Will too much protein make me gain weight?

samilynn005

Anyone feel free to correct me but I'm trying to loose weight (more reduce my overall fat %) while building muscle, strength and endurance. In order to build muscle you need protein (and carbs), estimated at 1 gram per body weight which will help your muscles build and grow.

So back to the orignal question will proteint make someone gain weight? Depending on your excercise level, isn't the answer, yes? While 5-6 grams over isn't a lot of extra putting in 100's extra grams while following a strength program would.

There were many other good and valid points about protein posted in this thread that people should consider as well. Protein calories do have a different level (same level as carbs 9 I think) while fat is 15. Your body has reserves of calories in different forms fat, carb and protein but protein does get absorbed through eating and digestion better. Also valid points about eating too little calories, you will shock your metabolism and hurt yourself. Then again if anyone has researched warrior diets and eating 75% of your daily calories in 1 meal at night, you can get conflicting information.

I workout about two hours everyday so I would think I would need more protein than it says on here.

Jeff92se

146lbs and a 1200 calorie goal doesn't match to me. Especially if you aren't eating the 2 hours of exercise calories ( I don't know if you are or aren't).

ilikejam33

Anyone feel free to correct me but I'm trying to loose weight (more reduce my overall fat %) while building muscle, strength and endurance. In order to build muscle you need protein (and carbs), estimated at 1 gram per body weight which will help your muscles build and grow.

So back to the orignal question will proteint make someone gain weight? Depending on your excercise level, isn't the answer, yes? While 5-6 grams over isn't a lot of extra putting in 100's extra grams while following a strength program would.

There were many other good and valid points about protein posted in this thread that people should consider as well. Protein calories do have a different level (same level as carbs 9 I think) while fat is 15. Your body has reserves of calories in different forms fat, carb and protein but protein does get absorbed through eating and digestion better. Also valid points about eating too little calories, you will shock your metabolism and hurt yourself. Then again if anyone has researched warrior diets and eating 75% of your daily calories in 1 meal at night, you can get conflicting information.

I workout about two hours everyday so I would think I would need more protein than it says on here.

Working out means that you are buring calories, according to your food diary then you are actuall at less than zero net cals a day, this is why the other posters have said you are starving yourself. When they say starving they do not mean not eating but actually depriving your body of the calories and nutrients you need to live.

MFP already calculates a deficit for you, and to achieve maximum weight loss you need to eat the entire 1200 cal plus the calories you burn from excercise.

To put it in perspective you loose about 500 cal each session of breast feeding, if you were not eating these calories your body shut off your ability to breast feed becasue it was harming you.

Please do the healthy thing and eat more, when your body is working out and you dont eat it learns to slow down your metabolsim which in turn makes you not feel hungry, this is a dangerous cycle you are in. If you would like supportive motivation please add me, my diary is open to my friends and you can see just how much I eat and still loose steadily

Jeff92se

Anyone feel free to correct me but I'm trying to loose weight (more reduce my overall fat %) while building muscle, strength and endurance. In order to build muscle you need protein (and carbs), estimated at 1 gram per body weight which will help your muscles build and grow.

So back to the orignal question will proteint make someone gain weight? Depending on your excercise level, isn't the answer, yes? While 5-6 grams over isn't a lot of extra putting in 100's extra grams while following a strength program would.

There were many other good and valid points about protein posted in this thread that people should consider as well. Protein calories do have a different level (same level as carbs 9 I think) while fat is 15. Your body has reserves of calories in different forms fat, carb and protein but protein does get absorbed through eating and digestion better. Also valid points about eating too little calories, you will shock your metabolism and hurt yourself. Then again if anyone has researched warrior diets and eating 75% of your daily calories in 1 meal at night, you can get conflicting information.

I workout about two hours everyday so I would think I would need more protein than it says on here.

