Too much protein
SarahKat81
Posts: 35 Member
I started low carb last week and was able to get into ketosis (per my little ketostix) by just focusing on limiting my net carbs to under 35. BUT I didn't lose any weight. I just stopped taking prednisone last week as well (I have UC, an autoimmune disaster, which is another reason I wanted to try low carb) so I have my fingers crossed I will lose this week. I set my macros for next week after reading more into the beginners guide and I'm at about 75g of protein...I'm doing fine with the carbs, but I always seem to get too much protein! What amount of protein is enough to knock someone out of ketosis??
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To knock you out of ketosis? Days and days of insane amounts (250-300+ grams). One day of those amounts likely won't even do it. And, unless you're supplementing protein, you won't hit those levels accidentally.
If, after several months, you suspect protein to be a problem then you start worrying about it. But, you almost certainly won't discover it to be a problem*.
* diabetics can be an exception to this rule, but even that isn't super common.0 -
Oh my gosh! That makes me feel better. I'm such a noob, and I've been reading everything I can find on the lchf/keto way of eating. One thing that kept coming up was too much protein is bad. I've had no problems as far as being hungry and even my cravings aren't too bad! And this afternoon I actually weighed a pound and a half less than yesterday morning (working in the obsessive compulsive weighing disorder) can't wait to see where I am in a few weeks!0
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Thanks for this! I'm new as well, and I was wondering the same thing.0
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@noclady1995 I almost felt silly for asking, but thought I better be safe than sorry! @tsazani I don't lift I do the stair stepper while I watch The Office on Netflix. I want make sure I lose fat and not what little muscle I have!!0
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Hi Sarah..the livestrong.com site, and others recommend 56 gr protein for men, and 46 a day for women. Because most Americans eat double that amount we are more used to higher meat consumption. The more you weigh however your body does have need to nourish itself, so, not sure but maybe the 75 gr is OK, but maybe 60 is better? Athletes and others who are doing a lot of bodywork outs can eat more,but they are not on a weight loss journey.
maybe on of out primary carnivores here can confirm this…but I read if you overeat meat protein the body cannot USE it for energy tight away..so it is converted ( to glucose?) and stored in fat, as fat? makes sense, but is it true? overeating carbs converts to fat stores…so this 'vehicle' for energy trapping makes sense.0 -
Ketogenicgurl, it isn't true. And those protein numbers are far too low, especially as weight loss (in itself) increases protein needs. It helps to remember that protein can be used for more than energy, actually it is not a preferred energy source.
Excess protein can drive higher metabolic rates and higher rates of tissue generation and regeneration, even to the point of having a net negative energy balance (360 calories of protein eaten can cause an extra 500-650 calories to be burned than would have been otherwise).
In short, calories from protein can mostly be ignored as long as you are getting sufficient amounts and aren't into the artificially high ranges (above 200 grams).0 -
KETOGENICGURL wrote: »I read if you overeat meat protein the body cannot USE it for energy tight away..so it is converted ( to glucose?) and stored in fat, as fat? makes sense, but is it true? overeating carbs converts to fat stores…so this 'vehicle' for energy trapping makes sense.
Sort of. The protein has to go somewhere. If it's not used to build muscle, it's probably going to be converted to glucose since there's no other storage for protein.
If the glucose is in excess of your needs, it'll be converted to fat. But protein can't be directly converted to fat, and the process of converting it to fat via GNG and DNL is VERY inefficient. It'd be very hard to gain fat on a high-protein diet.
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I would think this would depend largely on your height and weight, more so than sex. Sex is really to much of a blanket category for something like this.0 -
It is a height/weight and lean-body-mass relationship, but the 200 gram number is applicable for most women (men are closer to the 250+ numbers). You would have to be really tiny for it to be lower, and it wouldn't be much lower. It would still be nearly impossible to hit without supplements (as you are likely eating less than bigger people).0
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I should note that I am not suggesting that anyone have a goal of 200 grams a day. It is just that the amount to cause problems is much higher than anyone would normally eat. If you have a day with 120 grams, 150 grams, or even 180 grams of protein, you haven't ruined your diet or thrown yourself out. You will be fine.
Actually, eating real food, the biggest issue with hitting 180 grams or protein (when it comes to weight loss) is the total calories in a day of eating that gets up that high. You are probably at or over 2,000 calories even eating pretty lean meats.0 -
It seems like I can't get it under 80g, but my calories have been under since I started 1 week ago. I also feel like I'm eating less. I'm going to just keep tracking and chugging water and see where I am in a week!0
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SarahKat81 wrote: »I started low carb last week and was able to get into ketosis (per my little ketostix) by just focusing on limiting my net carbs to under 35. BUT I didn't lose any weight. I just stopped taking prednisone last week as well (I have UC, an autoimmune disaster, which is another reason I wanted to try low carb) so I have my fingers crossed I will lose this week. I set my macros for next week after reading more into the beginners guide and I'm at about 75g of protein...I'm doing fine with the carbs, but I always seem to get too much protein! What amount of protein is enough to knock someone out of ketosis??
Hey Sarah, just take your time and be patient. Research on YouTube: Dr Stephen Phinney and Volek lectures on low carb. Next, I have lupus and fibro, so I have to take prednisone (and other meds) more than I want. A low carb diet is the best thing to fight the prednisone/steroid. Stick with it. It does work. My macros, if interested, are 5/20/75 (carbs, protein, fat)0 -
Thanks @sylvettecorprewharris Thanks and good luck to you as well! Autoimmune diseases are no joke and no fun!0
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I will walk a couple miles a few times a week, though I've been slacking since starting a part time job at my friends comic book store... But, I make sure to stay on my feet while working and I pace around the store and end up getting just as many steps in as when I walk.
I also do some bodyweight exercises a couple times a week. But I find that challenging at the moment since I haven't been at it consistently.0 -
Ok. So I thought I was commenting on the exercise post. lol0
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To knock you out of ketosis? Days and days of insane amounts (250-300+ grams). One day of those amounts likely won't even do it. And, unless you're supplementing protein, you won't hit those levels accidentally.
If, after several months, you suspect protein to be a problem then you start worrying about it. But, you almost certainly won't discover it to be a problem*.
* diabetics can be an exception to this rule, but even that isn't super common.
Actually, it is very common for it to be a problem for diabetics who are using a low carb diet to control blood sugar. Excess protein is stored as glycogen in the liver and dumped into the bloodstream when you haven't eaten for a while, artificially elevating the blood glucose level.0
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