I sure could use some input about how much protein I should be consuming.
I'm confused on the issue when I compare the Eade's recommendations in
Protein Power to what Cordain cites in a study on p. 69 in PaleoDiet.

According to PP, I need to consume about 71 gms per day.  Cordain cites a
weight-loss study comparing two diets of 1,700 cals. in which one group of
overweight women ate 68 gms of protein a day whereas the other group ate 125
gms.  The total weight loss for both groups was comparable, but the ratio of
muscle retained to fat lost favored the latter group.

To tell you the truth, I don't like counting protein, carbs, or fat and
found this aspect of both PP (and Atkins) to be not only tedious and
time-consuming but also obsessive in the extreme, all of which detracted
from the enjoyment of meals and just plain old life in general.  However,
the one thing I found very valuable was learning that for far too long I
hadn't been consuming enough protein.  When I made a concerted effort to
track my intake I discovered that 71 gms is a L-O-T of meat, and there were
quite a few days I had a lot of trouble eating that amount and having any
room left in the tum for veggies too.  I can't imagine how hard it would be
to take in 125 gms of protein and eat a single bite of anything else.  I'm
concerned about possible gluconeogenesis and fat weight gain.

Since going Paleo, I haven't counted squat.  I would estimate my protein
intake to be at or near (and maybe sometimes over) 71 gms, but I know it's a
heckuva lot easier to undereat protein than overeat it.  And protein
satiates me so much I basically have very little appetite.  With what
Cordain cites, though, I'm wondering whether my protein intake really is
adequate/optimal or not.  I don't choose either fatty over lean or lean over
fatty meat, but find my shopping habits to be about equally split between
the two.

For the record here, I need to lose 8-21 lbs and to improve my HDL:LDL
ratio.  I also have (or have had, because my lipid profiles have improved
over the last two years) several characteristics of
hyperinsulinemia/metabolic syndrome/Syndrome X.

I really would appreciate getting some kind of
input/feedback/recommendations from those of you who know more than I do
about protein and tweaking a diet for maximum health benefit and results.

Theola