Eat more protein...

[Guest Snake McClain]

Anyone have advice. i'm trying to figure out how on earth i'm going to eat more protein. Like I don't know if i can physically put more food in me in a single day. And then do i have to keep that rate of intake for the rest of my life to maintane it?

I'm 187 now (down three pounds over last week but i'm pretty sure it's due to paleo) and i want to be in the 210 range.

Should i just buy a ton more meat and eat it over and over through the day?

[aj_rock]

Well how much are you eating now? Most recommendations are around 0.8 g/# LBM, so I'm guessing for you, optimum is around 130? As long as you can get it to around 20-25% daily calories-wise, you'll be fine.

[Guest Snake McClain]

I haven't been counting them. Mainly because I don't want to do the work. I think right now I should just eat some meat every couple hours. Right now I'm on the eggs and bacon for breakfast then either porkchops, chicken or steak with veggies for lunch and dinner plan. I'm figuring crank up the amount of times I have meat and that will help. I Just really don't want to count calories. My day is so busy with other things and my mind is pretty well stacked with information between studying for sciences and math to get into school and all this workout stuff plus trying to work at my job and all that it entails plus budgeting myself (somehow) to afford all this food multiplied by my family social life.....I just don't want to do the work so I'd like to just eat a ton and let that be that I guess.

I definitely am not getting the ratio you mentioned though.

[mediumrarephoto]

http://books.google.com/books?id=nbR80wOZGz8C&lpg=PT182&ots=CRfcvzJ06g&dq=daily%20allowance%20of%20protein%20being%20revised&pg=PT184#v=onepage&q&f=false

scroll down to recommended daily intake for athletes.

In general (from personal experience and from reading various sources including 4-hour body, active individuals (males) should aim for 1.5-2 grams per kg of body weight. you can do this buy supplimenting your diet with Whey protein for fast absorbing amino acids (best immediatly before or after workouts) and Casein protein as a source of slow absorbing protein (good for through the day). I just use whey protein spread throughout the day, and eat yogurt for casein.

[bigm141414]

Protein shakes for snacks? Almond and tofu for some non animal based proteins (as well as some variety). Substitute the veggies at lunch with more bacon?

I'd try and even it out during the day, that way you won't be over full or too starving.

[spezzy]

its hard to answer this without seeing what you're eating now.

[aj_rock]

2 g/kg is about the same as 0.9g/#

Trouble is, it's difficult to know whether you're eating the right proportions without looking at the general calorie intake. IMO, everyone should at least take a week or so to track calorie intake, JUST to make sure you're doing it right.

If you're still resistant to tracking intake, just pay attention to the package, cooking instructions, and serving by prepared weight. If your self reported diet is accurate though, you're probably getting enough protein, unless you're eating extremely fatty cuts of meat.

[Guest Snake McClain]

its hard to answer this without seeing what you're eating now.

About three eggs with say 3- 5 strips of bacon for breakfast (i used to not eat breakfast at all until last week).

Lunch = half a bag (or close to it) of frozen veggies and 1 or 1 1/2 chicken breast or pork chop. Same for dinner. And somewhere in the day i eat one or two apples or bannanas.

[Mama T]

i use this stuff instead of whey protein powder - pure protein, and not dairy. usually mixed in with milk, or you can mix it in with eggs and other meals for additional protein.

http://www.amazon.com/NOW-Foods-Eggwhite-Protein-Pound/dp/B0013OXDBU

[Guest Snake McClain]

i use this stuff instead of whey protein powder - pure protein, and not dairy. usually mixed in with milk, or you can mix it in with eggs and other meals for additional protein.

http://www.amazon.com/NOW-Foods-Eggwhite-Protein-Pound/dp/B0013OXDBU

What does it taste like?

I'd probably mix it with chocolate almond milk (my new favorite drink). Thanks btw.

[Guest Snake McClain]

I may have come across a problem folks..at least for the next few weeks I simply cannot afford financially to feed myself the amount I need to pack on weight. I ws looking at doubling my protein and meat intake per day and after going to the store I can see that this is not possible. it may not even be possible financially for me to do this anytime in the forseeable future...so...I guess I'm just going to work with what I have and hope that I can get the strength I need. bummer.

[macnip78]

Why are you solely focusing on protein to get your weight up?

