Advice on protein intake (excess)

LucasEVille
LucasEVille Posts: 567 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Hi all,

Just a quick one, I wanted to know something about protein intake.

I use PhD Diet Whey which as a lot of you guys will know is a slightly leaner shake for those of us who want to trim, slim and tone.
I've been advised there are recomended limits to the amount of protein you should intake, and there can be side effects for exceeding your bodies limit.

I don't often eat high protein meats and prefer to have a veg, fibre etc diet and using the lean protein shakes to keep me fuller for longer alongside low calorie meals or when I obviously go to the gym.

I wanted to know in my days off from the gym with no major physical activities what level of protein I should have and what levels should I avoid?

Thanks

Replies

  • Brooke4206
    Brooke4206 Posts: 140 Member
    Keep your levels the same even on off days. Adequate protein on off days is just as important (if not more) than days you're working out since it aids in replenishing your muscles. I stick to 1 g of protein per body weight everyday.
  • LucasEVille
    LucasEVille Posts: 567 Member
    Keep your levels the same even on off days. Adequate protein on off days is just as important (if not more) than days you're working out since it aids in replenishing your muscles. I stick to 1 g of protein per body weight everyday.

    Well this is the crux of it, I am 6ft 1+ and weigh over 300lbs at the moment... But with a level of muscle alongside too much fat because of my active job. Should I still be going for 1g of protein per lbs as per TDEE/IIFYM calculations?
  • suziecue66
    suziecue66 Posts: 1,312 Member
    Keep your levels the same even on off days. Adequate protein on off days is just as important (if not more) than days you're working out since it aids in replenishing your muscles. I stick to 1 g of protein per body weight everyday.

    Well this is the crux of it, I am 6ft 1+ and weigh over 300lbs at the moment... But with a level of muscle alongside too much fat because of my active job. Should I still be going for 1g of protein per lbs as per TDEE/IIFYM calculations?

    Perhaps you should be doing 1g of protein per pound of lean body weight rather than total body weight?
  • susannamarie
    susannamarie Posts: 2,148 Member
    Keep your levels the same even on off days. Adequate protein on off days is just as important (if not more) than days you're working out since it aids in replenishing your muscles. I stick to 1 g of protein per body weight everyday.

    Well this is the crux of it, I am 6ft 1+ and weigh over 300lbs at the moment... But with a level of muscle alongside too much fat because of my active job. Should I still be going for 1g of protein per lbs as per TDEE/IIFYM calculations?

    Perhaps you should be doing 1g of protein per pound of lean body weight rather than total body weight?

    I agree with this person.
  • LucasEVille
    LucasEVille Posts: 567 Member
    Excellent so that would be weight minus body fat %? or?

    If so I am below that number which solves my worry of excess protein.
  • suziecue66
    suziecue66 Posts: 1,312 Member
    Excellent so that would be weight minus body fat %? or?

    If so I am below that number which solves my worry of excess protein.

    yep.
  • Aaron_K123
    Aaron_K123 Posts: 7,122 Member
    Lean mass is (your mass - (bodyfat% x your mass))

    So for example I am 186 pounds at about 25% bodyfat. That means my lean mass is 186 - (0.25 x 186) = 139.5 pounds which is how much I'd weigh right now if all the fat just evaporated from my body.

    So I should be eating roughly 140 grams of protein for muscle maintenance while working out. For growth might even want a little more like 1.2g per pound but 1g per pound is probably enough.

    I'm not a medical doctor but I'm pretty sure you would have to be eating a huge quantity of protein by percentage of your total calories plus be dehydrated before you started doing any damage to your kidneys or liver. Its probably something you don't have to worry about, certainly not something to worry about if all you are doing is having a protein shake.
  • Aaron_K123
    Aaron_K123 Posts: 7,122 Member
    Excellent so that would be weight minus body fat %? or?

    If so I am below that number which solves my worry of excess protein.

    yeah to be honest most peoples problem is they don't eat enough protein not that they have to much. Its actually really difficult to eat a lot of your calories as protein just because its so filling.

    I was eating 50% of my calories from protein and I was struggling to eat 1800 calories a day doing that just because it was so filling to eat 900 calories worth of protein (225 grams)
  • mcafeekevin
    mcafeekevin Posts: 46 Member
    Get about 1g per pound of your desired natural weight. At 6'1" if you want to weigh 180 then 180g of protein. As for what "too much" is, don't exceed 3g per lb (of desired natural weight) and you are fine. The exact amount that your body will use and convert varies and there are many studies if you do a google search. Most of them will tell you, you don't "need" even 1g per pound a day but you have to fill your diet with something so no drawbacks to making it protein as long as you aren't going over 3 per lb.
  • LucasEVille
    LucasEVille Posts: 567 Member
    Thank you everyone for your advice :)
  • Aaron_K123
    Aaron_K123 Posts: 7,122 Member
    In general protein is so satiating (making you feel full) that you would really really have to struggle to force down 3g per pound of your desired bodyweight. That's 3*180 or 540 freaking grams of protein. To put that into perspective that's eating 90 eggs a day or almost 6 pounds of chicken breast. Unless you are intentionally trying to cause your body damage with protein it is not likely to happen just because you decided to have an extra protein shake or a piece of steak. Your good.

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