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Optimum Nutrition Gold Standard 100% Whey Protein Powder, Double Rich Chocolate, 5 Pound (Packaging May Vary)?
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Just looked it up on amazon. Optimum Nutrition 100% Whey Gold Standard, Double Rich Chocolate, 5 Pound, 80 Ounce https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000QSNYGI/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_awd_MsyGwbK0T1PG5
If you are buying from GNC, you are getting robbed
And an edit. This is also without "subscribe and save" feature. Which drops it down another 3-4 dollars I think.
If you want an "affordable" but well-regarded protein shake, I really like Optimum Nutrition. On Amazon it's $55 for 5 lbs.
The reality is protein shakes aren't very sustaining, filling, or cheap, but whey protein absorbs quickly after a workout, which some studies suggest helps to prevent delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS: the achy soreness after a hard workout). If you really need protein, hard-boiled eggs are incredibly convenient, filling, and cheap. Canned tuna is a cheap way to get your protein as well.
20% sale on ON whey protein, seems like a good deal to me so I wanted to buy a few extras. What flavors have you guys tried other than the chocolate that taste good mixed with water?
sorry forgot to link deal for other people. There's a 20% off coupon you can use on Amazon atm: https://www.amazon.com/Optimum-Nutrition-100-Whey-Gold-Standard-Double-Rich-Chocolate-5-Pound/dp/B000QSNYGI
Here is the specific one I use. I found it while searching Reddit for whey protein that's easy on the stomach. I read a comment that recommended that specific flavor (double chocolate). It just tastes like chocolate milk, and I have not had any stomach pain. It is $48 with Amazon Prime, $52 without for a 5 pound container.
There's people that say having a good amount of protein within 30 minutes of a workout helps with recovery, since right after a workout, apparently your body absorbs protein better. Protein powder is just a quick and easy way of getting this. There's also some people who say this isn't necessarily true, and overall protein intake matters more.
As far as types of protein, whey isolate is the most popular since it's the most efficient. By efficient, I mean that it's pretty much all protein, about 90%, and apparently is absorbed quickly. There's also whey concentrate, which is cheaper than whey isolate, but can have less protein and more carbs (from more lactose) per scoop.
The plant based proteins I'm not very familiar with, but through a quick search on Amazon, it looks like soy protein will have higher carbs than whey, and hemp has lower protein, but a good bit a fiber and healthy fats. If you're looking to just get protein, stick with whey unless you're vegan.
All in all, if you're getting the protein you need already, I wouldn't worry too much about a shake. But if you want to boost your protein, a post-workout shake won't hurt, and possibly might benefit you.
If you decide to use protein powders, this is the one I use. It's reviewed very well, has a good amount of protein (1 scoop is 120 cal, 3g carbs, 1g fat, 24g protein), and I think tastes pretty good. It comes out to about 78 cents per serving, so in my opinion, it's really not that expensive.
Not allot of information on dieting or current fitness level. But increase you're water intake substantially through out the day, eat a healthy breakfast, lunch, and try to eat a small snack 30 minutes before you roll, take a protein shake after you work out My personal recommendationand finally take some glucosamine to help reluburcate you're muscles.
How much protein powder should someone be using a day?
I eat from food around 100-110g potein, but want to hit 160g per day. I bought this powder https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B000QSNYGI/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 and was thinking two shakes a day (1 scoop each) would get me to around 160. Is that fine to have 2 shakes a day? Whats the max you should use protein powder?
you can keep having an ED, but if you don't eat food your body won't convert that into boob gains. Long term fat gains are gradual over time anyways, there isn't any solid proof weight cycling does anything, but gaining a bit of weight if you're skinny can round out your ass/face a bit. Gaining weight before transition isn't gonna change anything, you'd have to wait after starting HRT on a decent dose to get fem fat distribution.
If you're genuinely worried about an ED effecting transitioning, protein powder or soylent, + a multivitamin are good depression meals and give decent nutrition. For protein powder I use this one. I like the mint soylents but all their flavors are good, kinda expensive tho.
Protein shakes? I like the Optimum nutrition double chocolate and milk. Yeah anything with milk, cheese, nuts, oils, bacon... lol more bacon? What's your goals? Just gain? Gain muscle?
If you are going to gain try to gain from healthy'ish choices. Oatmeal in mornings is a good microwave snack you can add milk to.
Yeah, so 350 euros divided by 1.5 months (to get a monthly number) equal 210 euros.
That's some super expensive protein! Here is 77 servicings for 84 dollars. In the UK i get my brand choice of probiotics for 7 quid though.
​
But yeah i see where your costs are coming from.
Mass gainer and bulk powder is absolute trash. Its horrible for you and in my experience not super effective. A good protein powder is much better.
Cant really go wrong with gold standard:
Really cool video man! I never thought to make my own protein bars but it looks relatively simple. My issue with protein bars has always been the cost to calorie ratio, so this is interesting. Is the whey protein in something like this "https://www.amazon.com/Optimum-Nutrition-Standard-Protein-Chocolate/dp/B000QSNYGI/ref=sr_1_6_mod_primary_new?dchild=1&keywords=whey+isolate&qid=1596394465&sr=8-6"
something that would work?
Thanks again.
I would say that yes, your protein goal doesn't have to be that high. You can go down to 100 grams per day and be fine (that's 0.75 grams per pound). Also, I find it much easier to drink small concentrated protein shakes, like 1.5 scoops of https://www.amazon.com/Optimum-Nutrition-Standard-Protein-Chocolate/dp/B000QSNYGI with like 6 ounces of water (this flavor is much better than regular chocolate FYI). You should see how much protein is in your regular food and I bet you won't need much more than a small protein shake to meet your goals without a lot of meat.
Amazon still sells 5Lb packages, however, based on the pictures you can see that:
- Extreme Milk Chocolate flavor - 71 servings
- French Vanilla Creme - 73 servings
- Double Rich Chocolate - 74 servings
For my gym broskis and their sisterkies, ON whey protein 2 lbs is 2450 bucks and 5 lbs is 5000 bucks.
Optimum Nutrition (ON) Gold Standard 100% Whey Protein Powder - 5 lbs, 2.72 kg (Double Rich Chocolate) https://www.amazon.in/dp/B000QSNYGI/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_EX5-AbJV0KAQW
Idk man, a few top reviews on amazon on ON saying they did shady things too like switch theforumula
Every protein shake I see on amazon theres always a top comment on formula changing.
Check out the reviews on amazon from 2018 https://www.amazon.com/Optimum-Nutrition-Standard-Protein-Chocolate/dp/B000QSNYGI/ref=sr_1_3_a_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1520447275&sr=8-3&keywords=whey+protein
Guess they changed it since I last bought it.
Wait, you can control what lung you use? Haha, that's pretty nuts. I did cough a lot up to week 3 or 4, and it just slowly got better. I like to think the exercise helps. I definitely had soreness on the left side the first couple weeks, and was super paranoid at first, but it slowly got better and I thought about it less and less. I feel like pnuemo's have a huge psychological effect, at least for me.
I'm pretty thin myself, about 6'3 and 170 pounds. After surgery and not doing any lifting for 6 weeks, I dropped to like 155, which is pretty ridiculous. I'm back up to around 165 now, which is better, but I'm also trying to put more weight on. I'd definitely try a weight program once you're clear to (I was told to wait 6 weeks, then start with light weights). Keep up with the protein, but do it in addition to normal meals. Maybe find one you like. I've tried a bunch, but like this brand (30 different flavors, I like the mocha one personally):
https://www.amazon.com/Optimum-Nutrition-Standard-Protein-Chocolate/dp/B000QSNYGI?th=1
Only being three weeks out, there's not a ton you can do to put weight on outside of eating right. Maybe some light biking if your Dr. allows it. Mine pretty much let me do light cardio right away, only putting the 6 week restriction on the weights. I'm hoping the VATS fixed this for good and it's no longer an issue, for either of us!
