Unable to hit protein target... getting expensive

saminleo
saminleo Posts: 14 Member
edited November 17 in Health and Weight Loss
Hi all,

Information:

Age: 25

Sex: male

Height: 5ft 8

Body fat percentage: just under 10%
Weight on 1st of Jan: 80kg

Current weight 68.5---69kg
Aim.... maintain weight but lower body fat percentage

My intake is custom set to the following:

Carbs 40%
Protein 30%
Fat 30%

I'm struggling to hit my protein target at the end of the day after my gym or football ( soccer) session

I'm always lacking around 40-50g of protein
It's getting expensive for me to maintain this diet..

I'm currently spending 80£ GBP a week on food (salmon, chicken, shrimp,squid). Salmon is very expensive 200g for around 6£ and I'm getting sick of the Taste

Can I start taking protein shake to compensate for the lack of protein ?
If so isit okay to have some around midnight ? That's when I finish my gym session usually

If yes... what is the best type of shake to have ?

Thanks a lot for any help provided
:-)

Replies

  • sammyliftsandeats
    sammyliftsandeats Posts: 2,421 Member
    edited April 2017
    What is your protein goal in grams?

    Tuna is a cheap source of protein and don't forget eggs.

    Protein shakes can be good if you have trouble reaching it through food.

    You can check labdoor.com for an analysis on the different brands.

    Edited to add: https://labdoor.com/rankings/protein - I just did a quick search but this may help your shopping.
  • BonnieDundee78
    BonnieDundee78 Posts: 158 Member
    Beans. Lots of beans. :)
  • VintageFeline
    VintageFeline Posts: 6,771 Member
    edited April 2017
    Yep, tinned fish, cottage cheese, Greek yoghurt, eggs. All will top up your protein fairly cheaply. Protein shakes are also a perfectly good way to help meet your protein goals. I have used Muscle Food and myprotein.

    Edit to add, Skyr yoghurt is also high protein.
  • saminleo
    saminleo Posts: 14 Member
    @sammyliftsandeats thanks for your reply... it's set on 155g but after my work out cardio ect. It goes to 220.
    (I wear a Fitbit watch). Current intake is 3egg whites. Shrimp. Squid. Grilled chicken. Ect. I can hit about 170...

    Thanks
  • VintageFeline
    VintageFeline Posts: 6,771 Member
    Too many afterthoughts. But talking of musclefood, they do good value meat bundles so would be worth checking out over supermarkets.
  • sammyliftsandeats
    sammyliftsandeats Posts: 2,421 Member
    saminleo wrote: »
    @sammyliftsandeats thanks for your reply... it's set on 155g but after my work out cardio ect. It goes to 220.
    (I wear a Fitbit watch). Current intake is 3egg whites. Shrimp. Squid. Grilled chicken. Ect. I can hit about 170...

    Thanks

    I use a Fitbit too...and my calories adjust when I exercise along with my macro targets. HOWEVER, you said you custom set your goals right? So did you custom set your goals to include exercise? Because IF you did, you are kind of double counting and might be consuming too much.

    It might be something to think about. How did you determine your protein target?
  • VintageFeline
    VintageFeline Posts: 6,771 Member
    sammyliftsandeats wrote: »
    saminleo wrote: »
    @sammyliftsandeats thanks for your reply... it's set on 155g but after my work out cardio ect. It goes to 220.
    (I wear a Fitbit watch). Current intake is 3egg whites. Shrimp. Squid. Grilled chicken. Ect. I can hit about 170...

    Thanks

    I use a Fitbit too...and my calories adjust when I exercise along with my macro targets. HOWEVER, you said you custom set your goals right? So did you custom set your goals to include exercise? Because IF you did, you are kind of double counting and might be consuming too much.

    It might be something to think about. How did you determine your protein target?

    Well, he's lost weight using his method so I think he's good with the calorie adjustments.
  • Heather4448
    Heather4448 Posts: 908 Member
    I'm not very knowledgeable with fitness/nutrition questions, BUT I am a certified cheapskate. Buy cheap, tough cuts of meat and cook them in the crockpot. If you don't have have a crockpot, I highly suggest you get one.
    You can make yogurt at home for pennies; YouTube can teach this better than I can.
    I notice you're in the U.K., so the following may not apply to you. Be friendly with the hunters you know! I get probably 10-20 pounds of free venison several times over the course of the season.
  • kmahly
    kmahly Posts: 39 Member
    Protein powders, bars can help get that last little bit. Cheeses, cottage cheese, Fair Oak Farms milk (very high in protein compared to regular milk), edamame, tofu.

    Also, you may not need to up your protein after a workout, or calories in general. Unless you are an intense, INTENSE athlete, sticking to a deficit will be more important, not so much meal timing or eating a specific macro or mix of macros after exercise. You didn't touch on this very much, though, so you may have your reasons for doing so.

