Is too much protein bad for weight loss, health?

CKDaley
CKDaley Posts: 6
edited September 23 in Health and Weight Loss
I recently joined to lose a few pounds and get a better grasp on my eating habits. Given my diet, I typically can stay within my ranges for calories, carbs, and fat, but noticed I'm almost always in the red on protein.

Should I be concerned with too much protein and look for alternatives other than the egg whites and chicken that I eat most often? anyone else have the same issue?

Replies

  • khanamura
    khanamura Posts: 7 Member
    Well I've heard three different stories.

    A body builder told me, "There is nothing wrong with having too much protein. protein is very good for you." <---- that is coming from a man with biceps bigger than my head.

    An army recruiter told me, "Doesn't matter how much protein you take in, what your body doesn't put to use, it's gonna come straight out. Your body only needs so much protein, the rest, is....disposed off kiddo."

    A fitness instructor at a gym told me, "Yes, there can be an issue with 'too much protein.' If you take in sooo much, your body can store it as fat, whatever is excess, and left over. Protein is good for you. but then again, too much of ANYTHING is never good for you."

    Depends on how your body takes it.

    When I was trying to lose weight, I was supplementing with a lot of protein shakes and fiber, and ending up gaining more weight, though it was muscle weight. I loved that my arms were becoming more tone and I was starting to see my biceps and calf/thigh muscles, but the extra weight was really inconvenient.
  • kboroski
    kboroski Posts: 3
    My physician told me that when trying to lose weight by restricting calories, that I (a 5'4" woman) should get at least 90 calories of protein a day. Any less would tend to trigger a "famine" response, and would result in a reduction in my basal metabolic rate.

    I lost 50+ pounds 6 years ago following that advice, and have kept it off.

    That said, I have also read that too much protein is hard on your kidneys. But I couldn't tell you how much is "too much."
  • Newfiedan
    Newfiedan Posts: 1,517 Member
    for buliding muscle general rule of thumb is 1 g of protein for every pound of body weight
    for average ppl trying to lose weight but doing cardio 1 g for every 2 pounds body wieght
    for the average person 1 g for every 3 of bodyweight

    this is what I was told back when I was seriously weight training and bulking up in muscle using supplements and protein shakes.
  • chuckanderson
    chuckanderson Posts: 97
    Protein will be used as calories. If you eat too much, you won't lose weight. That's not the point. The point is to eat enough protein throughout the day so that the nitrogen index of your blood is high enough to stay in the anabolic range.

    Not enough protein = catabolic response to tissue damage

    So yes, if you eat 220 grams a day you are probably wasting 70 of it. But who cares? You use the energy and piss it out. What were the carbs going to do for me?
  • CKDaley
    CKDaley Posts: 6
    Thanks for the feedback everyone!
  • lyndarose100
    lyndarose100 Posts: 1
    Make sure you adjust your daily protein goals under "goals" this program sets it way to low. 1 gram of protein for every pound you weigh roughly. Change the ratio to about 50%
  • deedeedianes
    deedeedianes Posts: 2
    I have the same issue, very seldom am i in the green all across the board. I usually am in the red with carbs ans sugars; but tonight I had 3 celery stalks and my favorite peanut down the inside and -478 99 -61 -30 -63 12. So the sugar & carbs are in the green , the others are seeing red. But you know I went to a Doctor and talked about the lapband and other options, and was told after any of the procedures I choose i'll be expected to have a 60% protein in the daily ration. Myfitnesspal use to allow you to pick your own ration
  • deedeedianes
    deedeedianes Posts: 2
    How do you set the ratio?
  • mamosh81
    mamosh81 Posts: 409 Member
    Make sure you adjust your daily protein goals under "goals" this program sets it way to low. 1 gram of protein for every pound you weigh roughly. Change the ratio to about 50%

    this exactly
    *edit* you can set it under goals
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