I'm going overseas to a country with not a strong weightlifting/fitness culture (at least not in the same way). I'm mostly concerned about not being able to hit my protein goals with the diet readily available to me there.
Does anyone have experience traveling with large tubs of protein in a checked bag? I'm hoping to just bring 2, maybe 3 of these. Any rules or potential complications I should be ready for?
Two questions:
- For weight gain, should I go with more weights or higher reps?
- Looking for recommendations on good whey powder. I've been using Optimum, which seems quite popular, but not sure if there's better stuff around.
Just looking at the reviews..
3g carbs 24G protein 120 calories and seems to be 'great tasting' according to the reviews.
I am looking at a protein shake to get rid of my peanut butter addiction after my workouts. I crave peanut butter pretty badly after weight training.
I believe one of the more popular ones touted by r/fitness and BodyBuilding.com is Gold Standard 100% Whey by Optimum Nutrition. I personally enjoy it though I haven't had some in a while. Everyone has their own opinion on which flavor is the best. I like the standard choco and vanilla:)
This is dumb, just introduce a daily protein shake (like 120 calorie water and whey not a smoothie) and your appetite will be much more manageable. This stuff is pretty solid (see below) I'm sure theres a million other good ones. Losing weight is stupid easy if you aren't stupid about it.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000QSNYGI/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o09_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Just to piggyback off OP,
I don't exercise that much. I try to go to the gym maybe twice a week, sometimes three times. It's honestly so hard to eat healthy in my family. The only time I don't eat is when I am on a stimulant but mine arent that effective.
Anyway, is it okay to use something like Optimum Nutrition for a meal replacement even if I don't exercise that much? My problem is I can eat less during the day but it all hits me at night and I can't help myself. I've gained 20lbs since I started medschool and it's just depressing. I've linked a product below. Can I use that?
For cheapest...probably the good old gold standard from amazon. all their flavours are amazing to me. http://www.amazon.com/Optimum-Nutrition-Standard-Double-Chocolate/dp/B000QSNYGI/ref=sm_n_ma_dka_US_pr_pub_0_0?imprToken=.imdaN4Qxxf4QF28yarL7Q&linkCode=w43&tag=muscleessence-20&linkId=300d3e10a5daeb1f46d3d7947aeee784
Try to get it from costco, they are limited to like 2 flavors i believe but you can get 6.35 lbs for 59.99...thats crazy good. Thats costco only though.
Is "ON Gold Standard Whey" considered Isolate? I'm talking about this: http://www.amazon.com/Optimum-Nutrition-Standard-Double-Chocolate/dp/B000QSNYGI
The smaller labeling says "Whey Protein Isolates", but I just want to be sure. Is it actually WPI and lactose-free or no?
Optimum Nutrition Gold Standard on Amazon is < $60 for FIVE pounds of 100% whey. This is probably one of the better deals out there on whey. I like the double chocolate; tastes surprisingly good with water and even better with milk.
Go take a look on Amazon. They have almost 2 dozen flavors. Im sure you'll find one you'll like. I try to order a different flavor every time and so far mocha one of the best ones imo
Optimum Nutrition makes some great products. Kind of pricey at around $50 for a 5lb tub, but the first ingredient is whey protein isolate which is what you really want
Amazon link: http://www.amazon.com/Optimum-Nutrition-Standard-Double-Chocolate/dp/B000QSNYGI
74 servings, 24 grams of protein each for $57.99. That's about $.78 a serving. I like the strawberry banana.
I buy this one. $29.99 for two pounds of the stuff.
They tend to last me about two months at one scoop a day, six days a week. I used to work out with a friend and shared it with him, and so it would, understandably, last about a month at a time when I doubled the amount used each day. You can time casein to being about the same amount if you only use one scoop of that per day, but I know some guys also like to have casein with their breakfast. I usually just drink one scoop of casein before bed and it lasts me the same amount of time as the whey isolate.
Creatine, on the other hand, lasts much longer. I've only replaced my container of creatine twice since I started regularly working out about nine months ago, and I buy it in 600g containers. You only need maybe a teaspoon of that per day; don't convince yourself you need more unless you're 6'8" and weigh 350 lbs.
Unsolicited flavor advice: The caramel toffee fudge is the most tolerable, and is borderline good. Some of the others make me throw up if I'm feeling particularly exhausted after working out, cookies n' cream in particular and any regular chocolate flavor to a lesser extent. Strawberry tastes nice, too. You may end up never actually enjoying them, though. I just drink them for the convenience.
I have the same routine but i usually set an alarm an hour before so my coverage doesn't drop off at the end of the day. Another "hack' i use is too drink a protein shake(like this one) when i wake up.
Right now I'm just using this which is my husband's protein lol. Don't know if this is the best but it was low carb enough for now.
> Lactose intolerance is not black and white. Mildest version gives you slight gas if you drink a glass of milk. Stongest version gives you violent stomach cramps and indigestion from just a slice of cheese (which contains very little lactose) >
Sorry, should have been more clear. What I use IS whey isolate. Whey isolates have VERY trace amounts of lactose, which is perfect for me because I do have a very sensitive lactose interlace. Optimum even has the lactase enzyme added!
something like this. Brand doesnt really matter, i like the MTS brand but its just about your preference
Oh hey, someone just recommended this chocolate malt protein powder over in keto vegetarian:
3g of carbs per 24 g of protein.
I hear ALOT about C4 I was actually looking at it currently when I saw this message haha. I'm considering ordering the 60 serving container. Any thoughts on a good protein shake? I was thinking This Any thoughts? Also Thanks for wishing me luck man. It'll be a long road but I think i'm ready!
If you have a jug of it, read the ingredients below the label. If you don't have any currently check it out here:
Click on the photo that shows the label and read the ingredients: "Protein Blend (Whey Protein Isolates, Whey Protein Concentrate, Whey Protein Peptides)"
Unfortunately, you don't know much Concentrate is included in the blend, so I just avoid it entirely.
Edit: Or you can click on the photo of the jug on the ON product page, and you can get an image of the label.
Awesome, thanks for the reply!
After a quick peek at Whey Protein on Amazon it seems to be a much more reasonable carb & sugar content. Any particular brands you suggest? After doing absolutely no research this stuff on Amazon seems to have pretty favorable reviews.
This one is my go to protien mix.
The only problem with this brand is that it has gotten quite expensive in the past couple of years.
Praise be to Brodin.
-Wheymen
I use this protein powder and blend it with whole milk when I need a meal replacement. I also might add in some coconut oil if I haven't been eating enough calories from fat or if I use almond milk.
My highest was 900 using a Heart Rate monitor and I'm not totally out of shape. I also completed Insanity before.
50% percent protein seems kinda high? Obviously a good supplement for Protien if you can't it through regualar food is ON Whey. I think it's 25g of Protein per 120 calories (1 scoop) w/ 3g carb and 1g fat.
But I think the ideal amount is 1g/body weight which would be around 180g per day of protein. Then you split up the rest how you want which is dependent on the calorie limit you set for yourself. 1700? 1800? 2000?
Optimum Nutrition 100% Whey Gold Standard, Double Rich Chocolate, 5 Pound http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000QSNYGI/ref=cm_sw_r_an_am_ap_am_us?ie=UTF8
This is what I drink. Hasn't affected me negatively and is rather tasty, especially with coconut milk, but it's the same as what you're currently drinking at 3g carbs per scoop.
This is the powder I use. 1 scoop is 3g carbs :) They are a great company with quality products and most of the flavors are pretty darn good. Amazon is also the best place to get it for price. So yeah, mix a scoop with 1-2 cups your choice liquid (I like Blue Diamond Unsweetened Almond Breeze Milk, but the Almond Coconut one, its a mix of both) and bam! Its not the greatest source of fat but its a good protein boost :)
Optimum Nutrition 100% Whey Gold Standard, Double Rich Chocolate, 5 Pound http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000QSNYGI/ref=cm_sw_r_an_am_ap_am_us?ie=UTF8
The sources I trust most (which include Mark Sisson and Robb Wolf) advise getting .7-1.0 grams of protein for every pound of lean body weight (there are online calculators that can guesstimate this for you). On the lower end of that if you're not all that active, and on the higher end if you work out a lot (lifting, mostly -- you need more protein to build muscle). Use DailyPlate or MyFitnessPal as a calorie/macronutrient tracke for a few days, and see if you're not getting enough protein. You're probably fine, but it never hurts to check.