Also, you can easily get your calorie count and protein up on a budget. You are just looking at the wrong meat. Chicken thighs and legs should cost you next to nothing. Same with eggs. 80/20 ground beef is cheap. You may just need a little guidance here. A major win in Paleo is not having to splurge on the expensive cuts of meat. Post up what you buy at the grocery store on a regular basis and we can help you out.

You're starting to tick me off. You're giving up again. This is like calling your push presses 'pathetic.' You have this huge dream of becoming a wrestler but want to quit at the smallest hiccup in the path. Your goal is impressive and ambitious, and accomplishing it would do you wonders, but it is going to freakin hard. It's time for you to start embracing this challenge and overcoming it

[Timmy M]

why not just go and be DEAD (Dozen Eggs a Day ) eggs are pretty damn cheap generally so can be better finically than meat, hard-boil a load for snacks and maybe have more eggs in the morning, make your breakfast a scramble and it'll seem like your eating less i find, if you feel like you can't eat anymore than there's only one thing for it really... man up and EEEEAAATTT ok not the best advice i've ever given but your stomach'll soon stretch to accommodate it

[Guest Snake McClain]

Why are you solely focusing on protein to get your weight up?

Also, you can easily get your calorie count and protein up on a budget. You are just looking at the wrong meat. Chicken thighs and legs should cost you next to nothing. Same with eggs. 80/20 ground beef is cheap. You may just need a little guidance here. A major win in Paleo is not having to splurge on the expensive cuts of meat. Post up what you buy at the grocery store on a regular basis and we can help you out.

You're starting to tick me off. You're giving up again. This is like calling your push presses 'pathetic.' You have this huge dream of becoming a wrestler but want to quit at the smallest hiccup in the path. Your goal is impressive and ambitious, and accomplishing it would do you wonders, but it is going to freakin hard. It's time for you to start embracing this challenge and overcoming it

Definitely not giving up buddy. Just not sure what to do. I am eating basically just chicken breasts every day. boneless skinless ones. I just don't have the money right now to eat as much as I'm thinking I need to to put on the overall size I need. I'm already seeing differences in my body and such from changing to this diet BIG time (when combined with weight lifting). As it stands I can't afford all that meat. I'm not sure but I think the chicken thighs and legs were about the same cost as my breasts but I'll go back and look to check on that for sure. Again. I'm not giving up. Just not sure where to go and deciding to work with what i've got and use that. Just being flexible.

why not just go and be DEAD (Dozen Eggs a Day ) eggs are pretty damn cheap generally so can be better finically than meat, hard-boil a load for snacks and maybe have more eggs in the morning, make your breakfast a scramble and it'll seem like your eating less i find, if you feel like you can't eat anymore than there's only one thing for it really... man up and EEEEAAATTT ok not the best advice i've ever given but your stomach'll soon stretch to accommodate it

Eggs are cheap. That is a fine idea if I say so myself. Dozen eggs a day...yikes. I'll give it a shot.

[Mama T]

why not add canned tuna to the mix? (Trader Joes sells good stuff w/ very little mercury content and it's usually only around $1). it's a good source of protein. and stick with more chicken breast than thigh, as it'll offer more protein content.

there's tons of ways around this. you do not have to break the bank, just analyze what you're doing and figure out how to adjust it.

[Guest Snake McClain]

there's tons of ways around this. you do not have to break the bank, just analyze what you're doing and figure out how to adjust it.

and this my friend is why i've started this thread. I will look into this so called "canned" "tunna". If that's what it REALLY is.

[macnip78]

Buy, skin on (you should be eating the skin anyway), bone in chicken thighs and legs. Should save you well over $2 a pound in chicken.

[mizvalentine]

Pretty much every grocery store carries precooked whole roasted chickens... I think at my local shop they're $6 each. You can get a lot of food out of that and you don't even have to cook it! Generally speaking, the less processed the chicken is, the cheaper it is. So if you're not afraid of cooking a whole bird (and you shouldn't be, its easy) price out whole chickens. You can get those as low as $.59/lb. Wings, legs and split breasts (with the bone and skin on) are always going to be cheaper than boneless skinless breasts, I guarantee it.

Its almost Thanksgiving...right afterward, turkeys and hams will go on megasale. Buy them up, cut them in pieces and freeze them!

