You’re making a mountain out of a molehill, the recommendations are really not that different unless you’re severely underweight or overweight. US recommendation is definitely higher, but it’s commonly misunderstood because the recommendation is 0.8g of protein per pound of lean body weight (muscle mass), not full weight.
EFSA and the WHO recommend .66g of protein to full body weight, or PRI of .83g per kg full weight, and note that intake of up to double the PRI is acceptable and safe.
Doing the math, my PRI intake would be 74g of protein (and up to double that considered safe), while my US recommendation would be 116. Yes it’s more, but not by that much. On average I probably actually take in between 90g and 115g of protein a day, give or take a bit.
Not to mention, with lifestyle related items, I’m fine with my higher intake, and it has nothing to do with being American.
- As a well controlled T2 Diabetic, I take in a much lower amount of carbs than the average person to maintain good glucose levels. This means supplementing with fiber options, avoiding simple sugars and carbs, mostly avoiding pastas and rice (or keeping them to a minimum at least), and my general intake of proteins and fats are higher to make up my daily nutritional requirements. It’s literally necessary for my health and TDEE. Most people get the bulk of their daily calories from carbohydrates, and I can’t do that.
Regarding the exercise, example from today:
- 30 minutes walking on treadmill at 2.4 MPH to warm up
- 45 minutes intense weight training, including free weights, kettlebells, dead hangs, etc.
- This is a regular routine for me 3 - 4x weekly
As someone who works out frequently both cardio and weightlifting, I want that protein to maintain and grow muscle mass, as this is one of the ways I control my glucose levels and it has a dramatic effect. Exercise is my main way of managing my sugar levels, along with a low dose of metformin XR daily. See:
I’m not a scientist and I always mix up whether it’s glycolysis or glycogenesis, but basically, glycogen reuptake to the muscles is good for muscle repair and carrying the glucose out of the bloodstream to more active storage in the muscles is good for me.
And to finalize, I’m not obsessed with eggs either. I have no qualms getting protein from any decent source including:
- various beans (soy, red kidney, occasionally pinto, red and green lentils, etc.)
- tofu
- peas
- chicken
- turkey
- soy and whey supplements when needed
- edamame (though this is hard to find in my area)
- pork
- beef
- peanut butter (as long as the ingredients are only peanuts, or peanuts and salt)
- cashews
- roasted peanuts
- cottage cheese
etc.
Eggs are certainly a part of the diet, but I can work around that if needed.
Exactly this. That’s not even a lot really. Less than one egg per day, or a single meal of eggs (assuming 3 eggs) twice a week.
The big issue is the price hike of a previously cheap meal and protein source.
It’s weird all the anti-egg stuff in this thread, it’s not about the eggs per se. Various beans have gone up in price in recent years, various meats are much more expensive than they were prior to the pandemic, and in recent years now eggs have gone way up.
For people on tight budgets, it’s brutal. What do you do when there are no more cheap meals you can make to maintain your budget? Then you have to make cuts elsewhere, if that’s even possible.
I make low six figures now and keep my costs low, but in recent years even I’ve started bulk shopping via Sam’s Club to save money because going to the normal supermarket has me paying $500 a trip for two weeks of food for just me and my wife, and that didn’t include small supplemental trips.
Going bulk and being selective has cut that down to $600-$700 every 5+ weeks. But poor folks on tight budgets generally can’t throw that much on a single trip and will get nickel and dimed by this crap. I’ve been there; being poor is fucking expensive, and there’s a lot of shit in place to keep you that way.