Going over on protein, is it a bad thing?

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xDeannaGarciax
xDeannaGarciax Posts: 675
edited September 2024 in Food and Nutrition
So I've learned that when I wake up, if I post what I'm going to eat for the day before I eat it, I generally stick to it through the day, where as entering as I go makes it harder to adjust if I'm going over on something. Today I entered what I will eat for the day and It is the first time I will be going over on anything since I've started. Of all things it's on protein, 11grams, is this a bad thing? Should I re-adjust what I'll be eating throughout the day to make this number smaller?

Suggestions please :)
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Replies

  • surlydave
    surlydave Posts: 512 Member
    I posted the exact same question not long ago, since I have had similar experience. Most of the people that responded said they didn't think going over occasionally in that ballpark (11g) was a big deal. I admit I tend to watch calories and fat the most.
  • ANewLucia
    ANewLucia Posts: 2,081 Member
    Going over on protein is not bad at all. I find that many don't eat enough protein. I would suggest no less then 80gr per day and if you go over great.
  • kdiamond
    kdiamond Posts: 3,329 Member
    If you want to build muscle and utilize your exercise to the fullest you should eat 1 to 1.5 grams of protein for every pound you weigh.
  • cutmd
    cutmd Posts: 1,168 Member
    I agree. I actually customized my goals to 40/30/30 to be more in line with a balanced diet and optimal macronutrients for weight loss and muscle support. This sets me at about 1g/pound/day of protein, if I go over on protein and under on carbs that's fine with me.
  • Fieldsy
    Fieldsy Posts: 1,105 Member
    1 gram of protein for 1lb of your goal weight is a good number to shoot for. Ex: My goal weight is 175, so I would aim for 175 grams of protein a day.
  • surlydave
    surlydave Posts: 512 Member
    Wait I'm confused. That's 1g per pound for your current weight or your goal weight? Either way, that would put me WAY over what MFP recommends (I think my daily goal per their standard calculation is 72g). I must be screwing something up here.
  • weaklink109
    weaklink109 Posts: 2,831 Member
    Going over on protein is not bad at all. I find that many don't eat enough protein. I would suggest no less then 80gr per day and if you go over great.

    The amount of protein required depends upon how active you are, among other things. "if you go over great" is NOT medically sound advice. It is possible to damage your kidneys if you constantly eat more protein than your body can handle.

    Below is a link with some info on the subject:
    http://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=50900

    Here is an excerpt from this article:
    "..a diet in which protein makes up more than 30% of your caloric intake causes a buildup of toxic ketones. So-called ketogenic diets can thrust your kidneys into overdrive in order to flush these ketones from your body. As your kidneys rid your body of these toxic ketones, you can lose a significant amount of water, which puts you at risk of dehydration, particularly if you exercise heavily.

    That water loss often shows up on the scale as weight loss. But along with losing water, you lose muscle mass and bone calcium. The dehydration also strains your kidneys and puts stress on your heart.

    And dehydration from a ketogenic diet can make you feel weak and dizzy, give you bad breath, or lead to other problems.

    How Much Protein Do I Need?
    The amount of protein you require depends on your weight and your daily caloric intake. Most Americans consume more than enough protein in their daily diets. A few specific groups of people are at risk for being protein-deficient, including elderly women and people with illnesses or eating disorders. A protein deficiency is defined as eating 50% to 75% of the recommended amount of daily protein, Butterfield explains.

    Ideally, you should consume 0.36 grams of protein for every pound of body weight, according to recommended daily allowances (RDA) set by the Food and Nutrition Board. So if you weigh 170 pounds, you need about 61 grams of protein each day.

    Protein should also make up approximately 15% of your total daily caloric intake, also according to the RDA. In a diet of 1,800 calories a day, for example, about 270 of those calories should come from protein. ....."
  • Fieldsy
    Fieldsy Posts: 1,105 Member
    Wait I'm confused. That's 1g per pound for your current weight or your goal weight? Either way, that would put me WAY over what MFP recommends (I think my daily goal per their standard calculation is 72g). I must be screwing something up here.

    thats because 15% is too low for a protein goal per day
  • xDeannaGarciax
    xDeannaGarciax Posts: 675
    WOW! Lot's more effort then I thought I'd get. So being at 146 that would put my protein intake for the day at around 35g- give or take a little then right? Is that accurate?

    Thank you so so much for all of the input everyone :)
  • Fieldsy
    Fieldsy Posts: 1,105 Member
    35 grams of protein is nothing....you should be getting in much more a day
  • lilmissy2
    lilmissy2 Posts: 595 Member
    If you want to build muscle and utilize your exercise to the fullest you should eat 1 to 1.5 grams of protein for every pound you weigh.

