking like that.
What you could do is make a big batch, i.e., reduce a whole bottle of red wine, then add a coupe of quarts of stock and reduce by 75% then put it in the fridge. Then you just bring a portion to a boil, add any herbs, spices, fruits, peppers you like, strain, add butter and thicken.
Thanks. I’ll just add the sauce-making to my multi-tasking list like you suggested. 30 mins isn’t too bad. I made a sauce this summer and the kids loved it, even though I burned it a bit by trying to cook it too fast. Object lesson confirming what I suspected.
I wouldn’t always consider paleo low carb. Isn’t it just whole foods as we would find while hunting and gathering.
It’s about damn time we got another LG post. I pay good money for this blog and … oh wait.
Richard, you should really consider a cookbook!
Question for MB, you advise LC/HF on non-workout days and LF/HC on workout days but what would be the calorie %’s (keeping protein constant of course)? How low should one go with each nutrient (20%)?
I would buy your cookbook.
I would too.
Definitely.
I love Martin’s stuff and I think IF/LeanGains is pretty damn interesting.
However, here’s what I don’t get. It all seems to be geared towards fat loss always being the big primary goal. Yeah, building muscle is sometimes mentioned as well, but it’s always more of a secondary thing with fat loss always being #1 in terms of importance.
But what about when building muscle (while minimizing fat gains) is a person’s big primary goal?
Does Martin have some sort of LeanGains diet and training approach for that? I’ve looked, but I never seem to find much.
This leads me to assume (correctly or incorrectly) that LeanGains (and maybe IF in general) is a little less relevant when fat loss isn’t the #1 goal of the trainee.
Am I wrong?
It’s more commonly used for fat loss.
I have used it with great success for muscle gain personally and so have many clients (<— you'll see plenty of examples very soon).
One issue with muscle/weight gain is the sheer amount of food. It's a problem for some. Certainly not for me.
Wow, that was quick. Thanks Martin. Looking forward to seeing those examples.
I can imagine that having to consistently eat near 4000 (or more) calories daily within an 8 hour window would be pretty tough (which is the opposite of what makes IF seem so ideal for fat loss). That’s another part of why I’m interested in hearing what you recommend when muscle gain is the primary goal.
I had always figured it would be something like a surplus on training days and maybe maintenance on off days with the majority of the calories on training days coming in the post workout window? That’s sort of what I’m planning on doing my next bulk.
I’m also really interested in hearing more about your training approach when hypertrophy is the primary goal. The stuff I’ve read by you so far is always low volume and seemingly low frequency (hitting everything once per week, which, while perfectly fine for fat loss is usually not recommended for optimal muscle growth).
Just more stuff for you to add to your never ending to-do list. =)
i gained 20lbs in 9 months 🙂 girl can eat…
I’ll be writing more about training soon.
I’ve really been chowing on the cottage cheese in recent weeks, makes it much easier to get your protein in. I eat as much as a pound and a half with dinner.
Great series. I’m a huge fan of Martin’s work.
I’ve got a couple of questions for you guys:
1. When you say higher fat/lower carb and lower fat/higher carb, how low/high are we talking here? Does the amount matter, or is it more about the ratio of fat:carb?
2. Also, when looking for fat loss, about how many calories should be eaten? For a 150lb male, is 2400 on workout days, and 1500-1800 on rest days appropriate?
Thanks,
Nick
“Also, when looking for fat loss, about how many calories should be eaten?”
This
and, macronutrient percents – could not find it anywhere on your site.
I’m pretty sure Martin will say that it depends and it does because everyone is a bit different. Lots of stuff go into determining calorie and nutrient intakes. Age, activity levels, carb sensitivity….list gets long.
He’s already given good guidelines in the Leangains guide – http://www.leangains.com/2010/04/leangains-guide.html. Lots of people including me has had great success using those fundamentals. I don’t blame him for wanting to save some details for the book.
Martin,
Any word on the IE issue with accessing your site?
Thanks for the reminder, I’ll look into this.
Why has nobody talk about the protein fluff yet???
http://www.leangains.com/2010/09/high-protein-recipes-and-jack3d-review.html
Martin,
I am curious on how you decided on the 45% of calories (I am assuming a hypocaloric intake) as protein. Why not 30, 40, or 50% of calories as protein? What research demonstrates that 45% of calories from protein is the sweet spot for a weight/fat loss diet?
I used those figures to illustrate a point. (15% SAD vs 45% high-protein diet)
e.g. increase protein to three times the amount in the Standard American Diet and you’ll get a metabolic advantage that will result in better fat loss in the long-term due to the difference in TEF.
Yes, I get your point of the TEF difference between these two amounts. But, isn’t a 45% protein intake what you recommend? Therefore, it is not just for illustration, but is the intake people should have for better fat loss.
