Weight loss + protein amount+ NIH planner + to be a beast = confusion

Nutrition Q&A [Moderated]
1

Hi all,

I am a 26 year old male with Crohn’s Disease (27 in September) and weight ~225lbs (102kg) currently at 5ft 8inches tall. I have been lifting fairly consistently for the past year (with some off periods when changing my anti-depressants). While I have seen significant improvements in my overall appearance this past year and how I feel on a day-to-day basis, the scale has only moved about 15lbs. I’ve sort of been laissez-faire with my diet and just eating until satiated in general. However, after listening to one of the Podcasts with Leah, I want to participate in a PL meet in September as motivation to hit a goal weight. I would like to compete in the 184lb weight division.

Using the NIH body weight planner, it suggests that I should eat ~2200 calories per day (titrating down over time) to achieve this goal weight. After reading To Be A Beast, it seems that Jordan recommends closer to 2600 calories and 270g of Protein per day…

Now my question is… what am I missing?

I was planning to eat roughly 200g of Protein per day @ 2200 calories. Is the weight loss in TBAB meant to be a lower rate than what the NIH is planning for me? If so, should I be less ambitious in my goals?

Additionally, in terms of protein sources, I am quite busy at work (I work for big pharma so given current events my work schedule is… hell) so I have been utilizing Whey Isolate for a hefty portion of it. Sometimes going as high as 3-4 scoops a day (75-100g of Protein) if I need to. With a 10oz chicken breast and 10oz potato meal at the end of the day. I try to get a PB sandwich on whole grain bread for fiber as well. It seems like a nearly impossible task to achieve these macros, at this calorie intake, without relying on whey isolate heavily or murdering twice the amount of chickens that I currently do.

I’ve had slight issues with malabsorption in the past when my Crohn’s was flaring, but it currently is fairly well managed right now.

I apologize for the long windedness, I tried to be as comprehensive as possible. I’d appreciate some insight or corrections to anything I got wrong.

2

I would use the NIH BW planner’s numbers of TBAB, though both are just arbitrary starting points.

I think a protein shake or two per day is fine.

-Jordan

3

Thank you for the quick and concise response! I will give 2200 calories a shot and keep to the 180-200g of Protein a day and see how that shakes out and adjust from there.