Answering the narrow version, because the broad one does not have a single answer. 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.
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 trying to establish is how people are hitting a protein target on a genuinely suppressed appetite, because volume is the binding constraint rather than willingness.
I would rather have one careful answer than five confident ones.
Dr.RaviCardio said:On a suppressed appetite the winning strategy is protein density per unit of volume, not per calorie.
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.
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Shop Reference StandardsJakeBK_lifts said:I tracked honestly for two weeks and averaged 68g of protein against a target of about 120g.
This matches mine closely enough to be worth saying so. 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.
If somebody has the primary source to hand I would rather cite it than paraphrase it.
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 | 283 lbs | 223 lbs | 210 lbs |
| Fat mass | 113 lbs | 83 lbs | 45 lbs |
| Lean mass | 151 lbs | 150 lbs | 157 lbs |
| Body fat % | 44% | 30% | 24% |
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.