Is protein necessary?

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  • Sarauk2sf
    Sarauk2sf Posts: 28,072 Member
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    First of all... You are a male. I don't ever want to hear the word "toning" from you ever again.


    :flowerforyou:
  • TriPixie
    TriPixie Posts: 28
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    I guess I should have written the topic as "Is excess protein needed?" Because that's my real question :tongue: Thanks for your responses, everybody!

    Any excess calories (protein, fat or carbs) will be stored as fat. You daily needs for protein are greatly dependent on your activity and goals. For example - I eat only 15% of my calories as protein. I am an endurance athlete and need complex carbohydrates to fuel my workouts.

    If you are looking to build muscle you will need more protein than I do. A good ratio is the 30-30-40 (protein/fat/carb) ratio.

    And SKIP THE PROTEIN POWDER!! Eat real, fresh foods and your body will thank you. <3
  • Yolanda4160
    Yolanda4160 Posts: 170 Member
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    This is good to know. What supplements of powder do you guys find is better then that other? I ask because I don't eat a lot of meat and I could use this in the morning for my self as breakfast. I am looking to lose and tone also thenks


    As a female (not looking to bulk up- just tone and loss fat) I like GNC Pro Performance® AMP Amplified Wheybolic Extreme 60™ - Chocolate

    What does being a female have to do with the protein powder being recommended?

    Bc I don't want a high calorie Protein Powder. I like the AMP bc it is low in calories but high in protein.
  • wellbert
    wellbert Posts: 3,924 Member
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    protein and fat are the two essential nutrients your body needs.
  • sarahisme18
    sarahisme18 Posts: 574 Member
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    I used to get very little protein in my diet and I was flabby and doughy. It was not a good look. I was weak and tired all the time. Now I live off whey protein. It's the only macro that you really need to worry about. Get at least 1g/kg of body weight. Fat and carbs don't really matter that much. You need a little bit of both, but some people like to do low carb and some do low fat. As long as you get protein, carbs and fat are flexible.

    You need a certain amount of fat for healthy body functions.

    And carbs are important too.

    I use a protein powder because I'm a vegetarian who is also a little sensitive to some dairy products, like cottage cheese.
  • fleur_de_lis19
    fleur_de_lis19 Posts: 926 Member
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    I've been doing some research on the effects of protein powder and supplements on the body, and while some of the benefits are good, I've seen a lot of warnings about over consuming protein. Things like kidney stones, keep me from buying any sort of protein powder and using it. Anybody have any real long-term experience with protein powder and supplements? Just keep in mind that I'm looking to lose weight and start toning. Thanks MFPs! :)

    Protein is necessary, protein powder is not. Unless you already have a pre existing kidney issue, I wouldn't worry about protein intake and kidney problems

    THIS!
  • Sarauk2sf
    Sarauk2sf Posts: 28,072 Member
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    This is good to know. What supplements of powder do you guys find is better then that other? I ask because I don't eat a lot of meat and I could use this in the morning for my self as breakfast. I am looking to lose and tone also thenks


    As a female (not looking to bulk up- just tone and loss fat) I like GNC Pro Performance® AMP Amplified Wheybolic Extreme 60™ - Chocolate

    What does being a female have to do with the protein powder being recommended?

    Bc I don't want a high calorie Protein Powder. I like the AMP bc it is low in calories but high in protein.


    Still nothing to do with specifically being female.

    Edited to fix quotes
  • ironanimal
    ironanimal Posts: 5,922 Member
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    Your muscles need protein!!! Your body can only absorb 24g-30g of protein every 2-3 hours. So there is no reason you should consum more, thats when you start to over load with proteins and get kidney stones. I also know of some GREAT supplements if your still looking.
    Please tell me more Dr. Brotein.
  • Yolanda4160
    Yolanda4160 Posts: 170 Member
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    I can see this post going down the crapper quite quickly...

    But before it does, like mentioned above, protein is important, and I HIGHLY doubt that you will consume enough to give you issues, unless you have a pre-existing condition.


    LOL- I agree- everyone becomes a nutritionist on these message boards! :laugh:
  • Marks281172
    Marks281172 Posts: 127 Member
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    Its easy for wee folks to be saying its easy to hit their protein goal with whole foods but for people at the bigger end of the scale its not so much.

