Is Too Much Protein Stalling Your Fat Loss?

You’ve probably heard it:

“Protein is king.”
“Just eat more protein.”
“Protein builds muscle and burns fat!”

From carnivore diets to gym girlies tracking 150g a day, high-protein diets are the trend. And while protein is absolutely essential, there’s something nobody’s talking about…

If you’ve got metabolic dysfunction—like insulin resistance or blood sugar issues—too much protein might actually be working against you.

Let’s break it down.

Where Did Our Protein Guidelines Even Come From?

Back in the 1940s, during World War II, the first official protein recommendations were created. The goal? Prevent deficiency in the population.

They settled on 0.8g of protein per kilogram of body weight per day, based on something called nitrogen balance studies (which are a whole other story, but basically: not super precise).

Fast-forward to today, and the pendulum has swung hard the other way. Now the fitness world is pushing 2x or even 3x that amount—all in the name of fat loss, muscle gain, and satiety.

But here’s what they’re not saying…

Just because your body can handle more protein doesn’t mean it should—especially if your metabolism is compromised.

Protein is Essential—But There’s a Catch

Your body absolutely needs protein. It’s the raw material for enzymes, muscle repair, immune function, and more.

But if you’re eating more than your body can use? It gets converted into glucose through a process called gluconeogenesis.

👉 Gluconeogenesis = your liver making new sugar from non-carb sources (like amino acids from protein).

And for women with insulin resistance or poor metabolic flexibility, that extra glucose isn’t harmless—it can raise blood sugar and keep insulin elevated.

And when insulin is high? Fat burning is turned OFF.

More Protein ≠ More Muscle

Here’s a truth bomb:
Eating protein doesn’t build muscle. Training does.

Specifically: resistance training with progressive overload—where you’re consistently challenging your muscles with more weight, reps, or intensity.

Muscle Protein Synthesis (MPS) happens when you give your body two things:

1. The raw material (protein)
   
   
2. The stimulus (training)
   
   

If you’re not lifting heavy enough or not recovering well, that extra protein is just… well, extra. And in some cases? It’s contributing to the very blood sugar and insulin issues that are making fat loss harder.

Protein Can Raise Insulin

Most people think only carbs spike insulin. But guess what?

Large amounts of protein can do it too.

Now, if you’re metabolically healthy, your body can handle this no problem. But if you're insulin resistant or stuck in sugar-burning mode, it’s a different story.

The result? You’re eating “clean,” loading up on protein, and still not losing fat.

Because you haven’t fixed the real issue—your metabolism isn’t flexible enough to handle all that protein.

So… What Actually Works?

If you’re tired of eating like a bodybuilder and still not seeing results, here’s the truth:

You don’t need more protein. You need a new strategy.

Here’s what I recommend inside Lifestyle School:

✅ Heal your metabolism first. (Lower insulin, stabilize blood sugar, reverse resistance.)
✅ Eat protein strategically, not excessively.
✅ Do resistance training with progressive overload.
✅ Walk, sleep, manage stress. (Non-negotiable for results.)

When you do that? Your body starts to respond.

You’ll burn fat more efficiently.
You’ll build muscle when you train.
And you’ll feel energized—not bloated, puffy, or stuck.

Final Takeaways

• Protein is essential—but more isn’t always better.
  
  
• Without training, protein won’t build muscle.
  
  
• Too much protein can spike insulin (yes, even without carbs).
  
  
• If your metabolism isn’t flexible, high protein can stall fat loss.
  
  
• Heal first. Then build.
  
  

🎧 Want to go deeper?
I dive into all of this in this week’s Lifestyle School podcast episode.

Click here to listen now on Apple Podcasts or Spotify

Let me teach you how to stop fighting your biology—and start working with it.

You've got this.
–Hope