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