The Problem with Protein?

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24

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  • cutekatie
    cutekatie Posts: 10 Member
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    I have my goal set at 800 calories but should be getting 900 calories a day.

    I just did the math on how you calculated out my calories and thank you very much for that info.

    So Protein and Carbs is 4 calories per gram and Fat is 9 calories per gram? I knew about the Fat but not about the other two.
  • Hendrix7
    Hendrix7 Posts: 1,903 Member
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    So Protein and Carbs is 4 calories per gram and Fat is 9 calories per gram?

    yes.
  • magerum
    magerum Posts: 12,589 Member
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    The main problem with protein is...it's awesome. True story.
  • magerum
    magerum Posts: 12,589 Member
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    I'd fire your dietician if I were you.
  • jonwv
    jonwv Posts: 362 Member
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    Problem? I can never get enough. It's like I have an insatiable appetite! Every time I increase my protein intake, I just crave more!

    it's a vicious cycle.

    Like this
  • davidr730
    davidr730 Posts: 126 Member
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    900 calories a day actually.

    80 g Protein, is 320
    60 g Carbs, is 240
    27 g Fats is 243

    total - 803.

    unless you are adding the sugar on top of that or counting all your fibre as carbs

    Unless you are tiny and very sedentary that is an awfully low calorie intake

    This MUST be way below your BMR. You might want to consider getting a second opinion.
  • Vonwarr
    Vonwarr Posts: 390 Member
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    Contrary to much of the advice you'll get here, your body can only process certain amounts of protein at a time. The RDA for protein is 8 tenths of a gram per lb of body weight. If you do intense strength training regularly you can process up to 1.7 grams per lb of body weight.(Mayo Clinic) Protein that is not used will be excreted from the body, but not before forcing the liver and kidneys to work very hard to process it. Like anything, the goal is to take in what you can use. Protein is important but too much of a good thing is not beneficial.

    The answer to "the problem with protein" is, excess protein puts a strain on your liver and Kidneys. The right amount of essential amino acids is important for the construction of lean body mass. Nothing is wrong with protein in the correct amount. I'm sure the people who are spending $50 a pop on protein supplements will want to refute this.

    Sorry, but your information is wrong. The protein RDA are per kilogram, not per pound.

    Also, your comment that only a certain amount of protein can be absorbed has been debunked. Short term results may suggest there is a maximum, but studies performed over a longer period of time show a different story. http://www.wannabebig.com/diet-and-nutrition/is-there-a-limit-to-how-much-protein-the-body-can-use-in-a-single-meal/

    Btw - the people who spend $50 on protein are generally buying them in VERY LARGE quantities, like think 5 lbs of almost pure protein. Even $50 of chicken breast won't get you nearly the same amount of protein.
  • Vonwarr
    Vonwarr Posts: 390 Member
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    Good to know I was wondering the same thing......

    Besides someone telling me that it affects your stools. I was recently going regularly, but not to be gross - was having a problem getting it out. Not constipated. Just really well formed :( someone told me I was eating too much protein & should stop!

    Any truth to this??

    Make sure you're getting enough fiber, drinking enough water, and ensure that you're getting enough fat in your diet. Fat is very important to proper formation and making sure it's... uhh... not _quite_ so well formed. :laugh:
  • zyxst
    zyxst Posts: 9,134 Member
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    What's wrong with too much protein? I bleed and my doctor doesn't know why since I have no other symptoms for protein-related problems (ie - kidney stones).
  • davidr730
    davidr730 Posts: 126 Member
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    Contrary to much of the advice you'll get here, your body can only process certain amounts of protein at a time. The RDA for protein is 8 tenths of a gram per lb of body weight. If you do intense strength training regularly you can process up to 1.7 grams per lb of body weight.(Mayo Clinic) Protein that is not used will be excreted from the body, but not before forcing the liver and kidneys to work very hard to process it. Like anything, the goal is to take in what you can use. Protein is important but too much of a good thing is not beneficial.

    The answer to "the problem with protein" is, excess protein puts a strain on your liver and Kidneys. The right amount of essential amino acids is important for the construction of lean body mass. Nothing is wrong with protein in the correct amount. I'm sure the people who are spending $50 a pop on protein supplements will want to refute this.

    Sorry, but your information is wrong. The protein RDA are per kilogram, not per pound.