What is your height? I can do the BMI/BMR calculations for you here.

lifeskittles

I strength train heavy. Strength training and protein helps you retain muscle in a deficit. You won't gain weight you will still lose. You might retain water in your muscle but that is it unless you are new to strength training. Protein is 25 to 30 percent and carbs is about 15 percent. According to the Internet anyway.

Anyone feel free to correct me but I'm trying to loose weight (more reduce my overall fat %) while building muscle, strength and endurance. In order to build muscle you need protein (and carbs), estimated at 1 gram per body weight which will help your muscles build and grow.

So back to the orignal question will proteint make someone gain weight? Depending on your excercise level, isn't the answer, yes? While 5-6 grams over isn't a lot of extra putting in 100's extra grams while following a strength program would.

There were many other good and valid points about protein posted in this thread that people should consider as well. Protein calories do have a different level (same level as carbs 9 I think) while fat is 15. Your body has reserves of calories in different forms fat, carb and protein but protein does get absorbed through eating and digestion better. Also valid points about eating too little calories, you will shock your metabolism and hurt yourself. Then again if anyone has researched warrior diets and eating 75% of your daily calories in 1 meal at night, you can get conflicting information.

lifeskittles

Why do you workout for two hours every day?

Anyone feel free to correct me but I'm trying to loose weight (more reduce my overall fat %) while building muscle, strength and endurance. In order to build muscle you need protein (and carbs), estimated at 1 gram per body weight which will help your muscles build and grow.

So back to the orignal question will proteint make someone gain weight? Depending on your excercise level, isn't the answer, yes? While 5-6 grams over isn't a lot of extra putting in 100's extra grams while following a strength program would.

There were many other good and valid points about protein posted in this thread that people should consider as well. Protein calories do have a different level (same level as carbs 9 I think) while fat is 15. Your body has reserves of calories in different forms fat, carb and protein but protein does get absorbed through eating and digestion better. Also valid points about eating too little calories, you will shock your metabolism and hurt yourself. Then again if anyone has researched warrior diets and eating 75% of your daily calories in 1 meal at night, you can get conflicting information.

I workout about two hours everyday so I would think I would need more protein than it says on here.

APO_Katie

Too much protein makes me fart.

:laugh: BWAHAHA! Thanks for the laugh.

All kidding aside, your body needs at least 1200 calories to function properly. Anything less then that will send it into starvation mode. You will stop losing weight and may even gain because your body is trying to survive. Eating so little can also cause a myriad of health problem too, I know, I had an eating disorder when I was your age. I was at risk for osteoporosis at age 18 because I didn't eat enough. Please talk to your family dr about it and see if s/he can refer you to a nutritionist. Your baby needs a healthy Mommy more than a sick one!!

heybales

So back to the orignal question will proteint make someone gain weight? Depending on your excercise level, isn't the answer, yes? While 5-6 grams over isn't a lot of extra putting in 100's extra grams while following a strength program would.

There were many other good and valid points about protein posted in this thread that people should consider as well. Protein calories do have a different level (same level as carbs 9 I think) while fat is 15. Your body has reserves of calories in different forms fat, carb and protein but protein does get absorbed through eating and digestion better. Also valid points about eating too little calories, you will shock your metabolism and hurt yourself. Then again if anyone has researched warrior diets and eating 75% of your daily calories in 1 meal at night, you can get conflicting information.

If you are eating more calories than you use, then extra protein, or carbs, or fat, will make you gain weight.

If you are eating less calories than you use, then extra protein, or cards, or fat, will not make you gain weight.

Simple as that, don't make it more complex because of what your are doing.

Now, your extra activities is indeed what can make it more difficult to nail on the head if you are truly deficit or not, when you factor in exercise calories.

Close on calorie count per gram. Protein and carbs 5, fat 9.

Protein doesn't get absorbed easier actually. The protein has to be broken down into amino acids, and those essential ones must all be present and in the correct ratio for them to be used as protein in the system, or else broken down for fuel like carbs.

Fat isn't easier, as the bile must be released and it takes a bit to be broken up and absorbed, hence the reason fat can help slow digestion and make you feel full longer.