If you are low, you don't have to "supplement" -- you could just eat more meat, eggs, or protein-rich dairy. But if you want to, whey protein shakes are an affordable, easy way to get extra protein (especially nice on the go, mix one and take it with you). I like this one but there are plenty more on Amazon that have been reviewed to death. Mark Sisson's primal fuel stuff looks more natural, maybe, but the price is too steep for my wallet.
I've been using Optimum Nutrition's Double Chocolate Gold Standard Whey Protein powder since September of last year and I gotta say it tastes pretty damn good. :P
They have other flavors of course, including Cake Batter, Banana Cream, Cookies and Cream, Chocolate Mint, Strawberry and Banana, Rocky Road, Tropical Punch, White Chocolate, Coffee, Caramel, and French Vanilla. Sometimes Amazon will have good deals, other times you might find other places have it cheaper, but here's a link so you know what to keep an eye out for; http://www.amazon.com/Optimum-Nutrition-Standard-Double-Chocolate/dp/B000QSNYGI
Cheers!
Let me suggest something to you:
http://www.amazon.com/Optimum-Nutrition-Standard-Double-Chocolate/dp/B000QSNYGI
Many delicious flavors. Coockies and Cream will blow your mind. Rocky Road and Chocolate Mint make great ice cream and shake flavors.
Good whey doesn't taste like shit. There is a shitload of information out there about what whey protein is the best, but I'm just going to skip the bullshit and tell you what to buy.
This. Double rich chocolate tastes great, choose "subscribe and save" and cancel the subscription after the order arrives. 16 bucks for 2 lbs of high quality, good tasting protein, with free shipping. Works out to $.50 an ounce. If you feel adventurous, get the 5lber and save yourself an extra buck per pound.
Trust me on this.
ON 100% Whey is 70$ for 10lbs on amazon.
Pick subscribe and save, then cancel the subscription after your order ships.
Caffeine's an appetite suppressant, believe it or not.
If you are into weightlifting, one thing you can try is Whey Isolate, which is basically protein powder. It will really help you meet the requirement to get muscular (1g prot/1lb bodyweight) and it's actually really filling. Here's a fairly tasty one to try off Amazon. http://www.amazon.com/Optimum-Nutrition-Standard-Double-Chocolate/dp/B000QSNYGI/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1321343720&sr=8-1
I'm not sure what those links are even referencing to as "false"? http://www.amazon.com/Optimum-Nutrition-Standard-Double-Chocolate/dp/B000QSNYGI/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1309704062&sr=8-1 There's the link to Amazon, I was a little off with the price as this puts it at $44.41 but the past 3 times it has indeed qualified for free shipping so that was the flat rate
I like Optimum Nutrition's Whey Golden Standard. It's a good price for a high quality protein. There's tons of different flavors. Safest bet is to go with some sort of chocolate or vanilla.
I'm based in Ireland so the brands available to me are different, not sure where you are so you're options would be different. But I know generally the Optimum Nutrition whey protein is pretty popular worldwide. Blend a scoop of that with a banana, some ice cubes, water and a scoop of peanut butter and you have yourself a pretty good protein shake.
Protein powder is the most obvious answer. This is the kind I buy, the best price to quality ratio I've found. Ten pound bag lasts me two months. Free shipping, too. Sorry for the long ass link, couldn't get it formatted right. http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000QSNYGI/ref=pd_lpo_k2_dp_sr_1?pf_rd_p=486539851&pf_rd_s=lpo-top-stripe-1&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_i=B000OT4Q84&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=0D6JFBV6ZTRHMSS5DJ4E
Another thing that no one else has mentioned is Publix brand mozzerella cheese sticks. 70 calories, 8g protein. That's better than eggs. (Eggs are good too. As is milk.)
Something you should consider is buying Whey Powder . . .
The strawberry is particularly good--I use 2% milk and it is delicious. I haven't eaten breakfast or lunch in months, I know a few people who have lost a great deal of weight this way.
Sounds like this fella doesn't really need to worry about his protein being lean. Good advice though. Another thing would be a tub of protein powder, pretty cheap if he can afford it with some allowance money.
Whey supplements are definitely recommended, and they are some of the cheapest sources of protein you're going to find. I recommend Optimum Nutrition Gold Standard whey. Buy it from Amazon at the same time as the Starting Strength book you're going to buy. Get the Vanilla Ice Cream flavor, ten pound bag. It dissolves perfectly in a blender, and it shakes pretty well, too.
A good rule of thumb for beginning weightlifters would be to make sure you consume at least 1 gram of protein per pound of bodyweight you have. Eat about as much carbohydrates (fruits and vegetables primarily), and eat about half as much fat (nuts are an excellent source of fat). Everyone will tailor their diet to their needs, but this is a decent starting point.
Start working out and drink lots of protein shakes. That's what I did. Remember to eat lots of clean, whole food as well. Whatever you do don't go on a junk food binge.
He changed it do chest fly, but it still doesn't make any sense.
I am also a college student and I eat a lot of chicken and tuna. Both are relatively cheap, and easy to cook/prepare. I'm also in agreement with protein powder. I prefer Optimal Nutrition.
do subscribe and save, and then immediately cancel it, they will still send the first shipment. 5-lbs for $30.
Wow. I think bodybuilders go for 2+g/lb, most of the rest of us just need about 1g/lb. Some say 1g/lb of LBM, some say 1g/lb of total weight just to make sure. Where did you read that?
More to your question though, a protein powder like this one is 120 calories per 24g of protein. For food chicken breasts are probably going to give you the most protein for fewest calories.
Protein powder mixed with milk, trust me. I personally like this one in Rocky Road flavor. It's pretty damn delicious, all things considered.
https://www.amazon.com/Optimum-Nutrition-Standard-Protein-Chocolate/dp/B000QSNYGI
This stuff is the best. I use the vanilla flavor, and mix in a blender with a banana, frozen mango, and almond milk.
This is the protein powder I’ve been getting for years: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000QSNYGI/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_fabc_GQ7ZAHHSKBN4QK7SMAN6?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1
Are you buying the premade shakes or the powder? If the former, switch to powder. Most brands are roughly the same price (about $10-12 a lb, or about 70-80 cents a serving). I personally use Optimum Nutrition Gold Standard.
Both the powder I use and the Premier Protein shakes are meant to be protein supplements, not meal replacements though. They don't provide all the nutrients you need. There are powders that are made to meal replacements, though. Here's one, it seems to reviewed well, but I know nothing about it (it's about $1.18 a serving). Original Slim Fast powder would be really cheap (38 cents a serving), but it has a decent amount of sugar and not a whole lot of protein.
You say you can't stomach solid foods, have you tried smoothies? My usual breakfast is a smoothie with frozen berries, banana, spinach, skim milk, greek yogurt, and a little agave. About 300 calories and it's an easy way to get a couple servings of fruit and veggies plus a good amount of protein.
Someone actually asked a similar question on this subreddit a few weeks ago. Here’s the comment I replied with on that post. I hope it helps!!
-=-=-=-
There's a lot of good (and bad) information out there. Here's a good beginner routine that I found for free online: free routine.
If you're looking for the one that I personally use, this is it: Jeff Nippard's Fundamental Hypertrophy.
Since you're a beginner, you really don't need to do a lot of volume to get gains. 3 or 4 days a week is more than enough and it'll allow you to get accommodated to the gym without burnout.
Ultimately, it doesn't really matter which program you buy/use. Just make sure that you include compound movements that target the major muscle groups (squat, deadlift, bench press, overhead press, row, pull-up/lat pull-down etc.) and are progressively increasing the weights over time.
