Is there such a thing as too much Protein?????

Pretty_n_Pink
Pretty_n_Pink Posts: 28
edited September 26 in Food and Nutrition
I started tracking my food and find that I am good to stay within the limits for everything except protein. I end up going way over the daily limit. Is this a good thing or bad thing?????

Replies

  • Lunarokra
    Lunarokra Posts: 855 Member
    Interested in what other say about this, I tend to go over my protein too.
  • SheilaSisco
    SheilaSisco Posts: 722 Member
    It isn't necessarily a bad thing... MFP sets that WAY low for some reason...
  • Brittney24
    Brittney24 Posts: 105
    BUMP
  • Naomi91
    Naomi91 Posts: 892 Member
    yup! Thats why body builders only live to me 32 max. way too much protein xD

    Jk!

    Going over on protein is a great thing! Keep it up :D I aim for about 130g of protein a day :D
  • OBXGal
    OBXGal Posts: 113 Member
    I'm typically over as well...curious to hear what everyone says!
  • SafariLara
    SafariLara Posts: 172
    According to medicine.net:

    Too Much Protein

    So think twice when you consider sacrificing the carbohydrates for a protein-dominant diet, Butterfield says. Drastically cutting carbohydrates from your diet may force your body to fight back.

    She says that's because a diet in which protein makes up more than 30% of your caloric intake causes a buildup of toxic ketones. So-called ketogenic diets can thrust your kidneys into overdrive in order to flush these ketones from your body. As your kidneys rid your body of these toxic ketones, you can lose a significant amount of water, which puts you at risk of dehydration, particularly if you exercise heavily.

    That water loss often shows up on the scale as weight loss. But along with losing water, you lose muscle mass and bone calcium. The dehydration also strains your kidneys and puts stress on your heart.

    And dehydration from a ketogenic diet can make you feel weak and dizzy, give you bad breath, or lead to other problems.


    SOOOOO in other words it CAN cause problems, but unless you are way overboard, i wouldnt worry about it. Everything in moderation
  • bizco
    bizco Posts: 1,949 Member
    MFP's default for protein is 15% of total calories which is pretty low. Any where from 15-30% of total calories is a good range for most people. You can customize your macro % by going to My Home>>Goals>>Change Goals>>Custom. Save your changes.

    I decreased both carbs and fat by 5% and increased my protein by 10%.
  • nanakay007
    nanakay007 Posts: 7 Member
    an overload of protein can also cause constipation.

    like the others have said, moderation. make sure you are getting your 5 a day of fruits and veggies...... if you are loading up on protein to stave off hunger try an apple. a nice crisp apple actually has a lot of fiber in it which will also stave off the hunger pangs.
  • natskedat
    natskedat Posts: 570 Member
    Yes, the person who posted about leaching ketones said it much better than I could.

    I set my protein to 30%, and it's working fine.

    Check out my diary if you're interested.
  • thetrishwarp
    thetrishwarp Posts: 838 Member
    You can actually manually adjust the percentage of your diet that you would like to be protein, which will increase your allotment. Protein is good for you! Woo :)
  • mrphil86
    mrphil86 Posts: 2,382 Member
    Eh well, it can be. Unused proteins get turned into fat. When I workout I eat 1g per pound which for me is about 30%. MPF does set it low but I don't think it should be bumped up too much more for weight loss. I personally say 20%. So 45/20/35 would be what I suggest for weight loss.

    But, best advice you can get for this is:

    Listen to your body because everyone's body is different. If you're diet is not working out for you, then you can change it. Try something new. These numbers are not set in stone.
  • ptric102
    ptric102 Posts: 17
    thats what i have heard.. protein is used to regulate proper fluid and electrolyte balance, too much and you get dehydrated.. you need more fluid if your on a high protein diet to help process the protein and flush urea "waste product of protein" from the kidneys.. it can be stressful to the kidneys if they arent already functioning properly but if you are healthy it is safe.

    as long as you arent deficient in your protein intake your fine. ive also '' heard'' that your body can only process ''give or take'' 40 g protein per hour and the rest turns to fat or gets passed..

    i go 1.5 g per pound bodyweight. for me that is 250g protein per day. there are a lot of food myths out there so dont take everything to heart.. do your own proper research if interested.

    as to calcium loss, if you get your protein from animal sources mainly your blood can be more acidic and your body pulls calcium from your bones into your blood to buffer the acidity causing minute bone loss. but dont be scared because eating too little protein causes far worse bone loss.

    i believe they are set so low because of the RDA ''recommended daily allowence '' of protein and that is to maintain your composition of a non athlete.. Recommended protein intakes for
    most adults is 0.8 grams per kilogram of body weight per day
    endurance athletes 1.2 to 1.4 g/kg
    strength athletes 1.6 to 1.7 g/kg

    to convert weight to kilograms, divide weight in puonds by 2.2

    for me 160lbs divided by 2.2 is 73 kilograms. now multiple grams per kilogram and theres your result. ill go with strength athlete although i am quite skinny. 73x1.6= 116 g of protein per day. i guess im too high in my protein intake!!

