Supplements eating into my calories!!
mylittlerainbow
Posts: 822 Member
I bought protein powder because I'm always falling short of protein every day and I do work out at the gym, so feel I need it. But it's 100 calories per scoop! Also bought aloe vera juice to help with acid reflux, of which you're supposed to take 2 oz four times per day, but I am only taking it once or twice a day because that too diminishes my allowable calories for food! I'm starting to feel resentful of these supplements when they cut into my food allowance and I have to forego a "treat" that I look forward to or scale back something that I had preplanned into a meal.
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You can always trade the protein powder for other sources of protein (fish and lean meats). Is there anything else that helps with your acid reflux?0
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Just this morning I read an article in consumer reports about protein powders/ supplements. They are full of heavy metals and other ingredients that can be damaging....and it's better to get protein from natural sources.
Look it up when you can...0 -
I feel the same way about protein powders. I'd rather get my protein from foods. I do use one occasionally, Nature's Bounty, but I use only one scoop, which is 60 calories, rather than the two the container calls for, and put it in a glass of milk. I could eat a greek yogurt or have an extra few ounces of lean chicken or fish for 100 calories. Regarding the aloe for reflux, I've never heard of that remedy. I take a prilosec once in a while myself. You could look at the situation in reverse -- get your nutrition from natural sources, i.e., actual food, and take an actual medicine for your medical condition.0
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So stop. Wasted calories and what good do they really do?0
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how much protein are you trying to get? Why do you think you need that much protein?
USDA recommendation is 0.37g/lb per day, 0.64g/lb per day is the most proven to have any benefit, and 0.82g/lb adds a safety measure for genetic differences.
I could easily make the argument that you only need 0.37g/lb per day if you aren't particularly trying to build muscle or increase cardio. Even if you were, 0.64-0.82g/lb per day is the most you need for maximum benefit. If you don't care about maximum benefit and just want some additional benefit, then 0.5g/lb per day may be good enough.
To top it off, you can always eat more meat instead of taking a protein supplement. Protein supplements are really just for convenience, and little else. They may have a slightly higher concentration of protein (i.e. g per total calories) than anything else, but chicken is pretty good at almost 75% protein.
I use a protein shake, but that is only because I'm too lazy to cook up chicken, and a can of tuna is more expensive. Once I have more calories to eat (i.e. done losing weight), I'll probably switch to burgers as my go to protein source just because I love them and I'll need those extra calories anyways.0 -
nordlead2005 wrote: »how much protein are you trying to get? Why do you think you need that much protein?
USDA recommendation is 0.37g/lb per day, 0.64g/lb per day is the most proven to have any benefit, and 0.82g/lb adds a safety measure for genetic differences.
I could easily make the argument that you only need 0.37g/lb per day if you aren't particularly trying to build muscle or increase cardio. Even if you were, 0.64-0.82g/lb per day is the most you need for maximum benefit. If you don't care about maximum benefit and just want some additional benefit, then 0.5g/lb per day may be good enough.
To top it off, you can always eat more meat instead of taking a protein supplement. Protein supplements are really just for convenience, and little else. They may have a slightly higher concentration of protein (i.e. g per total calories) than anything else, but chicken is pretty good at almost 75% protein.
I use a protein shake, but that is only because I'm too lazy to cook up chicken, and a can of tuna is more expensive. Once I have more calories to eat (i.e. done losing weight), I'll probably switch to burgers as my go to protein source just because I love them and I'll need those extra calories anyways.
The higher recommended protein levels are recommended during weight loss to help sustain your current muscle mass, when combined with resistance training.0 -
nordlead2005 wrote: »how much protein are you trying to get? Why do you think you need that much protein?
USDA recommendation is 0.37g/lb per day, 0.64g/lb per day is the most proven to have any benefit, and 0.82g/lb adds a safety measure for genetic differences.
I could easily make the argument that you only need 0.37g/lb per day if you aren't particularly trying to build muscle or increase cardio. Even if you were, 0.64-0.82g/lb per day is the most you need for maximum benefit. If you don't care about maximum benefit and just want some additional benefit, then 0.5g/lb per day may be good enough.
To top it off, you can always eat more meat instead of taking a protein supplement. Protein supplements are really just for convenience, and little else. They may have a slightly higher concentration of protein (i.e. g per total calories) than anything else, but chicken is pretty good at almost 75% protein.
