Protein overload?!

thumper71123
thumper71123 Posts: 8
in Food and Nutrition
Ok, so I get the evil red, negative numbers for calories, sugar, carbs, fat, etc, etc when I log my food for the day. But why is it bad to go over on protein? Isn't most, if not all protein good? Of course, I'm thinking of veggies, lean meats and all those lovely proteins....

Replies

  • wildboar1
    wildboar1 Posts: 88
    Probably not with the amount that you are eating. What are your ratios?
  • minkakross
    minkakross Posts: 687 Member
    the default ratio for carbs and protein is set too low on the protein for my diet. Depending on what you are aiming for you can make adjustments. I have changed mine to aim for about 75 protein a day because I'm eating a diabetic in other words a low carb diet. Some bodies respond better to high carb diets than others you're not going to have any harm for eating more protein. When you have too much protein in one setting (different for every person) you will get gas. there is also some tentative research that says your body may not be able to absorb more than about 35g in one setting, but the powers that be aren't unanimous on that yet.
  • BarnDogBob
    BarnDogBob Posts: 104 Member
    I like to hit a bit over on protein since I do more muscle building than activity like running and such. Listen to what your body is telling you. Try to ignore your body telling you to stop for doughnuts but sometimes a craving for red meat is your body's way of letting you know something it needs.
  • dusty8907
    dusty8907 Posts: 350 Member
    One gram of protein per lb of lean body mass
    Lean body mass = total weight - bodyfat
  • shivaslives
    shivaslives Posts: 279 Member
    Most information out there says that you really can't get too much protein unless you have metabolic disorders where you can't process the amino acids appropriately. I agree with most of the other posters that the default MFP settings of 15% protein is a bare minimum and suggest that you customize the setting to increase the goal.. Because of my exercise regimen and the desire to build some muscle mass, I set mine to 25%.

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  • thumper71123
    thumper71123 Posts: 8
    Thanks all! I'm just getting into this game (seriously anyways) and appreciate the advice! :)
  • harlanJEN
    harlanJEN Posts: 1,089 Member
    MFP sets protein low, carbs high. You are able to customize your goals. My macros are set at 30 Carb/35 Protein/35 Fat.
    .8 - 1 g of protein per pound of lean body mass is the general guideline - especially if you are weight training.

    Good Luck on your journey !
  • rurujr
    rurujr Posts: 5
    I'm having the same problem, especially with protein and sodium. But is a bad thing with Protein? How much is to much?
  • 1princesswarrior
    1princesswarrior Posts: 1,242 Member
    Ironic, I asked my nutritionist yesterday about too much protein as I go over my set limits everyday. She said you really can't get too much protein, especially when it comes from natural foods like the lean meats and veggies you mention.
  • aubryannewilson
    aubryannewilson Posts: 34 Member
    I'm currently in school to be a personal trainer and all of our books say 40% carbs, 30% protein, and 30% fat is the ideal intake for most people. In my weight loss journey, I've done a lot of reading and research about the macros and what my body needs and it seems to feel more balanced when follow these macros. Hope this helps :smile:
  • harlanJEN
    harlanJEN Posts: 1,089 Member
    I'm having the same problem, especially with protein and sodium. But is a bad thing with Protein? How much is to much?


    I just replied to Protein, but Sodium. YEA. Need to watch that. MFP sets the default at the high end of "recommended". Depending on health status, some folks need to aim for even less than 2500 mg. I have no health issues, but want to keep my sodium as low as I can .. I reset my goal to 2000 mg.

    Are you eating processed foods (canned, packaged, frozen), fast food, restaurants? Lots of sodium there ! Read labels - it's eyeopening !

    Good Luck
  • harlanJEN
    harlanJEN Posts: 1,089 Member
    I'm currently in school to be a personal trainer and all of our books say 40% carbs, 30% protein, and 30% fat is the ideal intake for most people. In my weight loss journey, I've done a lot of reading and research about the macros and what my body needs and it seems to feel more balanced when follow these macros. Hope this helps :smile:

    Indeed. That is what most of the "books" say. And most books also rely heavily on the Govt's food pyramid. Every person's body is a bit different, so adjustments are made. But yes, 40/30/30 is common. MFP defaults carbs in the 50% range if I"m not mistaken.
  • wildboar1
    wildboar1 Posts: 88
    I'm having the same problem, especially with protein and sodium. But is a bad thing with Protein? How much is to much?


    I just replied to Protein, but Sodium. YEA. Need to watch that. MFP sets the default at the high end of "recommended". Depending on health status, some folks need to aim for even less than 2500 mg. I have no health issues, but want to keep my sodium as low as I can .. I reset my goal to 2000 mg.

    Are you eating processed foods (canned, packaged, frozen), fast food, restaurants? Lots of sodium there ! Read labels - it's eyeopening !

    Good Luck

    Unless you have a doctor's order to avoid sodium, there is not a single valid reason to go out of your way to avoid it. Salt is not a poison. There has never been a single study that showed any evidence of salt being causative of high blood pressure, hyper tension (something like less that 10% of all cases of hypertension, they found that it COULD be caused by salt) or any other medical condition.

    So eat your frikken salt and stop worrying about it.

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