How are you getting your protein?

[mdg39518]

I was curious what your using to get your protein, if your going natural and just eating meat or taking a whey protein. If your taking a whey protein which brand are you using.

[jason1234]

ON 100% Whey.

[mdg39518]

Thats pretty cool I use the same stuff.

[Derek_7o2]

I get half my calories and protein from normal eating, and the other half by Weight Gainer 1850 and Protein 95, both are GNC brand. It's been working great so far, been using this stuff since the beginning of this year, weighed about 125 lbs and stood at 5ft. 9", and now I'm 155 lbs and at 5ft. 10".

[mtgman]

I drink two protein shakes per day (currently Pro Complex Gainer). I also eat a lot of egg whites, chicken, beef, and milk/dairy products (i.e. yogurt, cottage cheese, etc.)

[mdg39518]

That looks very good, what you think of Pro complex gainer.

[mtgman]

I like it so far. I'm trying to put on a few pounds and it's got a lot of good calories. I was on Cytogainer, which I liked because it has creatine in it, but it also has too much cholesterol. I'll probably go back to that in a few weeks. I just don't want that much cholesterol all the time.

[mdg39518]

I get half my calories and protein from normal eating, and the other half by Weight Gainer 1850 and Protein 95, both are GNC brand. It's been working great so far, been using this stuff since the beginning of this year, weighed about 125 lbs and stood at 5ft. 9", and now I'm 155 lbs and at 5ft. 10".

Thats pretty nice gain you did, thats like 25lb muscle gain.

[mdg39518]

I like it so far. I'm trying to put on a few pounds and it's got a lot of good calories. I was on Cytogainer, which I liked because it has creatine in it, but it also has too much cholesterol. I'll probably go back to that in a few weeks. I just don't want that much cholesterol all the time.

Looks good

[Derek_7o2]

Thats pretty nice gain you did, thats like 25lb muscle gain.

I'd say more like 23lb muscle, 2 lb fat, damn fast food, haha. Yeah, about a pound a week though, been hitting the weights a lot.

In general, I take my weight gainer shake roughly an hour before I work out, so I get the calories I need to burn, and than take my protein shake before I sleep.

[AcEofSpadEs]

I'm getting my protein by natural means. I eat chicken, eggs, beef, a little bit of fish from time to time, and a lot of dairy products.

[mdg39518]

Whats your workout like?

[AcEofSpadEs]

Right now, I swim for about an hour, run 5 miles 6 days a week, 4x20 4-count flutter kicks, 6x30 sit-ups. As for my upper body, I'm trying to develop something light since I'm just getting over a fracture in my elbow.

[kcwhite03]

hey guys i have something to say as far as nutrition goes. i haven't heard anyone on here talk about a night time protein. when you go to sleep at night you are "fasting." that's why when you get up in the morning and eat breakfast, you are breaking your fast. anytime you are trying to gain muscle you have to feed your body carbohydrates and protein. your protein intake should be anywhere from a gram to 2 grams per pound of bodyweight. for instance, lets say you weigh 150 pounds. if you are trying to gain muscle (assuming you are lifting weights) you should be taking in at least 150 grams of protein per day. everyone knows that hard work in the gym as well as PROTEIN gains muscle. protein is the backbone of muscle gain.
you should also be eating 6 meals per day. now that doesn't mean you go eat big heavy meals, and that also doesn't mean that you go load up on McDonalds. you should be eating LEAN meats such as boneless skinless chicken breasts, fish, eggs, etc. the best thing that i did was i went out and i bought a George Foreman grill. I LOVE IT! it cooks out the majority of the fat and still leaves the meat moist.
you also need lots of water. a gallon a day would be perfect. water is what moves nutrients throughout your body as well as raising your growth hormone levels when working out.
you need water, protein, carbohydrates, calories (if you are trying to gain weight), and a lot of hard work. and dont forget your vegetables and fruits. also one more thing. after you work out your glucose levels usually have dropped a great deal. drink a gatorade after your workout to restore your glucose.
if i can think of anything else then i will post later.

