Increase Protein?

workout_ninja
workout_ninja Posts: 524 Member
in Food and Nutrition
I have had quite a few people telling me that I should increase my protein but I have no idea how to do it!

I run daily and so my muscles become quite sore so I read that increasing my protein will help that. I already eat meat most days and I eat my veg (my diary is open). So how to i get more in me?

I did consider protein shakes, but they are really expensive and I simply cant afford them, my friend also told me that protein shakes give you diorhea (sic).

Any suggestions?

Replies

  • Chief_Rocka
    Chief_Rocka Posts: 4,710 Member
    Meat

    And protein shakes aren't really expensive. A cheap whey is very cost effective in terms of price per gram of protein.
  • rumplesnat
    rumplesnat Posts: 372
    Chicken/turkey breast
    Eggs
    Fish
    Cottage cheese/string cheese
    Tofu
    Greek yogurt
  • SezxyStef
    SezxyStef Posts: 15,267 Member
    I have recently started using protein powder to get mine up as well. I add to a fruit smoothie in the morning...2 scoops=14g protein.

    The can cost 15$ at the supermarket and I have been using it for 3 weeks and it hasn't even dented it....(lots left)

    Or protein bars (just bought some to try them...yum)and no more exp then a regular chocolate bar.

    If you want food tho rumplesnat made good suggestions.

    My faves are greek yogurt, cottage cheese

    Tuna and salmon and shrimp.
  • chadpoulin
    chadpoulin Posts: 9 Member
    Agree with Chief_Rocka, protein shakes dont have to be expensive. If you buy the premade ones they can be, but just buy some powder and make your own.

    I get Body Fortress Super Advanced Whey Protein powder at Walmart for about $16 bucks a tub (it isnt the best I've ever had but the chocolate flavor tastes pretty good). One scoop is around 30 grams of protein and you get about 20 scoops per tub. That is less than a dollar per shake.

    My advice, 2 cups of fat free milk (or unsweetened almond milk), half or whole banana, and 1 scoop of this protein powder. Blend it up and you are good to go. Add 1/2 a tsp of cinamon to give it a little extra flavor if you like. No intestinal problems expected.
  • chadpoulin
    chadpoulin Posts: 9 Member
    I forgot to mention...the Body Fortress powder also has creatine in it. That will help with your muscle soreness as well.

    Oh, and one more thing. If you want fewer calories, use one cup milk/almond milk and one cup water.
  • workout_ninja
    workout_ninja Posts: 524 Member
    Thanks for that - I live in the UK and we dont have Walmart here. The cheapest Ive seen is like £40 for a tub.

    I will look online and see what else is out there and try the smoothies. So I should look for one with creatine? How much protein should we be eating per day?
  • mrmagee3
    mrmagee3 Posts: 518 Member
    Thanks for that - I live in the UK and we dont have Walmart here. The cheapest Ive seen is like £40 for a tub.

    I will look online and see what else is out there and try the smoothies. So I should look for one with creatine? How much protein should we be eating per day?

    ironscience.co.uk sells Whey Isolate for £44 per 2.5kg. A scoop is 30g, so that'll give you around 80 scoops if my math is correct. Not a bad price. Other than that, there's always "eat more meat".

    As for how much protein, opinions vary quite a bit. Looks like your goal is set up to be around 80g -- which doesn't seem completely unreasonable (as long as you reach the goal). You could always bump up to around 100g though. Do it acalorically, if possible.
  • chadpoulin
    chadpoulin Posts: 9 Member
    You can get the body fortress stuff on Amazon for about the same price I think.

    To answer your questions, creatine isnt a necessity but it will help with your muscles soreness. It buffers lactic acid build-up which is what causes the burn in your muscles. It isnt a magic cure, but it helps.

    The amount of protein to eat varies depending on your goals, your sex, your weight, your activity level, etc. There is no simple answer.

    As a baseline, I think the USDA recommends that about 18% of your calories come from protein. That is around 90 grams per day for a 2000 calorie diet. Protein contains ~4calories per gram so you can figure out what you need based on your calorie intake.

    I tend to do more resistance training and my diet consists of more than 2000 calories, so I shoot for around 150-170 grams per day.
  • 1princesswarrior
    1princesswarrior Posts: 1,242 Member
    Chicken/turkey breast
    Eggs
    Fish
    Cottage cheese/string cheese
    Tofu
    Greek yogurt

    I love string cheese, and it's fun to eat (but I'm easily amused). :tongue:
  • Confuzzled4ever
    Confuzzled4ever Posts: 2,860 Member
    open diary.
    100g of protein most days
    I do use protein powder and bars though.

    I get the bars when they are 1 dollar or less each
    I spend 20 or less on a can of powder and that usually lasts over a month. (so less then a dollar a day)

    Greek yogurt, Cheese sticks, eggs, tuna fish, fish, chicken, milk, (although I use almond milk currently)

    If you make protein your focus the other nutrients will fall into line. The only time I eat a lot of fat or carbs is if I eat peanut butter, avocado or bread. or if I drink that day.
  • dbmata
    dbmata Posts: 12,950 Member
    I have had quite a few people telling me that I should increase my protein but I have no idea how to do it!

