Newbie with questions

[Mighty Mouse]

Just started working out regularly about 2 months ago and now I'm ready to kick it up a notch. Not to educated on all the supplements or differant vitamins . But just picked up some 100% whey protien mix by optimum nutrition and also some of their creatine powder. My questions are 1) how often should I drink a protien shake(other than right after a workout) 2) after the creatine loading stage when is the best time of day to take the creatine.
3) is it ok to mix the creatine in with the protien shake or would it work better on its own.

Thanks in advance!!! Been coming to this site recently and found it to be very helpful!!

[defcon]

1)You could drink it when you are a little low on protein, aim for 1g protein/lb BW. It is better to get your protein from whole food sources though.

2 + 3)I usually take it post workout mixed in my shake, on off days i have a shake of whey and creatine in the morning.

[dawk20]

You should get between 1-1.5 grams of protein per lbs of bodyweight. You should take the creatine right after or during your workout, I've never tried mixing them together though. I take protein first thing in the morning, mid-day and about an hour before bed, hope this helps.

[Mighty Mouse]

Thanks for the info! I was thinking the same thing with 3 times a day for the shake and more solid foods for the protien but some days its easier to mix the shake and go !