    Also, your comment that only a certain amount of protein can be absorbed has been debunked. Short term results may suggest there is a maximum, but studies performed over a longer period of time show a different story. http://www.wannabebig.com/diet-and-nutrition/is-there-a-limit-to-how-much-protein-the-body-can-use-in-a-single-meal/

    Btw - the people who spend $50 on protein are generally buying them in VERY LARGE quantities, like think 5 lbs of almost pure protein. Even $50 of chicken breast won't get you nearly the same amount of protein.
    Your right about pound and kilograms. I stand corrected. As for too much protein? What does the Mayo Clinic know about too much protein. I stand corrected.
  • mrykyldy2
    mrykyldy2 Posts: 96 Member
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    Too much protein can cause problems with your kidneys and make constipate you. The more protein you eat, the more water you will want to drink to help push things through your system. If you have issues with passing your stools then you are begining to get constipated.
  • ShannonGo
    ShannonGo Posts: 60
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    I'd fire your dietician if I were you.

    This. I am losing weight getting 140g each of carb and protein and 31g of Fat (40-40-20) and I cannot imagine eating only 800 calories. My diet is dietitian supervised too.
  • impyimpyaj
    impyimpyaj Posts: 1,073 Member
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    So what's the problem with a lot of protein? I eat lots of tuna, chicken, cottage cheese, and peanut butter, and go over the limit pretty much every day. Why is it bad?

    Unless you have a metabolic disorder that dictates keeping your protein low, there's nothing wrong with lots of protein. Just make sure you're also eating plenty of veggies so you can get enough fiber.
  • lauren3382
    lauren3382 Posts: 372 Member
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    I love protein. My diary shows it :love:
  • d2footballJRC
    d2footballJRC Posts: 2,684 Member
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    I have my goal set at 800 calories but should be getting 900 calories a day.

    I just did the math on how you calculated out my calories and thank you very much for that info.

    So Protein and Carbs is 4 calories per gram and Fat is 9 calories per gram? I knew about the Fat but not about the other two.

    I hope you are lying about a dietician. I was going to say 900 cals is ultra low unless you are very short and not very active. Your ticker shows you still have a bit of weight to go which means that you are going to need more than 900 cals a day. If a dietician told you that, they are not doing you any favors.
  • davidr730
    davidr730 Posts: 126 Member
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    From Livestrong.com and the CDC

    Protein Eaten in Excess

    The CDC emphasizes that in general, 10 percent to 35 percent of your calories should come from proteins daily. For adults, that tends to be approximately 50 g of protein daily and 63 g for males daily. This number can change dependent on exercise, trauma, or disease and is not a recommended amount. The American Heart Association states that eating too much animal protein can increase the risk of coronary heart disease, cancer, stroke and diabetes. High protein diets can cause weight loss due to excessive water loss and fat not being efficiently broken down completely. This can cause problems with brain function and kidney functions. High amounts of protein can also cause kidney stones and gout.
  • LorinaLynn
    LorinaLynn Posts: 13,247 Member
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    From Livestrong.com and the CDC

    Protein Eaten in Excess

    The CDC emphasizes that in general, 10 percent to 35 percent of your calories should come from proteins daily.

    Which means that the 50g you quoted for women is based on the minimum 10% of a recommended 2000 calorie a day diet, or 63g is 10% of the recommended 2500 calories for men.

    I aim for about 25%, well within the CDC recommendation... I average between 1600-2000 calories, so that's between 100-125g. It's not excessive in the least.
  • Hendrix7
    Hendrix7 Posts: 1,903 Member
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    From Livestrong.com and the CDC

    Protein Eaten in Excess

    The CDC emphasizes that in general, 10 percent to 35 percent of your calories should come from proteins daily. For adults, that tends to be approximately 50 g of protein daily and 63 g for males daily. This number can change dependent on exercise, trauma, or disease and is not a recommended amount. The American Heart Association states that eating too much animal protein can increase the risk of coronary heart disease, cancer, stroke and diabetes. High protein diets can cause weight loss due to excessive water loss and fat not being efficiently broken down completely. This can cause problems with brain function and kidney functions. High amounts of protein can also cause kidney stones and gout.

    hmmmmmm , that doesn't really help or clarify anything though.

    It states they are not recommended amounts, so their reference of 50g for women and 63g for men is really useless in such isolation with no idea of the intended individuals height/age/weight.

    Also doesn't go into
    - What their recommendation is for people who are actively exercising
    - What they actually consider a 'high protein diet'

    Overall it's too vague for any real conclusions to be made from this.

    this is a good, although stupidly long video on the subject which references all of these things plus more recent studies.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SFObr7rc1kA
  • mideon_696
    mideon_696 Posts: 770 Member
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    I have my goal set at 800 calories but should be getting 900 calories a day.

    I just did the math on how you calculated out my calories and thank you very much for that info.

    So Protein and Carbs is 4 calories per gram and Fat is 9 calories per gram? I knew about the Fat but not about the other two.


    Yeah that's not enough. Just not enough.
  • BAMFMeredith
    BAMFMeredith Posts: 2,829 Member
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    I find that MFP's macro percentages are kinda off, for me anyway. I reset mine to 40% protein, 30% carbs, 30% fats and that works WAY better for me.

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