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    Too much protein?

    Posts: 2
    edited October 2024 in Food and Nutrition
    I am always way over on my protein. Does anyone know if this affects my weight loss?

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    • Posts: 353
      No, it will not as long as you don't go over calories. MFP sets the protein limit way too low. It is always a good idea to go in and manually change it so you get more protein per carbs and fats.
    • Posts: 12,142 Member
      I am always way over on my protein. Does anyone know if this affects my weight loss?

      There is no ceiling on anyone macro and you should aim for getting a certain minimum amount of protein and fats each day and then fill in the rest of your remaining cals as you please. The only time it's "bad" for you to go over in a macro is if it is keeping you from hitting you minimums in other macros (i'm leaving out that it's possible to be bad for you to consume various macros in excessively high amounts consistently)
    • Posts: 1,296 Member
      I am always way over on my protein. Does anyone know if this affects my weight loss?

      What is your daily goal? It's likely well under what it should be anyways.

      For most women - 100-120g per day is what they should aim for.
    • Posts: 273 Member
      I just asked that question today of my peeps... I was advised that as long as they are healthy means of protein I should be good. Its good for my muscles especially since I was doing some muscle toning. To have plenty of water to help the body process the protein cause it works the liver and kidneys harder.
    • Posts: 813 Member
      You can go to Goals and reset your own macro-nutritional breakdown. I go with 55% Carb, 25% protein and 20% fat - something like that.
    • Posts: 752 Member
      show previous quotes

      There is no ceiling on anyone macro and you should aim for getting a certain minimum amount of protein and fats each day and then fill in the rest of your remaining cals as you please. The only time it's "bad" for you to go over in a macro is if it is keeping you from hitting you minimums in other macros (i'm leaving out that it's possible to be bad for you to consume various macros in excessively high amounts consistently)

      He's absolutely right ! Change your settings or ignore the numbers ! :)
    • Posts: 1,900 Member
      You can go to Goals and reset your own macro-nutritional breakdown. I go with 55% Carb, 25% protein and 20% fat - something like that.

      I didn't know I could do this, I have eat 30% card, 35% Protein and 35% fat and just staring at all the red in my diary. Ty!
    • Posts: 361 Member
      Quoted from Health.com post: http://www.health.com/health/article/0,,20410520,00.html

      "...According to Tara Dellolacono Thies, a registered dietitian and nutritional spokesperson for Clif Bar, most women need between 50 and 60 grams of protein a day. But this isn't an exact science. The Institute of Medicine recommends .8 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight, but here's a simpler way to break down you protein needs:

      Activity level Protein needs (grams)

      Sedentary | Weight in pounds X .4
      Active | Weight in pounds. X .6
      Competitive athlete | Weight in pounds X .75
      Light body-builder | Weight in pounds X .85 "

      Hope this helps.. I mean, I'm sure there are factors such as weight, sex, age that play a role in this as well. I suggest doing some old fashioned research online and compare information to find what's best for you.

      Good luck!
    • Posts: 2,380 Member
      I consider MFP's protein recommendation a *bare minimum*, not a limit to stay under. Protein is awesome and helps you feel full longer. It's also important for your muscles. My MFP goal is currently set at 68g (can't remember the percentage) but I make sure I get at least 100g per day based off of recommendations I've seen here about exercise and protein. Plus my midwife wanted me to get 80g per day while pregnant (building a new body i.e. baby) so I figure 100g while I'm trying to overhaul my own much bigger body isn't a bad idea. :-)
    • Posts: 538 Member
      i am also always way over - but i work out alot... my diet is mostly protein.

      I am wondering, does this mean that i will gain bigger muscle thank if i simply ate salads and veges? (i do not want this?!)
    • Posts: 2,380 Member
      i am also always way over - but i work out alot... my diet is mostly protein.

      I am wondering, does this mean that i will gain bigger muscle thank if i simply ate salads and veges? (i do not want this?!)

      From what I see people saying on here (i.e. the ones that know a lot more about this than me LOL) it's a lot harder for women to get big bulky muslces than just working out and eating lots of protein. And it definitely doesn't happen quickly so if you got to a point where you feel it's enough, it should be easy to figure out a way to stay around the condition that you like. (well not EASY but you know a little trial and error)
    • Posts: 538 Member
      show previous quotes

      From what I see people saying on here (i.e. the ones that know a lot more about this than me LOL) it's a lot harder for women to get big bulky muslces than just working out and eating lots of protein. And it definitely doesn't happen quickly so if you got to a point where you feel it's enough, it should be easy to figure out a way to stay around the condition that you like. (well not EASY but you know a little trial and error)

      haha but now im addicted to the excersise so its a double edged sword!
    • Posts: 467 Member
      I want to know what you are eating! I am trying to get in 120-150 of protein per day and I NEVER do.....
    • Posts: 52
      Protein is good for you, you should try and go over the MFP number every day if you can. I generally try and go over for fiber and protein while staying under for carbs.
    • Posts: 419 Member
      I want to know what you are eating! I am trying to get in 120-150 of protein per day and I NEVER do.....

      I go over, also. Like yesterday-- my diet was filled with things like Greek yogurt, veggie omelette, and hummus (in addition to a ton of veggies and fruit, etc.). I would rather err on the side of going a bit over on protein than my old habits-- going over on carbs (and not good carbs, let me add).
    • Posts: 1,296 Member
      Understand that while you don't NEED 100g of protein per day, it certainly helps in two departments while you are dieting.

