Is too much protein bad?

Dsjava
Dsjava Posts: 8 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I've been told to eat more protein as it curbs hunger. However, I find I'm way over recommended daily amounts. Can anyone tell me--authoritatively--that this is a bad thing? Thanks!

Replies

  • janejellyroll
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member
    How much more are you eating? While you can eat too much protein, it would have to be an awful, awful lot.
  • Hornsby
    Hornsby Posts: 10,322 Member
    Too much of just about anything is "bad". Depends on what you are deeming "too much".
  • Dsjava
    Dsjava Posts: 8 Member
    janejellyroll wrote: »
    How much more are you eating? While you can eat too much protein, it would have to be an awful, awful lot.

    Appreciate your fast response....my "target" is 60 grams, but I routinely eat 90 grams. Too much?
  • Hornsby
    Hornsby Posts: 10,322 Member
    Not even in the ballpark of "too much".
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
    Dsjava wrote: »
    janejellyroll wrote: »
    How much more are you eating? While you can eat too much protein, it would have to be an awful, awful lot.

    Appreciate your fast response....my "target" is 60 grams, but I routinely eat 90 grams. Too much?

    Not even close to 'too much'
  • Dsjava
    Dsjava Posts: 8 Member
    Hornsby wrote: »
    Too much of just about anything is "bad". Depends on what you are deeming "too much".

    Hmmm. I do not know the correct amount. MFP goal is 60 grams and I eat about 90 grams. Your thoughts?
  • Hornsby
    Hornsby Posts: 10,322 Member
    edited July 2016
    How much do you weigh? What is your body fat percentage?
  • ccrdragon
    ccrdragon Posts: 3,374 Member
    I routinely eat 130-150 grams a day. 90 grams will help keep you sated and is not even close to 'too much'.
  • Dsjava
    Dsjava Posts: 8 Member
    Hornsby wrote: »
    Not even in the ballpark of "too much".

    Thanks! I wonder if the MFP target is based on my age. I'm 61 years young and formerly quite athletic.
  • Dsjava
    Dsjava Posts: 8 Member
    ccrdragon wrote: »
    I routinely eat 130-150 grams a day. 90 grams will help keep you sated and is not even close to 'too much'.

    Thanks everyone for your answers and immediate support!
  • MFPUser42354
    MFPUser42354 Posts: 6 Member
    Eating 1 to 1.5 grams of protein per pound of body weight is a good standard to follow
  • ericabalko
    ericabalko Posts: 11 Member
    Many people in fitness eat 1gram per pound of body weight. I can't get mine that high. I'd say base it off how satiated you feel. Hungry? Eat more high quality protein. I'd say you could easily go all the way to 100 grams plus without out negative effects.
  • Hornsby
    Hornsby Posts: 10,322 Member
    OlympusOnlineCoachingDOTCOM wrote: »
    Eating 1 to 1.5 grams of protein per pound of body weight is a good standard to follow

    That could be excessive for a lot of people. 1gr per lb of LEAN body mass is a better recommendation. A lot of people on here are overweight/obese so using "body weight" could be too high.
  • Azdak
    Azdak Posts: 8,281 Member
    Not saying it's impossible to eat too much protein, but it's hard to imagine any real-life scenario in which that could occur.
  • nordlead2005
    nordlead2005 Posts: 1,303 Member
    edited July 2016
    If you have kidney issues, 90g may be too much and can cause kidney stones. For everyone else, too much is basically when you stop getting the required fats and nutrients your body needs because all you are eating is a single food.

    USDA recommendation is (I believe) 0.36g/lb. A good goal for most people is anywhere from 0.5-1g per lb of bodyweight. Generally more is better (generally due to diminishing returns), however there is little proven benefit for the average person above 0.82g/lb and since protein is generally the most expensive macro don't feel like you have to eat a ton of it if you don't want to pay for it.

