Protein Supps and Calorie Counting

[Crimea River]

I've been on about a 32 year bulk and have finally decided to start cutting

I just have a question about protein shakes/supps, when it comes to losing weight.

Now, I know I should have a lot more control over my calorie intake, but, even though I've somehow managed to get my ass to the gym on a regular basis (and even do a fair amount of cardio, which I friggin' HATE), I cannot for the life of me seem to break my addiction to fast food and/or just eating too damn much.

I was just wondering, though, since a protein shake is kind of like a kick in the balls (since you get a ****load of calories w/out the enjoyment that comes with, say, eating a greasy double cheeseburger), is it really worth those extra calories -- the sum daily total of which is always so difficult to keep in check?

Would I be better off just dropping them for now....or is it really something I just need, and which will do me more good, even at the cost of possibly running over on calories?

(if it makes any difference, I'm 5'10", 215lbs, and prob 20-25% bf. Also, I do train pretty hard w/weights 5 days/wk).

[Interlink2010]

seriously... do you want to spend the rest of your life counting calories and doing math?? do you *want* to prove your fifth grade teacher correct when you asked "why do we need to learn this stuff anyway?" ?!?!

let me tell you something. one summer, i counted every little calorie. i didn't worry about carbs or proteins or anything.. i just... counted.. calories. i got to where i was eating about 720 calories a day. i lost weight. it was nice.

then.. i stopped counting calories. and, guess what? i gained weight. as soon as you slack off, just a little... it will be all for naught. do you really want to put up with this and continue this practice for your WHOLE LIFE? can you do it? honestly?

here's my advice: stop eating fast food. watch 'supersize me'. watch it whenever you crave anything greasy or that you can get through a drive-through.

learn portion control. eat slower. don't eat in front of the tv, if you must - baby carrots are great for munching.

and, be happy. who honestly has the nerve to declare what is beautiful and what is not? i, for one, am tired of living by other people's standards of thinness. i'm going for healthy. if i stop being a couch potato and eat only one cupcake instead of five, i know eventually my body will put itself where it wants to be. and then i don't have to feel guilty about having that extra handful of popcorn at the movies.






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[Joe Black]

Crimea River,

You seem a little confused. Losing weight is all about calories in vs. out, so the bottom line is that you NEED to cut our the crappy fast food if you want to lose weight. Dropping shakes out as an excuse to eat other foods sounds a little odd and in any case shakes should be incorporated into yoru diet rather than added in.

Even though Interlink2010 is a little angry lol... He has some good points.

Don't try and jump into counting calories if you are starting a cut from an overweight status. It'll be too hard to maintain.

I think the first step to losing weight has to be getting into better habits and creating a lifestyle which will allow you to lose weight.

- do not eat junk food
- eat smaller portions
(both of the above will naturally reduce calories anyway)
- restrict carbohydrate intake
- limit alcohol consumption
- MOVE more - weight train and cardio

Keep things simple for now, but understand that eating crap got you to where you are NOW, so you have to change to move the opposite way.

Then once you are used to these habits, have lost some weight and feel you need to take things to the next level, I believe you need to start counting calories to get properly lean (if that's what you want)....

[ThomasG]

seriously... do you want to spend the rest of your life counting calories and doing math?? do you *want* to prove your fifth grade teacher correct when you asked "why do we need to learn this stuff anyway?" ?!?!

let me tell you something. one summer, i counted every little calorie. i didn't worry about carbs or proteins or anything.. i just... counted.. calories. i got to where i was eating about 720 calories a day. i lost weight. it was nice.

then.. i stopped counting calories. and, guess what? i gained weight. as soon as you slack off, just a little... it will be all for naught. do you really want to put up with this and continue this practice for your WHOLE LIFE? can you do it? honestly?

here's my advice: stop eating fast food. watch 'supersize me'. watch it whenever you crave anything greasy or that you can get through a drive-through.

learn portion control. eat slower. don't eat in front of the tv, if you must - baby carrots are great for munching.

and, be happy. who honestly has the nerve to declare what is beautiful and what is not? i, for one, am tired of living by other people's standards of thinness. i'm going for healthy. if i stop being a couch potato and eat only one cupcake instead of five, i know eventually my body will put itself where it wants to be. and then i don't have to feel guilty about having that extra handful of popcorn at the movies.

lolwut

That doesn't work for the serious trainee. Maybe for your recreational lifter...

[ThomasG]

a protein shake is going to be around 100cals a cheeseburger will be around 500-1500cals.

[Mercuryblade]

a protein shake is going to be around 100cals a cheeseburger will be around 500-1500cals.

yeah I was confused about the protein shake comment as well

I drink a lot of shakes at work (for convenience) and even on my cuts I end up having about a 500-600 calories meal at home so I can hit my day's requirements.

[Tom Mutaffis]

I was just wondering, though, since a protein shake is kind of like a kick in the balls (since you get a ****load of calories w/out the enjoyment that comes with, say, eating a greasy double cheeseburger), is it really worth those extra calories -- the sum daily total of which is always so difficult to keep in check?

Would I be better off just dropping them for now....or is it really something I just need, and which will do me more good, even at the cost of possibly running over on calories?

What specific protein shakes are you drinking?