Carbs is easiest, especially if you count insulins ability to assist the glucose getting into the liver and muscles to replace what has been lost, and then as fuel if needed then, and then as fat if not.

Eating too little doesn't so much as "shock" your metabolism, as in spike it up and make it alive. It can very easily start slowing it down.

And those warrior diets are very interesting if you try to start eating normal again, or have a single binge.

fatboypup

i could live on muscle milk alone ........ mmmmmmmmmmmmm protein

I've been wanting to try muscle milk. Is it good for when you're dieting or no?

I drink the light, you have to keep an eye on the calories on non workout days

lipt8611

Why do you workout for two hours every day?

Anyone feel free to correct me but I'm trying to loose weight (more reduce my overall fat %) while building muscle, strength and endurance. In order to build muscle you need protein (and carbs), estimated at 1 gram per body weight which will help your muscles build and grow.

So back to the orignal question will proteint make someone gain weight? Depending on your excercise level, isn't the answer, yes? While 5-6 grams over isn't a lot of extra putting in 100's extra grams while following a strength program would.

There were many other good and valid points about protein posted in this thread that people should consider as well. Protein calories do have a different level (same level as carbs 9 I think) while fat is 15. Your body has reserves of calories in different forms fat, carb and protein but protein does get absorbed through eating and digestion better. Also valid points about eating too little calories, you will shock your metabolism and hurt yourself. Then again if anyone has researched warrior diets and eating 75% of your daily calories in 1 meal at night, you can get conflicting information.

I workout about two hours everyday so I would think I would need more protein than it says on here.

I hate to nitpick, but where are you working out 2 hours/day if you are logging 15-30 minutes of workouts in your journal?

samilynn005

Why do you workout for two hours every day?

Anyone feel free to correct me but I'm trying to loose weight (more reduce my overall fat %) while building muscle, strength and endurance. In order to build muscle you need protein (and carbs), estimated at 1 gram per body weight which will help your muscles build and grow.

So back to the orignal question will proteint make someone gain weight? Depending on your excercise level, isn't the answer, yes? While 5-6 grams over isn't a lot of extra putting in 100's extra grams while following a strength program would.

There were many other good and valid points about protein posted in this thread that people should consider as well. Protein calories do have a different level (same level as carbs 9 I think) while fat is 15. Your body has reserves of calories in different forms fat, carb and protein but protein does get absorbed through eating and digestion better. Also valid points about eating too little calories, you will shock your metabolism and hurt yourself. Then again if anyone has researched warrior diets and eating 75% of your daily calories in 1 meal at night, you can get conflicting information.

I workout about two hours everyday so I would think I would need more protein than it says on here.

I hate to nitpick, but where are you working out 2 hours/day if you are logging 15-30 minutes of workouts in your journal?

I only log my cardio because I don't know the names of all the strength training I do. I warm up w 15 minutes on the eliptical when I first do the gym then do strength training for either my arms or my legs depending on the day, I do abs everyday, then I end it with 15 minutes on the stationary bike. I also sit in the sauna for about 10 minutes after every workout but I don't include that in the two hours.

samilynn005

Anyone feel free to correct me but I'm trying to loose weight (more reduce my overall fat %) while building muscle, strength and endurance. In order to build muscle you need protein (and carbs), estimated at 1 gram per body weight which will help your muscles build and grow.

So back to the orignal question will proteint make someone gain weight? Depending on your excercise level, isn't the answer, yes? While 5-6 grams over isn't a lot of extra putting in 100's extra grams while following a strength program would.

There were many other good and valid points about protein posted in this thread that people should consider as well. Protein calories do have a different level (same level as carbs 9 I think) while fat is 15. Your body has reserves of calories in different forms fat, carb and protein but protein does get absorbed through eating and digestion better. Also valid points about eating too little calories, you will shock your metabolism and hurt yourself. Then again if anyone has researched warrior diets and eating 75% of your daily calories in 1 meal at night, you can get conflicting information.

