Too much protein?

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clare9289
clare9289 Posts: 24
in Health and Weight Loss
I find my protein intake consistently ends up in the red - almost on a daily basis. Today I am particularly high in protein (my intake is sitting on -45 or something). I thought eating lots of protein was a good thing? Does anybody else end up in the red all the time?

Replies

  • bcattoes
    bcattoes Posts: 17,299 Member
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    Yep, almost every day. As long as you don't have kidney problems and drink plenty of liquids it's likely not a problem.
  • MikeSEA
    MikeSEA Posts: 1,074 Member
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    Eating tons of anything will prompt your body to store it as fat. That said, MFP's protein seems a bit low to me. It's especially if you're doing any strength training. If you're meeting your daily goals overall, don't worry about the protein being too high.
  • howie4four
    howie4four Posts: 54 Member
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    I was wondering the same thing today......my total calories are in check but protein is high....I workout almost daily so I'd think that would be okay, but my weight is kind-of stuck.....so I'll be curious about responses hree.....
  • calebespnsmommie
    calebespnsmommie Posts: 111 Member
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    I always end up in the negative too. I think mine might be set at 45 also. I was told by one of my friends, who I admire so much that has lost over 100 lbs to eat your goal weight in protein. So I have been doing that the best I can and have noticed the scale going down faster. I try to get well over 100 everyday. If I am close I sometimes will eat a can of tuna with some light mayo after dinner for a snack. Its works great for me.
  • heathersmilez
    heathersmilez Posts: 2,579 Member
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    You MUST fix the MFP setting to be at least 30% DRI for protein. 15% is simply not enough to sustain a sedentary person let alone an active person who is eating at the very least 1200 net calories. Just like fiber which should be 25g min per day, those are 2 elements MFP actually got wrong.
  • edorice
    edorice Posts: 4,519 Member
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    You can re-set your settings.
  • armymil
    armymil Posts: 163 Member
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    There is going to be a flood of suggestions here in a moment. :)

    If you are weight training, then protein is good. You might want to cut down your meat portions though if you are not.

    We've used a cheap scale from walmart to weigh our meat as soon as we buy it. Then we bag it and freeze it in the bag. Then each bag has 2 portions ( there are only 2 of us), and we cook with that so we don't over cook.
  • kyle4jem
    kyle4jem Posts: 1,400 Member
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    I don't pay too much attention to the macro counters... It's all about balance. I tend to go over my protein daily and I've been advised that MFP's carb/fat/protein ratios aren't as balanced as they perhaps could be.

    I'm not a nutritionist or claim any prior knowledge, but being in the protein red shouldn't do you any harm, especially if you're pretty active.
  • ChitownFoodie
    ChitownFoodie Posts: 1,562 Member
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    Change your settings....My macros are set to 40% carbs, 30% protien and 30% fat. I upped my fiber to 25!
  • amurphy05
    amurphy05 Posts: 2
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    Yes, almost every day! And I have to have an extra low amount to begin with! It's hard, but I don't necessarily think it's that bad of a thing. I've been paying attention to mine a little more recently and I'm trying to focus on the foods that have protein but not such high amounts; like eggs.
  • armymil
    armymil Posts: 163 Member
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    I was wondering the same thing today......my total calories are in check but protein is high....I workout almost daily so I'd think that would be okay, but my weight is kind-of stuck.....so I'll be curious about responses hree.....

    The only way to lose weight is based on calories. If you burn more calories than what you have ate will help you with your weight loss. If you are stuck, either your metabolism is jarred and you've been eatting to little and need to eat more, or you havent accounted for your weight loss and need to eat less calories.

    In case this didnt make sense, if MFP says you can have 2000 calories, and you are eatting right near those, you should cut back another 100-200 calories and you should start seeing your body lose more weight.
  • Nanadena
    Nanadena Posts: 739 Member
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    I am intentionally eating lots of protein. I am mending a torn muscle, plus it stays with you longer. I rarely snack because I am not hungry.
  • aldavis55
    aldavis55 Posts: 9
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    It depends on your workout regimen. Protein is designed to help your body rebuild the muscle that gets broken down every time you work them. Personally, I workout my muscles at least 4-5x/week, so I went to goals tab, hit customize and increased my protein to 20% of my daily calories instead of the 15% that is already set for you. For being only 4'10 I consume 88g/day and when I increase the intensity of my lifting program I will increase that number because my body will be using the protein to rebuild and repair the broken down muscles. If you aren't lifting weights or do resistence training you don't need as much, but MFP bases their numbers on recommended levels of daily need for normal activity. 55-60% of your calories come from carbohydrates, 10-15% of your calories comes from protein, and 30% from fat. It's okay to go over if you are using protein for rebuild/repair.
  • ehayler
    ehayler Posts: 1
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    Clare

    i am never over in protein but I hardly ever eat meat. I do usually reach just under the goal for protein by eating eggs and nuts and Quinoa. Its good to have protein but not too much. You can usually eat more than enough protein without eating meat
  • emmiee921
    emmiee921 Posts: 224
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    I find my protein intake consistently ends up in the red - almost on a daily basis. Today I am particularly high in protein (my intake is sitting on -45 or something). I thought eating lots of protein was a good thing? Does anybody else end up in the red all the time?

    You have to custom your protein, set the goals yourself, an intake of 50 for protein is low, mine sits on close to 100 everyday which is my aim
  • trelm249
    trelm249 Posts: 777 Member
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    As others have pointed out, you are at the default setting for your macro nutrients.

    These are based on USDA RDA's which are "VERY" general and minimal in some areas and are a source of some contentious debate in the medical community as well as this community.

    Many in this community usually change the protein setting somewhere between 30% to 40% based on their goals and how their body responds. This typically accompanies a reduction in carbs.

    Experiment with changes in that range over several weeks (4 to 6 per change and track how your respond). This should help you find where you best perform at.

    Cheers.

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