Tips:
- For the first month or so, don't worry about weight. FOCUS on form. I personally recommend watching Jeff Nippard or Mark Rippetoe for learning how to do certain exercises. Just go on YouTube, type the name of the exercise, and then the name of the person. Ex: "How to deadlift Mark Rippetoe"
- For warm-up, I like to do 5 minutes of light cardio and then some dynamic stretching such as leg swings and arm circles.
- For post-workout, I like to do some dynamic stretching and mobility work to prevent injuries. Here's the playlist I use: Tom Merrick. I recommend the hip mobility, hamstring mobility and shoulder mobility videos.
- I like to use this app to track my workouts and progression, but you could also just use an Excel spreadsheet too. Strong app.
For protein, I recommend getting about 1 gram of protein per pound of bodyweight. There's a lot of good protein powders, but these are the two I use: ON Whey and ON Casein.
As for calories, I can't really say since I don't know what your body type is like. However, I am personally going on a lean bulk which is about a 200 calorie surplus per day. I'm aiming to gain about 1 or 2 pounds of weight per month. I like to use an Excel spreadsheet to keep track of my weight.
For me personally, sleep and recovery is the hardest part. I've developed some really bad sleep habits in high school that are pretty hard to reverse, but I still try to get about 7 to 8 hours of sleep a night. You don't need to be perfect, but even improving your sleep a little bit goes a long way. Remember, you muscles can't grow if you don't give them time to rebuild.
The key to fitness is LONG-TERM CONSISTENCY. Don't expect to see immediate results. Give yourself at least 4 years of consistent, hard-work at the gym before getting upset with your results.
Here's what you should expect:
- If you have good genetics for muscle building, you might get around 8 to 12 pounds of muscle in your first year.
- If you have bad or average genetics, you might get 4 to 8 pounds of muscle.
- Most of the weight you gain will likely be fat. When/if you decide to go on a cut (lose fat), DO NOT go on a crash diet. If you lose weight too quickly, you'll also lose muscle too. You should aim for about 1 to 2 lbs of weight per week.
The fitness industry will try to over-complicate fitness since it benefits them from a financial perspective. However, it's really not that complicated and as long as you put in the time and consistency, you'll see results. I included the most important basics, but if you want to learn more, here are a few good fitness influencers that I personally follow:
Edit: Some things I forgot to include.
- Record yourself when you're doing your exercises, so that you can make sure you're doing them correctly.
- Make sure you drink plenty of water. Water is obviously good for general health, but also necessary for muscle building.
Truenutrition offers custom mixes and is very cheap. It's especially great if you have any dietary restrictions (many people have trouble with whey protein since it's milk-based), and they have a lot of pretty good flavors, all of which are available by the pound. You can also add fiber, carbohydrates, and fats to your custom mix if you'd like.
Optimum Nutrition (Amazon Link) is delicious and reasonably priced, but for whatever reason, I don't find it that filling unless I throw peanut butter in there. For that reason, I think it's best used for those of us who are bulking or recomping and having trouble meeting calorie requirements.
Bodybuilding.com's in-house brand is also pretty great, and I find it pretty filling. They frequently have sample-sized (0.5 lb) tins for buy one get one free. I'm not even seeing the half-pound size available right now, but it might be worth watching (I ended up getting a pound for ~$7 when it was on sale).
If you get the base powder and mix it with protein powder from Amazon, the price per week drops significantly.
https://store.ketochow.xyz/keto-chow-2-0-base-powder-1-week/
Price per day is much lower, can order 8 weeks of base powder for 2/3 of the shipping cost versus the normal powder. Doing it this way also lets you control your protein macro, and gives you more flavour options. There's a huge list on that Amazon page.
I use this: amazon link
It has 3g of carbs and I like it.
I would just buy some cheap whey protein and use two-three scoops of that a day with your milk. Optimum whey is about 80 cents a scoop if you buy a 5lb container. It tastes delicious with milk.
http://www.amazon.com/Optimum-Nutrition-Standard-Double-Chocolate/dp/B000QSNYGI
You would also probably want a blender bottle to go with it:
http://www.amazon.com/BlenderBottle-Classic-Shaker-Bottle-Clear/dp/B00MVMCUK8/ref=pd_bxgy_hpc_img_z
Also, buy some SMOOTH peanut butter and throw that into the blender bottle too. Whey+milk+peanut butter, cheap and delicious bulking meal
made an account to respond to this
Probably the latter. Get your T and dhT checked, but if your dhT is nonexistent then it isn't male pattern baldness. It's extremely likely that it's because you're starving yourself, take it from me because I'm a moron that did this. I was losing hair for ~2 years because I barely ate any protein and was subsisting before off all the milk I used to drink, and I figured it was just hairs falling out because my hair was long or I didn't maintain it right. I spent all this time trying to find ideal hair products to prevent damage, closely monitoring my T levels, taking minoxidil + finasteride, and still losing a brush full of hair a week. My endo was no help with this, just blamed it on me being AMAB even though I had no T, and that made no sense because my male family members didn't start losing their hair until they were 40. I'm like 95% certain it was protein + vitamin intake at this point. After a month of eating 70g protein + vitamins I went from losing ~15 hairs a day to losing ~5.
Protein + vitamins are extremely important for hair growth, if your body is barely scraping by then your hair will suffer so you can maintain basic functions. I'm 180cm 68kg, and to maintain that I need to eat like ~60g protein daily, that's without much exercise, and I run 5 miles a day. I'd recommend being safe and not undershooting your daily protein intake. Do not assume you know the nutrition of food, go read the labels until you can comfortably know you're getting enough. Vitamins are also important, Vitamin C, D, B7, Calcium, and Zinc are good for hair/nails/skin.
For protein supplements I recommend optimum nutrition
For vitamin supplements I'd recommend a multivitamin like this one
If you're gonna be starving yourself then at least make sure what you eat is nutritionally valuable, also eat vegetables.
https://www.amazon.com/Optimum-Nutrition-Standard-Protein-Chocolate/dp/B000QSNYGI/ref=sr_1_5?crid=3Q76MBWH1DVYL&keywords=optimum+nutrition+whey+protein&qid=1654869602&sprefix=optimum%2Caps%2C154&sr=8-5
does anyone use this protein brand? https://www.amazon.com/Optimum-Nutrition-Standard-Protein-Chocolate/dp/B000QSNYGI?th=1 i ordered one 3 days ago and it arrived yesterday and my friend told me today that whey protein decrease testosterone, is he right
Basically this?
It's a very minor ingredient, and I wouldn't be too worried at such a low dose. If you start noticing any side effects, you can ease off, but my guess would be you won't see any effects.
Before you read this, I would sit down, maybe bust out a notebook LOL. Its a lot of info.
Alright, so there's good news and bad news. The good news is the first year is were you will make most of your progress, due to something called "noob gains".
That said, the downside is that the first month or two you may not see much progress, but then it starts to really kick into overdrive. If you can do it for 2 months and not give up, the progress will keep you hooked the rest of the way.
There are 3 critical components for us ectomorphs to gain muscle, and it is in this specific order. Food, Rest, Training.
Lets start with training. Run the program I sent you, you can run it for a year. Follow what the guy in the video says. For the first 2 weeks I would say dont worry about weight. Go with a fairly light weight and really work on the form to get it perfect. Use the mirrors at your gym.
Next is rest, you want 6-8 hours of sleep. That's an easy one (for most anyways)!
Lastly, is food. This is the hardest part. Even harder than the training. Based on your stats, your going to need to eat about 3200 calories to put on muscle. So here's what you should do, you want to ramp up to this. You cant just start eating that much day one, you will get depressed (trust me lol i tried). So for 2-3 days dont change diet. Download the MyFitnessPal app (dont get pro version) and record all the food you eat, and see what your calories are. Increase it by 100 calories a day until you get to the 3200.