I workout about two hours everyday so I would think I would need more protein than it says on here.

What is your height? I can do the BMI/BMR calculations for you here.

I'm 5'1

runningathena

Why do you workout for two hours every day?

Anyone feel free to correct me but I'm trying to loose weight (more reduce my overall fat %) while building muscle, strength and endurance. In order to build muscle you need protein (and carbs), estimated at 1 gram per body weight which will help your muscles build and grow.

So back to the orignal question will proteint make someone gain weight? Depending on your excercise level, isn't the answer, yes? While 5-6 grams over isn't a lot of extra putting in 100's extra grams while following a strength program would.

There were many other good and valid points about protein posted in this thread that people should consider as well. Protein calories do have a different level (same level as carbs 9 I think) while fat is 15. Your body has reserves of calories in different forms fat, carb and protein but protein does get absorbed through eating and digestion better. Also valid points about eating too little calories, you will shock your metabolism and hurt yourself. Then again if anyone has researched warrior diets and eating 75% of your daily calories in 1 meal at night, you can get conflicting information.

I workout about two hours everyday so I would think I would need more protein than it says on here.

I hate to nitpick, but where are you working out 2 hours/day if you are logging 15-30 minutes of workouts in your journal?

I only log my cardio because I don't know the names of all the strength training I do. I warm up w 15 minutes on the eliptical when I first do the gym then do strength training for either my arms or my legs depending on the day, I do abs everyday, then I end it with 15 minutes on the stationary bike. I also sit in the sauna for about 10 minutes after every workout but I don't include that in the two hours.

There are great resources out there (magazines and such) with lots of information so you're armed with the knowledge of what you are doing during your workouts, also there are plans and exercise sequences you can do so your body doesn't get "bored" with the same routine week after week. You should change up your exercise plan every 4 weeks or so - muscle confusion helps you burn fat as well. Also, then you can log your workouts appropriately and get a better sense of your total burn.

I personally think if you don't know what you're doing, you don't know what you're doing. If that makes sense.... put another way, if someone's going to spend money on a gym membership or equipment at home, they should darn well better know what the heck they're doing with that equipment. It's no thing to know you're doing bicep curls or leg extensions or bicycle crunches or whatever. It helps you to know what you're doing and what benefit it has, and, who knows - maybe you can in turn help someone else who's new to working out.

Knowledge is power!!! Best of luck!

samilynn005

Why do you workout for two hours every day?

Anyone feel free to correct me but I'm trying to loose weight (more reduce my overall fat %) while building muscle, strength and endurance. In order to build muscle you need protein (and carbs), estimated at 1 gram per body weight which will help your muscles build and grow.

So back to the orignal question will proteint make someone gain weight? Depending on your excercise level, isn't the answer, yes? While 5-6 grams over isn't a lot of extra putting in 100's extra grams while following a strength program would.

There were many other good and valid points about protein posted in this thread that people should consider as well. Protein calories do have a different level (same level as carbs 9 I think) while fat is 15. Your body has reserves of calories in different forms fat, carb and protein but protein does get absorbed through eating and digestion better. Also valid points about eating too little calories, you will shock your metabolism and hurt yourself. Then again if anyone has researched warrior diets and eating 75% of your daily calories in 1 meal at night, you can get conflicting information.

I workout about two hours everyday so I would think I would need more protein than it says on here.

I hate to nitpick, but where are you working out 2 hours/day if you are logging 15-30 minutes of workouts in your journal?

I only log my cardio because I don't know the names of all the strength training I do. I warm up w 15 minutes on the eliptical when I first do the gym then do strength training for either my arms or my legs depending on the day, I do abs everyday, then I end it with 15 minutes on the stationary bike. I also sit in the sauna for about 10 minutes after every workout but I don't include that in the two hours.

