Too much protein everyday? Good or bad

sheilamo
sheilamo Posts: 115 Member
edited September 25 in Food and Nutrition
I've only been around here a week, but have noticed that my protein numbers are always higher (more) than suggested.

Any idea if this is bad or good? Not sure if I need to watch it carefully or not.

Replies

  • spiritcrusher
    spiritcrusher Posts: 326 Member
    Absolutely nothing wrong with extra protein!

    Protein is the only macronutrient that is near impossible to turn into fat without a heavy abundance of carbohydrates to create pathways for fat storage.

    Proteins are broken down into peptides and then amino-acids. They can turn into ketones, glucose and a few other things but not triglycerides.

    I eat anywhere from 250-300g of protein a day.
  • sassy_1782
    sassy_1782 Posts: 1
    I was wondering this too.
  • Vicky14174
    Vicky14174 Posts: 715 Member
    i strive to go over on protein and fiber every day. protein is what your body needs to build muscle and burn fat. as long as you don't eat more than 1 gram per 1 lb of body weight you're great.
  • Franola27
    Franola27 Posts: 30
    I am having the same problem and am kinda concerned as well....I'm staying well within my allotted caloric intake but go over protiens pretty consistently. Have you heard anything either way? Any good alternatives to getting good foods in that may be low in protein but high in something else beneficial, maybe fiber? I have NO idea!
  • ejmcam
    ejmcam Posts: 533 Member
    Mine are always higher to, but if you are working out, I dont think its bad to go over, because you need the protein to help build muscle....remember that the fitness pal is a guide and as long as you are not totally going overboard, and you are making lean healthy food choices, its ok to go over.
  • B2BB
    B2BB Posts: 222 Member
    I think its .75 per pound of weight. It's especially important when trying to build muscle, which I hope u are. Cardio with burn the fat strength training will shape the body:) It burns to be beautiful, B2BB!
  • Coyla
    Coyla Posts: 444 Member
    I'm always over my recommended protein and fiber, and I consider that a good thing.

    (I go over on a lot of bad things, too, like fat, sugar, and sodium, but I'm just saying. :) )
  • aippolito1
    aippolito1 Posts: 4,894 Member
    MFP's automatic setting for protein is low. A woman in her 20s-30s on a calorie deficit diet should get 25-30% of their diet from protein. I'm set at 30% I believe and on average eat about 100g per day.
  • tiarra77
    tiarra77 Posts: 39
    i do believe that this site has a method to the madness. i suggest staying within the #s because it sure seems to work. more importantly to force us to really think about what we put in our mouths on a daily basis.
  • ChristineM1953
    ChristineM1953 Posts: 135 Member
    i strive to go over on protein and fiber every day. protein is what your body needs to build muscle and burn fat. as long as you don't eat more than 1 gram per 1 lb of body weight you're great.

    Agreed - you need the protein if you exercise.
  • Pandorian
    Pandorian Posts: 2,055 Member
    MFP default for protein is 15% of your calories. Which is low for a lot of us trying to get fit.

    I doubled mine to 30% which puts me at the 0.5 grams of protein per pound of body weight that I want to be at. Done under my home... goals... change goals... custom.... set your numbers as you want em.

    Protein is good, if you get most of the meat protein you're getting from lean cuts then you'll be doing fine.
  • kbarton26
    kbarton26 Posts: 5 Member
    I read that if you get too much protein, your kidneys will suffer. Also too much protein will take calcium from bones. I too have been going over my protein everyday. I found this information on diet.lovetoknow.com
  • B2BB
    B2BB Posts: 222 Member
    U can do a questionnaire to find out how your body metabolises the cals you get, and in turn give you the ratios you should be eating. I am a balanced oxidizer so my ratio is 40% carbs 30% proteins and 30% fat, then u can adjust mfp to it:)
  • mlwestlake
    mlwestlake Posts: 19 Member
    Oh *whew* I feel so much better now, knowing that other go over in protien too. I wont worry about it then either. Thanks everyone!
  • audjrey
    audjrey Posts: 360 Member
    The body's requirement for plant based dietary protein is one half gram of protein per pound of body weight.

    The recommended daily allowance (RDA) for protein is 0.8 grams of any protein source for every pound of body weight. And if you weight train heavily your protein needs increase to 1.5 grams for every pound of body weight.

