question on protien .will too much actually gain weight

anthonygunz
anthonygunz Posts: 8
in Food and Nutrition
Hello, and thanks. Here is my dilema. I had recently gained about 40 lbs over 3 years. I was an avid gym member for 10 years who suffered hernia and broken hand and tear in rotator cuff. These setbacks have kept me away from the gym for 3 years where i had put on the weight, beside bad eating habits and workiing midnights, I am short 5'6 and weighed 240. But i was a very stockey big boned guy from weight training all those years, My family decided to do a biggest looser and i joined. It ends on april 7th. i started at 240 and dropped down to 224 by dieteing and exercise and then I FINALLY FOUND MY FITNESS PAL. Its been 12 days since logging and have lost another 5 lbs till today. I had set up my goal and MY FITNESS PAL reccomends 1920 calories 264 carbs 64 fat 72 protien 38 sugar and 2500 sodium... I notice every day that i am lnot loosing as much weight while exercising 3 to 4 x a week doing cradio and weightlifting.. but every day the only 2 catagories that i am over in is sugar and PROTIEN. I am always a good 30 to 50 a day over in PROTIEN becuase i have a 52g shake after every workout as a meal replacement and protien supplement for muscle booster, I know building muscle helps burn fat that will help me loose weight. IS IT WORTH IT TO CONTINUE TAKING THE protien supplement and weight lifting durring this weight loss challange for the next 2 months , or will i loose more weight knocking off the protien supplements and weightlifting or just stick to cardio and low cal/carb/fat diet. i do want to loose weight but i also would like to start toning and getting solid again. Im afraid too my PROTIEN and weighttraining will actually make me gain weight.

Replies

  • kirstiecrossey16
    kirstiecrossey16 Posts: 8
    I'd actually like to know this aswell. I've only been logging with MFP for about 10 days, although my weight loss journey I started on January 15 2013. I started at 185 pounds (post pregnancy, I had my son Dec 10 with overall weight being 210 and a previous pregnancy to a daughter born sept 23 2011, they are 15 months apart). So 4 weeks into my journey I've love 7.1 lbs. my protien varies, but I seem to always be over daily on my carbs and sugars...
  • kirstiecrossey16
    kirstiecrossey16 Posts: 8
    I might add that I also do weight lifting and protein drinks on those days and I've so far been consistent with approx a 2 lbs weight loss a week....if that helps at all?
  • shlevon
    shlevon Posts: 30 Member
    Hello, and thanks. Here is my dilema. I had recently gained about 40 lbs over 3 years. I was an avid gym member for 10 years who suffered hernia and broken hand and tear in rotator cuff. These setbacks have kept me away from the gym for 3 years where i had put on the weight, beside bad eating habits and workiing midnights, I am short 5'6 and weighed 240. But i was a very stockey big boned guy from weight training all those years, My family decided to do a biggest looser and i joined. It ends on april 7th. i started at 240 and dropped down to 224 by dieteing and exercise and then I FINALLY FOUND MY FITNESS PAL. Its been 12 days since logging and have lost another 5 lbs till today. I had set up my goal and MY FITNESS PAL reccomends 1920 calories 264 carbs 64 fat 72 protien 38 sugar and 2500 sodium... I notice every day that i am lnot loosing as much weight while exercising 3 to 4 x a week doing cradio and weightlifting.. but every day the only 2 catagories that i am over in is sugar and PROTIEN. I am always a good 30 to 50 a day over in PROTIEN becuase i have a 52g shake after every workout as a meal replacement and protien supplement for muscle booster, I know building muscle helps burn fat that will help me loose weight. IS IT WORTH IT TO CONTINUE TAKING THE protien supplement and weight lifting durring this weight loss challange for the next 2 months , or will i loose more weight knocking off the protien supplements and weightlifting or just stick to cardio and low cal/carb/fat diet. i do want to loose weight but i also would like to start toning and getting solid again. Im afraid too my PROTIEN and weighttraining will actually make me gain weight.

    You can customize the macro settings in myfitnesspal, and the default guidelines for protein are not what I'd recommend to the typical person attempting to lose fat.

    The thing to remember is that weight is just a number - when we say we want to lose WEIGHT, what we actually mean is that we want to lose FAT. Protein intake is important in this regard, and having enough protein seems to help us preserve muscle when we are losing fat.

    Resistance training is also (extremely) important. When in a caloric deficit, you will not be gaining that much muscle (though you may actually gain some, which is a good thing), the function of weight training in this context is actually PRESERVING the muscle you already have, i.e. not letting your body give up any muscle while it loses fat.

    So assuming you're losing weight at a steady pace (~1-2 lbs per week), having a decent protein intake and lifting weights actually optimizes this process in terms of doing the stuff in your control to help make the weight loss largely fat, without sacrificing muscle. This is good. In short, no, I wouldn't cut down protein intake, as it won't interfere with fat loss out of context of your overall calories. Assuming overall calories are good (evidenced by losing ~1-2 lbs a week or so), having plenty of protein included in those calories is actually a good idea.
  • metacognition
    metacognition Posts: 626 Member
    I genuinely don't think that protein levels will make you gain weight.
    They may help you retain lean muscle mass as you lose weight.

    As long as you eat less calories than you use - any carb, protein, or fat - you will lose weight.

    Muscle weighs more than fat but takes up 1/3 the space, so gaining weight in muscle is not a bad thing.

    If you are on a caloric deficit, it is almost impossible to put on muscle.

    The risk of weight loss is losing lean muscle mass with the fat. So eating more protein and lifting weights are good.

    As for gaining weight:

    It could be that you have a slower metabolism than the formula on this website, so it takes fewer calories to cause weight gain.

    It could also be that your body is used to your gym program, or you are underestimating calories.

    No formula will accurately calculate everyone's BMR.
    If you are gaining weight on this program, try eating a couple hundred calories less than your recommendation, or exercising an extra day and see if there is any shift. Try making your workouts harder, if you can physically do so.
  • haroon_awan
    haroon_awan Posts: 1,208 Member
    Too much of anything can lead to weight gain

    Try to aim for 1lb of protein per lb of bodyweight as a minimum and go up to 1.8g of protein per pound of bodyweight.

    For example, I weigh 155lb so I should eat a minimum of 155g and at most (although some would disagree) about 280g a day.
  • Lupercalia
    Lupercalia Posts: 1,857 Member
    Too much of anything can lead to weight gain

    Try to aim for 1lb of protein per lb of bodyweight as a minimum and go up to 1.8g of protein per pound of bodyweight.

    For example, I weigh 155lb so I should eat a minimum of 155g and at most (although some would disagree) about 280g a day.

    THIS.
  • Gunsentry
    Gunsentry Posts: 121 Member
    Diet is about calories and if you are in excess in any thing you eat you will gain weight.

    If you need the protein you will have to balance it with the other foods you eat (reduce something to take account of the protein calories).

    That's it nothing difficult just basic maths.
  • anthonygunz
    anthonygunz Posts: 8
    I would like to thank you all on you prompt responses and great advice and taking your time out to help inform me and help me personalize my diet and lifestyle. All great ideas. Thank you.

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