How much protein?

[fitat49]

Hey Ladies, Happy Easter!! Had a question for all of you educated ladies. I never know sometimes if I'm eating too much protein. I'm not sure how to figure it out. But this is how much I eat usually in a day. Breakfast- 9 egg whites, mid day protein shake about 15 grams protein, lunch 4oz. fish, dinner 2oz. chicken, 1 hard boiled egg, 1/3 cup of cottage cheese. Is this too much? Thanks Lori

 

[RapidBreath]

only if you are 98 pounds.

You could have more protein if you wanted to. Some people recommend 1 gram of protein per 1 lb of body weight. I don't know what you weigh, but I weigh. . . lets say a lot and I eat 130 grams of protein (if I am behaving myself.) but I weigh more than 130. I don't know if I could eat 180 grams of protein in one day.

 

[petramom]

I think it depends what percentage of your diet is protein. If you're eating, say, 75% of your calories from protein then, yeah, probably too much. If it's, say, 25% then, no, you're good. In between there - dunno. Depends what you mean by "too much." Are you having health problems or not feeling well? Is your energy level low? Or are you just being vigilant?

From what you listed, it sounds like you're making healthy choices.

 

[hiitdogs]

If that is too much depends on a lot of factors, like your height, your weight, how much of your diet is carbohydrates and fat, etc.?

Regardless of that, 9 egg whites for breakfast is a lot! 1 egg white is approx. 4 g of protein, depending on what else you eat with your breakfast that is 36 g of protein. The general consensus is that your body cannot absorb more than 20 g of protein per meal.

Anything additional will not build muscle. In fact, if you eat too much overall calories, doesn't matter if from fat, protein or carbs you will gain weight, and it is not muscle weight aside from putting a strain on your kidneys.

I know this is not the popular opinion around here and I am probably going to get flamed but current research shows that anything more than 15 to 20 %, particulary from animal sources is detrimental to our health.

You may want to check out this calculator, it should give you a pretty good idea of how much you need based on your height, weight, total calories.

http://www.dietitian.com/calcbody.php

HTH

 

[elliemom]

If that is too much depends on a lot of factors, like your height, your weight, how much of your diet is carbohydrates and fat, etc.?

Regardless of that, 9 egg whites for breakfast is a lot! 1 egg white is approx. 4 g of protein, depending on what else you eat with your breakfast that is 36 g of protein. The general consensus is that your body cannot absorb more than 20 g of protein per meal.

Anything additional will not build muscle. In fact, if you eat too much overall calories, doesn't matter if from fat, protein or carbs you will gain weight, and it is not muscle weight aside from putting a strain on your kidneys.

I know this is not the popular opinion around here and I am probably going to get flamed but current research shows that anything more than 15 to 20 %, particulary from animal sources is detrimental to our health.

You may want to check out this calculator, it should give you a pretty good idea of how much you need based on your height, weight, total calories.

http://www.dietitian.com/calcbody.php

HTH

Yes Carola, this is VERY true!!! Too much protein puts an ENORMOUS strain on your kidneys since it is their job to get rid of it. Eating excess protein does not build muscle as your body can only store very small amounts. Therefore the rest is excreted thru your kidneys!!!!

ellie

 

[morningstar]

The general consensus is that your body cannot absorb more than 20 g of protein per meal.

Isn't that another thing that depends on your body type, size, muscle mass, etc? I would assume a female with little muscle mass weighing 110lbs would have much less capacity to absorb/use protein than a female weighing 170lbs, with high muscle mass would. I have heard your figure quoted before, but I don't buy it - it's too general, and doesn't take into account the individual.

 

[hiitdogs]

Isn't that another thing that depends on your body type, size, muscle mass, etc? I would assume a female with little muscle mass weighing 110lbs would have much less capacity to absorb/use protein than a female weighing 170lbs, with high muscle mass would. I have heard your figure quoted before, but I don't buy it - it's too general, and doesn't take into account the individual.

Yes, it depends on your body type, muscle mass, what kind of protein etc. It says not MORE than 20 g, meaning it is less for some people.

 

[morningstar]

Yes, it depends on your body type, muscle mass, what kind of protein etc. It says not MORE than 20 g, meaning it is less for some people.

