Is too much protein bad if you DONT exercise AT ALL

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pany12
pany12 Posts: 2
in Health and Weight Loss
i started my diet two weeks ago. i was eating pizzas, chocs and basically had a very VERY bad diet. im a 21 year old male and i basically eat lots of salad, fruit etc since the start of my diet. the only thing im concerned about is eating too much protein. I will eat chicken salad for lunch and steak for dinner quite often. I dont do ANY exercise so is this a problem? will it make me fatter? thanks

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  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,395 MFP Moderator
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    Protein, more specifically amino acids, are the building blocks for your lean body mass. That along with resistance training will help maintain your lean body mass (tissue, muscle, bone density, etc.. all that isn't fat). And since your metabolic rate is tied to your lean body mass, the more you have the faster your metabolic rate is, the better your immune system and so much more. At this point, protein and fats should be treated as minimums. In reality, there are essential amino acids and essential fatty acids, but no essential carbs. So protein and fats should be the priority and then carbs to fuel.


    BTW, no macro makes you fat, only an exceed of calories. And I would recommend you start to exercise so you can eat more and improve your overall health.
  • DrJenO
    DrJenO Posts: 404 Member
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    As long as you are staying under your calorie goal, an excess of protein will not make you "fatter".

    Usually the only people that have to worry about an excess of protein are those with kidney problems for which their doctors have already told them to eat less than a certain amount per day.

    For otherwise healthy people, increasing protein is usually a good thing. It keeps you fuller, and helps you maintain your muscle mass while you lose. For instance, I currently eat around 1850 per day, of which I try to get 120-140g of protein (30%). Some people go even higher, closer to 40% of calories from protein.

    ETA: Argh, psulemon, quit beating me to the punch! ;)

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