Protein and carb shakes.

keithsfleet

Hi folks, just wondering if anyone can help me.
I've started talking a protein and carbohydrates shake, at the minute I'm only taking it an hour before I go to the gym which would be 4-5 times a week.
At the minute I'm 82kg and 6 foot 1 and would like to get up around the 95kg area but not in any rush, id like to see some results in around the next 4-5 months.
I'm currently fairly fit but with a slight spare tire and probably have about >5 kg of fat to loose.
My question is, am I taking enough of the shakes or should I take more? My daily diet is fairly good but with work its not really feasible to start eating chicken and meat for lunch.
In the gym id usually do 10minutes cardio and then 30-45 minutes weights and id focus on different body parts different days.

Any advice is hugely appreciated.
Keith.

thegreatiam

how much protein is in your normal diet?

you probably need around 160-190 grams of protein a day, so how much do you normally eat in any given day. If its less than 150g then have a shake or 2 to get the total up to around 180g. if you eat more than 180g then you dont need a shake at all.

keithsfleet

thegreatiam wrote: »

how much protein is in your normal diet?.

I'm not entirely sure, its something ill have to start checking. Thanks for pointing that out.
Is it the same for carbs or when it comes to carbs does it matter?

thegreatiam

yes, its the same for carbs.

your best bet is to use an online food diary, like myfitnesspal.com or fitday.com google 'food diary' and use whichever you prefer.

enter all of the food you eat into this diary for at least a week, be honest, don't cheat it enter everything!

after a week you can see how much protein, fats and carbs you normally consume in a week.

once you have those numbers you can see if you need to adjust your carb/protein/fat intake.

Your body needs all three of those things to function properly, in varying amounts, once youve got a grasp of what they are, what they do and how it affects you then you can worry about taking supplements.

Paddywiggum

in the mean time switch to having that shake within an hour of finishing your workout. try to have a healthy meal with some protein and slow digesting carbs 2-3 hours before the workout.

as greatiam says though, your overall diet is what will give you results.