  • Lillymoo01
    Lillymoo01 Posts: 2,865 Member
    saminleo wrote: »
    @sammyliftsandeats thanks for your reply... it's set on 155g but after my work out cardio ect. It goes to 220.
    (I wear a Fitbit watch). Current intake is 3egg whites. Shrimp. Squid. Grilled chicken. Ect. I can hit about 170...

    Thanks

    Do you really need that much protein to begin with? 220 gms is pretty high. Twice your body weigh in kilograms is more than adequate for building muscle while reducing fat I would have thought.
  • RoxieDawn
    RoxieDawn Posts: 15,488 Member
    edited April 2017
    saminleo wrote: »
    @sammyliftsandeats thanks for your reply... it's set on 155g but after my work out cardio ect. It goes to 220.
    (I wear a Fitbit watch). Current intake is 3egg whites. Shrimp. Squid. Grilled chicken. Ect. I can hit about 170...

    Thanks

    You do not have to hit the 220 target after it is added from exercise.. aim for 0.8-1 gr of protein per body body weight.

    Yogurt, eggs (whole and whites), cheese, lean meats, tuna and other fish, etc..
  • ronjsteele1
    ronjsteele1 Posts: 1,064 Member
    I have trouble hitting my protein target almost daily. I make high protein smoothies/shakes using strawberries, a banana, egg white protein, pea protein, and coconut milk. I can manage to get 50 grams of protein in one drink that way for not too many calories. Canned chicken, canned tuna, lots of eggs (the whole egg), etc.
  • macchiatto
    macchiatto Posts: 2,890 Member
    You could add your exercise calories in carbs/fats and stick with 0.8-1gm protein per lb of body weight. Definitely add eggs and tuna for cheaper protein sources. Protein powders can be expensive but some of them aren't bad (in the US anyway; not sure about grocery prices where you are). Time of day shouldn't matter too much. Not sure what brands are available in the UK.
  • Sumiblue
    Sumiblue Posts: 1,597 Member
    Chicken thighs, eggs, carton egg whites, canned chicken, beans, Greek yogurt, whey protein. These are my daily sources of protein. I get around 120-150g per day.
  • Christine_72
    Christine_72 Posts: 16,049 Member
    I struggle to get adequate protein without using protein powder.

    Myprotein is a UK based company, check out their website. They have so much to choose from.
  • Hornsby
    Hornsby Posts: 10,322 Member
    RoxieDawn wrote: »
    saminleo wrote: »
    @sammyliftsandeats thanks for your reply... it's set on 155g but after my work out cardio ect. It goes to 220.
    (I wear a Fitbit watch). Current intake is 3egg whites. Shrimp. Squid. Grilled chicken. Ect. I can hit about 170...

    Thanks

    You do not have to hit the 220 target after it is added from exercise.. aim for 0.8-1 gr of protein per body body weight.

    Yogurt, eggs (whole and whites), cheese, lean meats, tuna and other fish, etc..

    This. 220 is over kill. Carbs are cheap. Fill the rest with those.
  • kayeroze
    kayeroze Posts: 146 Member
    I hit 100+g of protein daily, I do protein breakfast shake in the morning with unflavored protein powder (I used Isopure), hit 30g there. Then my meals are around 20-30g of protein with chicken, pork, turkey, etc, from healthy cookbooks to make them, and intermittently I snack on something that usually has protein (or carbs) in it like cheese with multigrain crackers, boiled egg, larabar, etc. I mean 220g sounds excessive, but I plan my meals, since I cook for just myself, by cooking in bulk for a couple of days at a time. It saves me money and spend somewhere around $50-60 a week for just food (additional items sometimes makes it closer to $75-100).
  • nefudaboss
    nefudaboss Posts: 69 Member
    I have this problem and it is expensive, so I started cooking eggs and tuna fish , eggs n shrimp (5 large for 18g) then I use carnivore protein cause I can't drink milk so I'd just do 3 shakes if I need to but I also realized that I was 280 trying to get down to 200 so instead of doing my protein at 1g per body weight I do it at per lean muscle weight instead so I only had to get 155grams and it's way easier if you don't eat a ton of fat you'll be hungry all day then you eat more protein . But I don't always hit my protein I'm still seeing gains tuna, eggs, salmon in can when on sale , bags n bags of cod, and lobsters tail where I am is cheap that thing has 40g of protein in one 2 are $10 so that's 80g already
  • inertiastrength
    inertiastrength Posts: 2,343 Member
    When I was in the Uk I ordered from
    Bulk Powders, they were cheapish and tasty. Just supplement. I use a shake daily and my requirements are probably much lower than yours. Good luck!
  • PAV8888
    PAV8888 Posts: 14,260 Member
    1g per lb of lean mass is usually considered enough. A bit over. A bit under.

    Accepting your 10% fat figure as a given this still only leaves you with 135g that you "have" to hit.

    Looks more manageable now, doesn't it?

    Egg Whites
    Milk products: milk, yogurt, greek yogurt, skyr, quark, cottage cheese, etc
    legumes (beans, lentils, peanuts) together with grains such as wheat, rice, or corn, eaten within the same day or so...
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