There are great resources out there (magazines and such) with lots of information so you're armed with the knowledge of what you are doing during your workouts, also there are plans and exercise sequences you can do so your body doesn't get "bored" with the same routine week after week. You should change up your exercise plan every 4 weeks or so - muscle confusion helps you burn fat as well. Also, then you can log your workouts appropriately and get a better sense of your total burn.

I personally think if you don't know what you're doing, you don't know what you're doing. If that makes sense.... put another way, if someone's going to spend money on a gym membership or equipment at home, they should darn well better know what the heck they're doing with that equipment. It's no thing to know you're doing bicep curls or leg extensions or bicycle crunches or whatever. It helps you to know what you're doing and what benefit it has, and, who knows - maybe you can in turn help someone else who's new to working out.

Knowledge is power!!! Best of luck!

I just don't know the names of the equipment that I'm using. I do know what I'm doing at the gym though. My boyfriend used to be a personal trainer and I also have a different personal trainer I go to two times a week.

Rhea30

There is a place on the Cardio Search called "Strength Training", you can log your minutes in there for whatever strength stuff you do and don't need to know the names of them or anything since its just called Strength Training. I didn't know about this until a few days ago when reading the message board on here so mine weren't getting logged either. I think I read on here that you said you're going to get help from a personal trainer on what to do nutrient wise? If you are strength training you'll probably need more protein and there is a chance of gaining more weight when you start to build muscle but it isn't bad weight since its not fat. You'll be more toned instead of fluffy

samilynn005

There is a place on the Cardio Search called "Strength Training", you can log your minutes in there for whatever strength stuff you do and don't need to know the names of them or anything since its just called Strength Training. I didn't know about this until a few days ago when reading the message board on here so mine weren't getting logged either. I think I read on here that you said you're going to get help from a personal trainer on what to do nutrient wise? If you are strength training you'll probably need more protein and there is a chance of gaining more weight when you start to build muscle but it isn't bad weight since its not fat. You'll be more toned instead of fluffy

Okay cool! Thanks. My personal trainer wrote me down a meal plan, I need to be taking protein shakes but I just haven't gone and gotten them yet. I'm waiting to get paid because they are kinda expensive.

Thamantha

There is a place on the Cardio Search called "Strength Training", you can log your minutes in there for whatever strength stuff you do and don't need to know the names of them or anything since its just called Strength Training. I didn't know about this until a few days ago when reading the message board on here so mine weren't getting logged either. I think I read on here that you said you're going to get help from a personal trainer on what to do nutrient wise? If you are strength training you'll probably need more protein and there is a chance of gaining more weight when you start to build muscle but it isn't bad weight since its not fat. You'll be more toned instead of fluffy

Okay cool! Thanks. My personal trainer wrote me down a meal plan, I need to be taking protein shakes but I just haven't gone and gotten them yet. I'm waiting to get paid because they are kinda expensive.

Your food diary looks like it contains very few cooked meals - might adapting your diet be a more budget friendly way to get the nutrition/protein contained in expensive protein shakes?

samilynn005

There is a place on the Cardio Search called "Strength Training", you can log your minutes in there for whatever strength stuff you do and don't need to know the names of them or anything since its just called Strength Training. I didn't know about this until a few days ago when reading the message board on here so mine weren't getting logged either. I think I read on here that you said you're going to get help from a personal trainer on what to do nutrient wise? If you are strength training you'll probably need more protein and there is a chance of gaining more weight when you start to build muscle but it isn't bad weight since its not fat. You'll be more toned instead of fluffy

Okay cool! Thanks. My personal trainer wrote me down a meal plan, I need to be taking protein shakes but I just haven't gone and gotten them yet. I'm waiting to get paid because they are kinda expensive.

Your food diary looks like it contains very few cooked meals - might adapting your diet be a more budget friendly way to get the nutrition/protein contained in expensive protein shakes?

I can't cook and I still live at home with my mom so she pays for all my food. I just had a baby so I don't have the money to buy protein shakes and I don't want to ask my mom to have to pay for those also.

