Taking the question as asked, rather than the general version of it. 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.
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 arithmetic that makes it tractable: reference weight in kg times 1.6 gives the target; divide by four for a per-sitting figure; then find four foods that hit that figure in a volume you can actually finish. Most people need two of the four to be liquid or semi-liquid early on.
What I actually want to know is whether the RDA is the wrong reference entirely during rapid weight loss, and what the actual target should be.
Not looking for reassurance. Looking for the part I have got wrong.
Dr.PainCLE said:On a suppressed appetite the winning strategy is protein density per unit of volume, not per calorie.
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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View ResultsDr.LeslieOBGYN 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. 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.
Adding the clinical framing, because it changes how the question reads.
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 | 266 lbs | 236 lbs | 193 lbs |
| Fat mass | 96 lbs | 66 lbs | 43 lbs |
| Lean mass | 149 lbs | 145 lbs | 150 lbs |
| Body fat % | 43% | 31% | 22% |
Lean mass preserved — actually GAINED 1-2 lbs thanks to progressive overload + 1.5g/kg protein. The protein intake discussion needs to include body comp data, not just scale weight.