Neglect of Other Macronutritients--Carbs

• The first risk to consider when deciding on a high-protein diet is the risk thatyou will fall below the required intake for the other macronutrients because you are focusing on protein. Thus, take care to ingest an adequate amount of carbohydrates, mainly from fruits and vegetables--have one serving of fruits or vegetables with every meal. This will ensure that you keep your glycogen level high, fueling your capacity for exercise. Additionally, fruits and vegetables have a number of vital vitamins and minerals that your body requires to function optimally.
  
  

Neglect of Other Macronutritients--Fats

• You will also want to avoid the risk of altering your intake of healthy fats. A blend of healthy fats is necessary for optimal health, as proper hormonal functioning is tied to theingestion of this crucial macronutrient. Consume at least 25 percent of your calories from a blend of fats--animal fats (mainly from relatively lean cuts of meat), natural fats (from eggs, avocados, and coconuts), and oils (like fish, flax, and olive).
  
  

Pre-existing Conditions

• Although high-protein diets are not dangerous for otherwise healthy individuals, if you have pre-existing kidney or liver problems you will want to exercise caution before embarking on a high-protein diet. High-protein diets can increase the risk of organ failure among individuals with kidney and liver problems. Thus, be sure to clear your dietary choice with your doctor if you have a history of these issues.
  
  

Excessive Weight Loss

• Due to their positive effects on metabolism, eating a high-protein diet means you will need a greater number of daily calories to remain in neutral energy balance (neither gaining nor losing weight). Even if your goal is to lose weight, you will still need to increase daily calories slightly (by around 200 or so) to avoid dropping weight too quickly after switching to a high-protein diet. Although you might consider the additional weight loss to be a boon, losing weight at a rate greater than two pounds a week increases the likelihood that you will lose lean mass along with the fat. And as lean mass is important to keep resting metabolism high, aiming to lose weight at a slow and steady pace will always trump a fat-loss blitz.
  
  

Considerations

• Aside from the risk of kidney failure via a pre-existing condition, the "risks" of a high protein diet are all fairly benign. Do not let any of these seriously put you off from considering a high-protein diet for your weight loss needs. Just keep these items in the back of your mind, and be sure to account for them as you design your diet. This will ensure that you reap maximal benefits from your time on a high-protein diet without any undue negative effects.