Too Much Protein?

Is it bad to eat more protein than is recommended? I went over by 40g or so today, but am under in all the other categories.

Replies

  • Stella_Mayfair
    Stella_Mayfair Posts: 226 Member
    I asked sa friend and apparently too much protein will be stored as fat.. So that sucks. Again I was told for I had the same concern, well not as high but yea
  • If you are going by then goal on MFP, no big deal. You should really be eating about 1g of protein per lb of lean body mass. So unless you've customized your macros, you're probably not even close to "over". Also, as long as your calories are in a deficit nothing will be stored as fat. So no worries!
  • Showcase_Brodown
    Showcase_Brodown Posts: 919 Member
    MFP sets the protein goal pretty low, so I am sure you haven't gotten too much. It would be really difficult to gave enough to be harmful. More than enough is a good place to be.

    You'll have to do a little research to figure out how much would be best for you based on your goals.
  • tennisdude2004
    tennisdude2004 Posts: 5,609 Member
    If you have healthy kidney then the answer is - no!

    Eating excessive protein will not damage you kidneys either,

    Now if you have a pre-existing kidney issue then the answer is yes it CAN be bad, as you are putting more strain on your damaged kidney (it's like the damage you will do if you were to keep working an injured muscle).

    In regards to excess protein being stored as fat, if you are eating in a calorie deficit, this will not happen. Some of that protein will be converted into glycogen, but that will be taken up by the body as fuel (if you are in a deficit).

    If you are eating more calories than you are burning that glycogen can be covered into body fat, if the body doesn't need it for fuel and your glycogen stores are fuel.

    So healthy kidney and eating in a calorie deficit - doesn't matter.

    To work out your ideal protein level the rule of thumb is 0.7 - 1g of protein for every pound of lean mass (your overall weight minus you body fat percentage). If you are less active aim for the lower end, if you are lifting or very active (or recovering from injuries) aim for the higher end.

    Good luck.
  • I eat around 140g a day and have no problems at all, you're fine!
  • Shropshire1959
    Shropshire1959 Posts: 982 Member
    I asked sa friend and apparently too much protein will be stored as fat.. So that sucks. Again I was told for I had the same concern, well not as high but yea


    Eating too much of ANYTHING will generally be stored as fat..........Eat more than your body needs and it will either poop it or Store it.
  • Jim_Barteck
    Jim_Barteck Posts: 274 Member
    If you have healthy kidney then the answer is - no!

    Eating excessive protein will not damage you kidneys either,

    Now if you have a pre-existing kidney issue then the answer is yes it CAN be bad, as you are putting more strain on your damaged kidney (it's like the damage you will do if you were to keep working an injured muscle).

    In regards to excess protein being stored as fat, if you are eating in a calorie deficit, this will not happen. Some of that protein will be converted into glycogen, but that will be taken up by the body as fuel (if you are in a deficit).

    If you are eating more calories than you are burning that glycogen can be covered into body fat, if the body doesn't need it for fuel and your glycogen stores are fuel.

    So healthy kidney and eating in a calorie deficit - doesn't matter.

    To work out your ideal protein level the rule of thumb is 0.7 - 1g of protein for every pound of lean mass (your overall weight minus you body fat percentage). If you are less active aim for the lower end, if you are lifting or very active (or recovering from injuries) aim for the higher end.

    Good luck.

    QFT. Nailed it all the way around.
  • littlekitty3
    littlekitty3 Posts: 265 Member
    Too much is basically waste since it gets converted to glycogen and function like carbs, not to muscle growth or whatever other magical thing protein does according to the diet industry.

    Jim pretty much nailed it, except you can actually get muscle gain on .55g of protein per 1lb. of body weight, after .8g it starts to become useless. After 1g you're basically putting waste into your body.
  • adawson55510
    adawson55510 Posts: 60 Member
    Its a lot better to have to much protein than carbs and fats imo. Excess protein can be broken down and used as energy. personally i eat 1.5-2 grams per lbs of body weight but for most people 1g is plenty :)
  • Thanks everyone!
  • Stella_Mayfair
    Stella_Mayfair Posts: 226 Member
    I asked sa friend and apparently too much protein will be stored as fat.. So that sucks. Again I was told for I had the same concern, well not as high but yea

    yea my friend and I know nothing lol:P
  • onionparsleysage
    onionparsleysage Posts: 103 Member
    You'll smell it when you wee if you've eaten too much protein...