[kcwhite03]

anytime your body doesn't have food in it to repair your muscles then your body starts taking from other sources. the first to go is muscle because it takes to much energy for you body to maintain it.

i would say "stay away from GNC." that place is for the older crowd. go to Max Muscle and buy a protein called High 5. every single Max Muscle that i have gone into from northern california to southern cali, the person working at the counter is a professional bodybuilder whether its a female or male. the High 5 protein is called High 5 because it has five different types of protein so it takes your body five hours to digest. take this at night RIGHT before you go to bed. if you sleep for eight hours then your body is only fasting for three instead of all eight. if not High 5 then you need a casein protein or an egg protein i believe. also, take it with a glass of milk.

take care guys and good luck.

[Trident2010]

IMO you have to drink some kind of protein shake after you workout. You have about 45 minutes before your muscles will cool down after a good workout session. Food is good but may not digest in time, but a shake is already broken down and will go right to your intestine.

I drink a glass of milk with muscle milk after every workout. Also remember that you can only digest 40g of protein every two hours. So if you want to buy a protein powder make sure you are not getting more then that in one serving.

[kcwhite03]

i think muscle milk is okay but i think that it has too much fat in it and i believe the calories are also kinda high. this is being said if you are trying to get lean and burn fat.

[XD45]

IMO you have to drink some kind of protein shake after you workout. You have about 45 minutes before your muscles will cool down after a good workout session. Food is good but may not digest in time, but a shake is already broken down and will go right to your intestine.

I drink a glass of milk with muscle milk after every workout. Also remember that you can only digest 40g of protein every two hours. So if you want to buy a protein powder make sure you are not getting more then that in one serving.

Carbohydrates are more vital than amino acids after a workout....try mixing your protein powder with gatorade powder instead of milk which slows disgestion.

[amb51385]

I'm not trying to put on weight - but I try to stay around 200-205. (6'4.5'')
Food wise I eat eggs (2-4) for breakfast and about an hour before bed.
Generally I eat chicken for lunch and dinner is normally a pasta and veggie mix of some sort, combine that with about 1/2 a gallon of chocolate milk a day, 2 bottles of my work out stuff (cytomax), usually 1-2 GU's, and a handful of almonds and you have my died. I usually down ~2 gallons of water 4 days a week and 1-1.5 on the alternates, depends on what I'm doing.

I workout - a lot. I did the math one day and consumed about 5.5k calories, and in general, I have trouble keeping my weight up there. I have a distance race (ironman) coming up in 4 weeks and after that my training will shift a bit more towards calisthenic based excercises - 8counts and the like, however currently I spend the majority of my time in the water or on my bike, with 1-2 runs a day interupted with pullup/pushup stops at convenient places along my route.

In anycase - some guys that I ride with do the whey protein thing and have seen some nice gains on their rides and runs. The shakes are pretty discusting sounding... whatever amount of whey they throw in, 2 bananas, and 1/2 a cup of honey. To each his own I guess.

[rot111]

As my ONLY suplement is Protein, I really go for what I consider the best... Nature Best: IsoPure

I mix it with milk, bannana and oats...

[MeatHead08]

Carbohydrates are more vital than amino acids after a workout....try mixing your protein powder with gatorade powder instead of milk which slows disgestion.

Very true. During your workouts, your muscles burn off the glycogen that was stored in them. This also cause insulin levels in your body to crash. Post workout, you need both a fast absorbing protein source (IE whey) and an equally fast absorbing carbohydrate. Dextrose or Maltodextrin is perfect, but carbs like white bread, white rice and other high GI carbs can suffice. But dont use table sugar or fructose as a sub.

Carbs post workout go to replenish glycogen stores, spike insulin, and help to deliver nutrients directly into the muscles and helps with recovery. I like to get around 60-70 grams carbs with 40-50g protein and 5g creatine in my post workout shake... then followed an hour or two later by a high carb/high protein meal.

As said previously, milk slows digestion, so using it in your post workout shake isnt very beneficial. You can mix it in for shakes at other times, but it should be avoided post workout.

Now on to the OP.
I personally get protein from a combination of powders and foods. I eat chicken, lean beef, eggs, tuna and a whole lot of milk and peanut butter. I also drink whey shakes for breakfast, post workout, and for a meal after dinner. Now a lot of people think whey protein is some kind of magical supplement but it really isnt; its just food... a quick shot of protein. The brand really doesnt matter as far as effectiveness goes (its all the same), but some brands are cheaper and some brands taste better. I base all of my meals around a solid protein source and add a good carb source with it. For example, I have grilled chicken breast and then have a baked potatoe or some brown rice. Carbs are just as essential as protein because they provide energy for your body and keep your insulin at a steady level through out the day.

