To Much Protein?
cornfieldsuburbia
Posts: 15
I am new myfitnesspal and am 2 weeks in. I have a simple question. Can anyone explain to me why to much protein can be a bad thing (because myfitness pal has a limit on the protein summary portion - some times I am in red). If its lean protein like boneless skinless chicken breast or 97% lean ground beef and I am stay under my calories - how is this bad?
Thanks so much in advance for any information you can provide.
#Confused
Thanks so much in advance for any information you can provide.
#Confused
0
Replies
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MFP has protein set really low. Feel free to manually change around the proportions, depending on what your personal gaols are.0
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MFP has protein set really low. Feel free to manually change around the proportions, depending on what your personal gaols are.
Exactly this.
I changed mine to 30% of my daily intake. It's more in line with how I'm trying to eat.0 -
http://www.eliteimpactlabs.com/articles/protein-myths-too-much-protein-bad
This website is really helpful- It tells you all about protein. I would say as long as you are not in red in the fats, sugars and carbs then a high protein diet isn't going to have a bad effect. Myfitnesspal tends to put limits really low too so you can change them manually
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Thanks everyone - you all were a big help. And thank you Abo1995 for the great article. All my other levels were great except protein so I will def be changing my %.0
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The truth is, protein is very acidifying to the body (research acidic/alkaline body to understand why this is a factor). Especially so is animal protein. Protein from plant sources does not seem to have this effect. I suppose that if you are eating a ton of fruits and veggies with that lean meat (I'm thinking Paleo diet here), you will probably minimize the effects. But too much protein isn't really all that healthy.
That said, yes, you can toy with the protein settings. Decide how much you think is good for you and do that and don't worry if you go in the red with any of your macros.
And for a source (since I differ from the majority, it seems to help my credibility if I give one): http://www.hulsestrength.com/build-crazy-muscle-vegetarian-diet/0 -
:laugh: Doesn't protein cause your body to store fat? If you do not exercise??0
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The truth is, protein is very acidifying to the body (research acidic/alkaline body to understand why this is a factor). Especially so is animal protein. Protein from plant sources does not seem to have this effect. I suppose that if you are eating a ton of fruits and veggies with that lean meat (I'm thinking Paleo diet here), you will probably minimize the effects. But too much protein isn't really all that healthy.
That said, yes, you can toy with the protein settings. Decide how much you think is good for you and do that and don't worry if you go in the red with any of your macros.
And for a source (since I differ from the majority, it seems to help my credibility if I give one): http://www.hulsestrength.com/build-crazy-muscle-vegetarian-diet/
Is this why body builders and strength trainers have such brittle bones?
Because all the acidifying protein is eating away at their bone marrow?0 -
:laugh: Doesn't protein cause your body to store fat? If you do not exercise??
Protein, carbs, and fat can be stored as fat even if you do exercise.
Fat is the bodies way of storing unused energy. So if your energy intake is higher than your energy out put it will be stored as fat.
(Or muscle depending on training)0 -
:drinker: Thank you for that info. So I need to get off this computer and move around!!! Here I go!! I love you all. Do you like my little puppy.0
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The truth is, protein is very acidifying to the body (research acidic/alkaline body to understand why this is a factor). Especially so is animal protein. Protein from plant sources does not seem to have this effect. I suppose that if you are eating a ton of fruits and veggies with that lean meat (I'm thinking Paleo diet here), you will probably minimize the effects. But too much protein isn't really all that healthy.
That said, yes, you can toy with the protein settings. Decide how much you think is good for you and do that and don't worry if you go in the red with any of your macros.
And for a source (since I differ from the majority, it seems to help my credibility if I give one): http://www.hulsestrength.com/build-crazy-muscle-vegetarian-diet/
That is not a source to support your assertion that protein, and specifically animal proteins are bad for you.0 -
:laugh: Doesn't protein cause your body to store fat? If you do not exercise??
No it does not. Excess calories store as fat.0 -
I am new myfitnesspal and am 2 weeks in. I have a simple question. Can anyone explain to me why to much protein can be a bad thing (because myfitness pal has a limit on the protein summary portion - some times I am in red). If its lean protein like boneless skinless chicken breast or 97% lean ground beef and I am stay under my calories - how is this bad?
Thanks so much in advance for any information you can provide.
#Confused
Nobody will be able to tell you why going over on protein is a "bad" thing because it simply isn't true.