So, a bodybuilder guy weighing 250lbs, almost all muscle, couldn't handle more than 20g of protein at a time, and a small woman of 100lbs wouldn't be able to handle as much as 10g at a time? That's asinine, really.

 

[hiitdogs]

So, a bodybuilder guy weighing 250lbs, almost all muscle, couldn't handle more than 20g of protein at a time, and a small woman of 100lbs wouldn't be able to handle as much as 10g at a time? That's asinine, really.

Hey thanks for calling my opinion foolish. Just because you don't believe it or don't want to believe it doesn't mean it isn't true Don't we sometimes find that new information comes out that requires that we change our world view and put our own biases aside?

At a study presented at the Experimental Biology 2007 meeting by a group of Canadian physiologists explored the protein requirement following a weight-training session. It was done to determine the cut-off level for protein synthesis before dietary protein was shunted into oxidation.

The test objects were healthy men on a regular body building / exercise regimen. In each of the times they reported to the facility they were given a drink containing 0, 5, 10, 20 or 40 grams of whole-egg protein. They also received a four-hour infusion of the BCAA leucine, which was radioactively labeled to measure muscle protein synthesis. Increasing protein intake decreased leucine breakdown. Protein was shunted into oxidation in the subjects who had the 20- and 40-gram drinks. The authors conclude that any more than 20 grams of protein taken in would be oxidized.

The question in my mind is not is the body builder able to handle it, the question is: Is it healthy over the long term? Most of us are already consuming more than enough protein which we don't take into consideration in form of vegetable protein. The misconception is that we need to eat meat/animal sources in order to get protein. The fact is that protein is built by our bodies through the intake of amino acids which can come from different food sources. Some foods contain all 9 essential amino acids, some only contain a few but our body can build protein from different sources we consume throughout the day.

There is very compelling evidence that an intake of as little as 15 to 20 % of animal protein contributes to many diseases and also promotes cancer (see T. Colin Campbell's research in The China Study)

 

[Shannon_B]

I started drinking protein shakes and I noticed I started having stomach problems, so I know I can't take in a lot. To me, what you're eating sounds like a loooot of protein, but that's just because I can't handle it! lol. Looks great to me!

 

[Lynn M.]

I've often wondered myself what the appropriate amount of protein to consume per day is for a woman that workouts out hard and lifts weights. The research is all over the board on what we should be consuming.

I've tried the one gm + of protein per lb of bodyweight formula and honestly, it did nothing for me other than make me tired bec. I ended up not eating enough carbs. I did not see an increase in muscle growth either.

For me, I do best when I'm consuming around 100 gms of protein per day ( I weigh between 125-130 lbs) from real foods.. ie lean meats, cottage cheese, milk, vegetable sources, etc. I do eat protein bars and shakes but its not my first pick, only if I have to. That is still alot of protein when compared to many diets, but its much more do-able.

I find at that ratio, I have energy, less bloat and the most muscle definition.

Take care, Lynn M.

 

[fit44]

For me, I do best when I'm consuming around 100 gms of protein per day ( I weigh between 125-130 lbs) from real foods.. ie lean meats, cottage cheese, milk, vegetable sources, etc. I do eat protein bars and shakes but its not my first pick, only if I have to. That is still alot of protein when compared to many diets, but its much more do-able.

I find at that ratio, I have energy, less bloat and the most muscle definition.

This is what I found works for me. I feel really good and look my best when I keep my ratios 40/30/30 Carb/Protein/Fat. That is around .9 gram of protein to 1lb lean tissue(not total weight).

 

[babindy]

As an aspiring raw vegan I've done a lot of reading on protein. For me the jury is still out but some of the interesting points include:

- varying suggested protein intake amounts. I'm astounded by the range in these. Even more confusing when comparing athletes to non, actual body weight to ideal body weight, female vs male, pregnancy and lactation, etc
- protein digestibility and protein efficiency ratios (PER)
- problems with excess protein intake (in fact my dad who has only one kidney has been warned by his doctor to limit his protein intake)

Just to name a few. Personally I don't see how you can go wrong with eating a large assortment of non starchy vegetables, especially organic. It's filling in the rest that gets tricky.

