Supplements eating into my calories!!

You can always trade the protein powder for other sources of protein (fish and lean meats). Is there anything else that helps with your acid reflux?

I feel the same way about protein powders. I'd rather get my protein from foods. I do use one occasionally, Nature's Bounty, but I use only one scoop, which is 60 calories, rather than the two the container calls for, and put it in a glass of milk. I could eat a greek yogurt or have an extra few ounces of lean chicken or fish for 100 calories. Regarding the aloe for reflux, I've never heard of that remedy. I take a prilosec once in a while myself. You could look at the situation in reverse -- get your nutrition from natural sources, i.e., actual food, and take an actual medicine for your medical condition.

how much protein are you trying to get? Why do you think you need that much protein?

USDA recommendation is 0.37g/lb per day, 0.64g/lb per day is the most proven to have any benefit, and 0.82g/lb adds a safety measure for genetic differences.

I could easily make the argument that you only need 0.37g/lb per day if you aren't particularly trying to build muscle or increase cardio. Even if you were, 0.64-0.82g/lb per day is the most you need for maximum benefit. If you don't care about maximum benefit and just want some additional benefit, then 0.5g/lb per day may be good enough.

To top it off, you can always eat more meat instead of taking a protein supplement. Protein supplements are really just for convenience, and little else. They may have a slightly higher concentration of protein (i.e. g per total calories) than anything else, but chicken is pretty good at almost 75% protein.

I use a protein shake, but that is only because I'm too lazy to cook up chicken, and a can of tuna is more expensive. Once I have more calories to eat (i.e. done losing weight), I'll probably switch to burgers as my go to protein source just because I love them and I'll need those extra calories anyways.

psulemon wrote: »

nordlead2005 wrote: »

how much protein are you trying to get? Why do you think you need that much protein?

USDA recommendation is 0.37g/lb per day, 0.64g/lb per day is the most proven to have any benefit, and 0.82g/lb adds a safety measure for genetic differences.

I could easily make the argument that you only need 0.37g/lb per day if you aren't particularly trying to build muscle or increase cardio. Even if you were, 0.64-0.82g/lb per day is the most you need for maximum benefit. If you don't care about maximum benefit and just want some additional benefit, then 0.5g/lb per day may be good enough.

To top it off, you can always eat more meat instead of taking a protein supplement. Protein supplements are really just for convenience, and little else. They may have a slightly higher concentration of protein (i.e. g per total calories) than anything else, but chicken is pretty good at almost 75% protein.

I use a protein shake, but that is only because I'm too lazy to cook up chicken, and a can of tuna is more expensive. Once I have more calories to eat (i.e. done losing weight), I'll probably switch to burgers as my go to protein source just because I love them and I'll need those extra calories anyways.

The higher recommended protein levels are recommended during weight loss to help sustain your current muscle mass, when combined with resistance training.

Agreed, but we don't know what the OP is doing. While eating 0.64-0.82g/lb day guarantees optimal protein intake (not optimal results as that requires more than just protein), depending on personal goals, "good enough" is often acceptable.

cityruss wrote: »

Eat food.

This

mylittlerainbow wrote: »

I bought protein powder because I'm always falling short of protein every day and I do work out at the gym, so feel I need it. But it's 100 calories per scoop! Also bought aloe vera juice to help with acid reflux, of which you're supposed to take 2 oz four times per day, but I am only taking it once or twice a day because that too diminishes my allowable calories for food! I'm starting to feel resentful of these supplements when they cut into my food allowance and I have to forego a "treat" that I look forward to or scale back something that I had preplanned into a meal.

I have my protein powder shake as my breakfast, otherwise I'd struggle to fit it into my calorie allowance too.

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GuitarJerry wrote: »

100 calories of chicken breast is better than 100 calories of protein powder. Try to find more protein sources as food. Eggs, chicken, and tuna are good cheap go to sources to have around.

"Better" how?

Could you possibly use the protein powder to make a treat with?

There are several recipes for peanut butter balls with protein powder as part of the ingredients. I made some the other night and they were quite good...

Mine had pb, bananas, oatmeal, flax seed, protein powder...in other words...anything that I could find in my pantry.

terridstankiewicz992 wrote: »

Just this morning I read an article in consumer reports about protein powders/ supplements. They are full of heavy metals and other ingredients that can be damaging....and it's better to get protein from natural sources.
Look it up when you can...

What's in your protein drink and What our tests found?

Which ingredient is bringing the heavy metals? My whey protein has just whey protein isolate, natural French vanilla flavor, sun flower lecithin, and xanthan gum. The whey comes from a cow that was grass fed. My pea protein has just pea protein isolate.

I use chocolate peanut butter flavour protein powder with milk. That way it's a nice treat that satisfies a 'bad food' craving.

I only do this because I am an extremely picky eater, and it's tough to get enough protein in on days where I don't eat chicken for lunch without it.

Any juice is going to be more calories than the original plant or fruit itself. You should look into getting an Aloe Vera plant and make a tea out of it (boil the heck out of a real plant or chop it up in a mixer making it into a smoothie or something). I don't know about the juice's efficacy, but I know the plant made my mom's GERD go away. There are low cal protein powders out there that are less calories, but it doesn't taste as good. If you just want more calories freed up, you can try those, but don't be surprised if you don't like the taste of it.

As long as you are under your calories, you don't need to have your macros all dialed in exactly in order to lose weight. (Macros are important for health and satiety.)

Vegetarians will correct me if I'm wrong, but as a non-meat eater, your carbs will likely be higher. This was certainly true for my vegan friends. Do you look to dairy as one of your protein sources?

mylittlerainbow wrote: »

Today, for instance, I'm 37 under the ceiling on calories, 25 under the ceiling on carbs, 12 over the ceiling on fats (I program in nuts for snacks - and they do have protein! - as well as putting hummus on my lunch salad every day instead of dressing), and still 36 under on protein. No way I can increase protein while still remaining under on both calories and carbs.

It doesn't matter if you are under in carbs or over. Have the protein shake for breakfast, mix it with egg whites and cinnamon and make yourself some really protein packed healthy pancakes, use half a scoop, get a protein powder with fewer calories....just some suggestions.