I use a protein shake, but that is only because I'm too lazy to cook up chicken, and a can of tuna is more expensive. Once I have more calories to eat (i.e. done losing weight), I'll probably switch to burgers as my go to protein source just because I love them and I'll need those extra calories anyways.
The higher recommended protein levels are recommended during weight loss to help sustain your current muscle mass, when combined with resistance training.
Agreed, but we don't know what the OP is doing. While eating 0.64-0.82g/lb day guarantees optimal protein intake (not optimal results as that requires more than just protein), depending on personal goals, "good enough" is often acceptable.0 -
Eat food.0
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I use protein powders for a meal replacement for lunch. If I didn't do that, I probably wouldn't use it at all. I couldn't have a protein smoothie and then something else because I would end up going over at dinner time. I can do a smoothie for less than 300 cals and be good until dinner, with maybe a small mid-afternoon snack.
I save most of my calories for night time when I seem to turn into a mindless eating zombie.0 -
mylittlerainbow wrote: »I bought protein powder because I'm always falling short of protein every day and I do work out at the gym, so feel I need it. But it's 100 calories per scoop! Also bought aloe vera juice to help with acid reflux, of which you're supposed to take 2 oz four times per day, but I am only taking it once or twice a day because that too diminishes my allowable calories for food! I'm starting to feel resentful of these supplements when they cut into my food allowance and I have to forego a "treat" that I look forward to or scale back something that I had preplanned into a meal.
I have my protein powder shake as my breakfast, otherwise I'd struggle to fit it into my calorie allowance too.
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terridstankiewicz992 wrote: »Just this morning I read an article in consumer reports about protein powders/ supplements. They are full of heavy metals and other ingredients that can be damaging....and it's better to get protein from natural sources.
Look it up when you can...
Not all protein powders are made the same.0 -
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A few months ago, I purchased a lean protein powder to boost my protein - I wasn't eating enough of it. It was around 117 calories which isn't a lot - but since I maintain on around 1700 ish (I'm petite and quite sedentary) - it ate into my calories more than I would have liked. I stopped the shakes and started eating steaks and chicken. Problem solved and it was far tastier than the sickly sweet shakes!
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GuitarJerry wrote: »100 calories of chicken breast is better than 100 calories of protein powder. Try to find more protein sources as food. Eggs, chicken, and tuna are good cheap go to sources to have around.
"Better" how?0 -
I use either chick peas, cannellini or butter beans in my smoothie instead of protein powder - both protein and fiber in one and its all natural no added chemicals0
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Could you possibly use the protein powder to make a treat with?
There are several recipes for peanut butter balls with protein powder as part of the ingredients. I made some the other night and they were quite good...
Mine had pb, bananas, oatmeal, flax seed, protein powder...in other words...anything that I could find in my pantry.0 -
" protein powder because I'm always falling short of protein every day and I do work out at the gym, so feel I need it. But it's 100 calories per scoop."
Ok so let's try to compare apples to apples. How much protein is in that 100 calorie scoop of powder? How much protein is in 100 calories of chicken breast? How much protein is in 100 calories of steak, chick peas, cannellini beans, tuna et al.?
Wouldn't a gram of protein to # of calories review be more appropriate?
According to http://www.calorieking.com/foods/calories-in-chicken-chicken-breast-without-skin-raw_f-ZmlkPTY4Mjc1.html -
4 oz. skinless chicken breast, 124 calories, 26.1 g protein.
5.4 oz. Light Tuna, canned in water, drained 179 calories, 39.3 g protein.
How does the powder stack up?0 -
terridstankiewicz992 wrote: »Just this morning I read an article in consumer reports about protein powders/ supplements. They are full of heavy metals and other ingredients that can be damaging....and it's better to get protein from natural sources.
Look it up when you can...
What's in your protein drink and What our tests found?
Which ingredient is bringing the heavy metals? My whey protein has just whey protein isolate, natural French vanilla flavor, sun flower lecithin, and xanthan gum. The whey comes from a cow that was grass fed. My pea protein has just pea protein isolate.0 -
mylittlerainbow wrote: »I bought protein powder because I'm always falling short of protein every day and I do work out at the gym, so feel I need it. But it's 100 calories per scoop! Also bought aloe vera juice to help with acid reflux, of which you're supposed to take 2 oz four times per day, but I am only taking it once or twice a day because that too diminishes my allowable calories for food! I'm starting to feel resentful of these supplements when they cut into my food allowance and I have to forego a "treat" that I look forward to or scale back something that I had preplanned into a meal.