Peanut butter chased with milk is a great bedtime meal because of the unsaturated fats in them. They substantially slow your digestion to keep your body fed all night long. You can also make a protein shake and add a few tbsp's of olive oil to have the same effect.

[crod2487]

Meathead Ill take it you know your **** with diet, nutrition, training etc. But something bothers me or better yet boggles me when i read these forums on this subject. My main quesiton is although this information is helpful....how will this help anyone in their pursuit of the Trident? I eman yes ok you can measure your food ratios and all that percentage crap anally but the fact is it snot going to matter once your in Coronado. I speak regularly with several men who graduated 263 and they say the hardest thing was eating right. you only get a few minutes for chow 3 times a day and most guys will eat apples and bannanas while in line but after that they just eat anything and everything as fast as possible. this goes on liek thos for 6 months. I dont see how going anal on your diet is going to help when youll be eating like a vaccum cleaner for a year. IDK maybe im just ignorant but it seems like whatever you gain counting you carbs to protein to fats will be lost by the end of INDOC better yet in the middle of boot.

[MeatHead08]

because right now (pre-BUD/S) everyone is trying to get their bodies into the best shape possible, and the only way to achieve this in a timely and efficient manner is to have great knowledge on proper dieting. Once you are in BUD/S, you will be burning so many calories per day that all that really matters is getting enough calories in to just break even. But still, knowing what needs to be done to keep your body running at its peak will give you motivation to be sure to eat right.

[never-quit1221]

i've been hearing a bunch about "creatine" wat do you guys think???

[crod2487]

creatine? youll add alot of water weight.

[never-quit1221]

what do you mean...(sounds bad)

[Swifty]

i've been hearing a bunch about "creatine" wat do you guys think???

Don't use it. It's not allowed at BUD/s, so if you can't train now without it, what's gonna happen when you actually get to BUD/s?

[kmonty33]

Creatine is crap. Trust me. This guy comes into the gym I work at, he is a creatine hound, loves the stuff. Helps him get stronger he claims (all he does is bench press anyways) and his weight does go way up. He stopped taking it for two weeks, could barely do half the weight he used to.

Once you stop using it, it takes you back to where you started, maybe even lower. If you can't muster up the energy you need to complete your workouts with a healthy diet (provided to you at BUD/S -- no creatine, vitamins, etc) than you are in trouble. Train now how you will train at BUD/S so nothing will be a shock to ya and you will be better prepared. Creatine is an easy way out, something a SEAL never takes...

[kmonty33]

Just a side note:

I read on this site that if you want to use protein powder or vitamins at BUD/S you must have them cleared first. Most intsructors urge you to simply eat the meals provided, they will feed you adequately.

[MeatHead08]

Creatine is an easy way out, something a SEAL never takes...

You say this as if creatine is some magical steroid or something... its not. It will not make you magically lift twice what you normally do or anything like that. It is naturally found in the body and helps to supply your muscles with energy. Supplementing with it has been proven to improve strength, endurance, muscle mass, increase energy and reduce recovery time. The myth that creatine causes bloating and water retention is also false... the cells are volumized by the creatine drawing water into the cells, as opposed to traditional 'intercellular' water retention, where the cells are surrounded by the water.

It is one of the few supps on the market to do what they claim and have proof to back it up. Also, it is extremely cheap and gives good results for the money. All types of athletes can benefit from it: bodybuilders, powerlifters, runners, etc. There is really no need for it when prepping for BUD/S, but it certainly won't hurt.

[kmonty33]

Meathead, that is true what you say. However, they wont allow you to have it in BUD/S, so why use it at all? Once you got off the stuff you lose all that you gained. Its time wasted and a false sense of accomplishment.

Just train hard and eat healthy bro, thats all you need to do.

[never-quit1221]

thanks...i'm glad i didn't buy or take any
HOO-YAH

[crod2487]

I dont know if creatine something endurance should take. I dont see the point. A common side effect of creatine is cramping. Most of the cheap Creatine is powder mix. once you mix it with water it almost instanstly changes to creatinine which is useless. the only form of creatine that work worth a **** are kre alkalyne creatine (pill form) and or this other one but i forgot the name. the cheap stuff is just going make your skin look puffy. o yeah and you may add 10 pounds on your bench. congratulations. creatine has never been shown to improve anaerobic endurance only anaroebic strenght. meaning eve if you take 30 grams a day of this stuff it wont help you in your PST and or 4 mile run. I tihnk Snow could even agree with me on this one.