Once you have done that, the 3200 calories are then going to start being comprised of very specific macro nutrients. You are going to want as much protein as you have body weight, or more. You need some fats but not a lot, and you want the rest as carbs. A lot of the foods that you will want to eat need to be whole foods that are highly nutritious. So pizza, hamburgers, etc, probably want to avoid as its a lot of calories but not enough nutrients, however you can still bulk on those. If you want to throw in 1 fun meal a day instead of the below, as long as its meeting the calories, protein, and carbs, have at it. One benefit to being an ectomorph is we can eat whatever the F we want and not worry about gaining too much fat!
I have a spreadsheet I put together with foods I ate during my bulk. I would precook my meals the night before. I would make each meal contain 1 protein item, 1 carb item, and 1 vegetable item:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1muitXe5tpVzgXwoWNqL-Bf1qhu7khRKV64PuoK3MKC4/edit?usp=sharing
Each meal is about 550 calories, so if you do the math, you will soon see why I said I am going to ruin your life. This will add up to 6 meals total of the most food you've probably ever eaten in your life lol.
That said, you dont need all 6 meals to be this. Realistically you are going to wanna do 4 meals as I described, and 2 protein shakes with a banana a day. One shake after your workout, and one later on in the day.
For the protein shakes, do 2 cups of whole vitamin D milk (300 calories - yes I know that by heart as its been ingrained in my brain lol), and one scoop of a good quality weigh protein (120-150 calories). I like gold standard weigh. Its affordable compared to other protein and its good quality. Its not a bunch of sugar powder that is designed to make the company money. Get whatever flavor you like!
So with all that said, here is an example daily breakdown:
4x meals (example here is all the same meal for easy calculating - chicken breast, brown rice, broccoli, a classic) - 553 calories total ( 6.2 grams of fat, 57 grams of carbs, 43.2 grams of protein) This totals to 2,212 calories. What about the other 1000 calories? I'm glad you asked!
The shake goes as follows - 300 calories from the milk, 150 from the protein, and about another 100-120 from the banana totaling about 550 give or take 50 calories. 2 of these a day and your there.
This will bring you right at your goal daily calorie intake. Since you only have 20 minutes for lunch, I recommend one of your shakes being in this slot. Get your food in the rest of the day and space out at least 2-3 hours from meal to meal.
Again its a lot, so slowly ramp up to it over the first month. Start by getting up to that calorie amount first, then replacing ONE full meal every 2-3 days with something from the spreadsheet, then before adding the 4th meal in add a protein shake, then the 4th meal, then another. This will slowly expand your stomach. after about a month you are going to get hungry on your own.
You dont HAVE to do this, you can wing it, but you wont see a lot of results, and this is the best way and you will gain a LOT of quality lean muscle if you eat this way and train using the program I sent. When I started my friends that hadn't seen me for 6 months were like holy shit! Downside for me, I figured this all out after I wasted a year winging it....
You will also want to track your workouts, because part of the training is slowly pushing yourself and increasing the weight when you can. To do this I used to use a free app called JEFIT. You can build out the program in there and keep track of the weight and reps you did. It will even calculate rest for you in between sets.
If you have any questions feel free to DM me. Don't bother spending the money on a personal trainer, you will need it for food and protein lol. If you get the form down by watching yourself in the mirror and watching how to do each exercise on YouTube, you will be good to go. Don't ego lift, do the weight you can do. Nobody really cares how much or how little you are lifting anyways, so best to worry about your goals and progress.
Don't worry about other supplements either. Protein is all you will need, and you dont even really need it if you can just eat the calories! its more so just a way to get easy calories in. Get your food and water intake down and you will be good. Speaking of water intake, try a bottle of water with each meal (except shakes).
Good luck young Padawan! If you made it all the way here, please dont let me down by giving up. You can fucking do this. If I did it, you can! Also, it took me a long time to write this, so see it through and make me, but most importantly yourself proud! hahaha
| Item | Current | Lowest | Reviews |
|---|---|---|---|
| SSG Gold Standard 100% Whey Chocolate (EA) | - | - | 4.6/5.0 |
^Item&nbsp;Info | Bot&nbsp;Info | Trigger
| Item | Current | Lowest | Reviews |
|---|---|---|---|
| Optimum Nutrition Gold Standard 100% Whey Protein… | - | - | 4.6/5.0 |
^Item&nbsp;Info | Bot&nbsp;Info | Trigger
Deal link: Amazon
I just checked, I only see a deal on the biggest one. 5 pounds of protein powder for $55 instead of $85 here
Sorry, but since I don't know you personally, I'm not really interested in training together.
But, there's a lot of good (and bad) information out there. Here's a good beginner routine that I found for free online: free routine.
If you're looking for the one that I personally use, this is it: Jeff Nippard's Fundamental Hypertrophy.
Since you're a beginner, you really don't need to do a lot of volume to get gains. 3 or 4 days a week is more than enough and it'll allow you to get accommodated to the gym without burnout.
Ultimately, it doesn't really matter which program you buy/use. Just make sure that you include compound movements that target the major muscle groups (squat, deadlift, bench press, overhead press, row, etc.) and are progressively increasing the weights over time.
Tips:
- For the first month or so, don't worry about weight. FOCUS on form. I personally recommend watching Jeff Nippard or Mark Rippetoe for learning how to do certain exercises. Just go on YouTube, type the name of the exercise, and then the name of the person. Ex: "How to deadlift Mark Rippetoe"
- For warm-up, I like to do 5 minutes of light cardio and then some dynamic stretching such as leg swings and arm circles.
- For post-workout, I like to do some dynamic stretching and mobility work to prevent injuries. Here's the playlist I use: Tom Merrick. I recommend the hip mobility, hamstring mobility and shoulder mobility videos.
- I like to use this app to track my workouts and progression, but you could also just use an Excel spreadsheet too. Strong app.
For protein, I recommend getting about 1 gram of protein per pound of bodyweight. There's a lot of good protein powders, but these are the two I use: ON Whey and ON Casein.
As for calories, I can't really say since I don't know what your body type is like. However, I am personally going on a lean bulk which is about a 200 calorie surplus per day. I'm aiming to gain about 1 or 2 pounds of weight per month. I like to use an Excel spreadsheet to keep track of my weight.
For me personally, sleep and recovery is the hardest part. I've developed some really bad sleep habits in high school that are pretty hard to reverse, but I still try to get about 7 to 8 hours of sleep a night. You don't need to be perfect, but even improving your sleep a little bit goes a long way. Remember, you muscles can't grow if you don't give them time to rebuild.
The key to fitness is LONG-TERM CONSISTENCY. Don't expect to see immediate results. Give yourself at least 4 years of consistent, hard-work at the gym before getting upset with your results.
Here's what you should expect:
- If you have good genetics for muscle building, you might get around 8 to 12 pounds of muscle in your first year.
- If you have bad or average genetics, you might get 4 to 8 pounds of muscle.
- Most of the weight you gain will likely be fat. When/if you decide to go on a cut (lose fat), DO NOT go on a crash diet. If you lose weight too quickly, you'll also lose muscle too. You should aim for about 1 to 2 lbs of weight per week.
The fitness industry will try to over-complicate fitness since it benefits them from a financial perspective. However, it's really not that complicated and as long as you put in the time and consistency, you'll see results. I included the most important basics, but if you want to learn more, here are a few good fitness influencers that I personally follow:
I use Gold Standard Chocolate flavor and it comes in a big ass bag at Costco for $40. It lasts me like 5-6 months 😂 leaves me with perfect numbers!
Hey OP, I bought this https://www.amazon.ae/gp/product/B000QSNYGI/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o05_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 a while back and it tastes great!
On days when I go to the office, I take a shake with me to have at around 11am because that's when I get a bit peckish before my lunch at 12.30. If I'm at home, I tend to have a shake sometimes on its own before dinner, or alongside it. I don't use it as a meal replacement in any way as I still continue to eat 3 meals a day and a number of small healthy snacks in between if I need to top up on my calories for the day.