    Imagine how much protein a 300lb powerlifter needs a day... thats a lot of eggs, chicken, tuna and steak :)

    I aim for 190g a day which is 1g per lb of lean mass ... id really struggle to hit that without supplements (i have a whey/milk/fruit smoothie at breakfast and protein cookie as a snack) .. i just cant eat that much meat/fish/dairy in a day
  • SunnyAndrsn
    SunnyAndrsn Posts: 369 Member
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    I've been doing some research on the effects of protein powder and supplements on the body, and while some of the benefits are good, I've seen a lot of warnings about over consuming protein. Things like kidney stones, keep me from buying any sort of protein powder and using it. Anybody have any real long-term experience with protein powder and supplements? Just keep in mind that I'm looking to lose weight and start toning. Thanks MFPs! :)

    I am prone to kidney stones and will occasionally use a protein shake to boost my protein intake. No issues since I started doing this. My protein intake was very, very low--less than 50g a day prior to starting MFP. Since this is such a big change, it's still hard for me some days to eat enough protein. Since my kidney stones seem to be a caused by a variety of factors (issue with one particular kidney, calcium + not enough fluids) I'm not worrying about it.
  • xiamjackie
    xiamjackie Posts: 611 Member
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    I use protein powders because do you know how expensive it is to just keep a load of fresh chicken, eggs, fish, etc. around in your house each week? I'm a college student. I do not have the money for that. I'm lucky if I don't end up eating cereal for dinner each night.... Also I get tired of eating chicken at every meal and it's a little awkward to just carry a chicken breast with you for after your weightlifting session at the gym. I use Optimum Nutrition 100% Whey Gold Standard and love it.
  • blunn33
    blunn33 Posts: 1
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    This is interesting topic and I have worried about it before. I usually get 80 grams of protein from shakes alone a day. I lift hard and therefore feel like I need those calories. Also I am on the go non stop. Coaching, constantly moving etc. The recommended amount of grams for an active male needing to rebuild broken down tissue is around 1-1.5 grabs per lb. By that recommendation I am usually below that. I haven't found many body building forums where people have complained of kidney problems unless it is in large access. I think it is all pending on your activity level and what types of activity you are doing.
  • Skinny_Beans
    Skinny_Beans Posts: 405 Member
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    Well, too much of anything will kill you, period. You can overdose on water consumption. Protein is a vital macro for your body. The only macro we can live without are carbs, but they are still a good part of any diet.

    Now, protein from a shake is different from unprocessed foods imho, as people usually use these specifically for exercise/toning or meal replacement.

    you can't really tone if you still have a decent amount of fat to lose. So you should eat plenty of protein to fuel your body and subsequent workouts, just don't treat protein powder like a snack food, or eat as much as a bodybuilder and I doubt you'll go overboard.
  • WendyTerry420
    WendyTerry420 Posts: 13,274 Member
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    You are always better off obtaining nutrients from food.
  • WendyTerry420
    WendyTerry420 Posts: 13,274 Member
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    [Note: a single plant protein source generally does not contain all 8 essential amino acids, which is why it is important for vegetarians to eat a variety of protein sources. Soy beans are one exception.]

    Hemp seeds actually contain all the essential amino acids and then some, and they are a complete protein. Hemp seeds are superior to soy.
  • WendyTerry420
    WendyTerry420 Posts: 13,274 Member
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    First of all... You are a male. I don't ever want to hear the word "toning" from you ever again.

    I actually snorted my coffee out of my nose! Kudos.....

    So all men should have the goal of being a body builder? I'll tell that to my "cardio-bunny" brother! :laugh:

    I can't talk him into lifting. :laugh:
  • WendyTerry420
    WendyTerry420 Posts: 13,274 Member
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    Can you please expand on this?
    What makes chicken breast better?

    How about yumminess and versatility? :bigsmile:
  • AimersBee
    AimersBee Posts: 775 Member
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    THE BOTTOM LINE

    The pitfalls of under-doing protein far outweigh those of overdoing it.
  • richardheath
    richardheath Posts: 1,276 Member
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    You are always better off obtaining nutrients from food.

    Yes, because it is very hard to get enough nutrients from rocks. Although if you could, I guess they would be food too... :tongue:

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