do i need to take protein supplements?

benb

Hi there, apologies if this has been asked before,

In the last year I have lost 4 stone. I used to take pre and post workout supplements as i did a lot of weight lifting. Following an injury I had to stop weight lifting completely so i took up running. This, with a decent diet led to the weight loss.

I'm now trying to tone up and have started doing weights again, nothing major but I've been doing a lot of core exercises, some weight and then my running routine. I usually run 5-7 km four times a week and then maybe 10km on a sunday.

My diet would usually be a wholegrain cereal or wheetabix with low fat milk, lunch might be an omelette/wrap/sandwich and then dinner is always meat or fish with salad and veg.

i don't wish to bulk up or put on weight again but i'm wondering for the amount of exercise i'm doing , should i start taking post- workout supplements
again?

Khannie

Are you finding recovery times a problem?

benb

Khannie wrote: »

Are you finding recovery times a problem?

not really with regards to the running, recovery has been a bit tougher with the weights but that could just be down to lack of practise

LJD10

You definitely need more protein in your diet. If you are a looking to tone up this means building muscle. Protein is needed to build muscle. So if you are not getting the required amount in your food I would definitely supplement with protein shakes. You will not bulk up unless you are doing some pretty hard core lifting along with some kind of mass gain diet, which I can see by your sample diet there you are not. I am 8 stone woman and I eat more than that My husband is a 16-17 stone power lifter and it takes ALOT of protein shakes and eating to bulk up..believe me as I do the food shopping

I can understand that it must have taken a lot of willpower to drop 4 stone but your calorie intake seems really low for the amount of exercise you are doing. So you should be careful not to eat to little either so you dont send your body into starvation mode as this can damage muscle plus slow your metabolism right down

Khannie

benb wrote: »

not really with regards to the running, recovery has been a bit tougher with the weights but that could just be down to lack of practise

I'd say bump the amount of protein you take in on the weights days then. Doesn't have to be a supplement, they're just convenient.

benb

thanks for your responses. another question, i know that carbs are a good source of fuel before exercise, 2-3 hrs before, but is it better to cut them out of a diet completely or do we need carbs just like we need protein? at the moment i've really just been cutting them out of dinner

LJD10

Definitely dont cut all carbs completely out of the diet. You need carbs also for muscle growth and not to mention energy. Just replace them with slow release carbs such as wholegrains, brown rice, etc. Cut out the refined carbs such as white bread, white rice, pasta etc.
I mean if you are looking for some really quick weight loss cutting out carbs will make you lose weight, just try the Akins diet for a week or two and you'll see that. But in the long term this is just not sustainable. Some people report that as soon they start introducing carbs again the weight goes back on . This could be down to the fact that any initial weight loss was mainly due to water. I read somewhere that for every gram of carbs you store you also store an additional 2 grams or something like that of water. So if you are restricting carbs I suppose it would make sense that you would lose water also...I am not scientist so dont quote me on that one

Khannie

benb wrote: »

is it better to cut them out of a diet completely or do we need carbs just like we need protein? at the moment i've really just been cutting them out of dinner

I would rather gouge my eyes out with a spoon* than run 30+K per week and lift weights with no carbs in.






*may be a slight exaggeration, but you get the idea.