What happend if I go over my protein limit?

starryg16

I've looked at my nutrition facts form my diary entries and it looks like I'm going over my protein limit quite often. What does this do? I'm trying to be good about the calories (I have rough days though...), and I still haven't really lost weight. I always thought protein was all good... am I mistaken? Someone please help!!!

schaapj2

1. Extra protein is just fine....especially if you are exercising and doing some weight training.....protein helps you build lean muscle mass and helps those muscles recover

2. I would recommend to drink lots of water to help flush everything out....keep your body happy and hydrated!

alliecore

The truth? It will come out in your urine. A common myth is that excess protein will be stored as muscle. As with anything else, what your body can't use, it gets rid of; or stores as fat, if you are consuming more calories than you are burning.

wan2b21

Excess protein is used in muscle, hair and nail production and also gives you energy. If you have too much in your diet it just passes through you If you are working out a lot weight training it will help in bulking and repairing your muscles and you may gain weight that way.. Remember muscles burn calories so having a good muscle build is good

racheyanne1

Found this article, it might help: http://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=50900

autumn5gabby

I was told that protein is very important and that women should have 75-100 grams a day.

alliecore

I was told that protein is very important and that women should have 75-100 grams a day.

This is true; it is very important. The amount needed will vary depending on the size of an individual, as well as their exercise level. It's just that consuming excess amounts of protein doesn't do any good, because when the body has used all it needs, it will simply get rid of the rest.

cmw72

You probably should be going over on your protein. I find MFP's daily allowance to be too low.

starryg16

Hmm... I'm confused then. It looks like my food diary thing is saying I should only have 45 g, and has highlighted the excess in red... Am I just not reading it correctly? I made my food diary public, can you guys see if I'm doing something wrong?

dwarfer22

I briefly looked at your diary and it doesn't seem too far out. I think the 45 limit they set is pretty low to be honest. I think 60 is better. That said, a cpl thing caught my eye. Eggs. Eggs are good, whites are better. I used to do 2 eggs and veg omlet in the morning, now I switched to 1 egg, 1 egg white. Lowers protein a bit and lowers cals alot. Portions. I forget what day it was but you had listed 8oz of a skirt steak. an average beef potion should be 3-4 oz. 8oz is the size of 2 decks of cards. Thats alot of meat. I would think that that's a miscalculation on your part, make sure you weigh your food to be sure the numbers are right, and if that is correct, then I'd say you gotta scale back the meat portion in general. For women, we should have 3-4 oz. lean protein at every meal. That includes eggs, beans, dairy products, fish, and regular meat. If you are having different types of protein at a single meal try not to exceed the 4oz total.

While it may not "hurt" you to go over your daily limit, it is quite high in calories and could be tapered down a bit. Plus, meat is expensive and you could save money by weighing out your portions and keeping leftovers in the freezer. Good luck.

foto005

Going over your protein limit isn't a big deal. In fact, of all the major nutritional categories that one can generally go over without worry, it is protein. Because I am trying to build muscle, I am going over my Fitness Pal recommended amount by 2-3x. To build muscle, your body needs protein..they say 1-1.5g of protein per lb for those looking to seriously build muscle. That's is a difficult number to achieve without supplements AND being within your calorie limits.

For normal dieting individuals, just make sure you have a calorie deficit but ARE NOT starving yourself. When I started, I exercised and ate 1200 calories....forgetting to take into account the calories I burned exercising. As a result I was literally starving myself since my net calories was around 800 (1200 - 400 exercise). I lost ZERO the first week. I corrected my error and have lost 10lbs in 3 weeks.

You can do it. Don't get discouraged. Just watch your calories and exercise. That's all it takes. Oh...and don't worry about going overboard on protein. Good Luck!

chrisdavey

No big deal. Agree with MFP macros being a bit skewed. I personally aim for 1g per lb of bodyweight. Not saying you should but in general more protein the better for me. Stay active and utilise it.

shannonshock13

You probably should be going over on your protein. I find MFP's daily allowance to be too low.

Agreed!!
I changed my limit in MFP cos it was so low and i hated seeing it red. I eat about 80-100 grams of protein a day.

I agree with the others that say that whatever isnt needed or used passes through your urine.

kimwig

I was told that protein is very important and that women should have 75-100 grams a day.

This is true; it is very important. The amount needed will vary depending on the size of an individual, as well as their exercise level. It's just that consuming excess amounts of protein doesn't do any good, because when the body has used all it needs, it will simply get rid of the rest.

Actually .....not quite correct ....in saying that what it does not use it will get rid of.

The body cannot store protein (amino acids), so if it has more than it needs (ie you take in more protein than your body can deal with) it will take certain of the amino acids and convert them to fat (that is the metabolic pathway), and it will take others and convert them to glucose for use, and if it can not use the glucose it will store that.

The nitrogen that it strips from the amino acids as part of the process is then excreted. The body does not like to "give up" nutrient, which is what a protein is!

So you have to be a little careful with not too much excess of protein (as vital as it is to our welbeing, and that you have to get enough of certain of the amino acids that come from protein - that is 8 of the 22, as the body can create the other ones if needed)

Lyadeia

Hmm... I'm confused then. It looks like my food diary thing is saying I should only have 45 g, and has highlighted the excess in red... Am I just not reading it correctly? I made my food diary public, can you guys see if I'm doing something wrong?

If I tried to eat only 15% protein I would never meet my calorie goal.

I changed the ratios of macronutrients the first day I logged in to MFP to raise protein and lower the carbs. If I ate 55% carbs everyday, I'd be bloated like a balloon. Everyone is different, so just find what works for you and manually change the macros.

kimwig

Hmm... I'm confused then. It looks like my food diary thing is saying I should only have 45 g, and has highlighted the excess in red... Am I just not reading it correctly? I made my food diary public, can you guys see if I'm doing something wrong?

If I tried to eat only 15% protein I would never meet my calorie goal.

I changed the ratios of macronutrients the first day I logged in to MFP to raise protein and lower the carbs. If I ate 55% carbs everyday, I'd be bloated like a balloon. Everyone is different, so just find what works for you and manually change the macros.

I know people are different, but the nutritional RDA for protein (for an average female) is around .8gm per kg body weight, so for me (at around 59kg - 131lb) I look to take in around 55 - 58 gm protein a day (I think they suggest 1gm per kg body weight for those exercising heavily)