Asking this as a poll because the anecdotes are plentiful and the distribution is not.
I tracked honestly for two weeks and averaged 68g of protein against a target of about 120g. That gap is the whole problem and no meal plan I have found is written for it.
What I am after is whether the RDA is the wrong reference entirely during rapid weight loss, and what the actual target should be.
Roughly, people seem to land in one of these:
Say which and say why — the why is the useful half.
This one has a reasonably settled answer, so here it is. Distribution matters less than total but it is not nothing. Roughly 25 to 40g per sitting with enough leucine to trigger synthesis, three or four times a day, is more effective than the same total in one enormous evening meal — and on a suppressed appetite the enormous evening meal is the one you will not finish anyway.
BariatricNurseD said:Distribution matters less than total but it is not nothing.
True, and anyone with reduced kidney function needs that target set by a clinician rather than a forum. High protein is safe in normal kidneys and is not automatically safe in impaired ones.
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Browse GL BiochemChrisMacros said:I tracked honestly for two weeks and averaged 68g of protein against a target of about 120g.
Same position here, arrived at the long way round. On a suppressed appetite the winning strategy is protein density per unit of volume, not per calorie. Isolate powders, Greek yoghurt and cottage cheese, egg whites, lean fish, and tinned tuna all deliver a lot of protein in a small physical volume. Front-load it: appetite is usually least suppressed in the first hours after waking and worst on the day or two after dosing, so get the majority in early in the day and early in the week.
Clinical perspective, offered as context rather than as advice.
DEXA scan update relevant to protein intake:
Scanned at months 0, 6, and 12. Here are the body comp numbers:
| Baseline | Month 6 | Month 12 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total mass | 271 lbs | 226 lbs | 198 lbs |
| Fat mass | 101 lbs | 71 lbs | 48 lbs |
| Lean mass | 154 lbs | 150 lbs | 155 lbs |
| Body fat % | 40% | 30% | 22% |
Lean mass preserved — actually GAINED 1-2 lbs thanks to progressive overload + 1.4g/kg protein. The protein intake discussion needs to include body comp data, not just scale weight.