Critique needed

[FlyUSMC]

Obviously this is just one day, sometimes there will be other foods such as brown rice, nuts, venison, egg whites, etc.. but here's how today went, most days will follow this structure unless there are better ideas presented. Starting out with just over 3000 calories per day, and will adjust after a week or two.

9am: wake up, meal 1 (quick, hour before lifting)
1 slice whole wheat bread, 1 tbsp jelly, 1/2 scoop protein powder

10am: lift
Pre workout- 1/2 scoop protein, 1/2 cup grape juice
PWO- 1.75 cups grape juice, 1.25 scoops protein

1 hour later (12pm):
PPWO- 1 can tuna, 1 tbsp Miracle Whip Light, 1 "bakery roll" aka wheat burger bun, 1 slice fat free cheese

2pm: real meal 3
8 oz chicken, 1 whole wheat bagel

3pm: cardio workout
today was a light day, but non-lifting days are intense as I need to run fast...
right after workout- 1/2 scoop protein

5pm: meal 4
1 cup oatmeal, 1 can tuna, 1 tbsp light mayo

7pm: meal 5
1 cup broccoli, 2 tbsp natural peanut butter, 4 oz chicken

9pm: meal 6
1 slice whole wheat bread, 4 oz chicken

11pm: meal 7
1 cup cottage cheese, 2 tbsp natural peanut butter

I was shooting for the Harris-Benedict suggestion of 40/20/40 which would have been 305/67/305, came in at 312/61/297 and 3000cal, so not bad at all. Suggestions?

[Darkhorse]

10am: lift
Pre workout- 1/2 scoop protein, 1/2 cup grape juice

How does that make you feel during your workout? I tried it a few times and crashed midway through my workout using a high GI carb source preworkout. And any reason for 1/2 scoop of protein? I would go with 1 scoop protein and 1/2 cup oatmeal. So I'd skip the waking up and taking 1/2 scoop, and instead just take 1 scoop w/ oatmeal.

I was shooting for the Harris-Benedict suggestion of 40/20/40 which would have been 305/67/305, came in at 312/61/297 and 3000cal, so not bad at all. Suggestions?

Go create a FREE account at fitday.com and see exactly what your diet comes to. I think you may be under..

[FlyUSMC]

Actually I feel fine throughout the whole workout. I'll usually do a 10 min bike warmup, eat/drink, then lift. I'll try the low GI carbs earlier approach though and let you know if I feel any different. I like the idea of a lower sugar intake.
I actually just started an account on FitDay a few days ago, amazing resource. 3000 is too low, It would be fine if I didn't do cardio but I burn 300-600cal in exercise most days. I'm going to shoot for 3300-3600 a day and see how that goes.

Another question- I've seen people on this site told that too much of their protein intake is coming from powder. About how much is too much for a ~3500 calorie diet? It's a real cheap/easy way to take it in, so if I can get away with more without negative aspects I'd go that route.

[Shane2GSX]

Yeah I wonder the same thing. Is there a max % of protein that should come from powder or non-food sources?

If you limited it to 3-4 per day on a 3500 calorie diet, I guess it would be in the neighborhood of 10-15%.

[hrdgain81]

I know a lot of people say that you should be getting the bulk of your protien from real food, and they are right. But honestly if its between a shake, or not getting enough protien, take as many shakes as you need. There is no magic number, and you will find what works best for you, experiment with it a little and see.

[FlyUSMC]

It's not really a question of protein or no protein, just more of how much I can get away with.. As a college student it's a lot cheaper, nevermind easier to take down when you're not hungy From a scientific standpoint, why is it that real food is better? Is it the benefit of the other vitamins/enzymes/etc that come from meat?

[triqqey]

Originally Posted by FlyUSMC

It's not really a question of protein or no protein, just more of how much I can get away with.. As a college student it's a lot cheaper, nevermind easier to take down when you're not hungy From a scientific standpoint, why is it that real food is better? Is it the benefit of the other vitamins/enzymes/etc that come from meat?

When you ingest REAL FOOD your body must expend some energy for digestion to break down foods into their smaller parts (i.e. whole proteins break down into amino acids) so that your body can more readily absorb what you need. That's the whole theory behind eating many smaller meals throughout the day as this will keep your metabolism burning all day. Protein shakes, while delivering protein at a much faster rate, do not cause the same metabolic boost.

Also, humans have been eating whole foods for thousands of years and NOT protein shakes. You could get away with drinking protein shakes all day long and do fine if your metabolism allows it, but usually protein shakes are NOT recommended as meal replacements because you lose out on the small metabolic boost. Meats have lots of good nutrients in them, but the best sources of nutrients (aside from the best source of protein and the essential vitamin B-12) will come from vegetables and fruits. Plus, if you really want to you could find every known vitamin in the form of a pill.

So basically: stick to whole foods during your bigger meals and protein shakes in-between meals + pre/post workout

Hope this helps :-)