[montstar]

eggs, choc milk, whey, chicken, peanut butter, fish, clif bars, and who doesnt like a good steak.

[rot111]

ok so my Pst Wrkt drink is composed of milk + whey... after reading some posts, think it will be better to mix Gatorade + whey.

will see how it functions as a Pst Wrkt drnk

[kmonty33]

Yeah, I eat like a friggin horse! Tons of meat and rice and noodles and bread. Tons of veggies and fruits and 2-3 whey protein shakes a day. I feel energized all day with all the training, school, work, etc. during a typical day.

I seriously have one section of my backpack full of food and drinks while I'm at school. I get funny looks, but it is necessarry.

Go Natural!!

[AEDaniel]

Egg beaters are a pretty sweet source. Its all the protein of an egg without the cholesterol. Make a chicken and 'fat-free' cheese omelet and you're set!

[luta]

I also go to work and school (university of texas) and I pretty much eat lean cuisine, fruits, and lots of vegetable and i just recently did the screening test and pretty much follow the schedule. Would that help me put some muscle??

[borus96]

I eat a lot of chipotle. Eat a protein bar sometimes after working out then hit chipotle. It's healthy and good clean food. Nothing to special. Not to worried about gaining weight. I am 6 foot 165 and figure that is a good weight for both running and swimming. Worried more about making my muscles more dense. I eat when I'm hungry lol.

[artem0]

I was wondering, should I buy some protein powder or shakes or something?
I work out every day after school and run 5 days a week. I just try to eat very clean, eat meat, and drink milk. I don't take any supplements. I'm 15, so will they slow my growth or anything? Also, when should I take them?
Thanks.

[MeatHead08]

It surely wont stunt growth or anything. Protein powder is nothing more than food... just in a powdered form. It "supplements" your current diet with a boost of protein. It is very convenient, quick and the protein adds up fast for your daily requirements. I highly recommend it because most people think they eat enough, but they never do, so a little more protein in your diet will definitly be beneficial. Also, there is really no perfect time to take it... take it when you are hungry, when you havent ate in a while, or can make a nice post workout shake.

[artem0]

Does this stuff have a lot of calories? I've neve rhad it. I imagine you just mix a tablespoon or two with some water?

[bk0078]

this is all great that you guys are getting all this protein, but be careful. your diet is suppsoed to be 40/30/30. thats 40% carbs, 30% protein, 30% fats. stay balanced, i know the word FAT is used always in a negative connotation, but fats are needed for a lot of vital brain functions that deal with motor abilitys. here is a cool link for all you guys that want to know how much protein you should get- http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/topicoftheweek116.htm

hope this helps, even though i dont like to read stuff off of body building websites, its usually not the healthiest option (im a Kinesiology major and health minor so i know a bit haha).

bryan

[ChuckaZulu]

I order 100% (pure) Whey Protein in bulk at http://www.TrueProtein.com
It's around $8.00 a pound and mixes with anything. I'll mix it with grape juice post workout and milk before bed (slow absorption).

[nhpb1]

I'm all natural, meats and wheat bread etc. I'm 5'10 and ~140 lbs.

[guerrillawolf]

I prefer to get all of my protein directly through food, however if I'm on the run I usually use muscle milk.

[guerrillawolf]

this is all great that you guys are getting all this protein, but be careful. your diet is suppsoed to be 40/30/30. thats 40% carbs, 30% protein, 30% fats. stay balanced, i know the word FAT is used always in a negative connotation, but fats are needed for a lot of vital brain functions that deal with motor abilitys. here is a cool link for all you guys that want to know how much protein you should get- http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/topicoftheweek116.htm

hope this helps, even though i dont like to read stuff off of body building websites, its usually not the healthiest option (im a Kinesiology major and health minor so i know a bit haha).

bryan
I have to agree with this statement, people always think cut the carbs, fats, sugars, etc. when they don't know that things like sugar fuel the brain. Everything in moderation as Tony Sinclair says! That's how we Tangueray...