Can eating too little protein make you eat more calories?

Eating too little protein may drive people to eat more calories, but the article presents this as a theory, not proof. The News-Medical article reviews how protein may shape appetite and food intake. It is not a report of one new study. The main idea is simple: people may keep eating to meet their protein needs. When foods contain little protein, that could mean eating more calories overall. Food choices and surroundings also play a role. For the High Protein Diet community, the article offers useful context. Studies suggest protein can boost signals that help people feel full. It can also lower a hormone that drives appetite. Those effects alone do not prove the theory. The body also uses energy to process food. The article puts this cost at 20–30% of protein’s energy. For Carbohydrates, it reports 5–10%. These figures describe energy used during digestion and processing. They do not show how many fewer calories someone will eat. The article also cites a review of 28 studies in adults without kidney disease. It found no harmful change in how well kidneys filtered blood. Studies lasted four days to two years. That leaves lifelong safety unanswered and does not settle questions for people with kidney disease. For members, the useful takeaway is a pattern to explore, not a promise. Tracking Protein Intake alongside Daily Calories (Energy) could make comparisons more useful. Notes on Hunger / Food Cravings can add context beyond the numbers. Comparing similar meals and sharing logs may help the community spot differences. Personal patterns can inform discussion without proving that protein caused a change. What have your own logs shown about protein, fullness, and how much you eat?