Which type of protein? (NEWBIE, Please help)

BlackTimber

Thanks for the Bro-Science!

DeanBurrows

Ok ok, i didn't do the maths on 60kg, i just typed it into the Protein Calculator on Bodybuilding.com and it gave me 198 grams.

Now that i've converted the kg to lbs then S_277_F is right in the assumption of roughly 100g of protein a day will be good.

redraidergirl2009

@RedRaidergirl

300cals a shake?? My whey is only 100cals a shake with 25g of protein. You are under the typical impression that whey shakes = mass gainers. Not the case sorry.

@BlackTimber

Was that aimed at me?

Considering I did the whole "protein shake" after a work out before I think I'm familiar with what shakes are out there and it was just a waste of calories honestly, if it's 120calories or 300. I'd prefer to just use those calories with a meal or snack than waste them on a protein shake with no benefit. If you add a shake to where you'd typically not, you are adding calories = weight gain, well decreasing weight loss if you are not technically eating too much. Protein is not a magic powder that makes you lose weight.

psuLemon

Actually I'm not wrong, it doesn't say that is the amount of protein you need if you did nothing all day.

you need .36g of protein per pound of bodyweight, which might be easier for people to calculate if they do not know their lean body mass.

http://www.livestrong.com/article/268351-usda-recommendations-of-protein-in-diet/ and that's according to usda.

Sorry, but Livestrong does not qualify as a reliable research site and the RDA is set far too low for people engaged in strength training with a goal of retaining/increasing lean body mass.

If you are eating 200g of protein a day you must be two pregnant women or weight over 500lbs

My intake is set at about 190 grams per day (but I often exceed that). I have about 190 pounds of lean body mass, so that's right at 1g/lb LBM. At 4 calories per gram of protein that comes out to 760 calories, which is just under 1/3 of my daily calorie intake of 2400 calories.

I guess I am special snowflake for eating less than 200g of protein a day and still seeing increases in my muscle mass.

Highly unlikely. You may be increasing strength, but you are not increasing muscle mass if you are on a calorie deficit. If you are eating a surplus (and gaining weight) and have a weight training program to allow you to "bulk or add muscle", then it's another story. But it's virtually impossible to gain new lean body mass if you are eating in a deficit. It's only possible if you have never lifted before (lucky to see 1-2 lbs of new muscle) or if you are morbidly obese. Unfortunately, too many people associate muscle definition (cutting body fat) and strength gains (muscles more efficient) as new muscle mass.

TavistockToad

obviously not extremely heavy ones

why obviously not heavy ones?

psuLemon

@RedRaidergirl

300cals a shake?? My whey is only 100cals a shake with 25g of protein. You are under the typical impression that whey shakes = mass gainers. Not the case sorry.

@BlackTimber

Was that aimed at me?

Considering I did the whole "protein shake" after a work out before I think I'm familiar with what shakes are out there and it was just a waste of calories honestly, if it's 120calories or 300. I'd prefer to just use those calories with a meal or snack than waste them on a protein shake with no benefit. If you add a shake to where you'd typically not, you are adding calories = weight gain, well decreasing weight loss if you are not technically eating too much. Protein is not a magic powder that makes you lose weight.

You are correct. Protein powder is not magic. But you have to think of it as a supplement. The only people that need it, are those who 1. struggle to get calories or 2. struggle to get adequate protein. Some of us need a lot of calories, I am 2500-2700 and if I am eating clean, it's harder for me to get my 180gs of protein. So I supplement. When I bulk, I need 3250, which at this point, I get a higher calorie protein shake to ensure I get 1g of protein per lb of body weight.

Do you really need protein powder... nope but it's no different than a vitamin or any other supplement.

redraidergirl2009

@RedRaidergirl

300cals a shake?? My whey is only 100cals a shake with 25g of protein. You are under the typical impression that whey shakes = mass gainers. Not the case sorry.

@BlackTimber

Was that aimed at me?

Considering I did the whole "protein shake" after a work out before I think I'm familiar with what shakes are out there and it was just a waste of calories honestly, if it's 120calories or 300. I'd prefer to just use those calories with a meal or snack than waste them on a protein shake with no benefit. If you add a shake to where you'd typically not, you are adding calories = weight gain, well decreasing weight loss if you are not technically eating too much. Protein is not a magic powder that makes you lose weight.

You are correct. Protein powder is not magic. But you have to think of it as a supplement. The only people that need it, are those who 1. struggle to get calories or 2. struggle to get adequate protein. Some of us need a lot of calories, I am 2500-2700 and if I am eating clean, it's harder for me to get my 180gs of protein. So I supplement. When I bulk, I need 3250, which at this point, I get a higher calorie protein shake to ensure I get 1g of protein per lb of body weight.

