What changes can I make to meet the protein goal

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kcope19
kcope19 Posts: 4
in Health and Weight Loss
so even on days I eat super healthy I always seem to go over my protein goal! even when I have 400-600 calories left to eat during the day my protein goal is always in the red! I tried tracking a day ahead to see where I could adjust and it kept saying I was eating way too few calories but my protein is still over?!

in a day the high protein items I consume at most would be (yogurt OR a hard boiled egg for breakfast, cottage cheese OR 2-3 oz chicken for lunch and 2-3 ounces of protein with dinner) most of the other protein I eat comes from veggies and I snack on nuts.

I don't think I am eating a ridiculous amount of protein so any suggestions here? or should I not be super concerned with being over in protein if all of my other goals are below or right on?

thanks in advance for the feedback :)

Replies

  • stroutman81
    stroutman81 Posts: 2,474 Member
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    From what I understand, MFP has pretty low thresholds for protein consumption. I wouldn't be concerned about going as high as 1-2 grams per pound of goal body weight. In fact, I'd suggest something along the lines of 1 gram per pound of goal body weight for most folks. So hopefully your actual intake is a bit higher than MFPs recs.
  • diannethegeek
    diannethegeek Posts: 14,776 Member
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    Going over on protein is a good thing. MFP's goal should really be considered a minimum.
  • x3na1401
    x3na1401 Posts: 277 Member
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    Protein powder?

    Great shakes and oatmeal
  • haanmom
    haanmom Posts: 90 Member
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    I wouldn't worry about it if your protein choices are lean, which it sounds like they are. Especially if you are pleased with your progress towards your goals. I customized my macros because I am limiting grains and also trying to build muscle. Maybe you should go in and tweak your %s, up the protein a bit.
  • kcope19
    kcope19 Posts: 4
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    awesome thanks guys! I had a feeling being over in the protein was probably not that bad seeing as people take protein powder etc. on top of daily meals. I will not focus on that goal number so much :)

    you mentioned you can tweak the levels a bit? where would I do this? I just joined and am still figuring this all out :P
  • rainbowbow
    rainbowbow Posts: 7,490 Member
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    the protein goal MFP automatically uses it 15%. I set mine to 30% or 1gram per pound of LBM.

    MFP recommens i get like 64 grams of protein a day... i consistently get 120+.

    The protein goal and sugar goal are both extremely low.
  • haanmom
    haanmom Posts: 90 Member
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    you mentioned you can tweak the levels a bit? where would I do this? I just joined and am still figuring this all out :P

    From your home page, go to "goals" on the bar towards the top and then "custom". Mine is set for 40% carbs/30% protein/30% fat and that has been working really well for me.
  • kcope19
    kcope19 Posts: 4
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    thanks!
  • BarackMeLikeAHurricane
    BarackMeLikeAHurricane Posts: 3,400 Member
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    MFP sets protein too low. To set your macros, check out this link: 

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/911011-calculating-calorie-macronutrient-needs?page=1#posts-13821336

    Also, it's hard to have too much protein. 

    "It has been observed that the human liver cannot safely metabolise much more than 285-365 g of protein per day (for an 80 kg person), and human kidneys are similarly limited in their capability to remove urea (a byproduct of protein catabolism) from the bloodstream. Exceeding that amount results in excess levels of amino acids, ammonia (hyperammonemia), and/or urea in the bloodstream, with potentially fatal consequences,[1] especially if the person switches to a high-protein diet without giving time for the levels of his or her hepatic enzymes to upregulate. Since protein only contains 4 kcal/gram, and a typical adult human requires in excess of 1900 kcal to maintain the energy balance, it is possible to exceed the safe intake of protein if one is subjected to a high-protein diet with little or no fat or carbohydrates. However, given the lack of scientific data on the effects of high-protein diets, and the observed ability of the liver to compensate over a few days for a shift in protein intake, the US Food and Nutrition Board does not set a Tolerable Upper Limit nor upper Acceptable Macronutrient Distribution Range for protein.[2] Furthermore, medical sources such as UpToDate[3] do not include listings on this topic." 

    Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rabbit_starvation

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