Protein Powder Meal Replacement

OffalyMedic

Hi Guys.

Background: I've recently upped my gym time and have made a conscious effort to eat healthy in an effort to shed those last few pounds and to get fitter and healthier.

12 months ago I weighed 11st 11lbs and i'm 5ft 6". Today I weight 10st 11lbs (was knocking around 11st after about 3months). I played sport all summer but my diet was poor enough i.e too many treats, too many carbs etc.

With the last two weeks i've bought a gym membership and have changed my diet and lost 2-3lbs. Now i want to add protein shakes and supplements to help my energy levels and improve weight loss. So today i bought a weight loss bundle off MyProtein which includes

1. Impact Diet Whey
2. Thermopure
3. CLA
4. OMEGA 3 1000mg
5. Daily Vitamins


Goal is to loose 11lbs by christmas which i feel is realistic with the diet + supplements and gym/classes 4/5 times a week considering my job also involves me standing and walking for 9 hours a day.

Sample Current diet is:

7am: 2x weetabix
10am: hard boiled egg, 2x bacon medallions, low sugar low salt beans
1pm: soup/wrap/leftovers/quiche etc
3.30pm: fruit (orange,apple, melon, pineapple, blueberries)
6.30pm or 8.30pm depending on gym: Dinner- Lean Protein, vegetables and small few carbs i.e 20g rice, potatoe/sweet potatoe wedges 50g, 20g dry pasta etc.

Now after all that my question is when do i take all these in my diet and what meals do i cut out to put in protein shake so i will loose a few more pounds.

endacl

Keep the gym membership up, and use it. Walk every day. Eat mostly veg and fruit. Have oily fish at least once a week. Get plenty of sleep. Bin the gimmicks.

Job done.

Alf Veedersane

shaunac93 wrote: »

Hi Guys.

Background: I've recently upped my gym time and have made a conscious effort to eat healthy in an effort to shed those last few pounds and to get fitter and healthier.

12 months ago I weighed 11st 11lbs and i'm 5ft 6". Today I weight 10st 11lbs (was knocking around 11st after about 3months). I played sport all summer but my diet was poor enough i.e too many treats, too many carbs etc.

With the last two weeks i've bought a gym membership and have changed my diet and lost 2-3lbs. Now i want to add protein shakes and supplements to help my energy levels and improve weight loss. So today i bought a weight loss bundle off MyProtein which includes

1. Impact Diet Whey
2. Thermopure
3. CLA
4. OMEGA 3 1000mg
5. Daily Vitamins


Goal is to loose 11lbs by christmas which i feel is realistic with the diet + supplements and gym/classes 4/5 times a week considering my job also involves me standing and walking for 9 hours a day.

Sample Current diet is:

7am: 2x weetabix
10am: hard boiled egg, 2x bacon medallions, low sugar low salt beans
1pm: soup/wrap/leftovers/quiche etc
3.30pm: fruit (orange,apple, melon, pineapple, blueberries)
6.30pm or 8.30pm depending on gym: Dinner- Lean Protein, vegetables and small few carbs i.e 20g rice, potatoe/sweet potatoe wedges 50g, 20g dry pasta etc.

Now after all that my question is when do i take all these in my diet and what meals do i cut out to put in protein shake so i will loose a few more pounds.

First thing you should do us record your intake on MyFitnessPal and see what that is like.

I'm not sure what you're expecting from the supplements but it sounds like you think they'll be the difference.

The shake is just protein. It still has calories...about 130 calories. So it's not that the shake will help you lose pounds cos it's a protein shake. Your calories in vs calories put will dictate that.

Mellor

Swapping out a meal/snack for the equivalent calories worth of protein shake will have almost of effect of weight loss.
The fish oil and multivit will help you get enough vitamins and minerals. But won't really increase weight loss either.
The fat burner is largely benign,=. Probably caffeine, green tree extract, chili pepper extract. All in pretty low quantities, minimal to no effect.

OffalyMedic

Alf Veedersane wrote:

First thing you should do us record your intake on MyFitnessPal and see what that is like.

I have been and calories is around 1200-1400. 50%carbs 30% fats 20% protein.

I realise the shakes and supplements won't make me loose weight without hard work but according to reviews online they have helped others loose weight a small bit quicker or get rid of the last stubborn few pounds.

allym

Loosing weight is just making sure that you're eating less calories than you burn in a day.

Shakes and supplements won't help with that as others have said. However, if you're currently not eating enough protein, shakes are a handy way of getting more and eating protein tends to keep you feeling fuller for longer. So in that way it may help some people as they're not eating other things to keep them full.

But the basic idea is still the same!

