To Much Protein?

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cornfieldsuburbia
cornfieldsuburbia Posts: 15
in Food and Nutrition
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
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Replies

  • PinkEarthMama
    PinkEarthMama Posts: 987 Member
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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.
  • quiltlovinlisa
    quiltlovinlisa Posts: 1,710 Member
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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.
  • Abo1995
    Abo1995 Posts: 29 Member
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    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 :)
  • cornfieldsuburbia
    cornfieldsuburbia Posts: 15
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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 %.
  • castelluzzo99
    castelluzzo99 Posts: 313 Member
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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/
  • JaxButler
    JaxButler Posts: 3 Member
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    :laugh: Doesn't protein cause your body to store fat? If you do not exercise??
  • PlayerHatinDogooder
    PlayerHatinDogooder Posts: 1,018 Member
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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?
  • PlayerHatinDogooder
    PlayerHatinDogooder Posts: 1,018 Member
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    :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)
  • JaxButler
    JaxButler Posts: 3 Member
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    :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.
  • Sarauk2sf
    Sarauk2sf Posts: 28,072 Member
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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.
  • Sarauk2sf
    Sarauk2sf Posts: 28,072 Member
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    :laugh: Doesn't protein cause your body to store fat? If you do not exercise??

    No it does not. Excess calories store as fat.
  • Lyadeia
    Lyadeia Posts: 4,603 Member
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    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).
  • cjnolt
    cjnolt Posts: 82 Member
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    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 maintenance
  • hmg90
    hmg90 Posts: 314 Member
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    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.
  • BarackMeLikeAHurricane
    BarackMeLikeAHurricane Posts: 3,400 Member
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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_starvation
  • 19bulldog60
    19bulldog60 Posts: 96 Member
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    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).
  • goodtimezzzz
    goodtimezzzz Posts: 640 Member
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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!!!
  • Sarauk2sf
    Sarauk2sf Posts: 28,072 Member
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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.
  • jennifershoo
    jennifershoo Posts: 3,198 Member
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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?

    Lol, yeah!!

    Big steak = yummy!!!
  • jennifershoo
    jennifershoo Posts: 3,198 Member
    Options
    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).

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