Trying to gain muscles and drop extra fat! Plus a protein powder question.

pagesofastream

Hey-o! I'm a bit of a weirdo, got 206lb on 5'3" of lady, with 45% bodyfat. Yeah, got that measured, I'm a bit of a tank bone structure wise. I'm honestly aiming more to gain muscles than drop fat, as I'd like to be fitter but don't fancy starving myself, but I suspect one follows the other. I am also trying to eat at least four cups veg per day, which is making hitting protein goals... fun. Should I cave and buy powder? Or is it worth it to stick to unprocessed food?

Thanks for reading,

J

WorkerDrone83

If it weren't for protein powder, I'd never hit my daily goal. I think most people would prefer to eat their protein, but I'm all about the ease and convenience of a quick shake or two.

quiksylver296

Lift heavy, using a proven progressive lifting program. Eat at a slight deficit, 250 calories under your TDEE. Get your protein however you prefer. Four cups of veg would still be pretty low-cal, so I'm not sure why that would crowd out your protein.

MikePTY

TBH, at your stats, I would focus primarily on weight loss rather than trying to gain muscle mass. I would eat at a deficit while incorporating strength training to maintain muscle and build strength and fitness. Losing fat will also make you look fitter/more muscular, as it will reveal the muscles that your body already has.

pagesofastream

Thanks @WorkerDrone83 , that's exactly what I was looking for.

@quiksylver296 mostly because they use up a lot of my daily carbs, so it's difficult to swing the balance back to where it should be, and because the fiber is quite filling. Thanks for the advice!

@MikePTY if someone specifically says they're not interested in something, perhaps don't advise they should do it. I'm doing this because I'm a carpenter and having other people haul the largest wood chunks around instead of doing it myself is annoying and inefficient. I don't care about if my muscles are visible, I care if they work optimally. Please refrain from making assumptions that you know what I ought to do better than I do, especially when you don't answer the question I actually asked.

dmkoenig

Whole foods is definitely the best way to go but there are plenty of high quality protein powders around. If you are trying to limit yourself to plant protein powder I think the Orgain Protein Powder is one of the best (pea protein). Otherwise whey is an excellent protein powder source; my go-to is Optimum Nutrition Gold Standard. Protein Powders work great in smoothies where you can also add other sources like Hemp Hearts.