PROTEIN. How much? When? Why?

I assume you mean whey protein? you DON'T need it if you can hit your protein intake goals through whole foods/meats etc. Whey can help if you struggle to hit your protein macros day to day.

winterandkira wrote: »

Thanks guys for your input. I heard u should eat or drink ur protein within an hour of working out. Have u heard this?

Something like that is on the back of the protein jar. Someone more knowledgeable than me might be able to tell you if that's marketing or science.

I keep thinking I should wait until I've lifted to consume it, but I only put it in my coffee so that's a bit tricky.

It depends on what your goals are. In general If you are looking to gain muscle (to do so you need to be eating at a caloric excess see more details here: http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10049766/bulking-a-complete-guide-for-beginners/p1) you should be eating about .6-.8 g protein / lb body weight (See more here: http://bayesianbodybuilding.com/the-myth-of-1glb-optimal-protein-intake-for-bodybuilders/). If you are looking to lose weight and are lifting and exercising regularly then .6-.8 g protein / lb body weight is still the right amount, but you need to eat it while in caloric deficit, see the same article above for more details.

I personally aim for .8g / lb (going over the minimum will not hurt, so I figure go for the top of the scale) and am currently trying to lose weight while lifting heavy to try and maintain muscle as much as possible and maximize the amount of fat loss.

Protein shakes can be a good and convenient way to add protein at relatively low caloric cost, so many people supplement their diets with it.