You should be getting at least 1 gram of protein per pound lean body mass, and MFP's original goal is always lower than what that figure really is. I would definitely change it to the percentage that most closely matches this and make that your minimum goal. It is perfectly fine to eat more than that if you are meeting your calorie goal. This is especially true if you are trying to gain strength or build muscle mass (if you are eating on a surplus).0 -
To change your macro %'s---- Go to Goals tab, Change goals, Custom....
I have my macros set at carbs 40/ protein 30/ fats 30 but I do play around with the macros depending
on my needs...need to lose a few lbs or maintenance0 -
I always cross my protein limit, practically every day. Carbs will stay naturally low. I'm not on a low-carb diet, but when you see the actual calorie amounts in different foods, you'll naturally eat more protein and less carbs. I usually cross my protein limit after breakfast and lunch, as I like to make eggwhite omelets with chicken.0
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MFP sets protein too low. To set your macros, check out this link:
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/911011-calculating-calorie-macronutrient-needs?page=1#posts-13821336
Also, it's hard to have too much protein.
"It has been observed that the human liver cannot safely metabolise much more than 285-365 g of protein per day (for an 80 kg person), and human kidneys are similarly limited in their capability to remove urea (a byproduct of protein catabolism) from the bloodstream. Exceeding that amount results in excess levels of amino acids, ammonia (hyperammonemia), and/or urea in the bloodstream, with potentially fatal consequences,[1] especially if the person switches to a high-protein diet without giving time for the levels of his or her hepatic enzymes to upregulate. Since protein only contains 4 kcal/gram, and a typical adult human requires in excess of 1900 kcal to maintain the energy balance, it is possible to exceed the safe intake of protein if one is subjected to a high-protein diet with little or no fat or carbohydrates. However, given the lack of scientific data on the effects of high-protein diets, and the observed ability of the liver to compensate over a few days for a shift in protein intake, the US Food and Nutrition Board does not set a Tolerable Upper Limit nor upper Acceptable Macronutrient Distribution Range for protein.[2] Furthermore, medical sources such as UpToDate[3] do not include listings on this topic."
Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rabbit_starvation0 -
I am new myfitnesspal and am 2 weeks in. I have a simple question. Can anyone explain to me why to much protein can be a bad thing (because myfitness pal has a limit on the protein summary portion - some times I am in red). If its lean protein like boneless skinless chicken breast or 97% lean ground beef and I am stay under my calories - how is this bad?
Thanks so much in advance for any information you can provide.
#Confused
Nobody will be able to tell you why going over on protein is a "bad" thing because it simply isn't true.
You should be getting at least 1 gram of protein per pound lean body mass, and MFP's original goal is always lower than what that figure really is. I would definitely change it to the percentage that most closely matches this and make that your minimum goal. It is perfectly fine to eat more than that if you are meeting your calorie goal. This is especially true if you are trying to gain strength or build muscle mass (if you are eating on a surplus).0 -
Well...Everyone is different here..I have about 10% of my calories come from protein and honestly have never been stronger or leaner in my life..I certainly didnt realize how much protein/amino acids we get in fruits vegetables and starches..Protein is literally EVERYWHERE!!!0
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Well...Everyone is different here..I have about 10% of my calories come from protein and honestly have never been stronger or leaner in my life..I certainly didnt realize how much protein/amino acids we get in fruits vegetables and starches..Protein is literally EVERYWHERE!!!
In pretty small quantities. Plus, you need to ensure that your get your EAAs. Most fruits, veggies and starches are not complete proteins.0 -
The truth is, protein is very acidifying to the body (research acidic/alkaline body to understand why this is a factor). Especially so is animal protein. Protein from plant sources does not seem to have this effect. I suppose that if you are eating a ton of fruits and veggies with that lean meat (I'm thinking Paleo diet here), you will probably minimize the effects. But too much protein isn't really all that healthy.
That said, yes, you can toy with the protein settings. Decide how much you think is good for you and do that and don't worry if you go in the red with any of your macros.
And for a source (since I differ from the majority, it seems to help my credibility if I give one): http://www.hulsestrength.com/build-crazy-muscle-vegetarian-diet/
Is this why body builders and strength trainers have such brittle bones?
Because all the acidifying protein is eating away at their bone marrow?
Lol, yeah!!
Big steak = yummy!!!0 -
Well...Everyone is different here..I have about 10% of my calories come from protein and honestly have never been stronger or leaner in my life..I certainly didnt realize how much protein/amino acids we get in fruits vegetables and starches..Protein is literally EVERYWHERE!!!
