Too much Meat

[MichelleShani]

I have question, can eating too much meat protein or just too much protein in general cause a weight loss plateau or even weight gain on a low carb lifestyle?  Last week I cut back on the my meat intake  and lost 7 pounds. I use to eat large quantities of meat in every single meal and even snack on it in between meals. I know some of the meat I was eating was cured with salt and sugar, so that' my fault. Maybe I need to cut back even more on the steaks and pork chops in my meals. Or maybe some of the meat I was eating had steriods & growth hormones and wasn't natural.

[umpa]

hi Michelle! Always a pleasure! 103 pounds is great!! The salt will cause you issues.It will make you retain water. Portion sizes are important even with protein. Try the 15 minute rule.Eat and after 15 minutes you are hungry than eat some more,another 15 minutes, etc.   

[shawn116]

You know I'm glad you asked that....  It seems there is quite the debate going on...  I've been reading a lot about that same subject on line here lately.  Some are saying if you eat more protein than the body can use, it will convert the excess into glucose.  Which of course as we know will be burned first before your fat stores.   It would make sense as to why my sugar will rise when I know I haven't eaten something to make it go up.  Might be something to look into if you are consuming large quantities every meal.  If you are following the FTS rules, it really shouldn't be an issue though.   I guess this is where eating too much even if it is 0 carb can be bad for you.   Portion sizes are always important.  If you google Gluconeogenesis and eating too much protein you will see what I'm talking about 

I'm interested to know what Doug's take is on the subject....

[mouseissue]

Hi Shawn!

As you said, portion sizes are very important.

My doctor told me that ALL digestible foods have some level of their own sugar,
and will increase blood glucose when digested.
The differences comes from the speed and amount of blood glucose produced.

For example, corn syrup is loaded with readily digestible carbs that rapidly metabolizes into blood glucose.
On the other hand, a beef steak will also create blood glucose.
Just much less of it (by quantity) and much more slowly.

This is why eating more than we need of even low carb foods, can cause stall outs or gains.

Bottom line, limiting carbs AND portion sizes are necessary for weight loss success.
The 15 minute rule helps us determine how much food is enough food to deal with true hunger.

Tony

[Doug Varrieur]

Large amounts of protein will indeed cause weight plateaus if you eat more than your body requires. The body will use the excess protein as fuel. Portion control coupled with the 15 minute rule is the key here Michelle. The great thing about protein is how full you feel with small amounts IF you wait for the portion you eat to catch up to your brain. I remember when I used to sit in front of a 12-16 ounce steak and devour the whole thing. Now my average portion is 4-6 ounces plus sides. Remember the ads on TV for the "1/4" pounder burger? Well, a quarter pound is 4 ounces 

Congratulations on your current weight loss we are all so very proud of you. Please review this post for portion sizes

http://www.fattoskinny.net/index.php?topic=233.0

[Andrea]

Closet biologist here.

You gotta love Wikipedia.  Now I know more about gluconeogenesis than I ever thought I needed to know.  I think the bottom line is that our bodies have a way of processing whatever amounts of food we eat.  If we eat less than our current energy requirements, we lose weight.  If we eat more, we gain.  When we get to a goal weight, we need to find the balance. 

Gluconeogenesis is an elegant way for the body to use excess protein to keep blood sugar from getting too low.  As others have stated in this post, portion control will allow our bodies to use our food efficiently. 

[MichelleShani]

Thanks Everyone, good to know! I love my Steaks, Cheeseburgers, Pork Chops and Sausages so much that I've over indulge with them over the last few months and stall quite a bit. I cut back and lost weight so I'm ready to lose the rest of this stubborn weight for Spring.

[Andrea]

Simple suggestion:  cut smaller pieces and chew longer.  It's healthier to do that anyway and takes longer to eat.  That might help you with quantity.

[umpa]

Michelle not for nothing but you have lost over 100 pounds!! Celebrate!