    Wow that's a lot!! That's double what would be recommended for someone trying to heal a major, seeping wound or in Intensive Care with a septic infection. Just putting things into perspective.

    0.75-1g per kilogram of body weight is recommended as a minimum for healthy eating. 15-20% energy from protein (you can adjust your MFP settings) is recommended by health professionals but 30% energy from protein is still a good amount ie not too protein-heavy.
  • kdiamond
    kdiamond Posts: 3,329 Member
    1.5 to 2 grams per pound of bodyweight maxes out the amino acid content of the muscles, giving them a harder, fuller appearance. Your hormonal system also gets involved, switching over from fat storing to a fat burning mode through the release of the hormone glucagon. This fat burning hormone is released in response to a greater protein/carbohydrate ratio in your diet.

    This information can be found everywhere. 1-1.5g for women, 1.5-2g for men. You can notice the difference within a few days. When I started this I finally starting getting some good muscle definition.
  • xDeannaGarciax
    xDeannaGarciax Posts: 675
    1.5 to 2 grams per pound of bodyweight maxes out the amino acid content of the muscles, giving them a harder, fuller appearance. Your hormonal system also gets involved, switching over from fat storing to a fat burning mode through the release of the hormone glucagon. This fat burning hormone is released in response to a greater protein/carbohydrate ratio in your diet.

    This information can be found everywhere. 1-1.5g for women, 1.5-2g for men. You can notice the difference within a few days. When I started this I finally starting getting some good muscle definition.

    Ok so to be clear I should be taking in about the same amount as my weight or a lil more?
  • lauralee43
    lauralee43 Posts: 2
    From what I've read and heard from my doctor, a good amount of protein in a day is 1/2 gram per pound of body weight, without going over 100 grams (if your weight is over 200). That is apparantly the optimal amount to aid in weight loss without overloading the kidneys. We all lose weight differently, but I've found this to be the best way for me. Look up what the super high protein diets have done to people if you'd like to read more.
  • kdiamond
    kdiamond Posts: 3,329 Member
    Deanna, I would start with what the AP says, 100g per day or so. You will find that in order to get to this level of protein you will be eating lower fat healthier options, like turkey, lean beef, greek yogurt, chicken, eggs, etc.. This alone with guide you in the right direction by choosing the right foods for your diet. The rest will fall into place.

    Balance is the key. I'm not saying eat a high protein diet...I'm saying keep the protein higher than the typical ratio they set for you in here. I typically follow 40/35/25 for the most part.
  • Fieldsy
    Fieldsy Posts: 1,105 Member
    keep in mind that if you exercise a lot (especially weight train), getting a lot of protein a day is great for you.
  • sabrinafaith
    sabrinafaith Posts: 607 Member
    Ok, you have so much advice already and a lot of it is confusing and conflicting...

    I do what works for me. I eat between 75 and 100 grams of protein a day. Every meal contains at least 20 grams and my snacks contain a combination of fiber and protein as well. If I eat less than 75 grams, i am starving all day. If you are eating lean protein for lunch and dinner, you should be consuming about that much anyway. A small breast of chicken contains more than 20 grams of protein, as well as a 6oz fillet of salmon. I don't really eat beans or tofu as a meal, since they contain less protein and don't fill me up.

    I believe you should eat the amount of protein that makes you satisfied and keeps you satisfied for several hours (3-5 hours). If you are hungry 2 hours after a meal, you need more protein and fiber.

    I would aim for 65 grams of protein if you are eating 1200 calories a day and you are currently used to only 35 grams. You should set your own fiber and protein goals on myfitnesspal since they aren't realistic.
  • de1amo
    de1amo Posts: 266 Member
    i had a weight training friend who use to consume loads of protein -he had whole days of eating chicken --he's married now with kids and massive as he looks like his body kept demanding what it got use to!
  • rcatr
    rcatr Posts: 374 Member
    when i'm trying to gain a little more muscle or i'm training for races i up my protein a little bit (about 10g) because i know i'm breaking down more muscle tissue.

    i also think that guys and girls have diff protein needs. i might be wrong.
  • de1amo
    de1amo Posts: 266 Member
    the site seems to use the recommended daily allowance for its figure-,36--i tend to think that if you start pushing in extremes to your diets or exercise it puts nature out of balance and in time it will cause trouble--my mate is a real mess despite being a builder and doing lots of physical work and people like jane fonda who were ultra fit and having heart problems--i think a natural body is how we were intended--i cant wait to get to maintenance mode and i wont go for more of anything--no muscle no more weightloss
  • gecallo
    gecallo Posts: 135
    Everyone here makes a good point. It all depends on what YOUR goals are.
  • xDeannaGarciax
    xDeannaGarciax Posts: 675
    From what I've read and heard from my doctor, a good amount of protein in a day is 1/2 gram per pound of body weight, without going over 100 grams (if your weight is over 200). That is apparantly the optimal amount to aid in weight loss without overloading the kidneys. We all lose weight differently, but I've found this to be the best way for me. Look up what the super high protein diets have done to people if you'd like to read more.

