How much is TOO much protein?

If excess protein intake causes you to exceed your calorie goal it is probably too much.
If excess protein intake causes you to repeatedly (over the course of time) neglect dietary fat it is probably too much.
If excess protein intake causes you to drop carbs low enough to suffer performance or mood issues, it is probably too much.


Beyond the above I wouldn't worry about it.

That's probably the most brilliant response ever.

I got stuck at "Fat Flushing Soup."

Here is a good calculator for protein depending on your activity, age, size of your frame, etc. http://www.healthcalculators.org/calculators/protein.asp
Once you determine the amount you need, you can change your goals in MFP for better tracking. Remember that our bodies need carbohydrates (the good ones) so don't decrease your carb percent too low. Also, at least 20% of the good fats are needed.

Hope this helps.

I got stuck at "Fat Flushing Soup."

What do you mean? Before anyone says anything...I know it's not going to "flush my fat away." It just happens to be the name of the recipe. I make it because it tastes pretty good, is easy to take and heat up at work, and is quite nutritious! Plus, it lasts me for days...so when I make it I have almost a weeks worth of lunches.

If it just happens to be the name of the recipe, then so be it What's in it?

I too set my macro to 40/20/20 and I almost never reach my protein goal. I do the 1g of protein per body weight to maintain strong muscles while weight training. I'm currently 138 so my goal is 138 grams of protein. This is quite difficult for me but If I have a low protein intake I will not only lose fat but also muscle and this is a big no no for me.

So to answer your question, I think it's very difficult to go over to the point where it's bad for you. If your under 100g of protein a day I recommend you bump that up a bit but it always depends on what type of body your going for. For a strong solid body enough protein is essential!

Sorry to double dip...I looked around online and found the info below to be helpful...I have been over everyday on my protein and have been thinking about the kidneys and liver so this makes me feel a bit better. According to this I should be having 100 to 115 a day which seems high to me...yet I am always going over the MFP by about 40-60g and am still under the formula below...glad you asked this question!!!

http://www.anytimehealth.com/questions/4894-how-much-protein-is-too-much

"Protein Formula
.8 grams to 2 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight is an appropriate amount.
But, body builders are at the higher range (2 grams) and should consult a doctor first, in my opinion, before consuming 2 grams per kilogram of body weight.
As an example; I weigh 135 pounds.
To get my weight in kilograms, divide 135 by 2.2 = 61.36 kilograms
61.36 x 1.2 grams of protein = 74 grams of protein. This amount works well for me." (site statement, not my weight!!)

Currently consuming anywhere from 170g-220g a day weighing at 110kg (losing fat while building/maintaining muscle mass)

It is possible to get too much......but if you have no other health issues then around 100g a day is absolutely fine.

Why are you drinking a protein shake?

consuming up to half your body weight is acceptable

:noway: that's a LOT of protein!!

I am appalled. I have seldom seen such horrible misinformation about protein in on place as I have here.

First: Excess protein consumption leads to kidney disease. It can also damage your liver. What is excessive?

Normal protein needs are 0.6-1 gram of protein per pound of lean body mass per day, spread out throughout the day (not in one or two big meals). There you have it. Go for the 1 gram if you are doing hard workout, lots of exercise, work at hard manual labor, etc.

Eating more than that amount of protein if you are heavy body building or strength training will NOT speeds your increases in bulk or strength, they will, over time, kill your kidneys. Killing your kidneys will make you sick, lead to things like dialysis, transplants and or death. This is not a good way to body build. No one looks good in a casket.

I bring you this as a quote from my registered dietitian who specializes in sports medicine.

I've changed my macros in MFP to 30/40/30 (c/p/f) and average 200g consumed Monday through to Saturday (Sunday is rest day and obviously don't need as much) as I do regular weight lifting + basketball. My protein is consumed throughout the day through normal food intake and protein supplements post workout and not in a single large dose.

As others have said, I wouldn't be fussed about too high protein intake as doing so would cause you to fly past your calorie goals for the day.

Check this link out: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rabbit_starvation

Here's an excerpt

It has been observed that the human liver cannot safely metabolise much more than 285-365 g of protein per day (for an 80 kg person), and human kidneys are similarly limited in their capability to remove urea (a byproduct of protein catabolism) from the bloodstream.

So basically if you figure their numbers down to kilogram weights then at the low end you're looking at 3.563g/kg is the upper limit of what you can digest on a daily basis.

So... some numbers for the not so math inclined...

100 lb = 45.359kg * 3.563g = 161.614g/day
125 lb = 56.699kg * 3.563g = 202.019g/day
150 lb = 68.039kg * 3.563g = 242.423g/day
175 lb = 79.379kg * 3.563g = 282.827g/day
200 lb = 90.719kg * 3.563g = 323.232g/day
225 lb = 102.058kg * 3.563g = 363.633g/day
250 lb = 113.398kg * 3.563g = 404.037g/day
275 lb = 124.738kg * 3.563g = 444.441g/day
300 lb = 136.078kg * 3.563g = 484.846g/day

To put it another way, for every 25lbs (11.339kg) of body weight you can safely have ~40g of protein day.... every day. Going over once isn't going to kill you... just not something your body takes well in the long term. This is one of the reasons most ketogenic diets are high in fat... you really don't want to eat your TDEE in lean meat every day... but honestly unless you're literally eating nothing but extremely lean meat all day every day... it's unlikely to become an issue.

A good example is, 80/20 beef for instance... ~90g of fat, 78g protein. So roughly ~1120 calories, ~810 from fat (9*90), ~310 (4*78) from protein... if you were 150 lbs you'd need to eat 3.1lbs of 80/20 ground beef a day to hit numbers like that... which would be 3472 calories... or roughly ~1500 over a sedentary tdee.

Largely, if you're watching calories and matching it to your exercise level... you're unlikely to go near the "dangerous levels" of protein for long enough (weeks) to ever cause a serious issue. Urea buildup and toxic levels of protein your body can't handle aren't single day affairs.. they take time to occur... and most normal people aren't eating 300g+ of protein a day. You're highly unlikely to ever encounter the issue... especially if you're counting calories at any level.

YMMV of course. Good luck!