Assuming you eat meat, I don't know what you consider a serving size of chicken. For me, it's about 3.5 ounces, and this has more calories (and more protein) than my protein powder.
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I use chocolate peanut butter flavour protein powder with milk. That way it's a nice treat that satisfies a 'bad food' craving.
I only do this because I am an extremely picky eater, and it's tough to get enough protein in on days where I don't eat chicken for lunch without it.0 -
Aloe Vera juice is a scam and not worth it. Save your calories.
http://www.consumeraffairs.com/news/aloe-vera-juice-is-it-really-a-good-idea-083013.html
Buy yourself some chewable papaya enzymes (they are extremely cheap) and see if that helps your acid reflux. Digestive Enzymes along with a peptide supplement cleared my husband of his. As far as protein shakes go, if your watching calories then give AdvantEDGE carb control shakes a try, they are only 100 calories for 17g carbs. Or, if you want to stick with powdered protein then mix it with Light sugerfree almond milk (only 30 calories) ti save yourself calories.0 -
Any juice is going to be more calories than the original plant or fruit itself. You should look into getting an Aloe Vera plant and make a tea out of it (boil the heck out of a real plant or chop it up in a mixer making it into a smoothie or something). I don't know about the juice's efficacy, but I know the plant made my mom's GERD go away. There are low cal protein powders out there that are less calories, but it doesn't taste as good. If you just want more calories freed up, you can try those, but don't be surprised if you don't like the taste of it.0
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If you are using the protein powder to increase protein, I'd not add it on, but incorporate it into a meal and figure out what it's replacing. I rarely use it as I tend to get plenty of protein, but when I do I add it to my oatmeal at breakfast and the overall calories aren't higher than my regular breakfast (with eggs, etc.). If you are low on protein (and not assuming you need more than you do), you are going to be high on other things like carbs or fat, so might want to think about what to cut -- like for me when I make pasta I'll use less actual pasta and more lean meat to get a good balance of macros (and I like it better that way anyway).0
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I don't eat meat, and I always fall short of my protein goal by a fair amount - every day - while hitting fats and coming close to carbs, so there isn't much I can add that will contribute ONLY protein and not also fat and maybe carbs and certainly calories. And since I take 4 classes at the gym each week, walk/hike daily, and work out on the machines at home and at the gym as well, I have heard that you have to be even more careful to get enough protein. I just am not.0
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Today, for instance, I'm 37 under the ceiling on calories, 25 under the ceiling on carbs, 12 over the ceiling on fats (I program in nuts for snacks - and they do have protein! - as well as putting hummus on my lunch salad every day instead of dressing), and still 36 under on protein. No way I can increase protein while still remaining under on both calories and carbs.0
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As long as you are under your calories, you don't need to have your macros all dialed in exactly in order to lose weight. (Macros are important for health and satiety.)
Vegetarians will correct me if I'm wrong, but as a non-meat eater, your carbs will likely be higher. This was certainly true for my vegan friends. Do you look to dairy as one of your protein sources?0 -
Try real black licorice for your acid reflux- Not the candy but the bitter kind that you find at health food stores. Chew on a little bit to get the oil out and down your esophagus. I don't usually use home remedies but this works like a charm and almost immediately!
It also thins mucus if you have bronchitis or cold/cough.
webmd.com/vitamins-supplements/ingredientmono-881-licorice.aspx?activeingredientid=881&activeingredientname=licorice0 -
mylittlerainbow wrote: »Today, for instance, I'm 37 under the ceiling on calories, 25 under the ceiling on carbs, 12 over the ceiling on fats (I program in nuts for snacks - and they do have protein! - as well as putting hummus on my lunch salad every day instead of dressing), and still 36 under on protein. No way I can increase protein while still remaining under on both calories and carbs.
It doesn't matter if you are under in carbs or over. Have the protein shake for breakfast, mix it with egg whites and cinnamon and make yourself some really protein packed healthy pancakes, use half a scoop, get a protein powder with fewer calories....just some suggestions.0
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