The aforementioned eggs, ground beef and tuna are a great suggestion. Cheap cuts of pork and beef are many and plentiful...look for whole pork roasts, pork shoulder, brisket, stew beef, skirt steaks, primal cut beef (these will be huge slabs of meat that look like the ribs Fred gets in the beginning of The Flintstones, vacuum sealed in plastic... get a sharp knife and plastic freezer bags and cut it into portions).

And good grocery shopping game goes a long way. They want you to not take advantage of the deals they put in front of you...don't let them take your money! Any one of these things will help; all of them together will make a HUGE difference:

- Glance over the grocery circulars you get in the mail; sales happen on approximately a 3 month cycle, and ALL grocery stores have meat sales weekly, but never at the same time on the same thing as their competitors. So the place you got a good deal on this week will not have a good deal next week, but someone else will.

- Subscribe to your grocery store's email list; many send out weekly store coupons for meat, fresh veg and dairy (coupons for these items are rare as manufacturer's coupons in the Sunday inserts).

- Make sure you have a grocery store loyalty card and USE IT, it makes a huge difference.

- And use Sunday paper coupons for everything that isn't meat... nuts, butter, oil, spices, cheese, toiletries, wraps and bags, cleaning products, dental care, paper goods, almost anything you'd buy in a drugstore--I rarely pay much of anything for these items and it makes more money for the other things I need.

[King_mob]

Realistically you only need 1.2 to 1.4 grams of protein per pound of bodyweight for optimal growth, 1 gram per pound is a fine starting point, so dont sweat it too much.

You're starting to tick me off. You're giving up again. This is like calling your push presses 'pathetic.' You have this huge dream of becoming a wrestler but want to quit at the smallest hiccup in the path. Your goal is impressive and ambitious, and accomplishing it would do you wonders, but it is going to freakin hard. It's time for you to start embracing this challenge and overcoming it

Agreed, but give the guy a break - it's the internet, it's the appropriate place to ask questions that may seem puerile to people who already have the idea cemented in their minds. Silly questions abound on messages boards, but it's a learning experience - they generally only get asked once.

[Guest Snake McClain]

Buy, skin on (you should be eating the skin anyway), bone in chicken thighs and legs. Should save you well over $2 a pound in chicken.

The chicken breasts i've been getting are $1.99 a lb. The chicken thighs or legs with bone in were about the same price I think. Again I'll have to go look but i remember looking at it and thinking the breasts were a better buy. could be wrong. I'll look again.

[Zorch]

About three eggs with say 3- 5 strips of bacon for breakfast (i used to not eat breakfast at all until last week).

Lunch = half a bag (or close to it) of frozen veggies and 1 or 1 1/2 chicken breast or pork chop. Same for dinner. And somewhere in the day i eat one or two apples or bannanas.

One suggestion would be to swap the bacon for something with a little less fat/more protein. Bacon's more of a fat source than a protein source, for typical cuts. But without knowing what your overall macronutrients look like, it's hard to evaluate. At least for breakfast, you're probably getting plenty of good fats from the eggs, so you might be able to do something lower-fat/higher-protein. A little ground beef in with the eggs works well for me(plus the bit of fat off the beef adds some nice flavor to the eggs, much like the bacon!)

[K Po]

Besides the idea of more eggs, I find shopping the supermarket sales is key at times. Also, trying to find a supermarket near you that has discounts on meat is another option. By me, Kroger discounts meats every day that are close to their sold to date, and I just stock up on those and freeze them until I need them.

[moabbound]

I'm thinking swap bacon for ham. A big ol slab o' ham should get you more protein than bacon. Just my thought.

[macnip78]

Agreed, but give the guy a break - it's the internet, it's the appropriate place to ask questions that may seem puerile to people who already have the idea cemented in their minds. Silly questions abound on messages boards, but it's a learning experience - they generally only get asked once.

Just trying to motivate and not let him get down on himself.

[Jon Umber]

Add whole milk and cottage cheese to your regular diet. For snacks rely on bacon and nuts (almonds). I add this stuff to my diet when I'm really hitting the gym hard and noticing a lag in my recovery. My life became immeasurably better when I removed the breakfast shackles from bacon and just started cooking up a few strips as a snack whenever I'm hungry.