I tried taking a shake once before my workout and I was still full from it while working out and it made me feel really queasy. I recommend having it only after you've worked out, as the protein really comes into play when your body is resting to rebuild muscle.
Today I ate a 3 egg omelette for breakfast. Just 3 eggs whisked with a little bit of tarragon, chives, and parsley. I ate a couple "lunches," including a tuna sandwich with a full bag of lays potato chips, and then about 3/4 of a bag of angel hair pasta with ~3/4 a 28oz can of homemade tomato sauce using San Marazno peeled tomatoes. I ate a couple "dinners," including this crazy good butter chicken and then a big frozen beef pot pie. Now I'm working on some brownies and a bit of Ben and Jerry's Americone Dream.
The point is, there is no simple answer for this. I simply cannot consume enough calories in a day. If I don't eat like I just mentioned, I lose weight (and today was a resting day). However, I prefer to eat real food over supplementing with protein shakes. That said, when I do throw a shake in, I usually prefer something like ON Gold Standard with a frozen banana, some walnuts, some unsweetened cocoa powder, and a little bit of cold brew coffee.
This brand is widely regarded as the best in quality and taste:
OPTIMUM NUTRITION GOLD STANDARD 100% Whey Protein Powder https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000QSNYGI/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_c.e-Bb6AVD31X
I put one scoop of protein powder into a blender bottle and fill it with water until it's almost totally full (maybe an inch of head room). I close the lid (making sure it snaps shut!), shake for maybe 30 seconds to combine, then drink.
Sometimes I'll add more ingredients, or use almond milk instead of water. Some people like adding berries or bananas, peanut butter, and/or chia seeds. Really, it depends what you're looking for: if you want a high-calorie shake that can replace your lunch, you might want some of those caloric ingredients. I usually drink my shakes for breakfast, so protein powder + water is enough for me!
Optimum Nutrition, been using it for 5 years now, both lifting and running. Does the job, cheap-ish, tastes well enough.
I eat my breakfast before working out. Eggs, bacon, pork, a little salsa. That usually gives me a little kick. Helps me wake up too knowing there's some good food waiting for me (I make the food in advance so I don't have to cook so early.)
Afterwards I have a whey protein shake I got in bulk on Amazon. You could actually do the protien shake with a little creatine powder mixed in before working out. That's worked well for me too.
I'm not a fitness expert so take that with a grain of salt, but it's worked well for me and it's reasonably easy.
5lb ON whey is $57 (link), which (I think) comes out to 39 grams/$1. Plus, no cooking, freezing, etc.
As far as Whey powder goes, I really like the taste of Optimum Nutrition whey in Double Rich Chocolate:
I see this recommended the most for quality of ingredients I would not distrust ON in their protein amount or such, I have also heard that it does not have the best taste.
http://www.amazon.com/Optimum-Nutrition-Standard-Double-Chocolate/dp/B000QSNYGI
As for me, I eat ALOT of chicken and mostly hit my protein goal off of chicken so protein powder is just if I have a day where I dont cook or such, I personally use Muscletech phase 8 Blend, It is very tasty protein powder I have heard it may be spiked with amino acids and not provide as much protein though, This isnt as big of a concern to me as I am on a cut and not obsessing over macros or such.
I almost exclusively use the ON Double Rich Chocolate.
protein powder? bruh.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000QSNYGI/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_awd_tuOdxbJRXZZPC
The only thing to worry is calories excess. A protein bar contains around 20g of protein but provides 331 calories. A whey serving provides 24g of protein but only 120 calories. (I am talking about Optimum Whey Gold Standard : http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000QSNYGI/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B000QSNYGI&linkCode=as2&tag=forgymgoe-20&linkId=7SHLWZLKPJRCLHWB)
I cannot consume enough proteins via my meals so I have to drink whey. I used to drink milk instead but it has more fat and calories.
Luckily, I don't need pre-workout supplement. My alternative choice is a cup of black coffee and it works terrifically. If you drink coffee or tea before workout, your performance will be boosted thank to caffeine (http://forgymgoers.com/coffee-as-a-workout-supplement/) . Most pre-workout supplements are caffeine-based actually.
The higher quality brands will mix a LOT better. You should definitely try Gold Standard Whey. There are a ton of different flavors to choose from!
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000QSNYGI/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_awd_xjzixb58AQW2A
Compare with amazon, savings of over $3/lb, so yeah.
The reason I asked all of these questions is to really get a feel for how familiar you are with fitness and what your daily routines are currently like.
First off, you want to lose weight. The best way to do that is through a mobile app called "Loose it". Enter your info and how much weight you'd like to lose per week (I put 1 1/2 lbs) and stay under that calorie budget. As long as you do that, you will lose weight (to make it even easier, you can scan the bar codes of foods you eat in packages, anything else you would Google nutritional info and estimate the weight or serving size. I use a $10 amazon food scale).
Secondly, it's relatively important to know that when you lose weight, you aren't necessarily losing fat. You could also lose muscle tone and become thinner. Sounds to me like you would like to be athletic, therefore muscular - which is where things get a bit complicated. When you are building muscle, you need to change your eating habits (refine them) a bit more and restrict them. If that is what you want to do, keep reading. If not, I've given you enough instructions on general weight loss - eat less.
If you are interesting in gaining muscle mass, you are going to need a gym membership. You can use a community gym as long as it has WEIGHTS, that is very important. This would be the program that I recommend for you to follow in the gym. [http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/shortcut-to-size.html] you can Google any information you need to know about these lifts and his website (very credible) has a ton of instructional videos. Understand that lifting weights is hard on your body so please know that pain in your joints is NOT normal and you should consult a doctor (and/or use protective supports like wrist wraps) if it becomes cronic.
Nutritionally the key to gaining muscle definition is protein. Carbs (sugars) and fats are fine but your diet needs to have enough protein to maintain muscle. If you want to maintain muscle mass, you'll need between .7- 9 g protein x lb of body fat per day (adding up all of your meals), bulking (ie getting "ripped") requires 1-1.5 g protein x lb x day. Basically you're going to want to invent in protein powder, whey protein won't affect you being a vegetarian because it's dairy. This is my recommendation for protein powder [Optimum Nutrition 100% Whey Gold Standard, Double Rich Chocolate, 5 Pound, 80 Ounce https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000QSNYGI/ref=cm_sw_r_other_awd_TRuUwbK0XFYZX] it makes you feel weird at first, look up the info to see if you're interested in doing it.
Any questions so far?
I add a few scoops of protein and a spoonful of dark chocolate peanut butter to my 1.5, and I love it. Maybe you'll move on from Soylent, but this will make your remaining bags taste pretty darn good.
this is probably the best protein powder
http://www.amazon.com/Optimum-Nutrition-Standard-Double-Chocolate/dp/B000QSNYGI
hmm, I am seeing different prices.
gold on star for $58 and 74 servings http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000QSNYGI?keywords=whey%20protein&qid=1444501742&ref_=sr_1_1&s=hpc&sr=1-1
syntha 6 $42 for 48 servings. http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002DYJ1EC?keywords=whey%20protein&qid=1444501742&ref_=sr_1_3&s=hpc&sr=1-3
Also, just a note, I'll be buying this for protein:
and this for Creatine:
Are there any better suggestions especially in the creatine area? Mainly in terms of taste, lol, cause I figure they're all pretty much the same.
It may be a trial and error thing, my stomach doesn't like the vegetable-based powders (not saying yours is, just that different things will agree with different people). I like ON whey. If you have problems with other milk-based brands, give the paleo powder or a vegetable-based powder a shot. You could probably order a few sample sizes of any of the above before you commit to a tub, to be sure it won't leave you wrecked.
If you want to put on weight you should probably do proper power lifting, that means going to a real gym and doing a program like Starting Strength or Strong Lifts 5x5. Whey isn't anything magical needed to get strong, it simply is a great source of protein for low calories. This is pretty much the universally liked brand and flavor.
This is what I ordered which says it has 74 servings. So 37 days using 1 scoop twice a day, 74 days using 1 scoop a day.
