Protein has energy just like dietary fat and carbohydrates. In fact, it has as many calories per gram as carbohydrates – four per gram. The body doesn’t like using protein for energy as much as it likes using carbohydrates and fat, but if there is a surplus of protein, it will be metabolized and stored as fat. for this reason, it is important to consume just as much protein as your body needs, so as not to pack on the pounds in fat, instead of muscle.