Not all protein are the same. A protein is an amino acid chain. Plant proteins don't have all the amino acids in them, that's why vegetarians and even more vegans have to be very careful about where they get their protein from (mix and match the food to get a complete amino acid profile).0 -
Too much protein can cause further damage to compromised kidneys in diabetics.0
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protein is absolutely no big deal...I used to think it was till i became enlightened..dont get me wrong I love a juicy steak no veghead here:) I AM very interested in Fat and carbohydrate..now that turns me on..got my bigger stronger and leaner!! 3 years of very low protein does a body good!0
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Well...Everyone is different here..I have about 10% of my calories come from protein and honestly have never been stronger or leaner in my life..I certainly didnt realize how much protein/amino acids we get in fruits vegetables and starches..Protein is literally EVERYWHERE!!!
In pretty small quantities. Plus, you need to ensure that your get your EAAs. Most fruits, veggies and starches are not complete proteins.
It really is not to hard to eat complete proteins throughout the day and all of the AA do not have to be eaten at one meal. It is fine if it is over the course of a few meals. You can eat beans or bean products with pretty much any starch or starchy vegetable or have beans and seeds or beans and nuts and have a complete protein.0 -
Well...Everyone is different here..I have about 10% of my calories come from protein and honestly have never been stronger or leaner in my life..I certainly didnt realize how much protein/amino acids we get in fruits vegetables and starches..Protein is literally EVERYWHERE!!!
In pretty small quantities. Plus, you need to ensure that your get your EAAs. Most fruits, veggies and starches are not complete proteins.
It really is not to hard to eat complete proteins throughout the day and all of the AA do not have to be eaten at one meal. It is fine if it is over the course of a few meals. You can eat beans or bean products with pretty much any starch or starchy vegetable or have beans and seeds or beans and nuts and have a complete protein.
Never said they had to be eaten in one go. You do need to pay attention to it though. The main EAA that is important to muscle protein synthesis is leucine which is missing in many fruits and veggies - so combining (at some point) is important.
Beans or other legumes were not mentioned by the poster. They are a great way to make the proteins complete when eaten as part of a varied diet.
ETA: technically a legume is a fruit - so I suppose it was covered from a botanical perspective.0 -
protein is absolutely no big deal...I used to think it was till i became enlightened..dont get me wrong I love a juicy steak no veghead here:) I AM very interested in Fat and carbohydrate..now that turns me on..got my bigger stronger and leaner!! 3 years of very low protein does a body good!
lol, do you even lift?0 -
This is from research submitted to NIH: Although excessive protein intake remains a health concern in individuals with pre-existing renal disease, the literature lacks significant research demonstrating a link between protein intake and the initiation or progression of renal disease in healthy individuals. More importantly, evidence suggests that protein-induced changes in renal function are likely a normal adaptative mechanism well within the functional limits of a healthy kidney. Without question, long-term studies are needed to clarify the scant evidence currently available regarding this relationship. At present, there is not sufficient proof to warrant public health directives aimed at restricting dietary protein intake in healthy adults for the purpose of preserving renal function.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1262767/
NIH has the best research on this.0 -
No such thing as too much protein.0
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This is from research submitted to NIH: Although excessive protein intake remains a health concern in individuals with pre-existing renal disease, the literature lacks significant research demonstrating a link between protein intake and the initiation or progression of renal disease in healthy individuals. More importantly, evidence suggests that protein-induced changes in renal function are likely a normal adaptative mechanism well within the functional limits of a healthy kidney. Without question, long-term studies are needed to clarify the scant evidence currently available regarding this relationship. At present, there is not sufficient proof to warrant public health directives aimed at restricting dietary protein intake in healthy adults for the purpose of preserving renal function.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1262767/
NIH has the best research on this.
Here is another one that supports the above:
http://www.jissn.com/content/1/1/450 -
The truth is, protein is very acidifying to the body (research acidic/alkaline body to understand why this is a factor).
While you're doing your research, read this one too - http://www.quackwatch.org/01QuackeryRelatedTopics/DSH/coral2.html
Beware of bad science, it's worse for you than protein!0 -
I just got done reading through all of your comments. I am so appreciative of all the great articles that you all provided and it looks like my question may have become a topic for debate. I will continue to do my best in eating balanced meals and have changed MFP settings.
Thank you all again for all the information ya all provided - it has been a great help to this newbie!!!!!0
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