It is an isolate. This is the one I ordered.
Nah, this stuff. It is powder, not a pill, and can be combined with water, protein shake, or just plain in the mouth.
5g (at once) taken at any point during the day. If you best remember to do it after workout, do it then. Creatine doesn't work until your body is saturated. 5g daily will get you saturated within 3-4 weeks. If you stop taking creatine you are no longer saturated and not reaping the benefits. 5g daily for as long as you want; no need to cycle.
>What kinda protein you recommend...Link preferred!
I make Soylent with double chocolate whey protein, and then I add a spoonful of Dark Chocolate Dreams. It's amazing, that's my breakfast and lunch.
I work out five days a week though.
>plain vanilla...only other option was chocolate
Bruh, peep the options from ON Gold...
Strawberry Banana is a real treat, imo
I just use either ON Gold Standard or I buy MuscleTech from Sam's Club. Anything is going to be fine, but I think you'd end up spending more for that depending on where it's coming from and how big you're able to get a tub of it.
Hey guys! I need your help
Big decision I have to make at the moment. My brother owes me money but instead he said that next week he’s gonna buy me ANYTHING from amazon (I think he won a large gift card or something). After much thought I’m torn on 2 things:
Should I get:
OR
A Girls und Panzer Nenderoid Tank from Good Smile
Things I considered so far: The protein costs more, but the tank is freakin awesome and I love GuP. And This would be my first major figure (technically) to have for my non-existent collection.
What do you guys think? I’ll do a post next FTF on what my decision was.
Happy to share!
In practice, I've found that I can basically control two meals a day. There are times where you end up at a restaurant that doesn't have ideal options, it's just not convenient, or even cases when I'm cooking with my wife and find that it's hard to make something that she'll enjoy while cutting out a lot of carbs.
Most days, I basically avoid carbs like the plague for the 2 meals that I can control, and then really not worry about it at all for the third meal. It's proven to be a really nice, sustainable balance for me.
Before I made the change, I'd have cereal or a reduced fat muffin for breakfast and maybe some fruit, a sandwich without mayo and a small bag of pretzels for lunch, a granola bar as a snack, then dinner of a chicken sandwich and whatever came on the side like fries or bread, before bed I may have had some low fat sweet item like frozen yogurt. At the time I thought "Look, I'm eating pretty healthy!". When I look at it now it's basically just all carbs, and very little protein.
With the change, here is a more typical day: Breakfast - 2 Egg Whites and 2 Whole Eggs Scrambled with some butter and Spinach. Protein comes from the whites, fat but also nutrients from the yolks, so this is actually tastes really good and is filling. I usually make a protein shake with one scoop of Protein Powder and some water. (http://smile.amazon.com/dp/B000QSNYGI) the 5 pound container lasts me 1-2 months, so you are in the range of a dollar a day there.
Lunch - I often have Peanut Butter (I buy the generic brand natural stuff that is just peanuts with no additives... cheap and delicious) and put it on a Carb Smart tortilla wrap. Cans of Tuna are also good if you are in to that sort of thing, and also have liked lunch meat. Some days I'll make Turkey Sausage or Chicken Sausage links. The ones I buy are like Feta and Spinach, again, just a generic store brand Chicken Sausage that is pretty good. If I'm out at fast food I'll look for a Salad with the fewest carbs and skip the dressing. The Farmhouse Salad from Potbelly without any dressing is amazing. Chicken, Bacon, Cheese, Eggs, plus the normal salad stuff. Really really good. Even McDonalds has the option of the Southwestern Chicken, hold the tortilla strips and dressing. Salad from Chipotle with salsa instead of dressing. etc. All really good options.
Snack: My favorite here is Quest Bars. You can find these in a lot of grocery stores, but both my Wife and I like them enough that I order boxes from Amazon. You pay about $2.50 a bar in the grocery store, or about $2.00 per bar if you buy boxes online. The Cookies and Cream and the Double Chocolate Chunk are my favorite kinds. http://smile.amazon.com/dp/B00FKVZJQY. Quest Bars are high in protein, high in fiber, and only have 3 net carbs. More than anything else, they taste really good. I eat these as snacks but also as desert. Some people will tell you this next part is wrong, but I actually keep a fair amount of dairy in my diet. Cheese, in particular. String Cheese has been great, but also eat pieces of block cheese too. You do need to be careful because it's surprisingly easy to eat a big hunk of cheese, but I like it. Lastly, I do actually like that Protein Powder that I shared above and if I'm looking for something more filling, I'll mix that protein powder with some Light Soy Vanilla Milk (you could use regular milk, too). I find that really filling and the Vanilla Milk with the Chocolate Powder makes a great combo.
Dinner: This is the meal I have a hard time controlling, so honestly don't spend too much time thinking about it. When possible, I sub a salad or vegetable in place of fries. I'll usually look at what the lower carb options are (things without a bun, or tortillas, things without rice, etc). Fish can be great, most chicken dishes, steaks or beef, pretty much anything. Like I say, though, if I've done well controlling the rest of my day, I don't worry too much at dinner and eat what sounds good.
I started following this strategy last July (so about 11 months ago) when I weighed 230lbs. My goal was to lose 15 pounds in 4 months by following this as well as exercising. In that 4 month span I ended up losing 35 pounds and ended up down to about 195. I've been able to maintain that 195-200lbs weight ever since, and that has been a mix of times when I was working out regularly, as well as times (like around the holidays) when exercising wasn't as easy. This has also held up when I travel for work (about 30% of my time) as well as when I'm home.
This definitely takes a little getting used to, and you will certainly find times where you are out and realize that it's really hard to find lower carb options, but it's gotten a lot easier over time and am really pleased with the results. Once again, I'm hesitant to just say that "Carbs are Bad" but I know in my case I realized that a HUGE % of my diet was carbs, and think that I'm now at a point where I'm eating a healthy balance of them.
Happy to continue to share or help, please don't hesitate to let me know!
Amazon is my go to.
Im just ballparking here, but by my math the cost is right about the same, per serving:
A 726g package of dried skim milk at WalMart cost $8 for 10 servings (68g serving size gets you 24g protein) at a cost of $.80 per.
A 5lb tub of ON via Amazon cost $58 for 74 servings (30g serving size gets you 24g protein) at a cost of $.80 per.
EDIT: I see you're in the UK so cost may differ.
A lot of people are saying calculate your TDEE, which is good. There's a few tools for that in the /r/fitness FAQ. But you also need to calculate your macros (fat, protein, and carbs). This is a good place to do that. Aim for these goals when you're mapping out your diet. Don't listen to the people that say you need 1g of protein per lb of body weight. .7g-.8g is definitely enough.
Fat ≠ bad. You need to eat fats. If you're having trouble making your protein requirement, get yourself a tub of whey protein (a lot of people recommend ON Gold Standard. And as other people have said, fruits and veggies are good; just make sure you have a balanced diet. Hope this helps, and check out the FAQs on here and on /r/fitness. There's a ton of useful information there on diet.
If you are referring to the price rising to $99-$109, just buy from Amazon. It's always in the $58 range.
http://www.amazon.com/Optimum-Nutrition-Standard-Double-Chocolate/dp/B000QSNYGI
Did not calorie count. Too much work and not really necessary with Paleo since it's REALLY REALLY hard to over eat fresh veggies and quality meat. You'll get satiated and stop. With baked goods and grain based foods, after a hard workout you can easily stuff your face at Cheesecake Factory (plate of pasta with cream sauce, side of fried appetizers and bread, dessert, and a couple refills of soda) until you're 2x your daily caloric intake. Try over eating lightly sauteed kale, heirloom tomatoes, 6 oz. ribeye, avocado, berries, and almonds/cashews. Paleo meals are far from bland or boring. If anything, they're kind of expensive.
Here's a ton of Paleo recipes: http://www.marksdailyapple.com/primal-paleo-recipes/#axzz3T7N9xblq
I never really followed any recipe or cooking method to the letter. And I was never super strict about it. Just used it for ideas to expand my shopping list of ingredients/components for my own menu.