    recommended protein intakes above were from the ADA "american dietetic association"

    glad to hear that you are staying in range of almost everything.. i wouldnt worry about going over on my protein if i was you.. i have a problem with my sodium intake! i try not to eat processed foods and i still go over but its also harder because im eating 3500 to 4000 kcal per day.. good luck to everyone on their quest to be healthy.
  • stevemcknight
    stevemcknight Posts: 647 Member
    yup! Thats why body builders only live to me 32 max. way too much protein xD

    Jk!

    Going over on protein is a great thing! Keep it up :D I aim for about 130g of protein a day :D

    LOL - love this.

    Aim for your bodyweight in grams of protein a day.
  • brewcie
    brewcie Posts: 3
    i will ask dietician tomorrow, and hopefully have a good answer for us all!
  • stevemcknight
    stevemcknight Posts: 647 Member
    thats what i have heard.. protein is used to regulate proper fluid and electrolyte balance, too much and you get dehydrated.. you need more fluid if your on a high protein diet to help process the protein and flush urea "waste product of protein" from the kidneys.. it can be stressful to the kidneys if they arent already functioning properly but if you are healthy it is safe.

    as long as you arent deficient in your protein intake your fine. ive also '' heard'' that your body can only process ''give or take'' 40 g protein per hour and the rest turns to fat or gets passed..

    i go 1.5 g per pound bodyweight. for me that is 250g protein per day. there are a lot of food myths out there so dont take everything to heart.. do your own proper research if interested.

    as to calcium loss, if you get your protein from animal sources mainly your blood can be more acidic and your body pulls calcium from your bones into your blood to buffer the acidity causing minute bone loss. but dont be scared because eating too little protein causes far worse bone loss.

    i believe they are set so low because of the RDA ''recommended daily allowence '' of protein and that is to maintain your composition of a non athlete.. Recommended protein intakes for
    most adults is 0.8 grams per kilogram of body weight per day
    endurance athletes 1.2 to 1.4 g/kg
    strength athletes 1.6 to 1.7 g/kg

    to convert weight to kilograms, divide weight in puonds by 2.2

    for me 160lbs divided by 2.2 is 73 kilograms. now multiple grams per kilogram and theres your result. ill go with strength athlete although i am quite skinny. 73x1.6= 116 g of protein per day. i guess im too high in my protein intake!!

    recommended protein intakes above were from the ADA "american dietetic association"

    glad to hear that you are staying in range of almost everything.. i wouldnt worry about going over on my protein if i was you.. i have a problem with my sodium intake! i try not to eat processed foods and i still go over but its also harder because im eating 3500 to 4000 kcal per day.. good luck to everyone on their quest to be healthy.

    I like this -

    Honestly - please no one ever listen to anything the government is currently recommending.... it's all hogwash and based in amazingly sketchy science. If you do the research, which thank God is easy in today's age, you'll want more than the RDA of protein and fat.

    If you always keep your protein roughly grams per pound of bodyweight, then adjust fat to cover the majority of the rest of your calories, you'll be golden. Keep your carbs to however much green leafy veggies you can squish in your mouth. Basically every single meal I eat is meat on a huge bowl of salad. (generally keeping the fruit to a minimum - I eat some - just keep an eye on it.)
  • ryzola
    ryzola Posts: 51 Member
    Lets keep this simple folks.

    No.
  • DoReMiFaSoLaTiDo
    DoReMiFaSoLaTiDo Posts: 296
    those of us with kidney issues can DIE from too much protein... Diabetics should watch the protein as well...
  • ryzola
    ryzola Posts: 51 Member
    OP clearly isn't referring to these issues.
  • DoReMiFaSoLaTiDo
    DoReMiFaSoLaTiDo Posts: 296
    OP clearly isn't referring to these issues.

    maybe clear to YOU , certainly NOT to ME ( and possibly others) since she didn't specify and this being a site with MANY overweight and unhealthy members it stands to reason that many may also have diabetes and/or kidney issues and too much protein can lead to their death
  • ptric102
    ptric102 Posts: 17
    those of us with kidney issues can DIE from too much protein... Diabetics should watch the protein as well...

    true, kidneys that are already not functioning properly have a great risk of stress on a high(er) protein diet. meaning if you have reduced kidney function stay away from excess protein.. how much is too much i dont know.. ask your doctor!!!!

    for those of us that are somewhat healthy its perfectly okay. there is no evidence that eating a lot of protein causes kidney problems in healthy individuals.. "studies found that athletes who had a high protein intake experienced no reduction in kidney function. "

    im not an expert by far.. just stating things that i have learned..
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