    I run daily and so my muscles become quite sore so I read that increasing my protein will help that. I already eat meat most days and I eat my veg (my diary is open). So how to i get more in me?

    I did consider protein shakes, but they are really expensive and I simply cant afford them, my friend also told me that protein shakes give you diorhea (sic).

    Any suggestions?

    I suggest you not listen to your friend re: protein shakes.

    Additionally, I'd suggest you get some meat into your diet. I didn't see any today aside from a couple slices of ham that had to be paper thin.
  • jayrudq
    jayrudq Posts: 475 Member
    Eggs are the cheapest and what may be the most perfect form of protein you can get. Ditch the cereal and eat a couple of eggs. Or hardboil them for lunch. Make egg salad. Yogurt is also a good form of protein. Tuna was a great suggestion.

    Also, I would not assume you are sore because of a lack of protein. You may want to do a bit more research into that...it could be many things from not stretching adequately, poor shoes, lack of potassium, etc.
  • spammarino
    spammarino Posts: 34 Member
    Protein powder is definitely a good source. Wait till they are on sale and stock up if you can. Meats fish and my favorite-cottage cheese are also great sources. A lot of protein bars are glorified candy bars so be careful. Unfortunately the healthier choices are usually the most expensive. Check out the nutrition info on quest bars and you'll see why they cost around $2+ each.
  • phatguerilla
    phatguerilla Posts: 188 Member
    Thanks for that - I live in the UK and we dont have Walmart here. The cheapest Ive seen is like £40 for a tub.

    I will look online and see what else is out there and try the smoothies. So I should look for one with creatine? How much protein should we be eating per day?

    I like bulkpowders.co.uk a lot. They have Danio low fat high protein yogurts in sainsburys (possibly other places) that are very tasty and about 10-12g protein per tub which is very good for the calories/cost/convenience, I like to have two for breakfast especially when they are on sale. Regular greek yogurt is good too but these have fruit flavouring/stuff added to them.
  • HollieDollieeeex
    HollieDollieeeex Posts: 116 Member
    Thanks for that - I live in the UK and we dont have Walmart here. The cheapest Ive seen is like £40 for a tub.

    I will look online and see what else is out there and try the smoothies. So I should look for one with creatine? How much protein should we be eating per day?

    Go to MyProtein.com - Personally I think it's really good quality at affordable prices :drinker:
  • tonynguyen75
    tonynguyen75 Posts: 418 Member
    You can start by replacing all those snacks you eat with higher protein alternatives. Celery with peanut butter, greek yogurt, etc.
  • dbmata
    dbmata Posts: 12,950 Member
    You can start by replacing all those snacks you eat with higher protein alternatives. Celery with peanut butter, greek yogurt, etc.
    *cough*
    a roast chicken breast.
  • MrsGraves1987
    MrsGraves1987 Posts: 162 Member
    Tuna, chicken and eggs (although not all together!) are my favorite sources of protein.
  • swaser0816
    swaser0816 Posts: 20
    Thanks for that - I live in the UK and we dont have Walmart here. The cheapest Ive seen is like £40 for a tub.

    I will look online and see what else is out there and try the smoothies. So I should look for one with creatine? How much protein should we be eating per day?

    I look on Amazon all the time for things I can't find in the store. We just moved from Ohio to Oklahoma and there is a BIG difference in what you can find and what you can't. Even our vitamins are hard to find. Figure what protein in right for you and look on Amazon or even ebay!
  • tigerblue
    tigerblue Posts: 1,526 Member
    I put protein powder into my pancakes, and sometimes into other baked goods. This is especially good for pancakes, sine I used to have a carb crash in the middle of the morning if i had them for breakfast. Now ai will stay full until lunch.

    There is a recipe on here for microwave protein scones that I like. Search for it in the threads. It uses protein powder and egg whites. You end up with around 30 g of protein. It is good for breakfast or a snack.
  • Cwyman1
    Cwyman1 Posts: 72 Member
    A cheap way to get protein is chocolate milk or a whey protein shake immediately after a run. Some protein shakes have digestive enzymes to help you digest the powder. It may take your stomach a couple weeks to adjust to it however.

    I suggest consuming 1g-1.5g of protein for every pound you weigh throughout the day. But don't make protein shakes the main source of protein. Chicken, fish, beef, pork, eggs, cheese, etc...
  • Garthamatic
    Garthamatic Posts: 84 Member
    I suggest consuming 1g-1.5g of protein for every pound you weigh throughout the day. But don't make protein shakes the main source of protein. Chicken, fish, beef, pork, eggs, cheese, etc...

    For someone who's a runner, this is overkill.

    Do some searches on the MFP forums for what's the right macro percentages for your activity. I shoot for around 0.75g protein per LBM body weight as a runner. I'd increase it more for lifting heavy, etc. where there's more muscle repair/rebuilding going on.
  • dbmata
    dbmata Posts: 12,950 Member
    I suggest consuming 1g-1.5g of protein for every pound you weigh throughout the day. But don't make protein shakes the main source of protein. Chicken, fish, beef, pork, eggs, cheese, etc...

