I never repeat, never want this column to read like a bad script from some 2:00 a.m. infomercial (as if there's such a thing as a good script from any early-morning infomercial). That's why I cringed when I reread part of the final sentence of last week's column.

"For proof that it's just about impossible to overeat if you're overeating protein . . . read the follow-up column slated for next week."Even as I type the phrase again, I feel my muscles involuntarily contract a bit and my head turn a bit as if it were the remnants of a rather gory roadkill. Despite that reaction, I didn't change a word before I submitted the column. Not a single word.That's because as infomercial-ish as the statement may seem, it is not an icky exaggeration. You won't hear it uttered late at night with false enthusiasm by some two-bit actor hawking a diet when you're punching through the channels because you can't fall asleep. You'll only hear something similar to it if you frequent Will Brink's website and watch his video titled "Does Excess Protein Make You Fat?"Now Brink is no lightweight. He has written three books and hundreds of articles. He once trained athletes, but now he puts his knowledge to use by speaking at conferences, such as the symposium on functional foods at the University of Alberta. Fox News has interviewed him a number of times, too, on newsworthy nutritional developments.In fact, what Brink actually says on the video is that it's "damn near impossible" to put on excess weight by eating excess protein.As over the top as that sounds, it makes sense if you understand chemistry. Moreover, bodybuilders and their nutritionists have proven it anecdotally for years, but Brink specifically said what he did in response to a study published in the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition this year.The study used 30 weightlifters in their 20s. Half, the control group, was instructed to eat and lift as they had been. The other half was told to do the same, but to make one dietary modification.While they were to consume the same amount of fat and carbohydrates as they had prior to the experiment, they were to increase their consumption of protein to 4.4 grams per kilogram of bodyweight 5.5 times the United States Recommended Daily Allowance.For the next eight weeks the high-protein group averaged 307 grams of protein (1228 calories) a day. The control group averaged 138 grams (552 calories). Training volume, food intake, and body composition were monitored in both groups.After eight weeks of consuming nearly 700 extra calories of protein a day, the researchers found that the increase in protein did not create additional body fat.Now if you're wondering why this study did not receive major coverage when first published, welcome to my world. While I could conclude the column with my theory on why that occurred, I'll show restraint, for that rant doesn't help you apply the new knowledge. What follows will.Please recognize that care needs to be taken to increase protein ingestion and protein ingestion only. That care probably requires you to weigh all your foods and keep a calorie log.That's because other than egg whites there are no natural pure-protein foods; therefore, just about any unmeasured increase in protein creates an increase in either fat or carbs.Canned tuna packed in water, often a bodybuilder's number-one protein staple, comes close as it gets to a pure protein food with less than 7 percent of its cals coming from fat and none from carbs, but the percentages of fat in other relatively low-fat meats increase significantly from there.Even a roasted chicken breast without the skin another favorite of bodybuilders is nearly 20 percent fat by calories. A turkey breast without the skin is nearly 35 percent. And extra-lean (according to government standards) ground beef, even baked instead of pan fried, is more than 57 percent fat.Fat-free dairy products eliminate fat obviously but not simple sugars. For instance, one of your healthiest high-protein options, Walmart's Great Valley Fat-Free Greek Yogurt contains 23 grams of protein per serving, meaning it's about an 80-percent-protein food and about 20 percent sugar.What we might call Americanized yogurt contains far less protein and additional sugar is often added. As a result, it's quite possible to purchase a fat-free yogurt that's closer to the nutritional equivalent of a desert like pudding than fat-free Greek yogurt.In short, increasing your protein ingestion to lose weight or maintain a desired weight can work provided you're willing to accurately monitor your dietary intake to avoid ingesting additional fat and carbohydrates.