Going over the protein allowance

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CalD1983
CalD1983 Posts: 4 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Does anyone know when you look at your allowances for the day, what effect it will have if you go over on certain parts of it and not others?

What I mean by this is that I quite regularly go over (unitentionally!) my protein allowance whilst my carbohydrates and fat are usually under. Strangely, before this I wouldn't have said I was overly big on consuming protein but it's obvious now that I actually have more (in terms of allowance) than the other food groups.

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  • Jill_newimprovedversion
    Jill_newimprovedversion Posts: 988 Member
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    Bump ( want to know the answer too)
  • CarolynB38
    CarolynB38 Posts: 553 Member
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    Hi.

    I found the same thing when I started so I looked at the percentages of each that were set by MFP.

    MFP sets the protein level quite low (15%). You can change this amount by going into your goals and manually changing it and other things too. A lot of people recommend 30% protein, 30% fat and 40% carbs. I have mine set to this but now I find I am slightly over on carbs and slightly under on protein most days. It doesn't matter too much, it is just a guide. The most important is that you don't go over your calories whatever they may be. Generally most people seem to recommend not having too many carbs as you may feel hungry again a short while later, while protein keeps you fuller for longer. Personally I feel that 15% protein is too low.

    I hope this helps a little :smile:
  • DrHDLM
    DrHDLM Posts: 43 Member
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    Depends on your kidney function, normally it won't be a problem, but check on your kidneys.

    Besides you have to check if you are bodybuilding your muscles because if you are you need more protein intake to increase your muscle mass.

    You can change your profile macro-nutrients % by customizing it. 40 carbs 40 prot and 40 fat works for me.
  • CalD1983
    CalD1983 Posts: 4 Member
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    Thank you for the responses! I do exercise (I wouldn't say bodybuilding though!) so I thought that protein was helpful for this, although I know carbohydrates provide energy. I have mostly been concentrating on the calories but wondered if it made a difference.

    Thanks!
  • almonds1
    almonds1 Posts: 642 Member
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    I always go over.. I had to set my protein levels higher because it was in the red. I do about 1.5g per LB but I lift also..
  • mabug01
    mabug01 Posts: 1,273 Member
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    I've looked at this protein issue a little bit because I only have 1 kidney and too much protein is hard on one's kidneys. I found out that we should get 10-35% of our daily calories from protein. So with my 1500 calorie diet, I should get 150-525 calories of protein per day. Since protein has 4 calories per gram, that's about 38 to 130 grams of protein a day. The US RDA of protein for women is 40 g per day, so I try to stay on the lower end. But I only count animal protein that way. Protein from grains, fruits and vegetables are much easier for the body to metabolize so I don't worry if I go over protein levels if it comes from plants.
  • DrHDLM
    DrHDLM Posts: 43 Member
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    Proteins are proteins no matter how you put them, animal o not. the difference is not on the metabolism is in the digestion part, besides trying to get the proteins from a vegetable will make you have to eat more and i think that's not what you want when you're trying to loose weight because with them come the carbs.

    the proteins that get to your kidneys are basically albumin (mayor protein i the body) metabolized in the liver not the kidneys.

    so check you're intake no matter where it comes from
  • Tiffy11011
    Tiffy11011 Posts: 81 Member
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    How can you change the % from 15 to 30 (or whatever)? I can't seem to find this on my settings...
  • webbed1
    webbed1 Posts: 86
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    How can you change the % from 15 to 30 (or whatever)? I can't seem to find this on my settings...

    select the custom option, not the guided. it will then allow you to customize every value, except of course it does have to balance to 100%
  • CarolynB38
    CarolynB38 Posts: 553 Member
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    Go to "My Home" and underneath the tabs you will see several options, one of which is goals. Click on "goals", then "change goals" then click "custom" and then "continue". That should display all the options that you can change. If you increase the protein % it will change the fat % so you will need to change the fat back to 30%. Double check that you have all three at the levels you want before saving. I hope that made sense! :happy:

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