    For someone who's a runner, this is overkill.

    Do some searches on the MFP forums for what's the right macro percentages for your activity. I shoot for around 0.75g protein per LBM body weight as a runner. I'd increase it more for lifting heavy, etc. where there's more muscle repair/rebuilding going on.

    There's a decent body of research that suggests 0.8 -1.1g per kg of bodyweight. I'd link something here, but I'm feeling lazy, and scholar.google.com makes it super easy to find the research.

    I personally shoot for 1g of target lbw.
  • workout_ninja
    workout_ninja Posts: 524 Member
    I have had quite a few people telling me that I should increase my protein but I have no idea how to do it!

    I run daily and so my muscles become quite sore so I read that increasing my protein will help that. I already eat meat most days and I eat my veg (my diary is open). So how to i get more in me?

    I did consider protein shakes, but they are really expensive and I simply cant afford them, my friend also told me that protein shakes give you diorhea (sic).

    Any suggestions?

    I suggest you not listen to your friend re: protein shakes.

    Additionally, I'd suggest you get some meat into your diet. I didn't see any today aside from a couple slices of ham that had to be paper thin.

    I dont pre-populate my diary, I am having chicken for dinner later, so its not just ham - and yes it was paper thin!!

    Thanks for all the posts, I will check out those websites and try some protein powder shakes for after my runs and see if that helps.
  • dbmata
    dbmata Posts: 12,950 Member
    I have had quite a few people telling me that I should increase my protein but I have no idea how to do it!

    I run daily and so my muscles become quite sore so I read that increasing my protein will help that. I already eat meat most days and I eat my veg (my diary is open). So how to i get more in me?

    I did consider protein shakes, but they are really expensive and I simply cant afford them, my friend also told me that protein shakes give you diorhea (sic).

    Any suggestions?

    I suggest you not listen to your friend re: protein shakes.

    Additionally, I'd suggest you get some meat into your diet. I didn't see any today aside from a couple slices of ham that had to be paper thin.

    I dont pre-populate my diary, I am having chicken for dinner later, so its not just ham - and yes it was paper thin!!

    Thanks for all the posts, I will check out those websites and try some protein powder shakes for after my runs and see if that helps.

    I think I saw the bottom entries and thought that was dinner. Seriously though, add in more protein via food before looking at protein shakes. I drink protein shakes because honestly, I don't want to eat anything prior to about 3pm daily. So I'll have that to get working on my daily protein need. Some days, I want food, and will chow down on good stuff.
  • workout_ninja
    workout_ninja Posts: 524 Member
    I have had quite a few people telling me that I should increase my protein but I have no idea how to do it!

    I run daily and so my muscles become quite sore so I read that increasing my protein will help that. I already eat meat most days and I eat my veg (my diary is open). So how to i get more in me?

    I did consider protein shakes, but they are really expensive and I simply cant afford them, my friend also told me that protein shakes give you diorhea (sic).

    Any suggestions?

    I suggest you not listen to your friend re: protein shakes.

    Additionally, I'd suggest you get some meat into your diet. I didn't see any today aside from a couple slices of ham that had to be paper thin.

    I dont pre-populate my diary, I am having chicken for dinner later, so its not just ham - and yes it was paper thin!!

    Thanks for all the posts, I will check out those websites and try some protein powder shakes for after my runs and see if that helps.

    I think I saw the bottom entries and thought that was dinner. Seriously though, add in more protein via food before looking at protein shakes. I drink protein shakes because honestly, I don't want to eat anything prior to about 3pm daily. So I'll have that to get working on my daily protein need. Some days, I want food, and will chow down on good stuff.

    Thanks. I will do some research over the next few days and find out what will work best for me diet wise and see how i get on.
  • Garthamatic
    Garthamatic Posts: 84 Member
    There's a decent body of research that suggests 0.8 -1.1g per kg of bodyweight. I'd link something here, but I'm feeling lazy, and scholar.google.com makes it super easy to find the research.

    I personally shoot for 1g of target lbw.

    0.8g per kg = 0.36g per lb
    1.1g per kg = 0.5g per lb

    That may be close if you're calculating based on lean body mass, not total bodyweight.

    But yeah, I agree about doing the research and making an informed decision.
  • hyper_stitch
    hyper_stitch Posts: 180 Member
    I'm vegetarian and find this really tough, I always thought the protein powders were a load of carp but there's really something to be said for them I don't get the muscle soreness anymore like I used to. I buy holland and barret whey protein when it's on sale so £19.99 for a huge tub.

    For easy protein I eat cheese, total Greek yoghurt NOT Greek style yoghurt, I'm also trying to eat fish which gives me a huge protein boost.
  • Fitburd
    Fitburd Posts: 92 Member
    I live in the uk too and get protein supplement powder through Amazon for £20 a tub. Don't buy from the supermarkets or Holland & Barrett they rip you off. I swear by it for recovery and find I'm sore and stiff if I don't have it.
  • redladywitch
    redladywitch Posts: 799 Member
    Egg whites and chicken are a nice source of protein.

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