Protein?

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msmariah86
msmariah86 Posts: 20
in Health and Weight Loss
It's probably a stupid question - but how bad is protein?!
I always seem to be over my target amount.
Will this mean weight gain?
How can I lower it?

Replies

  • devriessue
    devriessue Posts: 14 Member
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    I always seem to be over too. Not sure what the numbers are based on... anybody know. I don't think protein should be too bad unless you have kidney disease or something.
  • RepsnSets
    RepsnSets Posts: 805 Member
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    Im always over as well. Cant quite work that one out either. I eat alot of skinless chicken breast.......Maybe I need to reduce the portion size or measure it out more correctly
  • savlyon
    savlyon Posts: 474 Member
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    Ok, not to be mean, but this question is asked EVERYDAY on the forums. EVERYDAY. It's already been asked today. Use the search tool to look for other posts.

    Going over on protein is good. You can manually set your goals so they more accurately fit your needs. You should be eating around .5g of protein/lb of body weight every day. So if you weigh 200 lbs, shoot for 100g of protein. However, this changes based on your activity level and strength training.

    ETA: Protein will not make you fat.
  • mirgss
    mirgss Posts: 275 Member
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    Protein, like the other macro nutrients, is essential in any diet and is required for building muscle. It seems that mfp's goals for protein are somewhat low...i have heard people say they aim for 1-1.5 grams per pound of body weight. I a, trying to get over 100 for sure. Unless you are waaaay over like 250+, i would not worry about it
    If you really want to reduce your protein, eat less meat. Peanut butter, eggs, milk all habe protein as well.

    Sorry for weird typos, typing on my nook in class...haha.
  • Jeaniehop
    Jeaniehop Posts: 88 Member
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    Healthy lean protein burns more fat I go over on purpose everyday
  • howeclectic
    howeclectic Posts: 121 Member
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    Protein isn't bad at all. If you're exercising, you'll need more of it than MFP allocates anyways. Proteins are usually kind of nice when you're dieting as they increase satiety and are more inefficient in digestion (meaning if you eat 100 calories of protein your body might only get 75 calories, whereas 100 calories of carbs might be more like 90). I would look at the weekly view of your calorie sources in MFP. It will tell you how many calories you get from carbs, protein, and fat. If its somewhere in the ballpark of 50 carbs, 25 fat, and 25 protein, you're generally in the range.
  • sarahtroupe
    sarahtroupe Posts: 164
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    Protein is good:) id rather be over in protein than anything!!!
  • deekaydee
    deekaydee Posts: 158 Member
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    MFP has a reeeeeeeeeallly low protein default. Increase it. And still be happy when you go over.
  • kristinahalley
    kristinahalley Posts: 3
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    Protein helps replenish muscles after workouts. Going over is not bad. Depending on how much you work out, the more protein the better.
  • msmariah86
    msmariah86 Posts: 20
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    Thanks every one :)

    I normally eat at least one egg a day, salmon, and I love my meat - that's probably what's doing it :)
  • oreoschick
    oreoschick Posts: 8 Member
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    MFP is on the lower side of your recommended value of protein, so don't get worried if you go over. Your protein intake should be around 15-30% of your caloric intake (meaning that 15-30% of your calories for the day should be coming from protein).
  • rayleansout
    rayleansout Posts: 234
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    Dont lowr it protein is a good thing, your body requires more calories to digest protein - PROTEIN HELPS WITH FAT LOSS, protein supports muscle
  • devriessue
    devriessue Posts: 14 Member
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    Thanks for the tip... I never thought of using the search of the message boards.
  • rsmithy89
    rsmithy89 Posts: 174 Member
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    Dunno if anyone has posted this but protein also has the highest TEF (Thermal Effect of Feeding). For protein, 30% of the calories are burned by your body just processing it. This is a lot higher than carbs which is 15-20% of calories.
  • Mdin1029
    Mdin1029 Posts: 456 Member
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    I agree it is not bad to go over, but please make sure it is lean protein! Limit red meat. You probably know the deal as far as healthy protein sources but here goes: fish, eggs, beans, greek yogurt, chicken, nuts :)
  • rkelly0321
    rkelly0321 Posts: 1
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    Better over on protein than over on carbs!! My Dr. told me to shoot for 1200 calories a day...and have protein 100 gr and carb 100 gr, with a few grams of fat. He told me combining the two in each meal/snack is important for the digestive/metabolic system. Hope he's right! So far working well. (and I"ll admit it worked well before...the trick is to not STOP) Just my 2 cents. :)

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