Is Protein Overrated?

Eat the government recomendation for protein for a while and see how good the gains are then.

Hell yes protein is important, but when I am really trying to gain carbs are the way to go with me. Sure, I up the protein a bit as well, but the carbs are what really increases bodyweight for me.

[quote]The Bambino wrote:
Hell yes protein is important, but when I am really trying to gain carbs are the way to go with me. Sure, I up the protein a bit as well, but the carbs are what really increases bodyweight for me. [/quote]

x2. I didn’t know the carb effect so I started downing a lot more carbs and a ballooned 8lbs in 2-3 wks.

[quote]Mcflurry wrote:
My weight stayed the same.[/quote]

Over two months?

Then you failed.

[quote]Mcflurry wrote:
My weight stayed the same.[/quote]

Calories

My experience has always been different.

Were you doing enough exercise to use the protein? How many calories per day were you getting?

[quote]Professor X wrote:
Mcflurry wrote:
My weight stayed the same.

Over two months?

Then you failed.[/quote]

I L-O-L’d at this.

OP: You kept your calories the same, so what did you expect?

what else is your body going to make muscle out of?

[quote]Standard Donkey wrote:
what else is your body going to make muscle out of?[/quote]

Increased calories and carbs are protein sparing. This guy hasn’t gained a pound in two months and seemed to think he was going to somehow magically replace all of his body fat with muscle without him gaining or losing any body weight at all.

Some of you seem to be missing this to only focus in on “protein”.

Over-eating protein will have a similar insulin boosting effect as overeating carbs. The body always finds a way to store surplus intake. What’s efficient for our survival has become a major pain in the ass in modern times.

I think its pretty funny that someone would replace carbs with protein seeing as though they both contain 4cal per gram. So what you basically did was swap out what type of macronutrient your taking in without changing the calories. How many calories you taking in in a day? Whats the macronutrient breakdown? Protein/carbohydrates/fat? without those numbers no one can help you!

Eat big to get big. It’s not all about the protein. It’s not a magical supplement that will in turn for your purchase give you an automatic 15lbs of solid muscle.

Although some seem to think so. Eat more and you will gain weight.

x2 on professor x with his comment on failing.

[quote]Iron Dwarf wrote:
Over-eating protein will have a similar insulin boosting effect as overeating carbs. [/quote]

This is false. I am not sure why you think this.

[quote]BUSHMASTER wrote:
I think its pretty funny that someone would replace carbs with protein seeing as though they both contain 4cal per gram. So what you basically did was swap out what type of macronutrient your taking in without changing the calories. How many calories you taking in in a day? Whats the macronutrient breakdown? Protein/carbohydrates/fat? without those numbers no one can help you![/quote]

Those numbers don’t even matter BECAUSE HIS WEIGHT HAS NOT CHANGED. Whatever the “number” is now, it isn’t enough. That “number” also changes based on activity levels and the gain of lean body mass so it can never be a constant.

He should be focusing on WHY he thinks he will somehow completely exchange all fat for muscle simply by increasing protein intake but decreasing carbs.

[quote]Professor X wrote:
Standard Donkey wrote:
what else is your body going to make muscle out of?

Increased calories and carbs are protein sparing. This guy hasn’t gained a pound in two months and seemed to think he was going to somehow magically replace all of his body fat with muscle without him gaining or losing any body weight at all.

Some of you seem to be missing this to only focus in on “protein”.[/quote]

IF the BW hasn’t changed, I’m wondering if his lifts have improved and furthermore doubting how consistent the lifting was.

X- Calories do matter because HIS WEIGHT HASNT CHANGED! But your right whatever he is doing is wrong and not enough.

[quote]BUSHMASTER wrote:
X- Calories do matter because HIS WEIGHT HASNT CHANGED! [/quote]

To write this means you missed the point. If his weight hasn’t changed in two months, then he has already found his maintenance level. He’s been at that for two months now at least, if not longer. The “number” is irrelevant, especially since, as a beginner, that “number” will change the moment he gets half way serious and actually gains some muscle mass.

I have never calculated my exact “number” for caloric intake. I can, however, tell if you I am eating enough or not based on my weight, my strength and the mirror.

The specifics you all focus in on are often the LEAST important.

[quote]Professor X wrote:
Iron Dwarf wrote:
Over-eating protein will have a similar insulin boosting effect as overeating carbs.

This is false. I am not sure why you think this. [/quote]

Obviously everyone has their “at one sitting” limit. What does the body do with a surplus and how is it handled?

[quote]Iron Dwarf wrote:
Professor X wrote:
Iron Dwarf wrote:
Over-eating protein will have a similar insulin boosting effect as overeating carbs.

This is false. I am not sure why you think this.

Obviously everyone has their “at one sitting” limit. What does the body do with a surplus and how is it handled?

[/quote]

Stored as fat or excreted. If protein caused the same insulin response as carbs, there would be no logic to decreasing carbs at all when dieting. It is the insulin spikes that we are trying to avoid when dropping body fat.

X- Not argueing with you but whether you watch your calories or not they do matter. I do agree he is at maintainence calories and needs to therefore add more apparently. To say the numbers don’t matter, I don’t agree with. I also don’t count my calories on a daily basis, although I know roughly where I sit within 300cal which makes it helpful for me to know how much to add to bulk and how much to cut out to lose.