Question:
Will too much protein hinder my loss or otherwise be bad for me?

Do ya'all count your suplimental (shakes/bars) protien in with the total grams you're supposed to get a day? Like if my requirement is 80-120grams a day... and I drink 2 protien shakes at 25 grams each, do I then only need 30-70 grams of protien from food? What if I exceed that total amount of 120 grams... is this bad? Will it harm me or cause me not to lose?    — S M. (posted on April 1, 2003)

April 1, 2003
I see many people doing 120g protein shakes ( made with water), who are proximals, and losing or maintaining goal wt. Most of us do not count bars or food toward our protein intake. I rarely use bars, but if I do, half a bar is one of my "meals". But I still dont' count the protein.
   — vitalady

April 1, 2003

   — Linda A.

April 2, 2003
While we do not absorb all the protein from foods, and the exact amount is not known, we do absorb some, so I would count the protein (or a portion of it) from foods and bars and shakes. Linda has a good point when she says that the shakes should be 100 percent whey protein. As to having too much protein, if you have your labs done regularly, your doctor can check your liver enzymes, the liver being where proteins are processed, especially the animal proteins. I had a slightly higher than normal liver enzyme reading and the doctor told me to cut back a little on protein. Is this the right thing to do? I don't know but will see when I get labs taken again in 3 months. What it did say to me is that I am absorbing.
   — Cindy R.