Eating out is a bit harder. I realized that restaurant menus are created for profit margins and the general public's insatiable appetite for carbs. Meat and fresh vegetabls are just garnish to get you to fork over your hard earned money... for dough... calorie wise most of what you're eating is bread, pasta, rice/beans, and processed dairy.
Becuase I couldn't keep weight on, I was using Optimum Nutrition Gold Standard Whey Protein (http://www.amazon.com/Optimum-Nutrition-Standard-Double-Chocolate/dp/B000QSNYGI/).
I prefer this brand Optimum Nutrition Gold standard whey.
It is seriously the best tasting Whey you will find. The idea for using Whey protein immediately after a work out is to absorb the protein into your muscles as fast as possible. Whey is good for about 2 hours. Using it with milk or a slow digesting protein defeats the purpose.
Goddamn those are some amazing hips
/typical redditor
You don't look "underweight" but you could use some muscle mass. You probably need to do a "recomp" where you stay about the same weight but transition to a lower bodyfat %, this is done by eating maintenence calories while lifting heavy. That said, you might even gain a bit of weight when you put on the right amount of muscle, so don't be afraid of that. This is my go to example of why you shouldn't be worried about putting on muscle.
As for "Because I believe I eat a lot", you probably don't. Track your calories and compare it to what others have said here, I don't know about a BMRx1.8 I usually use 1.4, but you'll find what works best for you as you are tracking.
Just make sure you are getting plenty of protein in your diet. I think the recommended amount for active females is something between .6 and .8 grams of protein per pound of bodyweight so that puts you at 70-90 grams of protein/day and that can be tough for people that aren't used to eating that amount of meat, if you need to throw in some Optimum Nutrition 100% whey to get you there while you are transitioning to eating more lean meats, in reality a 5lb tub will last you for months, you might want to get one of the 2lb ones to start out with.
Here is a great smoothie resource with lots of recipe ideas
As for a protein power, Optimum Nutrition Whey is generally the best tasting, highest quality, most inexpensive protein powder and comes in many different flavors.
Ok bro, I'll do the math myself.
Average gallon of milk costs $3.50.
There is 161 grams of protein in a gallon of milk.
That's $0.021 per gram of protein.
You can get a 5 lb tub of protein for $35.03 (subscribe in the right column).
There are 3576 grams of protein in a tub, according to the nutrition label.
That's $0.0097 per gram of protein.
- Protein is over twice as cheap.
- A tub of protein lasts months - you'd have to keep buying milk.
- To get a scoop worth of protein from milk, you'd have to ingest 3 glasses of milk, costing you 474 calories. For protein, it's only one scoop and it's 120 calories.
You're looking at this wrong. I'm not suggesting you fulfill all of your macros with supplements, I'm just saying you use protein powder to fill the rest of your protein macro after you've eaten for the day. Buying chicken and milk and shit just for protein is stupid. And more expensive.
This was posted a few days ago, for a quick once-over on protein. As far as brands, the consensus seems to be Optimum Nutrition, but the one that I think is more pure and better is NOW.
edit - the NOW one that I use and reccomend is this, not the one I originally linked to. Guess that's what happens when I post in a hurry, my bad. The NOW has 27.9g of protein per 28g serving, where-as the ON has 24g protein per 30g serving.
Here's the article on the contaminants.
Direct link to table in article showing brand comparison.
Here's an Amazon link to purchase.
I don't have any ties to that particular brand, and there are other brands that also have safe levels. I linked that brand in particular because people have said it also tastes decent and dissolves well.
Overpricing is an understatement.
ON Whey on Amazon as low as $38.24 with subscribe and save (cancel subscription after ordering) and with Amazon Prime you get free shipping: ON Whey
ON Whey on GNC, ON SALE for $56.99, regularly $72.99 no free shipping: ON Whey
tl;dr After shipping, GNC is pretty much twice the cost as you can get ON elsewhere.
Note: Amazon Prime is easy to get for free for several months, it's peppered all over reddit.
EDIT: Looks like it is possible to get free shipping from GNC with signing up for their membership program. Not sure why you'd want a membership with those prices though.
I've been taking whey for years and I usually just take it by itself after a workout with water. Its been good enough so far and I haven't put much more thought into it. As far as carbs, I usually need it prior to working out than after, as it seems I need the extra energy they seem to supply me.
Anyway, I used to take the regular ON whey found here, , but have recently switched over to this natural formula of theirs. I like the natural one more because it seems to mix better with water and doesn't have that artificial taste after drinking it( from sweetners).
At amazon you can subscribe and get it for only $36.83 for 5 lb. Free shipping (prime or "super saver" shipping) too.
I have been buying these. They taste awesome and last quite a while.
This is probably one of the better whey proteins out there for a decent price.
This stuff is better.
Optimum Nutrition is good stuff.
Have you tried supplementing with whey protein? My fav is https://www.amazon.com/Optimum-Nutrition-Standard-Protein-Chocolate/dp/B000QSNYGI
Try getting protein in your diet. Supplements aren't needed. But if youre going to get a powder, go ahead with the optimum nutrition. The one the guy recommended is a Mass Gainer, you don't need that. Just get the WHEY PROTEIN. Here is the link on Amazon
This says that high levels of insulin block leptin too. Seems like keto/low carb in general are the main thing that's needed to reverse leptin resistance.
That sounds like a very structured diet. I've read lots about nutrient timing and from what I've seen it doesn't really matter much. I will look into sleep, time, and leptin response. That is possible, our body clocks do things according to the sun and not simply what we want.
Have you been measuring your ketone levels? Excess protein can turn into glucose, but I don't think 130g would cause that. Maybe if you were over 200g of protein. It's pretty confusing about when and why protein gets turned into glucose, it's dependent on a whole lot of things.
Yeah Whey can be pretty pricey, the stuff I have left over from my lifting days is milk whey but there is egg protein too, it comes out to about 75 cents per scoop of 24g of protein. It's nice for when you're in a time crunch or don't have enough meat available, though whey is never as good as eating meat/eggs.
I refuse to eat soy too, I think it's a wise move on your part. Feeling fatigued, grumpy, snacky on keto usually means you're not getting enough calories...so upping your fat intake usually helps with this too but as you noticed so can upping your protein intake.
P.S. I always salt my eggs before they go on the plate and don't break the yolk ;)
You'll notice that you recover much faster and get less sore if you eat some protein immediately (within ~20 or 30 min) after a workout. It doesn't have to be supplements or a shake, even some yogurt or some chocolate milk will help. After a workout, your muscles are broken down and looking to rebuild, and during this short period they will use any protein that you eat more efficiently than if you wait.
Personally, I drink a protein shake.
My university meal plan:
Breakfast: Two scoops of protein with 2 cups of fat-free milk. I use white chocolate myself.
Lunch: A bag of rice with butter.
Dinner: Microwaveable chicken, kinda like [this](http://www.perdue.com/products/details.asp?id=535&title=PERDUE%AE%20SIMPLY%20SMART%AE%20Original%20Grilled%20Chicken%20Strips%20(22%20oz.) in a salad with extra virgin olive oil dressing.
Snack/swap meal: Turkey sandwich on whole grain bread and butter.
I'm on a cut and I average around 2k calories a day and I lift or do cardio every day except sunday, of which I won't snack on that day. I absolutely freaking love rice. And the protein shake taste amazing. And it's all kinda cheap. Not the chicken, that's expensive, but worth it.
Popular alternatives to Optimum Nutrition Gold Stan...
Isopure Creamy Vanilla Whey Isolate Protein Powder with Vitamin C & Zinc for Immune Support, 25g Protein, Zero Carb & Keto Friendly, 3 Pounds (Packaging May Vary)
Isopure Unflavored Whey Isolate Protein Powder, with Vitamin C & Zinc for Immune Support, 25g Protein, Zero Carb & Keto Friendly, 1 Pound (Packaging May Vary)
