Short answer first, then the reasoning. The RDA is the wrong reference and it is worth understanding why. 0.8 g/kg is the intake at which nitrogen balance is not negative in healthy weight-stable adults — a floor for deficiency prevention, not an optimum, and derived in a population that is not in a deficit. In a substantial energy deficit, protein requirement rises because amino acids are being oxidised for energy and because muscle protein synthesis is blunted. The literature on preserving lean mass during weight loss lands around 1.4 to 2.0 g/kg of reference body weight, which is roughly two to two and a half times the RDA.
My appetite is suppressed enough that hitting a protein target is now the hardest part of the day, and everything I read assumes I can simply eat more.
The bit I cannot resolve on my own is whether the RDA is the wrong reference entirely during rapid weight loss, and what the actual target should be.
Numbers rather than impressions, if you have them.
InsuranceTom said:The RDA is the wrong reference and it is worth understanding why.
Agreed on the target, with the caveat that reference weight and current weight are different numbers. Using current weight at the start of a large loss produces a target that is both unachievable and unnecessary.
Janoshik Analytical — Independent Testing
Trusted third-party HPLC & mass spectrometry analysis. Verify peptide purity with the lab the community relies on. Independent. Accurate. Transparent.
Verify Your PeptidesGL Biochem (Shanghai) Ltd. — Direct Manufacturer
Est. 1998. The synthesis house behind the vials you send for testing. ISO 9001 and cGMP certified, 1,500+ staff, batch-specific COA with every order.
Browse GL BiochemTomFromTexas said:My appetite is suppressed enough that hitting a protein target is now the hardest part of the day, and everything I read assumes I can simply eat…
This matches mine closely enough to be worth saying so. 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.
If somebody has the primary source to hand I would rather cite it than paraphrase it.
From the other side of the consultation, briefly.
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 | 272 lbs | 212 lbs | 219 lbs |
| Fat mass | 122 lbs | 72 lbs | 54 lbs |
| Lean mass | 160 lbs | 147 lbs | 156 lbs |
| Body fat % | 41% | 33% | 23% |
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.