Do you really need protein powder... nope but it's no different than a vitamin or any other supplement.

3250 calories? What are you?

Ge0rgiana

Actually I'm not wrong, it doesn't say that is the amount of protein you need if you did nothing all day.

you need .36g of protein per pound of bodyweight, which might be easier for people to calculate if they do not know their lean body mass.

http://www.livestrong.com/article/268351-usda-recommendations-of-protein-in-diet/ and that's according to usda.

Sorry, but Livestrong does not qualify as a reliable research site and the RDA is set far too low for people engaged in strength training with a goal of retaining/increasing lean body mass.

If you are eating 200g of protein a day you must be two pregnant women or weight over 500lbs

My intake is set at about 190 grams per day (but I often exceed that). I have about 190 pounds of lean body mass, so that's right at 1g/lb LBM. At 4 calories per gram of protein that comes out to 760 calories, which is just under 1/3 of my daily calorie intake of 2400 calories.

Hun, you don't need to add a protein shake to your work out. That is adding extra calories that you just burned off. You are looking to gain some muscle and lose a bit of fat therefore it makes no sense to drink a 200 calorie+ shake after that type of work out if you are not a body builder. You'll just be wasting calories. Just stick to a healthy diet.

Since you're apparently unaware of it, part of MFP's program is that you eat your exercise calories back to avoid creating too large a deficit. Creating a larger deficit (especially with inadequate protein intake) makes it more difficult to retain lean body mass. First you say the OP is "looking to gain some muscle", then you tell her to create a larger deficit - do you realize that you need a caloric surplus to synthesize lean body mass? As to your advice to "Just stick to a healthy diet", part of a "healthy diet" is not creating an excessively large caloric deficit - which means eating your exercise calories back (or at least some of them) if you're following MFP's recommendations.

jayche

proteins protein

psuLemon

@RedRaidergirl

300cals a shake?? My whey is only 100cals a shake with 25g of protein. You are under the typical impression that whey shakes = mass gainers. Not the case sorry.

@BlackTimber

Was that aimed at me?

Considering I did the whole "protein shake" after a work out before I think I'm familiar with what shakes are out there and it was just a waste of calories honestly, if it's 120calories or 300. I'd prefer to just use those calories with a meal or snack than waste them on a protein shake with no benefit. If you add a shake to where you'd typically not, you are adding calories = weight gain, well decreasing weight loss if you are not technically eating too much. Protein is not a magic powder that makes you lose weight.

You are correct. Protein powder is not magic. But you have to think of it as a supplement. The only people that need it, are those who 1. struggle to get calories or 2. struggle to get adequate protein. Some of us need a lot of calories, I am 2500-2700 and if I am eating clean, it's harder for me to get my 180gs of protein. So I supplement. When I bulk, I need 3250, which at this point, I get a higher calorie protein shake to ensure I get 1g of protein per lb of body weight.

Do you really need protein powder... nope but it's no different than a vitamin or any other supplement.

3250 calories? What are you?

I am a 5'11, 195 lb, 30 year old guy with a desk job and I workout 6 days a week. I do cut phases at 2500-2700. But if I want to gain muscle, I am above 3000. If it makes you feel better, the majority of women I have help cut at 1700-2100 and if they want to gain muscle, they bulk at 2500+.

It's simple science. To lose weight, you create a catabolic state (calorie deficit) and to gain weight you need a anabolic state (calorie surplus). Gaining muscle and losing fat are mutually exclusive and require different amounts of eating.

BTW, here is a story of a woman who is a power lifter, she eats 3000-4000 calories a day. She is far from bulky.

http://www.nerdfitness.com/blog/2011/07/21/meet-staci-your-new-powerlifting-super-hero/

watergallagher

Do you mean I am wrong?

I am sure that I would need more than 40 something g of protein a day?

No no, i was telling the person who is giving you wrong information that she is wrong.

You should be eating 198 grams of Protein a day, so eat whatever wholefoods you can with high protein amounts and just drink your BFs Whey to make up any remaining grams.

if she was eating around 200g of protein a day she'd either go over on calories or be eating nothing but protein shakes.

Its only she should 100 grams of protein a day.

lauren3101

This poor girl is going to be more confused than before she posted with all these conflicting answers.

200g of protein is very high and not necessary.

Protein is overrated. It's important, don't get me wrong, but don't feel like you have to have chicken breast and eggs with every meal or you will look like a walking bag of fat and skin.

If you are lifting weights and eating at a sensible deficit that is enough to ensure you won't burn muscle. I aim for 100g of protein a day as it's more than feasible with healthy eating. If I don't hit it, so what. Aim for an amount that's realistic for you.