Protien Shake and Diet questions

[Sarah]

I joined this forum back in 2005, (i forgot my old log in) anyways, you all have helped me so much and now im back.
Back in 2005 i was over 270lbs size 28 and looking to get in shape, im proud to say that i am a much healthier 162lbs size 12 and now trying to build up the muscle.

Ive been on a strict clean diet of 1300-1400cals a day, about the month ago i started to use the free weights over the weight machines at the gym. I have read that a protien shake before and after workouts are necessary. Im not sure how many grams a day i need, mix with water or milk, and what kind/brand to get.

Also I have read that you can not build muscle in a calorie deficient, is this true? How many calories a day should i eat?

[DS222]

Hi Sarah,

I am sure there are many more people on here that can provide better info than I can, but I will try and give it a shot for you!

First, protein shakes (or ANY supplement for that matter) are never "necessary" if you are on a proper and balanced diet!!! Many people who are trying to gain size and muscle, like myself, need to consume large amounts of protein daily to help build muscle. The typical "dose" for someone like me would be a minimum 1-2 grams of protein per pound of body weight in my daily diet (including protein shakes). That will help increase muscle size, which, in turn, will make you heavier since muscle is 3 times heavier than fat.

If you are trying to lose weight, but still want to use a protein shake for muscle enhancement, then you need to find one that has low or no carbs in it. I prefer Myoplex in any form of chocolate flavor. Also, you do need the correct balance of carbs and protein in your diet if you are looking to gain muscle.

One thing I would recommend is a LOT of cardio work if you are still trying to lose weight, but want to put on or tone muscle at the same time. Lower pounds on your weights and higher repetitions would "tone" you better than using heavy weights and low reps, which would cause you to increase your muscle size, thereby increasing your weight.

Personally if I was doing what you want to do, I would drink a lot of water, eat a very well balanced low fat diet and do cardio and low weight/high reps. That will help you tone your muscle and lose fat. If you really want the protein shakes, then go for something with very low carbs and calories. As for needing "high" calories for building muscle, that is true to an extent, but is more for someone who wants to get bigger, not to lose weight and tone.

Myoplex tastes the best to me and I prefer it with 2% milk. If you can stomach it with water, then that would lower the calories even more, but NONE of them taste great, so milk is usually the better choice.

Like I said, there are a lot of people here with much more experience than me and may have different opinions, but for the goals you seem to have, I would stick to something like I described above. I hope that all helps you a little?

Take care, eat well, and work hard. You will see a lot of results sticking to the simple things if you work hard at it-

Dave

[Solid_Bodyman]

i am always use natural diet, like Eggs, chicken etc and sometime i use promod (Protien module for it). its food supplement and natural thing no side effect

[TrainHard2]

Hey Sarah

Sounds like you're doing awesome. A protein shake after your workout is awesome and a good habit to get in to, and will not mess up your diet, it will actually help your body build more muscle (don't get scared here) which in turn will burn more fat. (still don't get scared here) Ex. say you lost 15lbs of fat, well you probably also at the same time gained 5lbs of pure quality muscle, and muscle burns fat. I would keep the cardio up like you are doing, then I would follow with a weight training program for 30 mins, where there is very little rest between exercises.

Okay for protein. The 2 best for you would be Lean Dessert by BSN, Chocolate Fudge is awesome.

Or Gaspari Myofusion Chocolate tastes good too, This one is a better price with more servings. One scoop mixed in 6oz of water following training. then about 1.5hrs later you can eat a meal of protein and carb mixture.

There is no need to take protein before you workout, just a little caffeine will do fine if you need to.

Any questions let me know

[jmills]

The theory behind a pre-workout protein shake is to provide your body with the necessary components to get through a strenuous workout, and /or insure you against loss of muscle tissue. The science is actually kind of sketchy, because most of the studies are underwritten by supplement companies (which of course are biased towards the use of these products). There are actually some studies that show that the pool of AVAILABLE amino acids are not as dependant on the times they are actually ingested as alot of us have been taught over the years, so a pre-w/o shake may not be as "necessary" as once believed. Alot of it is based on your overall macronutrient consumption, body composition and goals, ie; cutting, bulking etc.

Personally, whether I'm cutting or bulking I think its a good idea to get something into your system 1/2 to 1 hr prior to your lift. This is assuming you are lifting, NOT advised if your w/o is primarily cardio of course.

So, if you want to cut calories, but still get the pre-w/o "insurance" against your body cannibalizing your own hard earned muscle tissue for aminos or energy, I would suggest you take 8-10 grams of a good quality BCAA 20-30 minutes before your w/o, that should cover you...along with a good post w/o shake or meal.

[powerhungry1]

if you are on a calorie deficient diet and are looking to supplement with a protein shake, I agree that no fat and lo carb drink is the whey to go (pun intended).

I recommend optimum nutrition, its almost all protein a couple carbs and like 1 gr fat. Strawberry is pretty good. mind you, it is not as palatable as say, Muscle Milk, but this is because it has no fat and carbs. Natures Way Isopure drinks are good too, if you can afford them.

If you train hard and are dying of hunger but still want to maintain a calorie deficient workout, I recommend going with the cassein protein instead. It is supposed to be used before bed as a slow absorbing protein during the night, but I find it works well for satisfying hunger pains for a longer time too and can be used pre-workout to allow longer workout before hunger sets in.

[bodyforum]

The best way to ensure your muscles are taken care of is by delivering protein to them via a whey protein shake.