Too much protein

duckpond11

Over on protein relative to what? Around 1g per lb of bodyweight is a good place to shoot for. The MFP default is exceptionally low...

I hear lots of people saying this, but I also hear a lot of people saying 1g per lb of LBM (which seems more reasonable to me). Just curious which it is.

duckpond11

I need to increase my protein. I think I only get about 50 grams a day. What are the lowest calorie protein supplements out there, anyone have an opinion?

protein powders, low fat cottage cheese, chicken breast, and shell fish/fish are pretty calorically cheap sources of protein (especially the non-oily fish, although those are great for you for other reasons).

taso42

Over on protein relative to what? Around 1g per lb of bodyweight is a good place to shoot for. The MFP default is exceptionally low...

I hear lots of people saying this, but I also hear a lot of people saying 1g per lb of LBM (which seems more reasonable to me). Just curious which it is.

Don't sweat the small stuff. Some say LBM, some say total body weight. Some say 0.85 per, some say 1.0 per. If you're in the ballpark, you're fine.

duckpond11

Over on protein relative to what? Around 1g per lb of bodyweight is a good place to shoot for. The MFP default is exceptionally low...

I hear lots of people saying this, but I also hear a lot of people saying 1g per lb of LBM (which seems more reasonable to me). Just curious which it is.

Don't sweat the small stuff. Some say LBM, some say total body weight. Some say 0.85 per, some say 1.0 per. If you're in the ballpark, you're fine.

Well - for me it's not small. I have about 133 pounds of LBM, but I weigh 217 (yes, I am FAT!!). I can eat 133g, but 217??

Jyster

I have gout so meat is bad bad bad. Doc says i should focus on 2 oz a day max I fail at that, every day

MaximalLife

Does anyone have any thoughts on if too much protein is bad or not condusive to weight loss? I eat a lot of protein it seems, as I am always over on it. I eat greek yogurt in my morning smoothies, chicken, etc. I love the foods I am eating, and am still losing, but was curious if I am hurting myself at all and should cut some protein out? Thanks for the help! :happy:

I am eating high protein, because it's conducive to my goals.

And too much of anything good becomes bad. Excessive protein can harm kidneys, but it really takes a lot before that happens.
Just know what your specific needs are based on your goal expectations, and roll with it.

sandiki

I was reading through everyones post first, and yes this is true! agree.

Does anyone have any thoughts on if too much protein is bad or not condusive to weight loss? I eat a lot of protein it seems, as I am always over on it. I eat greek yogurt in my morning smoothies, chicken, etc. I love the foods I am eating, and am still losing, but was curious if I am hurting myself at all and should cut some protein out? Thanks for the help! :happy:

I am eating high protein, because it's conducive to my goals.

And too much of anything good becomes bad. Excessive protein can harm kidneys, but it really takes a lot before that happens.
Just know what your specific needs are based on your goal expectations, and roll with it.

AdAstra47

Over on protein relative to what? Around 1g per lb of bodyweight is a good place to shoot for. The MFP default is exceptionally low...

I hear lots of people saying this, but I also hear a lot of people saying 1g per lb of LBM (which seems more reasonable to me). Just curious which it is.

Don't sweat the small stuff. Some say LBM, some say total body weight. Some say 0.85 per, some say 1.0 per. If you're in the ballpark, you're fine.

Actually, it depends on your weight goals.
IF you are just maintaining your current body weight and body composition, using the MFP guidelines is fine.
IF you are trying to tone up and/or build muscle without losing weight, you should shoot for 1g protein per every lb of LEAN body mass.
IF you are trying to lose weight, you should shoot for 1g protein per every lb of TOTAL body mass.

So, for example, I am trying to lose weight. So 9 months ago when I began a low-carb high-protein diet I weighed over 300 lb so I ate at least 300g protein per day. Now I've lost over 50 lb, so I've cut back to 250g per day.

Your body can use carbs for energy. It prefers that. But if it is denied carbs, it turns to burning fat & protein. The chemical reaction that burns fatty acids also requires amino acids (protein). It's like a fire that requires both fuel and oxygen, and without both, the fire won't burn. So in order to burn fat, you need to make sure and eat plenty of protein to keep the reaction going. If you don't eat enough protein, your body will harvest it from your muscles and you'll lose muscle mass as well as fat. And you don't want that!

Don't worry too much about going over your protein goals or getting "too much" protein. If you have some pre-existing liver or kidney problems, then processing large amounts of protein may stress those organs. And for a severe diabetic who takes insulin, too much protein may throw off the metabolic balance. But for a normal, healthy person, there's no risk.

