How much Protein?? --GO!

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Porcelaine22
Porcelaine22 Posts: 245 Member
in Food and Nutrition
Hey all,

Just curious, on the days you aren't working out do you still drink as much protein powder as you do on your work out days?

I at the moment take 3 x 25g measurements of whey protein powder a day, every day.

Thanks

Elaine
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Replies

  • Kalikel
    Kalikel Posts: 9,626 Member
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    I almost never reach my number. Working on it!

    I don't use powders, though. I eat my fiber and protein. I just refuse to pay extra for things I can get from my diet.
  • TiberiusClaudis
    TiberiusClaudis Posts: 423 Member
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    Yes..days you don't work out is when your muscles are busy rebuilding and growing. The only time that you won't is if you are cutting and weight loss is more important that muscle maintence/gain.
  • azwen
    azwen Posts: 237 Member
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    I don't drink protein powder every day, but I do aim for 100g protein daily, whether it's a workout day or rest day. (That's 1g for every lb. lean body mass for me.)
  • AJ_G
    AJ_G Posts: 4,158 Member
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    I don't drink any protein, I prefer to eat my protein, but I eat the same amount every day.

    http://bayesianbodybuilding.com/the-myth-of-1glb-optimal-protein-intake-for-bodybuilders/
  • AJ_G
    AJ_G Posts: 4,158 Member
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    MrM27 wrote: »
    TiberiusClaudis wrote: »
    Yes..days you don't work out is when your muscles are busy rebuilding and growing. The only time that you won't is if you are cutting and weight loss is more important that muscle maintence/gain.

    Muscle retention is always important. Protein intake doesn't need to change from training to non training days just ease you are on a cut.

    OP, why are you wasting so many calories on powders as opposed to food? Makes no sense.

    My thoughts exactly. That's like 3/4 of a pound of chicken breast you could be eating!
  • PeachyCarol
    PeachyCarol Posts: 8,029 Member
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    I have appetite issues due to medications I'm on, so I do round out my meals with either a protein shake or bar as a snack. I could save the calories for more almond butter in my oatmeal, but that would put me over on fat and give me less protein. So shake or bar it is.
  • Porcelaine22
    Porcelaine22 Posts: 245 Member
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    Thank you for all your feedback, I have taken your advice into consideration and after also experiencing some constipation by drinking so much protein I have cut back to just 25g of powder a day.

    My totals on my MFP tracker are set to a maximum of 136g of protein to be consumed a day, can I ask if this seems reasonable, and should I fall shorts, say like today I am only reaching around 107g should i be finding other ways to crank this up?

    (My goals are primarily weight loss but also muscle gain and maintenance.)

    Thanks!! x
  • Phrick
    Phrick Posts: 2,765 Member
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    I reset my macros to 40C/30F/30P and treat the fat and protein macros as minimums. I don't supplement with protein powdery very often because I find I'm infinitely more satisfied when the act of chewing my food is involved. This past 10 days or so I've been sick and had a dreadful appetite so haven't been hitting any of my goals, but most non-sick days my protein falls in the 130-180g range all from food sources (sometimes I will have a protein bar, but not often).
  • LAMCDylan
    LAMCDylan Posts: 1,215 Member
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    Try to limit protein supplements to about 20% of your diet. Your original usage at 3x a day wasn't good. You want most of your protein to come from actual food.
  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
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    How'd you get that number? It seems higher than you need. I think the highest that you are likely to find beneficial (although higher is fine, just no purpose, at least unless you are a serious weight lifter) is roughly one gram per LBM or goal LBM. I figure my LBM is about 95 (based on my current weight and estimated BF%), but my percentages and satiety works out well with protein at 30% (which is 120 grams), so I do that, but I mostly care that protein is over 100 or so. Hitting my protein tends to make the rest of my macros fall in line and goes along with eating well overall, so I usually am close, but I don't think it matters if I'm under the 120, if that makes sense.
  • J72FIT
    J72FIT Posts: 5,948 Member
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    Porcelaine22 wrote: »
    (My goals are primarily weight loss but also muscle gain and maintenance.)

    I see 3 different goals... IMO, you need to focus on one at a time...
  • PRMinx
    PRMinx Posts: 4,585 Member
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    I shoot for 40% protein or 120-130g. I'm not great at hitting it all the time - it does require always having the right protein sources available. Today I've mapped out the perfect day but, sometimes, I have to drink my protein if I haven't made it to the store. But, I find protein powders exasperate constipation issues.

