Started training last week and also started cutting back on fat, sugar, and calories in general so I can lose about 8 pounds by the end of January.

I've figure I need protein supplements because I'm eating less now, but I'll be on the trainer or the road about 4 or 5 days a week (at least that's the plan). I'll probably be mixing the protein powder in my smoothies, oatmeal, and Gatorade.

I've heard that whey is better than soy, because the human body is better able to digest whey protein. But there's also one made from milk & eggs that I know nothing about. If I have no food reactions/allergies and am not a vegetarian, can someone tell me what is best. If they all have their strengths/weaknesses.

Started training last week and also started cutting back on fat, sugar, and calories in general so I can lose about 8 pounds by the end of January.

I've figure I need protein supplements because I'm eating less now, but I'll be on the trainer or the road about 4 or 5 days a week (at least that's the plan). I'll probably be mixing the protein powder in my smoothies, oatmeal, and Gatorade.

I've heard that whey is better than soy, because the human body is better able to digest whey protein. But there's also one made from milk & eggs that I know nothing about. If I have no food reactions/allergies and am not a vegetarian, can someone tell me what is best. If they all have their strengths/weaknesses.

Frankly, I'd stick with whatever agrees with your system- particularly if you can tolerate the taste. I prefer whey. Egg protein is too... "eggy"- and is rather nasty- IMHO. Whey probably has the best bioavailability. I take my protein straight. It makes smoothies taste unbearable.

If you are just focusing on cardio, you probably don't really need supplemental protein.

Fat free powdered milk is complete, high quality, low cost protein and can be added to a whole bunch of things. Whether you need protein or not should be calculated by looking at your diet. Standard recommendation for active athletes is 0.7 gm protein per day per lb. of body weight.

Real food is almost always preferable (tuna, egg whites, chicken breast, etc.). Post-workout would be the exception. When doing this, I think Whey is about as goos as it gets. There is some controversy about soy and how it interacts with the system, especially for men (moobs). I'm not saying I agree with it, just that there is some discussion. Whey goes into your system quickly and is absorbed readily.

Is fat free milk considered a good source of protein? It is cheap. I keep hearing things like avoid dairy.
Any thoughts? Thanks.

In wouldn't use it for a protein source, but I'm not a huge dairy fan, either. Like I said, you're better off eating "real" food. If you go to www.fitday.com, you can sign up for a free account and track everything (and I do mean everything!) you eat. You can set up goals, plans, etc. It is an indispensable site, IMO.

If you need protein in large amounts, you should consider: Turkey, chicken, tuna, beans, salmon, etc. If you want an entire treatise on healthy eating and how to feed the machine, you can do a hell of a lot worse than going here:

Karocka’s clean eating:http://forums.menshealth.com/thread.jsp?forum=5&thread=66900


If you find that interesting and/or helpful, you can also check out the Pabster post: http://forums.menshealth.com/thread.jsp?forum=5&thread=13069


Eight pound should be acheivable with clean eating--I lost about 35. BTW, I have issues with MSG as well. Dreadful stuff, and I can't believe the foods in which it is turning up on a daily basis....

im dairy free. i use GNC soy protein. banana. big jug is very cost effective when you have the "gold card" tastes the best of any i have tried (which is most soy).

hammer nutrition makes a good unflavored one that i mix for recovery drinks.

I've always found GNC pricey, even with the gold card. Have you looked online, or even at The Vitamin Shoppe?

I would say the only reason you would need to avoid dairy products would be if you have some sort of sensitivity to them. You can easily discover whether you do by restricting them in your diet for a week and see if your "symptoms" improve. Frankly, there are a number of "food consiracy theorists" who posit arguments like "we were never meant to eat dairy products" and such. Were we ever meant to eat soy beans? I'm guessing humans have been ingesting animal milk at LEAST as many 1000s of years as they have been eating soy products. At any rate, most dieticians would tell you that fat free milk solids are an excellent source of high quality protein.

[QUOTE=Kerry Irons] Frankly, there are a number of "food consiracy theorists" who posit arguments like "we were never meant to eat dairy products" and such. QUOTE]

Agree, there are "theories"...but i think that applies on both side of the fence. but there does appear to be plenty of info that shows that dairy might not be as good for you, as the dairy councel would like you to believe. or that one would become sick and frail without milk. simply not true.

Nothing is ever as good for you as the Dairy Council, the Beef Council, the Tobacco Growers, or Pfizer, Merck, or Aventis says it is. That doesn't mean we can't use the available scientific research and good judgement to draw conclusions. The anti-dairy crowd doesn't use this approach. There are people who are sensitive to milk proteins, but they represent a small fraction of the population. Also, you can stimulate dairy sensitivity by avoiding it - your body's ability to process milk products declines if you withdraw dairy from your diet. Self-fulfilling prophecy.