Protein, carbs and fat can all be used as energy to power your body (calories). BUT protein is also a basic building block for your muscles. Protein is also very difficult to store. I won't go into the biochemistry, but let's just say that while your body likes to store fat and carbs, under most circumstances excess protein will not be stored. So if you eat a lot of protein, most of the excess will either be used to build muscle or will just pass on out of the body.

Hope this helps clarify things!

sweet_lotus

Do keep in mind that protein, especially animal protein (meat, poultry, fish, dairy), is high in calories and the only nutrients you get from it is protein and B vitamins. There is way more nutrition (vitamins, minerals, phytonutrients) and way fewer calories in vegetables. So why not eat more in volume/weight each day to keep you feeling full longer, while maintining your daily calories?

This article talks about link between too much meat and diabetes: http://www.diseaseproof.com/archives/diabetes-pooled-data-from-12-different-studies-high-meat-intake-increases-diabetes-risk.html

Yeah, I read that study too, but, it's read meat that is associated with an increased risk of diabetes, not all meat.

http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=red-meat-diabtetes

Don't worry too much about going over your protein goals or getting "too much" protein. If you have some pre-existing liver or kidney problems, then processing large amounts of protein may stress those organs. And for a severe diabetic who takes insulin, too much protein may throw off the metabolic balance. But for a normal, healthy person, there's no risk.

I agree.

The only problem I can see is if someone reserving calories for protein-rich foods to the exclusion of a balanced diet, they're not going to get the nutrients from some of the good low protein foods - vegetables, fruit, grains, etc.

andrejjorje

Sorry, NO (never proved if your kidneys were OK before starting more protein).
Yes (again never proved 100%) for people with kidney diseases.

Does anyone have any thoughts on if too much protein is bad or not condusive to weight loss? I eat a lot of protein it seems, as I am always over on it. I eat greek yogurt in my morning smoothies, chicken, etc. I love the foods I am eating, and am still losing, but was curious if I am hurting myself at all and should cut some protein out? Thanks for the help! :happy:

I am eating high protein, because it's conducive to my goals.

And too much of anything good becomes bad. Excessive protein can harm kidneys, but it really takes a lot before that happens.
Just know what your specific needs are based on your goal expectations, and roll with it.

ClarrieStar

I did 4 weeks on the Dukan Diet - I was fairly relaxed about it but I did eat more protein than usual and far less carbs. But not (I thought) to a crazy degree. I ended up severely ill with blood in my urine (sorry about the details..) and inflamed kidneys. My kidneys were fine before hand but my Dr. said that a high protein diet could do this. Also - I live in a hot climate and probably wasn't drinking enough. And no, I don't, and didn't, have kidney disease - I'm generally very healthy. So whatever anyone says, be a bit careful....

islandjumper

You can absolutely get too much protein. It's been established that an excess of protein is linked to lower calcium levels and as a result, a greater occurrence of osteoporosis. RDA is 0.75g/Kg - not lbs. It's been argued that this recommendation is too high. If you exercise strenuously then yes your protein amount should be greater but for those of use who don't spend hours working out this is more than enough. Like Lisa I'm vegetarian so I average around 40g/day, and only very rarely do I hit what they recommend.

lucy1945

I read a lot too!
hahahaha

lucy1945

You can manually set the goals for your desired carb, fat and protein intake. I have mine set for 40, 30, 30.

thank you 202 !

taso42

Over on protein relative to what? Around 1g per lb of bodyweight is a good place to shoot for. The MFP default is exceptionally low...

I hear lots of people saying this, but I also hear a lot of people saying 1g per lb of LBM (which seems more reasonable to me). Just curious which it is.

Don't sweat the small stuff. Some say LBM, some say total body weight. Some say 0.85 per, some say 1.0 per. If you're in the ballpark, you're fine.

Well - for me it's not small. I have about 133 pounds of LBM, but I weigh 217 (yes, I am FAT!!). I can eat 133g, but 217??

So shoot for the 133. But if you go over, even way over, don't worry about it

stayxtrue

On a recent study done here in australia but the Sydney University, they actually found that over a year period girls between the ages of 18-25 had a better weight loss than the ones on a high carb diet with similar calorie intake.

here is the article that was in the local paper

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/breaking-news/high-protein-diet-helps-weight-loss-study/story-e6frf7jx-1226251174872