    So, I guess what I'm saying is, just worry about total protein consumption and not whether or not it's coming from powder.
  • JoRocka
    JoRocka Posts: 17,525 Member
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    Porcelaine22 wrote: »
    Thank you for all your feedback, I have taken your advice into consideration and after also experiencing some constipation by drinking so much protein I have cut back to just 25g of powder a day.

    eat more fat- that much protein isn't so much the problem as a lack of fat.
    My totals on my MFP tracker are set to a maximum of 136g of protein to be consumed a day, can I ask if this seems reasonable, and should I fall shorts, say like today I am only reaching around 107g should i be finding other ways to crank this up?
    140 grams is reasonable. But- pretty much anything over 100 is gravy. I personally don't sweat it as long as I'm getting over 100.
    (My goals are primarily weight loss but also muscle gain and maintenance.)

    this doesn't make sense- you can't maintain- lose and gain at the same time- none of that will happen and you're more likely to spin your wheels and get absolutely no where because you're trying to do things that contradict each other.
    Thanks!! x

    you are more than welcome. :)
  • Gen1GT
    Gen1GT Posts: 2 Member
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    Here are my 2 cents:

    High protein is required during weight-loss because it spares muscle loss, which in turn spares metabolism. I've lost 100 lbs in the past 7 months, but my metabolic rate ratio has gone up (tested on actual calorimeter), and this is because I've had 190-200g protein per day

    Protein is satiating, making you feel more full than either carbs or fats.

    Protein has an extremely high thermic effect, meaning it takes a lot of energy to process it. According to the following study, pretty much as much as its own caloric value:
    http://www.jissn.com/content/11/1/19

    Personally, I use protein supplements for versatility. I prefer Magnum Quattro, which has 30g of protein, with only 137 cal, 1g fat and 2g of carbs. A chicken breast or piece of salmon with similar protein would have 200+ calories with 30g of protein. Because I'm only eating 2000 cal/day, the hit of protein supplementation allows me to get my protein up without getting my energy intake up.

    Finally, as an old fart, I require way more protein to hit my leucine threshold, which is conducive to muscle protein synthesis. So post-workout, I usually have two scoops of Quattro. Younger guys should focus on their daily protein targets, but older guys should focus on larger protein meals.

    If anyone needs references for any of this, let me know.
  • J72FIT
    J72FIT Posts: 5,948 Member
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    Gen1GT wrote: »
    Here are my 2 cents:

    High protein is required during weight-loss because it spares muscle loss, which in turn spares metabolism. I've lost 100 lbs in the past 7 months, but my metabolic rate ratio has gone up (tested on actual calorimeter), and this is because I've had 190-200g protein per day

    What is your height and weight?
  • martyqueen52
    martyqueen52 Posts: 1,120 Member
    edited January 2015
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    You need 0.82g of protein per lb. of bodyweight (lean). Or you can just do 1g, whichever you prefer. Anything over that, if you're NATURAL is overkill, period.
  • Porcelaine22
    Porcelaine22 Posts: 245 Member
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    lemurcat12 wrote: »
    How'd you get that number? It seems higher than you need. I think the highest that you are likely to find beneficial (although higher is fine, just no purpose, at least unless you are a serious weight lifter) is roughly one gram per LBM or goal LBM. I figure my LBM is about 95 (based on my current weight and estimated BF%), but my percentages and satiety works out well with protein at 30% (which is 120 grams), so I do that, but I mostly care that protein is over 100 or so. Hitting my protein tends to make the rest of my macros fall in line and goes along with eating well overall, so I usually am close, but I don't think it matters if I'm under the 120, if that makes sense.

    Thank you, that made total sense! I adjusted my macros, (I had set them previously to macros my personal trainer had suggested) but by changing to 40/30/30 my protein is now at a much better level.

    Thanks again :) and you look fabulous!

  • Gen1GT
    Gen1GT Posts: 2 Member
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    J72FIT wrote: »
    Gen1GT wrote: »
    Here are my 2 cents:

    High protein is required during weight-loss because it spares muscle loss, which in turn spares metabolism. I've lost 100 lbs in the past 7 months, but my metabolic rate ratio has gone up (tested on actual calorimeter), and this is because I've had 190-200g protein per day

    What is your height and weight?

    I started at 420 lbs, at 6'2". I'm now 324 lbs.

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