FeministJaz

QUOTE:
"no no no no! Protein has a higher thermogenic effect than carbs or fat. The more calories that come from protein the better. Your body uses more calories to digest protein therefore it's almost like consuming slightly less in cals than if it comes from fat or carbs. When I up my protein to 140 I always drop fat faster. "

This MFP user, among others, are correct about the 'panic' over the myth that too much protein will make you gain weight. It is all about THERMODYNAMICS: the more calories you take in--whether it be carbs, fats or proteins--in relation to how many calories your body needs and burns IS THE BOTTOM LINE for weight gain and loss. With that said, however, everyone has a different BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate) in which certain people (depending on sex, age, weight lean muscle mass and body fat percentage, and daily activities) might burn more calories than others. Moreover, every BODY IS DIFFERENT and METABOLIZES fats, proteins and carbs differently.

For example: I recall logging my calorie intake and calories burned for two weeks on vacation and at almost 3000 cals OVER my daily calories allowance for maintenance. I should have gained over 2-3 pounds because of this. But because I have worked hard to gain lean muscle over the years through an avid cardio and weight training regime, perhaps having more lean muscle mass (which is a higher metabolic tissue than fat and may increase one's BMR) ensured that I did NOT gain weight despite my crazy over-intake of weekly calories as a 5'3' 118 lb 28 year old female.

Rather, I LOST WEIGHT. I don't know if I lost muscle because I was not working out AS MUCH as I usually do, or that an increase in calories shocked my metabolism and sent it in to over-drive, but the point is: unpredictable things happen to our bodies at certain points in our life depending on what we eat and are doing. BODIES VARY and CHANGE.

We need to acknowledge that while keeping in mind that thermodynamics IS PIVOTAL to weight loss and gain. I am sure if I kept eating like that for a week or so more, and kept eating more processed and junk foods ( I am a relatively 'clean eater'-- fresh/organic fruits, veggies, fish, grains..etc) as I was doing, there is NO DOUBT I would have eventually started to pack on the pounds; the fatty, unwanted, not lean muscle pounds.

This is not to say that because I am a dedicated fitness go-er means that I can eat anything and as much as I want. No. I have to log, track, count and EXPERIMENT. I always switch up my weeks on workout routines and diet. SOmetimes stability in activity and diet makes your body and metabolism complacent and we often see ourselves in a seemingly never-ending plateau. SWITCH IT UP. Get to KNOW YOUR OWN BODY and SHARE YOUR KNOWLEDGE so that we may be able to challenge some of these mainstream health/diet/weigh loss 'myths' that may do us more harm than good.

I suppose I am sounding a little angsty, but I just logged onto one of my iPad Applications called: Beautylish and some nutritionist for women wrote an article about women and protein. She asks: "Are you hitting up the gym and still gaining weight?" SHe then replies: "despite what health experts say about high protein diets, your protein intake could be making you fat". We know now that this is contested, but remember WEIGHT SHOULD NOT BE CONFLATED WITH FAT. Maybe some women eat 100-150 grams of protein a day, work out hard and ARE GAIING WEIGHT AS LEAN MUSCLE MASS. Which, I think, is good as a higher metabolic tissue!!

But take all I have said with a grain of salt. You need to experiment with our own body, diet and fitness plan. You need to factor in the real life circumstances you also find yourself in. If you are a new mommy, breastfeeding and/or chasing a new toddler around, you need to EAT right according to your lifestyle. Listen to your body as it faces the realties of your day, which are always bound to change.

Perhaps I advocate a more holistic approach to nutrition and weight loss, but I do respect and consider all the wonderful scientific research, reports, studies and community FORUM CONVERSATIONS as indispensable resources for maintaing my happy and healthy self!

If you want to read an article pertaining to some of the PROTEIN MYTHS, check out this article:
http://www.lookgreatnaked.com/articles/archive/0800article.htm

Live well,
Jaz