    Thank you!
  • xDeannaGarciax
    xDeannaGarciax Posts: 675
    Deanna, I would start with what the AP says, 100g per day or so. You will find that in order to get to this level of protein you will be eating lower fat healthier options, like turkey, lean beef, greek yogurt, chicken, eggs, etc.. This alone with guide you in the right direction by choosing the right foods for your diet. The rest will fall into place.

    Balance is the key. I'm not saying eat a high protein diet...I'm saying keep the protein higher than the typical ratio they set for you in here. I typically follow 40/35/25 for the most part.

    Ok that's easy! Just so many conflicts of interest when I ask the question. Kind of confusing...lol. Thank you for your help :smile:
  • xDeannaGarciax
    xDeannaGarciax Posts: 675
    keep in mind that if you exercise a lot (especially weight train), getting a lot of protein a day is great for you.

    Yeah I figured that if I was going to go over in anything it should probably be protein because I do workout alot. Which then led me to the question- well how much should I typically be eating...haha and now I'm confused.
  • xDeannaGarciax
    xDeannaGarciax Posts: 675
    Ok, you have so much advice already and a lot of it is confusing and conflicting...

    I do what works for me. I eat between 75 and 100 grams of protein a day. Every meal contains at least 20 grams and my snacks contain a combination of fiber and protein as well. If I eat less than 75 grams, i am starving all day. If you are eating lean protein for lunch and dinner, you should be consuming about that much anyway. A small breast of chicken contains more than 20 grams of protein, as well as a 6oz fillet of salmon. I don't really eat beans or tofu as a meal, since they contain less protein and don't fill me up.

    I believe you should eat the amount of protein that makes you satisfied and keeps you satisfied for several hours (3-5 hours). If you are hungry 2 hours after a meal, you need more protein and fiber.


    That sounds reasonable. Thank you.....yes a bit confusing all of this lol...but it's leading me to the right choice so any advice is much appreciated :smile:
    I would aim for 65 grams of protein if you are eating 1200 calories a day and you are currently used to only 35 grams. You should set your own fiber and protein goals on myfitnesspal since they aren't realistic.
  • xDeannaGarciax
    xDeannaGarciax Posts: 675
    i had a weight training friend who use to consume loads of protein -he had whole days of eating chicken --he's married now with kids and massive as he looks like his body kept demanding what it got use to!

    EEEEK! I don't want that....just lean muscle is all I need. Thanks!
  • xDeannaGarciax
    xDeannaGarciax Posts: 675
    the site seems to use the recommended daily allowance for its figure-,36--i tend to think that if you start pushing in extremes to your diets or exercise it puts nature out of balance and in time it will cause trouble--my mate is a real mess despite being a builder and doing lots of physical work and people like jane fonda who were ultra fit and having heart problems--i think a natural body is how we were intended--i cant wait to get to maintenance mode and i wont go for more of anything--no muscle no more weightloss

    Good for you-Thanks!
  • de1amo
    de1amo Posts: 266 Member
    i am new thişs week and just realising how little allowance there is for protein--i have been radically under on calories the past 2 days while exercising hard and today i took the day off--i am 350 calories short of my 1200 but -15 on my protein--its hard finding anytype of food that is healthy that doesnt contain a fair amount of protein--i was even looking at chocolate lol
  • sabrinafaith
    sabrinafaith Posts: 607 Member
    Just like the fiber allowance on myfitnesspal is way under, so is protein. You should have at least 50 grams of protein a day. If you aren't used to a high protein diet, then stick to 50-65 grams a day.

    35 grams is really too little. If you eat a low fat protein at every meal, you should be fine. Think greek yogurt at breakfast (15), tuna at lunch (13-20), and chicken at dinner (25)... there you already have around 55 grams, and that is completely healthy! Do not limit yourself to 35 grams a day! you will be very very hungry and protein is a vital nutrient!
  • sabrinafaith
    sabrinafaith Posts: 607 Member
    Just one more thing to add...

    If you are eating too little protein, you will feel deprived. I eat 1200 calories a day and I am satisfied the ENTIRE day. I do not feel deprived. I eat lots of fruit, yogurt, fish, chicken and even veal and steak (limited to a few times a month). If you don't want to be starving all day, eat your protein.

    And also, moderation is key. Don't eat more than 100 grams of protein a day, its simply too much for your body to digest.
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