 

[fitat49]

Thank ou for all of you ladies input. I'm 5'7 1/2 inches tall weigh between 125-130. Going to be 50 in May. I eat raw and cooked vegtables as well with about 2 fruits per day. I guess maybe I should cut down on my protein at breakfast. I don't feel any side effects from eating the protein that I do now, but maybe should cut down a little. Thanks, Lori

 

[Lynn M.]

One more thing to consider.... veggies actually have more protein in them than you think... things like broccoli, green beans, mushrooms actually have around 2 gms per serving. That means if you make up something like a big ol' veggie omelet you might be getting even more protein than what you are counting from your eggs and cheese ( if you do cheese).

I kind of forgot that until I started rereading my nutrition books.. its a nice little bonus! And if you are eating those veggies with even a little bit of soy, or an animal based protein, you are getting a complete count of amino acids, the building blocks that make up protein, so they could count as quality protein.

Take care, Lynn

 

[marnapril]

fitat49, you really should consult your doctor on this. too much protein is harmful to your body, as is anything that is too much. moderation really is the key with nutrition.

http://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=50900

http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/what-should-you-eat/protein/index.html

http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=11234

http://www.webmd.com/diet/guide/high-protein-diet-for-weight-loss

http://weighttraining.about.com/od/nutritionforweights/qt/protein_howmuch.htm

 

[morningstar]

Hey thanks for calling my opinion foolish. Just because you don't believe it or don't want to believe it doesn't mean it isn't true Don't we sometimes find that new information comes out that requires that we change our world view and put our own biases aside?

Hey Carola,

I'm sorry I was so bitchy (I'm having a very bad weekend). I wasn't calling your opinion foolish, so much as the information itself. It wasn't new to me; I've heard it many times before and I think it just doesn't make sense. I'm not convinced that one study is definitive; I think so often we just hear of one or two studies with new information, and it is supposed to change everything about how we think. So many studies are not done to a high standard, but we rarely hear about it if the study can't be replicated with the same results.

For most of the past 23 years as a vegetarian I did not get enough protein of any kind. I did not combine my vegetable-sourced proteins carefully and in general was in very poor health. Once I started really focusing on making protein a priority in my diet, I noticed a huge difference in how I felt. However, I also made many other healthier choices at the same time, so it would be hard to single out the protein as the only cause of the increased well-being. For me, more protein feels way better than less, but I get my protein from all kinds of sources, including dairy, beans, soy, veggies, etc.

 

[horseshowmom]

The most consistent ( both current and past) advice I have heard in regards to a leaning out/muscle building program is 1 gram per pound of LEAN body mass. It makes sense to me because I could never do 1 gram per pound of body weight, but LEAN body mass is doable. I know in general most women do NOT get enough protein for the results they want.

 

[icumom]

The actual RDA is .8 grams per KILOGRAM(i.e.2.2 lbs)...though most get way more that that...WAY MORE in America...the ole chestnut of 1gm or more per POUND is the weightlifter strategy...same goes for the tiresome, gotta eat 6 meals a day...its easy to get enough protein when you realize a portion size is a couple bites (palm size,3-4oz)...

As fare as supplementing w/protein powder, though I did it for a long time, with the revelations of melamine in baby formula which is supposedly more regulated (when did that become a bad word?), I wonder about the purity of protein powder...but that's my opinion...

 

[dorothyrd]

If that is too much depends on a lot of factors, like your height, your weight, how much of your diet is carbohydrates and fat, etc.?

Regardless of that, 9 egg whites for breakfast is a lot! 1 egg white is approx. 4 g of protein, depending on what else you eat with your breakfast that is 36 g of protein. The general consensus is that your body cannot absorb more than 20 g of protein per meal.

Anything additional will not build muscle. In fact, if you eat too much overall calories, doesn't matter if from fat, protein or carbs you will gain weight, and it is not muscle weight aside from putting a strain on your kidneys.

I know this is not the popular opinion around here and I am probably going to get flamed but current research shows that anything more than 15 to 20 %, particulary from animal sources is detrimental to our health.

You may want to check out this calculator, it should give you a pretty good idea of how much you need based on your height, weight, total calories.

http://www.dietitian.com/calcbody.php

HTH

Carola, I agree. This is exactly what is being taught in my Exercise Physiology class....the big beefy weight lifter guys hate to hear it, but research supports it.