T Nation

Protein Powder vs. Natural Sources

Supplements and Nutrition
#1

Hey folks,

Just discovered this site, great content that will keep me busy for weeks, but I wanted to throw out a few quick diet questions. I’ve been slowly getting into a workout routine, but my diet has been lagging, I’ve been eating far less than I should, so it’s time to get serious. I’m a pretty skinny guy, about 175 at 6’1." But hell, I weighed about 140 6 years ago (I’m 24 now). Anyhow, a few things I’m particularly wondering about.

  1. What’s the maximum amount of protein that should be consumed in one serving?

  2. Is there any harm (or am I missing anything important) if I try to get most of my protein/carbs via a shake, using whey powder and something like carbo gain? Hard for me to find the time to cook, so I’d prefer to use shakes as much as possible.

  3. I’m figuring I should start out with about 3000 calories a day, sound about right?

Much thanks for the wisdom and advice on this board, I’m sure these questions have been asked before, so feel free to point me to articles or other posts, or tell me I’m being lazy.

#2

[quote]skipperdc wrote:
Hey folks,

Just discovered this site, great content that will keep me busy for weeks, but I wanted to throw out a few quick diet questions. I’ve been slowly getting into a workout routine, but my diet has been lagging, I’ve been eating far less than I should, so it’s time to get serious. I’m a pretty skinny guy, about 175 at 6’1." But hell, I weighed about 140 6 years ago (I’m 24 now). Anyhow, a few things I’m particularly wondering about.

  1. What’s the maximum amount of protein that should be consumed in one serving?
    [/quote]
    I wouldn’t really say there’s a max amount one could consume. Just take your total daily protein intake and divide by the number of meals to get how much you should be eating. So something like 240g/6 meals =40 g protein/meal. Don’t worry if you over or undershoot.

The benefit of whole foods is that they’re more nutrient dense and digest slower. That’s why whole foods are often preferred to meal replacements.

Sounds about right. Stick to it for a bit and adjust from there.

#3

[quote]skipperdc wrote:
Hey folks,

Just discovered this site, great content that will keep me busy for weeks, but I wanted to throw out a few quick diet questions. I’ve been slowly getting into a workout routine, but my diet has been lagging, I’ve been eating far less than I should, so it’s time to get serious. I’m a pretty skinny guy, about 175 at 6’1." But hell, I weighed about 140 6 years ago (I’m 24 now). Anyhow, a few things I’m particularly wondering about.

  1. What’s the maximum amount of protein that should be consumed in one serving?

  2. Is there any harm (or am I missing anything important) if I try to get most of my protein/carbs via a shake, using whey powder and something like carbo gain? Hard for me to find the time to cook, so I’d prefer to use shakes as much as possible.

  3. I’m figuring I should start out with about 3000 calories a day, sound about right?

Much thanks for the wisdom and advice on this board, I’m sure these questions have been asked before, so feel free to point me to articles or other posts, or tell me I’m being lazy.

[/quote]

  1. there is no definate answer. much of it depends on how quickly the type of protien is broken down and absorbed.

  2. probably not, but it is smart to eat real food every day. powders miss a lot of other nutrients found in food. it isn’t all about protien.

  3. how much do you weigh, what are your goals and what is your body composition?