Macy0161

I don't tend to find a protein shake made with water does much to keep me full tbh. One made with milk does, but then that's probably more than some of your other options.

I'd often get away with my only supplement being a scoop of protein in with my overnight oats (which is my breakfast of choice - equal quantities of porridge, milk, yogurt, scoop of protein, some frozen berries, and then sometimes with chia seeds or flaked almonds).

A shake with water with the fruit in the afternoon, and maybe one in the morning before the wheetabix is where I'd probably try and fit them in in that diet. As an addition rather than a replacement, if you need the protein). I've no experience of the other supplements, bar I take a multivitamen with one of my meals (normally evening) and a vit c tablet thing in the morning (no idea whether they're really needed or effective, but...).

the groutch

get rid of the weetabix, move the eggs from 10am to 7am.
bin the Thermopure & CLA.

OffalyMedic

So this is my meal plan for next couple of days. Please offer suggestions on where I could

7.00 protein shake
9.30 2x eggs 2x bacon medalions
13.00: Unislim Potatoe + Leek Soup
15.30: apple + miridian peanut butter
19;00: homemade Lasagne with lean beef mince and brown pasta.
20.30: gym
21.30 protein shake

omen80

For a start you should substitute the weetabix for porridge. Use cinammon and a small bit of honey if you need some sweetness. Weetabix is complete rubbish.

Small changes like that can make all the difference.

Alf Veedersane

omen80 wrote: »

Weetabix is complete rubbish.

It isn't really.

OffalyMedic

Day 1....started with shakes and supplements this morning. Weight yesterday was 10stone 11lbs.

Having filled out my diet plan on myfitnesspal this is what I'm having today.

Calories in: 1374
Calories Burned: 413
Water intake goal: 3litres
Protein: 156g 42%
Fats: 58g 36%
Carbohydrates: 80g 22%

Irishcrx

Are your calories in not a little too low? You don't want to be burning weight too fast either as this will start eating into your muscle and you want to keep that but lose the fat, you don't want to end up skinny with no muscle. I'm on a cut at the moment as well and finding it ok, I'm using a mix of intermittent fasting, I stop eating around 9pm and don't eat a solid meal again until the next day around 12pm I've never been big on breakfast unless I have to on a bulk so I skip that and substitute with coffee, Protein shakes are great to get the macros right and if your on the move a lot as substitude meals , as said use with milk for fuller feeling. I'm hitting around 2000 calories a day and losing 1 to 1.5 pounds a week, If I play football or train cardio during the week I slightly increase that day to balance it as I only want to be losing 1 - 1.5 per week not increase it. An example of what I eat is below and my macros are more a less spot on day by day. Remember if your drinking the weekend , that counts calories and sits on your gut try stick to No calorie tonic and gin or vodka and account the adjustment.

* 08:30am - Coffee
* 10:30am - Coffee
* 12.00pm - Brown bread sandwich , 2 slices of lean ham , boiled egg , low fat butter
* 12.30pm - Protein shake with low fat milk
* 1.00pm - Gym
* 2.00pm - Protein shake with low fat milk
* 4.30pm - Coffee
* 6.30pm - Lean meat (Chicken , Steak , Lean mince , Fish) with Potatoes , Whole pasta , veg etc
* 9.00pm - Protein Yogart/Multivit/Omega 3 tab

OffalyMedic

Irishcrx wrote:

Are your calories in not a little too low?

I'm not sure tbh...I put my details into myfitnesspal with my goals and they churned back 1200 calories a day to be eating

Irishcrx

Sorry I was assuming you were a guy , if a girl then yes that would be around right..

OffalyMedic

Irishcrx wrote:

Sorry I was assuming you were a guy , if a girl then yes that would be around right..

Yes I'm a girl forgot to say

Alf Veedersane

I've tried a couple of calorie calculators and your BMR comes in at the 1400-1500 calorie range

OffalyMedic

Alf Veedersane wrote:

I've tried a couple of calorie calculators and your BMR comes in at the 1400-1500 calorie range

Oh OK....I'll aim for 1300-1400 so

Zillah

Irishcrx wrote: »

losing 1 to 1.5 pounds a week

Oh man I could never cut this fast. Far too paranoid about lean loss.
(then again I'd only ever been going from fairly lean to very lean)

OffalyMedic

When ye say ye are cutting and bulking what do ye mean?

Alf Veedersane

shaunac93 wrote: »

When ye say ye are cutting and bulking what do ye mean?

Bulking is when someone is in a caloric surplus to provide fuel for building muscle.

Cutting is being in a caloric deficit to try and cut as much fat off whilst trying to maintain the muscle you built during the bulk.