You should look at a protein called Nitrean, it is 109 calories per scoop (22g protein) which is about the same amount of calories as a nonfat yogurt or a banana.

A good quality protein shake is one of the most effective ways to meet your protein requirements while cutting; Nitrean also offers a time-released effect since it is a combination of whey, egg, and casein protein.

Here is a link if you are interested in reading more: Nitrean Protein

[Crimea River]

I was worried this might be a "dumb" question, and I think that may be what's confusing everyone lol.


I know protein is important to building muscle.... but what I was wondering was if it really had much to do w/weight loss. Maybe it's just important to help maintain the muscle you've got while you're trying to lose weight?

I really just don't know much about all that. I'm not a stupid person, but I can freely admit that there's quite a bit in the world that I just cannot wrap my head around, and amino acids, protein synthesis, polypeptides and rocket orthodontristry fall into that category.

Again, this may just be a really dumb question. Think "ockham's razor" lol

And, of course I'm not seriously comparing a quality protein shake w/a 400+ calorie double cheeseburger. I'm kind of prone to hyperbole. Sorry. lol.

Also, I've heard a lot of good things about Nitrean, and I might actually start using that. I just happened to have asked this question in another forum and got conflicting responses. The one person who seemed to "get" my question actually said to just drop the shakes altogether.

I just figured I'd get a second opinion, since there's obviously a lot of people here who appear to know a hell of a lot about this kind of thing.

[Joe Black]

I'm still confused by what you're asking.

Regardless of your goal, you need to consume adequate amounts of protein.

If you are trying to gain muscle mass, protein plays it's role in helping you to recover and build new muscle.
If you are dieting, protein plays a role in helping you maintain lean muscle mass (often protein is upped when cutting for this reason)

Whether you use protein shakes to help you consume adequate amounts of protein is purely your choice. It's not a matter of taking them or not causing a result.

If you need to take 200g protein, take 200g protein. If its all food, fine. If it's 150 food and 50 a shake, fine.

I tend to get around 100grams of protein a day from shakes and this comes down to purely a convenience factor and also the fact that it can be more effective post workout.

[mchicia1]

I've been on about a 32 year bulk

I dont have anything to add, I just thought this was funny.

[Tom Mutaffis]

I know protein is important to building muscle.... but what I was wondering was if it really had much to do w/weight loss. Maybe it's just important to help maintain the muscle you've got while you're trying to lose weight? I really just don't know much about all that. I'm not a stupid person, but I can freely admit that there's quite a bit in the world that I just cannot wrap my head around, and amino acids, protein synthesis, polypeptides and rocket orthodontristry fall into that category.

Also, I've heard a lot of good things about Nitrean, and I might actually start using that. I just happened to have asked this question in another forum and got conflicting responses. The one person who seemed to "get" my question actually said to just drop the shakes altogether.

I just figured I'd get a second opinion, since there's obviously a lot of people here who appear to know a hell of a lot about this kind of thing.

Protein shakes are actually a great tool for someone who is dieting. They allow you to meet calorie objectives without ingesting a lot of carbohydrates, can help to keep you full, increase recovery abilities, and help you to retain muscle mass.

I would recommend a lean protein like Nitrean from AtLarge so that you are not taking in a lot of excess calories / fat / carbohydrates with your shakes. They taste quite good with water and another benefit is that Nitrean is a protein blend so it offers a time-released effect.

Your best bet for dieting would be to stick with the following:
- Lean Meat (Chicken, Fish, Beef)
- Low Glycemic Carbohydrates (Oats, Broccoli, Sweet Potatoes)
- Nuts (Almonds, Natural Peanut Butter)
- Protein Shakes (Nitrean)

You should avoid excess sugar, dairy, and processed foods. It is also important not to starve yourself, eating a balanced diet coupled with HIIT training and weight lifting will yield the best results.

Let me know if you would like for me to write up something more specific.

[Crimea River]

Your best bet for dieting would be to stick with the following:
- Lean Meat (Chicken, Fish, Beef)
- Low Glycemic Carbohydrates (Oats, Broccoli, Sweet Potatoes)
- Nuts (Almonds, Natural Peanut Butter)
- Protein Shakes (Nitrean)

You should avoid excess sugar, dairy, and processed foods. It is also important not to starve yourself, eating a balanced diet coupled with HIIT training and weight lifting will yield the best results.

Let me know if you would like for me to write up something more specific.

That will probably do for now.

I'm not a desserts/sweets type person, I just have a problem not asking for 2nd's, 3rd's and/or 4th's. lol.

When I can keep that in check, I usually do pretty well. It's just very hard, since family meals growing up were usually way out of whack as far as portion and/or "self" control was concerned. Just a matter of old habits and re-learning.

It's just one of those things, but I will continue w/being sure I'm getting enough protein (whether from lean sources or supps), as I've put on A LOT of muscle in the past few months and I'll be damned if that goes to waste.

Thanks!

[Alex.V]

lolwut

That doesn't work for the serious trainee. Maybe for your recreational lifter...

Too bad serious trainees still don't know a god damn thing about nutrition 95% of the time. They usually know just enough to spend way too much time obsessing about it for no good reason.

[Holto]

It's just very hard

It's not hard at all if you want it bad enough. It's also not hard to budget the cals for those special occasions.