Go to a bulk store where you can buy concentrated whey or soy protein in bulk. Very inexpensive.

I've always found GNC pricey, even with the gold card. Have you looked online, or even at The Vitamin Shoppe?

That doesn't mean we can't use the available scientific research and good judgement to draw conclusions. The anti-dairy crowd doesn't use this approach. .

thats a broad generalization :eek: not all of the anti-dairy crowd are crazy fanatics who dont use available scientific research.

hey, if one chooses (for whatever reason) not to consume dairy, there is plenty of info that seems to support some possible health benefits...
and if you want to consume dairy, well, you probably wont get too sick :D
(just kiddin)

A couple of things to consider:

1. Definitely try to get your protein from natural sources, as was posted earlier, if you can. Only use supplements to "supplement" what you can't get from whole foods in your diet. Try to eat a variety of lean proteins first.

2. Moderation is key - as Kerry posted, gauge your protein intake by your body weight, and your goals. Your goal is to lose weight while training, so include quality carbs (as it seems you are) to fuel your workouts, and ingest appropriate protein for muscle rebuilding. Try to break up the protein intake to no more than 20 - 30g at a time - your body will likely not be able to absorb more than that amount of any protein source at one sitting.

3. Drink extra water if you increase your protein intake.

4. For protein supplements, experiment and see which type your body can digest best. Everyone is different, and I have problems with gas and bloating with whey concentrates, but no problem whatsoever with whey isolates or soy, or casein (the type from dairy products). If you shop around, there are some manufacturers (I can't remember which ones now) who offer a supplement containing a spectrum of proteins in one formula - whey isolates, soy, and casein - under the premise that it is better absorbed since whey isolates digest fastest, then, soy, then casein, so your body has a gradual uptake of the protein. The validity of that premise is of course, debatable, and influenced by what you ingest with the supplement.

Personally, I use Cytopro whey protein isolates (vanilla flavor is good and can be mixed with other foods easily) if I need to supplement my protein intake.

Good luck in your training!

Try to break up the protein intake to no more than 20 - 30g at a time - your body will likely not be able to absorb more than that amount of any protein source at one sitting.


i was just wondering about that and was ready to post the question about how much per serving....

is that an actual number, or an estimate? i wonder if it makes a difference if its soy or whey. ie if soy is less absorbable, could the "max" amount be higher?

thanks...

Go to a bulk store where you can buy concentrated whey or soy protein in bulk. Very inexpensive.
$19 for a 6 pound tub of Whey at Costco. Cheapest I've found. Comes in chocolate or vanilla flavor and uses Splenda for sweetener so there isn't a lot of needless calories. I make a smoothie with a couple scoops of that, some milled flax seed, a bit of frozen fruit and skim milk most every morning. 40+ grams of protein to start the day.

A couple of things to consider:



Try to break up the protein intake to no more than 20 - 30g at a time - your body will likely not be able to absorb more than that amount of any protein source at one sitting.



Depends greatly on the person and other factors. Not really a hard and fast rule. If you're taking steroids then all the rules go out the window. You can absorb huge amounts of protein then. That's why you always see pro bodybuilders eating cans of tuna all the time.

I've been buying Whey Fit protein powder from www.nutritionexpress.com for several years. The vanilla flavor (not the natural) tastes great in smoothies or gatorade. I make my own energy drink by mixing gatorade and vanilla protein to achieve the commonly recommeded 4/1 ratio of carb to protein.

http://labelinfo.nutritionexpress.com/Powder.aspx?Price=28.99&Msrp=49.99&Grp=&Usr=a18370840131000&Itm=94-810&Add=N

I make a breakfast smoothie with about a cup of milk, two scoops of protein and enough frozen mixed fruit to create the texture of a malt. I particularly like frozen mangos. I also throw in a scoop of L-glutamine.

Maybe more than you really want, but check out this link:

www.feinberg.northwestern.edu/nutrition/factsheets/protein.html

It gives a good description of the biological value of proteins, and doesn't specify amounts, but gives guidelines and rationale for not ingesting too much at one time, or too much total.

As with anything, I'm sure there is information out there that both supports and refutes this, but I try to stick with neutral references that aren't trying to sell you something or advocate an extreme solution. If I find anything more that might be useful, I'll post it. Although there is oodles of science behind nutrition and numerous arguable theories, I still think if boils down to a varied, balanced diet of whole foods. You are almost certain to get all of your nutrients (macro and micro) in the proper ratios and amounts if you follow that simple approach.

Including coffee! :D