    I generally aim for a minimum of ~110g/day at ~170lb, which works out to 0.64g/lb.
  • LPflaum
    LPflaum Posts: 174 Member
    I eat well over 120g a day. Michael Phelps (who is obviously an olympic athlete) used to go through a carton and a half of eggs every day. My point is that its REALLY hard to eat too much protein. The only people I've ever encountered who had negative effects (kidney issues) from protein intake were consuming absolutely huge quantities of creatine and protein powder, like, in the 400-500g a day range.
  • Ricksh1000
    Ricksh1000 Posts: 88 Member
    Hornsby wrote: »
    OlympusOnlineCoachingDOTCOM wrote: »
    Eating 1 to 1.5 grams of protein per pound of body weight is a good standard to follow

    That could be excessive for a lot of people. 1gr per lb of LEAN body mass is a better recommendation. A lot of people on here are overweight/obese so using "body weight" could be too high.

    How is lean body mass calculation found?
  • Hornsby
    Hornsby Posts: 10,322 Member
    edited July 2016
    Ricksh1000 wrote: »
    Hornsby wrote: »
    OlympusOnlineCoachingDOTCOM wrote: »
    Eating 1 to 1.5 grams of protein per pound of body weight is a good standard to follow

    That could be excessive for a lot of people. 1gr per lb of LEAN body mass is a better recommendation. A lot of people on here are overweight/obese so using "body weight" could be too high.

    How is lean body mass calculation found?

    By knowing your body fat percentage. If you are 20% body fat, then 80% of your weight is LBM.
  • Ricksh1000
    Ricksh1000 Posts: 88 Member
    Ahh thank you :)

    Still getting to grips with the whole macros thing
  • Hornsby
    Hornsby Posts: 10,322 Member
    Ricksh1000 wrote: »
    Ahh thank you :)

    Still getting to grips with the whole macros thing

    You are most welcome. Good luck moving forward.
  • ponycyndi
    ponycyndi Posts: 858 Member
    Yes, it's bad. It gives me a lot of gas. My kids run from the room with tears in their eyes.
  • gonnadothis66
    gonnadothis66 Posts: 1 Member
    I am following an atkins type plan. My protein is way over, I am not concerned. I'm losing! :) Im watching mainly carbs. Make sure to get fiber though to keep things moving! :)
  • middlehaitch
    middlehaitch Posts: 8,486 Member
    Contrary to many popular assumptions, research is showing that an increase (above the needs of a 30yo) in protein consumption in the older person, especially when in a deficit, is benificial for muscle retention and general health even when not exercising.

    I am 62 weigh 100-105lbs and aim for 100g per day, 1g per lbs bodyweight.

    If you are losing weight, and don't know your body fat percentage, a good number to aim for is the weight at the middle of your BMI. If you weigh 165. But mid rage BMI is 135lbs aim for 135g protein. JMHO

    Cheers, h.
  • sunnybeaches105
    sunnybeaches105 Posts: 2,831 Member
    The answers were handled beautifully above, so I'm just dropping in a couple of supportive studies for a range of high protein intakes.

    "Contemporary Issues in Protein Requirements and Consumption for Resistance Trained Athletes" meta by Wilson in 2006.

    http://www.jissn.com/content/3/1/7

    More on protein intake (from 2015):

    http://www.nrcresearchpress.com/doi/pdfplus/10.1139/apnm-2015-0549
  • Azdak
    Azdak Posts: 8,281 Member
    sunnybeaches105 wrote: »
    The answers were handled beautifully above, so I'm just dropping in a couple of supportive studies for a range of high protein intakes.

    "Contemporary Issues in Protein Requirements and Consumption for Resistance Trained Athletes" meta by Wilson in 2006.

    http://www.jissn.com/content/3/1/7

    More on protein intake (from 2015):

    http://www.nrcresearchpress.com/doi/pdfplus/10.1139/apnm-2015-0549


    This is a good one, too:

    http://ajcn.nutrition.org/content/early/2016/01/26/ajcn.115.119339
  • trigden1991
    trigden1991 Posts: 4,658 Member
    I regularly eat over 300g of protein per day (ahve done for 3+ years) and have had no ill effects so far.
  • pompeyjosh1990
    pompeyjosh1990 Posts: 90 Member
    Depends how much you weight, I weigh 185 pounds, and I eat around 160g-220g protein depending on how I feel, training days/rest days......
  • StealthHealth
    StealthHealth Posts: 2,417 Member
    OlympusOnlineCoachingDOTCOM wrote: »
    Eating 1 to 1.5 grams of protein per pound of body weight is a good standard to follow

    Wrong.

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