too much protein?!

pinkandloopy
pinkandloopy Posts: 77
edited September 21 in Health and Weight Loss
Hi,
As well as watching calories, i'm mindful of eating healthily and getting a balance diet. I don't eat meat and tend to avoid dairy due to allergies. I've been advised to eat fish, which I'm fine with but just realised that one piece of salmon (poached in broth) has almost twice the protein that I'm recommended to eat.
How bad is it for weightloss and health to eat too much protein?

Replies

  • lilchino4af
    lilchino4af Posts: 1,292 Member
    When you say the amount you're recommended to eat, is that from MFP or from a doctor? If from MFP, protein IMO is set too low. You can change your % of carbs/fat/protein by going to My Home > Goals > Change Goals > Custom, Continue. I have mine set as 50% carbs, 25% fat, 25% protein. If you're doing any kind of workout involving weights, then you need protein for your body to build your muscles up properly. Hope this helps!
  • sjcply
    sjcply Posts: 817 Member
    MFP has protein way low in my opinion! I think it is set at @15%....I upped mine to 40%. (120-140 grams per day for me) We are all different, but I lose weight better if my protein is higher than my carbs. If you workout you can stand more protein. It definately wont hurt you if you go over a little!
    Good luck!
  • lizzys
    lizzys Posts: 841 Member
    yes theri something wrong with that
  • fitgirl4life
    fitgirl4life Posts: 111 Member
    I agree with the other posts that MFP has the protein ratio way too low. I do weights twice a week, and need my protein for muscle recovery! Also my body responds better to lower carbs and higher protein. If you look at my food diary, I am over on protein almost every day. I didn't know you could change it! I'm going to change mine to 50% carbs, 30% protein and 20% fat. Thanks for your post!
  • metizzy2
    metizzy2 Posts: 122
    I agree with everyone else, the protein is set too low. I was told by a personal trainer to consume protein at every meal, including a protein shake as a meal replacement or snack. Of course this is only if you are doing any strength training. It helps with weight loss.
  • king6083
    king6083 Posts: 30
    MFP uses the wrong macros by default. Only perhaps an endurance athlete would want their protein that low, and even then it would only be a result of making room for carbohydrate - not because it's too much protein per se.

    For no adult on earth is one piece of fish twice what they should be eating. My suggestion is fear not your protein intake. I'm from the school that says there's no real world way to get fat from eating too much protein. A person is going to feel stuffed long before they could eat enough protein to gain weight. Even 1000 (250grams) calories is going to be 40+ ounces of chicken breasts. No way is someone going to be able to get through even that much, much less over eat.

    Edit: And for weight loss protein is the prolly the number one macros a person should concentrate on. In addition to it being the most filling of the three macros, It spares muscle and the glucagon response from eating it is beneficial for body composition.
  • cartermw
    cartermw Posts: 14
    I am a fitness instructor & not a nutritionist but I have body builder friends... They take n way more protein than any "recommended" protein intake guideline. I do to when I know Im going to b very active but I drink lots of water to flush out what my body dose not use.
  • pinkandloopy
    pinkandloopy Posts: 77
    thanks for all your help people. It didn't seem to make any sense- especially as I'm only eating lean protein too. Having spent years trying to lose weight and MFP has confirmed what I always knew really....that I never eat enough so my metabolism is shot. I naturally have a very small appetitie and not hugely interested in food so used to only eat when I was just about so hungry I'd start shaking!!
    I'm learning slowly to eat regularly throughout the day, even when I don't feel hungry as I'm aware I just don't know when I am...how dumb is that ? :laugh:
    I've always eaten healthy food but lately I think I've been so focused on hitting that 1500 cal mark, I lost sight of reason and found myself eating stuff I wouldn't normally (biscuits etc) to up my calorie intake. As soon as I realised I'd got into such bad habits, I asked for advice and a great, very helpful MFP member gave me some great advice and guidlines to follow...then when I was way over on proten, it through me a little.
    A few people have said they set their goals at 40% protein etc...I'm a total airhead with numbers and it would take me months to work that out so if anyone out there could give me a hint as to what my goals should be set at, that would be great!!
    I'm on 1500 cals a day....attempting to exercise regularly (not done well this week: the world has been against me,lol) and have a fairly active job: looking after 1 yr old twins.
  • LotusF1ower
    LotusF1ower Posts: 1,259 Member
    Hi,
    As well as watching calories, i'm mindful of eating healthily and getting a balance diet. I don't eat meat and tend to avoid dairy due to allergies. I've been advised to eat fish, which I'm fine with but just realised that one piece of salmon (poached in broth) has almost twice the protein that I'm recommended to eat.
    How bad is it for weightloss and health to eat too much protein?

    How much protein are you recommended to eat? Is a recommendation from your doctor because you have kidney issues or some other problem?

    If none of that applies to you, eat the salmon, salmon is a wonderful, wonderful food, it will make you feel full and keep you going for hours and hours.

    King6083's post is terrific in my opinion and everything they are saying is spot on! (quoted their post below)
    MFP uses the wrong macros by default. Only perhaps an endurance athlete would want their protein that low, and even then it would only be a result of making room for carbohydrate - not because it's too much protein per se.

    For no adult on earth is one piece of fish twice what they should be eating. My suggestion is fear not your protein intake. I'm from the school that says there's no real world way to get fat from eating too much protein. A person is going to feel stuffed long before they could eat enough protein to gain weight. Even 1000 (250grams) calories is going to be 40+ ounces of chicken breasts. No way is someone going to be able to get through even that much, much less over eat.

    Edit: And for weight loss protein is the prolly the number one macros a person should concentrate on. In addition to it being the most filling of the three macros, It spares muscle and the glucagon response from eating it is beneficial for body composition.
  • pinkandloopy
    pinkandloopy Posts: 77
    maybe I'm too trusting!? when I say I was recommended to eat x amount of protein..that's what my MFP golas were set out. Now I look at them they seem way out of whack. for 1500 cals, i've been "allocated" 206 ( assume grams?) of carbs and only 56 of protein. any suggestions on how to even those up?
  • king6083
    king6083 Posts: 30
    40 percent of 1500 cals is 600 cals from protein. More specifically that's 150 grams. When planning your diet I'd say to start by chosing your lean proteins figure out how many calories you will get from those sources - salmon for example has some great fat in it so getting 150 grams of protein from it will get you more than 600 total calories which is fine. Just be sure to count the additional in your fats. From there you can figure the rest of your fats and then carbohydrates.
  • pinkandloopy
    pinkandloopy Posts: 77
    40 percent of 1500 cals is 600 cals from protein. More specifically that's 150 grams. When planning your diet I'd say to start by chosing your lean proteins figure out how many calories you will get from those sources - salmon for example has some great fat in it so getting 150 grams of protein from it will get you more than 600 total calories which is fine. Just be sure to count the additional in your fats. From there you can figure the rest of your fats and then carbohydrates.

    lol..did I mention I'm dyslexic and hopeless with numbers? :blushing: you lost me at 40 percent and 600 cals!!
    thanks for trying though.
  • king6083
    king6083 Posts: 30
    We'll take a run at this another way. We know you want to go with 40% protein, but we'll still need to know what you want for fat and cho. Did they happen to make suggestions on what to set your fat and carbs at also?

    If not, if you could post your exercise routine(s), it may help us help you set those.
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