My pet will become overweight

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Only if it was heading in that direction already. Altering an animal after it reaches sexual maturity can increase appetite as hormonal balances can be affected. Animals become overweight due to being fed too much or not a healthy diet, lack of exercise or have an underlying health issue.

He will lose his "manliness"

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No, he won't. Animals do not have any concept of manliness or sexual identity. They will not lose any self-esteem. Dogs and cats do not reproduce to experience the joys of fatherhood; they do it to fulfill an urge. They do not form romantic relationships or attachments to parenting.

I wouldn't want to do that to myself, so why would I do it to my pet?

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This is called anthropomorphization. That is a big fancy way of saying that we apply human thoughts, emotions and traits to our animals. Our pets hold a much different place in our lives than they did decades ago; they have become family members. Many times, the activities they were originally bred for are not activities that they are doing any longer. Due to their evolving roles in our lives, they have also had to evolve their behaviors, making them much more dependent on us.

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Your pet may only get a few chances in its entire lifetime to breed, assuming they have an imperfect owner and the opportunity comes along. The rest of their lives they will be living in frustration with an urge they cannot satisfy. Smelling females in heat up to a mile away. It is hard to be a happy and content animal with all that frustration. Sometimes, ignorance really is bliss. Can you imagine living a life where you knew what to expect out of a relationship but could never attain that?

My dog wont be as protective

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The willingness to protect their family and property comes from the bonds you create with your dog. When your dog feels it is part of your pack, it will protect that pack to the best of its ability. Also, aggressive and protective behaviors are not the same. Aggressiveness is a liability - protectiveness is an asset.