Can you have too much protein?

JessicaHamilton
JessicaHamilton Posts: 13
edited November 9 in Food and Nutrition
So everyday I'm above the amount limited on protein and I'm always having a hard time losing weight....could it be that I'm consuming too much protein? Thanks for any suggestions, opinions :). I'm also curious...with all the protein that I eat, I probably shouldn't do protein shakes...huh? Lol thanks

Replies

  • d2footballJRC
    d2footballJRC Posts: 2,684 Member
    So everyday I'm above the amount limited on protein and I'm always having a hard time losing weight....could it be that I'm consuming too much protein? Thanks for any suggestions, opinions :). I'm also curious...with all the protein that I eat, I probably shouldn't do protein shakes...huh? Lol thanks

    Nope.. Weight Loss is Calories in vs Calories Burnt. Nothing to do with protein levels. Protein levels is mainly for nutritional value.
  • littlelily613
    littlelily613 Posts: 769 Member
    Protein is an essential building block of your body, and it is also one of the items on MFP's list that should not stay green at the end of the day. I've read frequently on here, that MFP's numbers for protein are already quite low, and I try to go OVER as much as I can. If you do not get enough protein you body WILL find a way to get it: by taking it from your lean muscle mass and organs. So, don't skimp on the protein! Does your diary show sodium content. Processed foods (don't know how much you eat those) can have so much hidden sodium, and THAT can cause you to have difficulty losing weight. If you don't already do so, you should show sodium in your diary. Also, depending on your sources of protein, some can contain enourmous amount of sodium (ie. bacon, hotdogs, and processed meals), so you have to be really careful about WHERE your protein in coming from.
  • sammys1girly
    sammys1girly Posts: 1,045 Member
    The protein and fiber recommendations on here are the minimum you should have in a day, while the other numbers are max. Lots of protein is good!
  • erickirb
    erickirb Posts: 12,294 Member
    You can have too much protein, but it is a very large number (usually 300+ grams). MFP defaults to 15% of total cals from protein but many MFPers aim for 40%, more than double. You can change your % by going to goals > change goals > custom.

    The only people that should be concerned with getting too much protein are those that have certain kidney issues.
  • ryno0618
    ryno0618 Posts: 361
    MFPs protein numbers are kinda low. If you are going over everyday there is no concern. Its an essential part of a healthy diet. No reason to blame protein for stalled weight loss, IMO. A gram of protein for each lb of ideal body weight is a good rule of thumb to strive for, especially if doing strength training.
  • ❤_veggies_rock_❤
    ❤_veggies_rock_❤ Posts: 43
    Protein is an essential building block of your body, and it is also one of the items on MFP's list that should not stay green at the end of the day. I've read frequently on here, that MFP's numbers for protein are already quite low, and I try to go OVER as much as I can. If you do not get enough protein you body WILL find a way to get it: by taking it from your lean muscle mass and organs. So, don't skimp on the protein! Does your diary show sodium content. Processed foods (don't know how much you eat those) can have so much hidden sodium, and THAT can cause you to have difficulty losing weight. If you don't already do so, you should show sodium in your diary. Also, depending on your sources of protein, some can contain enourmous amount of sodium (ie. bacon, hotdogs, and processed meals), so you have to be really careful about WHERE your protein in coming from.

    I just read & posted an article about this to my FB thread! If there isn't enough vital sources through eating the body will eat itself...I have also read how beneficial it is to spread the proteins out throughout the day to keep the muscles safe from this.
  • ❤_veggies_rock_❤
    ❤_veggies_rock_❤ Posts: 43
    You can have too much protein, but it is a very large number (usually 300+ grams). MFP defaults to 15% of total cals from protein but many MFPers aim for 40%, more than double. You can change your % by going to goals > change goals > custom.

    The only people that should be concerned with getting too much protein are those that have certain kidney issues.

    this is good advice eric
  • JessicaHamilton
    JessicaHamilton Posts: 13
    Great! Thanks everyone :) guess its just going to be hard to lose weight and I can't blame it on eating too much protein... I'll just blame it on my two kids lol.. Thanks again!
  • mbhsummerlin
    mbhsummerlin Posts: 5
    hi, im a registered dietitian- this might help!

    protein is essential building block in the diet. People who need to limit their protein intake are ones with chronic kidney disease bc of their decreased renal (kidney) function. (they need to limit to about 0.6-0.8 g PRO/kg/day depending on the severity of their disease)

    If you are a healthy adult, you should aim for 0.8-1.0g/protein per Kg of body wt (kilograms = 2.2 lbs) unless you are recovering from surgery, infection or acute illness

    so, for a 150 lb person= 68 kg x 0.8-1.0 g/pro = 54-68 g Protein /day

    Most american diets meet protein needs without even trying through sources such as dairy, meat, nuts, cheese, eggs.

    1 oz of protein contains about 7 g Protein, so your 3 oz can of tuna will have about 21-22 g protein

    Another way to estimate protein needs is to calculate total kcal day (ex 1800 kcal ) and aim for 15-25% from protein
    1800calories x 0.15-0.25= 270 -450 cal (divide by 4 to get grams) = 68-113 g PRO /day

    hope that helps. Focus on spreading out sources of protein from both animal AND plant based proteins to ensure a variety of essential amino acids
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