Is protein making you fat?
Before you freak out, let me explain 👇🏻
It feels like everyone on the internet says protein, protein, protein. You have to eat protein to make fitness progress.
I fell into this “trend” (trap) myself, and I ate a crap ton of protein for years because, well, I thought it’s filling and low calorie, so I won’t gain weight compared to eating carbs. Plus, it’s great for muscle gains.
But what if I told you that if your body is not in a metabolically healthy state, you have tons of inflammation, and your gut health is a mess, you WILL convert that protein into sugar, and that will turn into FAT. 😓
This is called gluconeogenesis.
It’s a process that happens in the liver. It transforms non-carbohydrate substrates (like protein) into glucose.
This is an important process our bodies need, but some of us are pumping glucose out too fast, causing an increased blood sugar 📈 response, and our insulin can’t keep up.
My clients aren’t turning protein into sugar anymore! 🙅🏼♀️
How do I know this? We test their blood sugars, and as soon as I drop protein super low, their blood sugars improve.
Most of my clients come to me eating a high-protein diet and/or are a hott mess health-wise. Working together helped them find balance and feel better.
Is protein bad? NO
Do we need protein? YES
The key here is to CYCLE protein.
You should have a period where you drop it low (like 40g/day) and focus on other macronutrients (fats or carbs), and other times you bring protein up. This is known as DIET VARIATION.
Did this blow 🤯your mind? How much protein do you eat a day?
#eatgoodfeelgood #weightlosscoach #digestivehealth #bloodsugarbalance #protein
From my experience working with clients who struggle with weight and blood sugar issues, I’ve noticed that many people don’t realize how their body’s metabolic health affects protein metabolism. When inflammation and gut health are compromised, the liver may convert excess protein into glucose—a process known as gluconeogenesis—potentially leading to fat gain if insulin can’t keep blood sugar balanced. I used to consume very high amounts of protein, thinking it would help muscle growth and keep me full without adding fat. However, over time, I experienced unexpected weight gain and energy dips. After learning about diet variation and protein cycling, I started adjusting my intake—eating lower protein days (around 40g) and focusing on healthy fats and carbs, then increasing protein again on other days. This helped me feel more balanced and improved my energy. Testing blood sugar levels was a game changer for clients and myself, showing that high protein days sometimes caused spikes when metabolic health was poor. By reducing protein and improving gut health with anti-inflammatory foods and probiotics, blood sugars stabilized and body composition improved. If you’re curious about how much protein you should eat, I recommend starting with moderate amounts tailored to your activity level and metabolic state. Track how your body responds, and consider cycling protein rather than eating high protein constantly. Focusing on overall diet quality and macronutrient balance alongside gut health can prevent unnecessary fat gain from protein conversion and support long-term wellness.
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