Irishcrx

Zillah wrote: »

Irishcrx wrote: »

losing 1 to 1.5 pounds a week

Oh man I could never cut this fast. Far too paranoid about lean loss.
(then again I'd only ever been going from fairly lean to very lean)

I'm finding it ok , it's the first time I've been trying to get down to 10% and I'm around 15% now so just judging it by my lifts maintaining and their actually going up a little bit , if they drop I'll decrease it 0.5 - 1

OffalyMedic

Irishcrx wrote:

I'm finding it ok , it's the first time I've been trying to get down to 10% and I'm around 15% now so just judging it by my lifts maintaining and their actually going up a little bit , if they drop I'll decrease it 0.5 - 1

How do ye measure ye're body fat?

cptgav

Your (2nd) meal plan looks fine (protein in the mornings and after workouts). The key thing with when to take your protein is the caloric deficit accrued from the meal it replaces (meaning: the calories from the meal - calories from the protein shake = calories shaved off your daily caloric intake).

In terms of supplements, protein is the only one from the list I'd recommend if you're working out that often (maybe the multi-vitamin depending on how the diet goes). Fish oils are regularly processed, bi-products you don't want in your body (take Udo's oils or nothing). Thermogenics can help a little, but that is primarily down to the caffeine (as it increases metabolism and decreases appetite). CLA has no real research behind it, only theories that have yet to be substantiated.

Ideally you're looking for a combination of (relatively) heavy lifting and HIIT. Cycling caloric intake would also be useful, something like Intermittent Fasting can work very well if done right (though I'm a little biased as I've used IF for years to maintain weight for competing).

OffalyMedic

So two people have recommended intermediate fasting. Can anyone expand on what that is and how to do it?

Alf Veedersane

shaunac93 wrote: »

So two people have recommended intermediate fasting. Can anyone expand on what that is and how to do it?

It's just periods of fasting intermittently. Loads of variations but something like fasting for 16 out of 24 hours is relatively popular. In that instance, your eating is on an 8-hour window which some people find a way to help them reduce their calorie intake.

But ultimately, all it is is a tool to help you manage calorie intake.

OffalyMedic

Is two scoops of protein too much. That's what myprotein recommends but is it the same portion for guys and girls?

Alf Veedersane

shaunac93 wrote: »

Is two scoops of protein too much. That's what myprotein recommends but is it the same portion for guys and girls?

It'snot a case of what is right for guys / girls.

Ultimately it is calories and protein. Where are you in relation to your totals for both over the day?

2 scoops (with water) is ~250 calories and ~40g protein. Do you need two scoops?

Irishcrx

shaunac93 wrote: »

Irishcrx wrote:

I'm finding it ok , it's the first time I've been trying to get down to 10% and I'm around 15% now so just judging it by my lifts maintaining and their actually going up a little bit , if they drop I'll decrease it 0.5 - 1

How do ye measure ye're body fat?

I use a skin fold caliper it's the most accurate way. People go overboard on trying to explain how to use them and as a result most people stay away from doing it as it's too difficult but in reality it's a simple case of taking a 7 point measurement , 3 times from each location take the average number you get and do a few simple calculations and bingo , that's around your BF level...

Mellor

Irishcrx wrote: »

I use a skin fold caliper it's the most accurate way.

Even with perfect skinfold measurements (which is unlikely tbh), the formula you choose will give you different results.
It's really only a vague guide. The actually accuracy is irrelevant. One formula might say you are 13% and another 16%, but whatever one you choose won't affect your appearance. Some people just track the skinfold only.

Irishcrx

Mellor wrote: »

Irishcrx wrote: »

I use a skin fold caliper it's the most accurate way.

Even with perfect skinfold measurements (which is unlikely tbh), the formula you choose will give you different results.
It's really only a vague guide. The actually accuracy is irrelevant. One formula might say you are 13% and another 16%, but whatever one you choose won't affect your appearance. Some people just track the skinfold only.

Well what would you track?

To be honest it tells me if I am going up or down and in the right direction and that's fine..as always the mirror if your best friend..

Mellor

Irishcrx wrote: »

Well what would you track?

Skinfolds out of handiness.
That's essentially what you are doing with BF, when you stick to the one formula. An accurate conversion to a bf% is irrelevant imo.
and it's a waste of time if the formula isn't consistent

Macy0161

Is skinfold the most accurate in all circumstances. I'm accepting that I am probably skinny fat (and am hoping to address that), but having lost a substantial amount of weight I wouldn't be sure there isn't excess skin too. So skinfold, or scales in that case? I do already have the digital scales that claim to give bodyfat %, water etc. I only use them for weight though at the moment.