    The RDA increases by 30 grams per day during pregnancy and 20 grams per day during lactation.

    Finally, on average, teen boys require between 45 and 53 grams of protein daily while teen girls require between 44 and 46 grams of protein daily.
  • tbabygirldiva
    tbabygirldiva Posts: 3
    Dont Know? However , I am seeing the same thing myself!:smile:
  • Brittanymetzner
    Brittanymetzner Posts: 8
    I am confused by the numbers here at MFP...If there are 9 calories in a gram of fat, 5 in protein and 4 in carbohydrate, and I actually met their goals, I would almost triple my allowable calories for the day? What goal should i be aiming for? CONFUSED... BTW, I so don't do math...
  • mlwestlake
    mlwestlake Posts: 19 Member
    U can do a questionnaire to find out how your body metabolises the cals you get, and in turn give you the ratios you should be eating. I am a balanced oxidizer so my ratio is 40% carbs 30% proteins and 30% fat, then u can adjust mfp to it:)


    Interesting....i'd like to tkae that questionnaire to see where I shoule be. Where would I find it? :blushing:
  • kbarton26
    kbarton26 Posts: 5 Member
    Everyone thinks a lot of protein is a good thing, but it is not. Yes, it helps build muscle, but the recommendations mfp provides on this site are correct according to the individuals weight. It is not smart to go over on protein unless you work out...A LOT.

    If you eat a high protein, low carb diet, your body could go into a metabolic state of ketoacidosis. This is dangerous. I'm not eating more protein than this website recommends for me without talking to my doctor.
  • chnkydnknmomma
    chnkydnknmomma Posts: 258
    Thanks, I was wondering the same thing...I'm usually over on protein but not by huge numbers :)
  • nomex
    nomex Posts: 142 Member
    Protein calculator here:

    http://www.healthcalculators.org/calculators/protein.asp

    some other info and calculations here:
    http://exercise.about.com/cs/nutrition/a/protein_2.htm


    * the first link provides a minimum (which I think is set pretty low).
    I like the second link, because it provides a range. If you are lifting LOTS, then you probably want to be on the upper end. I have been playing with my protein lately within this range. Right now it is set at 45%, 40%, 15% (Protein/ Carbs/ Fat). this seems more reasonable than what MFP had set for me.
  • TrainingWithTonya
    TrainingWithTonya Posts: 1,741 Member
    Some of the recommendations you have been given are incorrect. The actual recommendations are 0.8 grams per KILOGRAM of body weight not per pound. That is the standard recommendation. People who are doing heavy resistance training or lots of cardio need more. The general recommendation is up to 2 grams per kilogram of body weight for highly trained people. The highest that I've seen studied as being "safe" is 2.7 grams per kilogram of body weight.

    The recommendations from MFP are on the low end of the recommendation zone of 10-35% because they don't want to go over the standard 0.8 grams per kilogram in case the person has an underlying kidney issue. Actually, for kidney issues, the recommendation goes down to 0.6 grams per kilogram or no more then 15% of total intake from protein. If you've never had a UTI or kidney stone, though, you're probably pretty safe with a higher amount of protein then what MFP recommends. If you are diabetic, though, you have to watch out because that is the number one cause of renal (kidney) disease and they think it may be partially linked to the high protein intake to avoid carbs. But if you aren't diabetic and haven't ever had kidney issues, I wouldn't worry about setting your protein needs up higher.
  • B2BB
    B2BB Posts: 222 Member
    Check out my page for the questionnaire link
    Facebook.com/burns2bbeautiful
  • sheilamo
    sheilamo Posts: 115 Member
    Thanks guys for the comments. Lots for me to sift through. :laugh:

    I do work out 6 days a week of a variety of weights/cardio/yoga. MFP suggests 51 grams of protein a day and I'm normally taking in 65-72. Just making sure
  • chrisdavey
    chrisdavey Posts: 9,834 Member
    Thanks guys for the comments. Lots for me to sift through. :laugh:

    I do work out 6 days a week of a variety of weights/cardio/yoga. MFP suggests 51 grams of protein a day and I'm normally taking in 65-72. Just making sure

    nothing to worry about :)

    and also protein is 4cals per gram but because it has takes longer to digest it actually works out to be a bit lower than this.
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