I agree that protein intakes higher than the SAD (15%) are good for losing wt and keeping it off. But, again, I am curious on how you settled on 45% protein? Why not recommend 60% as this would potentially elicit a 400% increase in TEF relative to the SAD intake and probably decrease appetite even more? Also, why not use a particular g/kg/day intake recommendation instead of a % of calories. According to Layman and others, the method based on size (total BW or lean tissue) is probably the better approach to keep the proper intakes when there are hypocaloric intakes.
Just a guess but I bet he pegged it there through self experimentation. I mean I have to imagine he knows what worked for him…and his clients.
Marc,
I agree that it might have been through self-experimentation. Hopefully Martin will give us his reasoning for his 45% protein recommendation. Back to self-experimentation; there are many potential problems with the “it worked for me” then it will work for you mindset. Not that I am knocking self-experimentation, I think it is a good way to help find out what will work for a particular person. The problems have to do with problems associated with anecdotal information. There are a number of cognitive pitfalls that make it very challenging to have a clear and unbiased view of what is really happening. This also applies to the clients he works with. I too have worked with many clients over the past 15 years and have seen some trends, but I really feel that it is very hard to ascertain exactly what the person is doing. I usually would see my clients for 30 minutes two to three times a week. That leaves a lot of time that I really don’t know what they are doing. Anyway, there is no doubt that his clients have had great results; the problem is in pinpointing what the causal agent was for their transformations. People are notoriously bad at recalling what they actually eat or estimating how much they actually eat as well as other interpretations of their behaviors. Again, this is not to say that some people can do this very well and really know what caused their change, but it usually is hard to decipher what the true causal agents are. For example, when someone decides to change how they look there are usually MANY things that they change, i.e., exercise, eating habits, and some cognitive aspects like deciding to actually do something, maybe also setting some specific goals, to name a few things. Because they REALLY want to change this time, this itself my allow them to feel less hungry and it may not be due to their change in diet/protein intake. Not to say that protein does not help to reduce hunger, it does. There are placebo effects and many other confounders that minimize the ability to ascertain what the real causative factors are which is the inherent problems with anecdotal information. This is why clinical research that tries to minimize confounders along with statistical analysis is so important for finding out what are the causal agents and not just associated behaviors. This process is not perfect, but when it is done properly it gives us some quality information.
I didn’t read this last massive wall of text, but from reading his site and many articles several times, he doesn’t really give a specific % of what protein should make up of total calories, 40% or otherwise. I’m sure because it’s dependent on goals of his clients.
All I ever remember seeing is 1g/lb of bodyweight or maybe more depending on the person. A certain % isn’t even mentioned in the Lean Gains Guide on his site. He just used 45% as an example for that specific question.
I too have been unable to find a specific protein intake or even a range of intake. All that I have found regarding protein intake is “Protein is kept high on all days”.
Regarding the 45% protein intake. Why use this level of intake as an example if it is not what he is recommending or close to it? Like the 60% I mentioned in an earlier post, this example illustrates that the potential increase TEF/MA would be 400% more than the SAD (15%). But I would not recommend such a high level of protein and I have yet to see anyone recommend this amount of protein even though it has this potential metabolic advantage. However, it is not reality so it really doesn’t matter. My point is why not use the % of protein that he typically recommends to illustrate his point regarding the potential metabolic benefits of higher intakes of protein. This would give a more realistic view of what might occur in real life.
Why does it seem the protein intakes are so secretive? He is very clear that “Protein is kept high on all days”. What does high mean? Why not just say, for example, “protein intakes will range from 30-40% of calories or 1.7-2.0g/kg/day, with the specific amounts for a particular individual depending on a number of variables, such as training day or not, main goals, etc.”? Is that really giving away to much info?
You know what could clear up this confusion? A few sentences from Martin.
I’m not confused at all, and I think you’re over-thinking this.
He’s said 1g/lb/day already. And clients have different goals, so giving a % isn’t ideal. If I’m trying to lose weight, 40% protein for me isn’t the same for someone trying to gain and using 40%.
I’m sure he didn’t say 60% instead of 45% because 45% is the first number that came to his head for an arbitrary example.
You should read this post by Lyle McDonald to see why you’re missing the mark with your need for a %. Check out part 1 too just to catch up.
http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/fat-loss/diet-percentages-part-2.html
I tried to reply but think my comment got screwed up. Either way, I think you’re over-thinking this. I believe he said 45% instead of 60% or 100% because 45% is the first number that popped into his mind, and also a somewhat realistic figure.
And %s aren’t the best way of setting up a diet because if Martin says “Eat 40% of calories from protein” but you’re gaining weight and I’m trying to lose weight this figure could be totally different.
You can calculate for your own goals how much 1g/lb or more equals as a % of your caloric intake.
I agree with you that using the % method is not the best way of setting up a diet. I had mentioned that in an earlier post.
Here is what I said earlier;
Also, why not use a particular g/kg/day intake recommendation instead of a % of calories. According to Layman and others, the method based on size (total BW or lean tissue) is probably the better approach to keep the proper intakes when there are hypocaloric intakes.