Protein levels low 2 labs in a row....but I'm getting over 100 grams of protein every day

I just got my 2nd lab test results. My 6 month labs showed my protein level was on the low side. The test was repeated at 9 months and it still showed as low. I have been getting over 100 grams of protein every single day.  I have been drinking 3 protein shakes a day with almond milk, have a container of greek yogurt every day, plus meat (mainly beef) for breakfast and dinner, often have a piece of cheese, sometimes some nuts for a snack. I eat almost entirely protein! Should I be concerned? What might cause this? My doctor's note just said to eat more of my protein instead of having the protein shakes. Would that make a difference? Is there a difference in absorption? I am perplexed...

100g may not be enough for you. and I'd ignore your doctor's thoughts about ditching those shakes. You NEED them. In fact, you probably need MORE of them. In keeping with DSer line of thought, I only count the protein I get in shakes and consider food as bonus protein. So, I'd switch to double scoops of protein or at least add a 4th shake a day and see if that helps your labs.

There are a few of us that have low protein labs. There are probably more of us but I'm not certain how many VSGers are diligent in tracking lab trends.

Hang in there. Add at least one more shake, if not two a day and watch your trends. How are your other labs? I assume you are tracking yourself and not relying on your doctor to tell you if things are low or high?

Thanks for your reply. It didn't make sense to me either to lower my number of shakes. I actually love my shakes, so adding another one wouldn't bother me. My labs this time were just for iron and protein, which were the low areas 3 months ago. I will get another full workup in 3 months. I am new at this so am not quite sure how to analyze the results myself.  My hemoglobin is 11.4 (low), my hematocrit is 33.3 (low) and my prealbumin is 11.3 (low). 

What kind of shakes do you drink? Protein types vary, some have a higher absorption rate than others.

I drink almost entirely Syntrax Matrix Mint Cookie shakes, mixed with unsweetened almond milk. That is 24 grams of protein per shake, maybe a little more because I use an overflowing scoop and 9-10 ounces of milk rather than eight.

from what I under stand about metabolism on a low carb, calorie restrictive diet is that you need some fat and a lot of water to utilise the protein you eat. glucogenesis is the main process we are working with. I don't see how just eating more protein is going to help. if you eat to much and don't have the metabolites to get it through your liver and into your blood, you will just be popping more protein. also if you eat too much and have enough metabolites and digestive juices, you would have extra glucose in your blood that needs to be used up through exercise or goes to fat storage. I don't understand the process involved in measuring protein in blood or how it gets there to be tested. but I do know that protein is used to regenerate or create tissue and there should be a set amount you need. just eating more isn't the answer, you can't just eat protein and force it into your bloodstream that way. to simplistic. perhaps a more varied diet is a better solution and more water

Thanks for the reply. I can see that I will have to do some research to become more informed about this.

I've had low protein, too. My doc has me aiming for 145 grams of protein per day, which makes it a bit tough to lose a lot of weight. It's still coming off, but a lot slower than my first few months,

How do you manage to get in 145 grams a day? Do you have several protein shakes a day as well?

It's tough to get 145 but I do get close most days. Protein shakes, Quest bars, turkey jerky, light string cheese, smoked salmon, etc. etc. I'm probably averaging 1600 calories a day. I look for foods that have 1 gram of protein or more for every 10 calories. Many days, I get 130-plus grams of protein without drinking a shake.

I'm still losing weight, although it's slowed down significantly from when I was eating less than 1000 calories a day.

As a P.S., I'd disagree with the advice earlier to ignore your doctor. I see a lot of that around here, and it scares me a bit. Anonymous posters on message boards are not medial professionals! And they know nothing about your health situation.

Have another conversation with your doctor. Ask him/her about the recommendation to stop drinking protein shakes. Maybe there's a good reason.