      1. First and foremost.. Protein is very satiating. It fills you and keeps you full
      2. It is muscle sparing! - This allows you to retain more muscle when you diet down thus improving your body composition and appearance.

      On a tertiary note - protein has a higher TEF than other macros. Meaning that your body uses 20% of its protein intake digesting and processing protein. Protein has an actual calorie content closer to 3.2kcal per g than due to this affect.

      In short, when dieting and working out - aim for 1g per lb of lean body mass! It's best.
    • Posts: 823 Member
      You would have to eat insanely high levels of protein for it to have any bad effects. Worry about going under: your body not only uses it for fuel, but also to repair & build your muscles. But don't worry about going over the "recommended" levels. My doctor has been prescribing a low-carb, high-protein diet for decades, some of his patients have been eating like this for 20 years with no bad effects.

      How much *you* should have really depends on your individual metabolism. My doc did some tests on me and recommended I eat my calories as 65% protein, 30% fat, 5% carbs. That dietary change has been the way I've lost over 55 lb in 9 months. I eat 250-300g protein per day. But every body is different, you just have to figure out what works for you.

      Good luck!
    • Posts: 305 Member
      bump - this seems to be a popular subject today!
    • Posts: 748
      For most women - 100-120g per day is what they should aim for.
      show previous quotes
    • Posts: 108 Member
      How do you feel? If you are eating excessive amounts of protein everyday and feel tired a lot, you might be pushing your kidneys too hard. Before I was a vegetarian (lacto, ovo), I consistently ate way more protein than recommended minimum. Not a hard thing to do, I know. Now that I'm a vegetarian, it's different. I almost always get the minimum I need and a lot of times go over a bit. But nothing like before where I was getting double and triple the necessary protein. Personally, I feel better without the protein overload. And it's surprising how much protein some veggies and whole wheat breads have.
    • Posts: 272
      BUMP!
    • Posts: 81
      Thanks for starting this topic.. I just changed my %. I really didn't want to eat 30% fat anyhow. :D
    • Posts: 2
      WOW! Thank you all for your replies! All VERY helpful! =)
    • Posts: 2,380 Member
      How do you feel? If you are eating excessive amounts of protein everyday and feel tired a lot, you might be pushing your kidneys too hard. Before I was a vegetarian (lacto, ovo), I consistently ate way more protein than recommended minimum. Not a hard thing to do, I know. Now that I'm a vegetarian, it's different. I almost always get the minimum I need and a lot of times go over a bit. But nothing like before where I was getting double and triple the necessary protein. Personally, I feel better without the protein overload. And it's surprising how much protein some veggies and whole wheat breads have.

      I can't speak for anyone else but I feel better than I have in years. I'm sure a huge part of that is losing 27 lbs and exercising and eating better, not sure if the amount of protein has a big affect on how I feel or not but it's definitely not hurting my general state of being. :-) Might be different for different people.
    • Posts: 1,231 Member
      Shouldn't be harmful but a lot of meats and eggs also contain significant amounts of cholesterol so just watch that carefully! Great sources of protein without too much bad cholesterol are beans!!!
    • Posts: 4,519 Member
      It will probably do you more good than harm
    • Posts: 7
      You would have to eat insanely high levels of protein for it to have any bad effects. Worry about going under: your body not only uses it for fuel, but also to repair & build your muscles. But don't worry about going over the "recommended" levels. My doctor has been prescribing a low-carb, high-protein diet for decades, some of his patients have been eating like this for 20 years with no bad effects.

      How much *you* should have really depends on your individual metabolism. My doc did some tests on me and recommended I eat my calories as 65% protein, 30% fat, 5% carbs. That dietary change has been the way I've lost over 55 lb in 9 months. I eat 250-300g protein per day. But every body is different, you just have to figure out what works for you.

      Good luck!

      5% carb is a virtually keto diet, which is extremely unhealthy especially if you exercise...
    • Posts: 45 Member
      If you want to be lean and fit - eat your body weight in grams of protein every day. Women cannot get buff and bulky without the assistance of chemicals. If you look any Victoria Secrets Super Models diet (not bulky or buff physiques), or read any health and fitness nutritional articles, you will soon discover that protein is your friend and its how the lean and mean look the way they do. With out adequate protein, you have little to support your lean muscle mass. You may be skinny, but you will also be skinny fat. Who wants to be skinny fat?
    • Posts: 45 Member
      show previous quotes
    • Posts: 2
      Take a look at this article on the Gatorade Sports Science Institute website.

      http://www.gssiweb.com/Article_Detail.aspx?articleid=602&level=3&topic=2

      Many athletes and people in general eat way too much protein. More protein is not better it is just a waste. According to this article, scientific studies show that an athlete (keep in mind these are people who need the most protein) should only consume 1.7 grams of protein for each kilogram of body weight (use google to do the conversion) because that is the largest amount their body can make use of. Just for reference that means if you weigh 150 lbs you only need to consume 116 grams of protein at the most. I read about another study that shows some athletes can make use of 2 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight...but even so that means you'd only need 136 grams if you weigh 150lbs.

      The moral of this post is you do not need to flood your body with protein. These numbers are for people who do endurance and strength training. If you are a regular person or someone who is just trying to lose weight you need to eat a lot less protein.

      Happy exercising everyone! :-)
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