How much protein do I need?

[Ben1974]

Hi all,

I'm doing really well on my training which I started in June last year. I have gone from 14st & 25% bodyfat to 12st2 & 17%bodyfat! So really pleased with my results so far. I train everyday in my lunch hour for 30 to 40 mins doing mainly heavy weights and low reps. I Hardly bother with cardio at all. My main goal is to build lean muscle and get rid of my flabby belly. The belly has shrunk quite a bit but is still not how I'd like it. Ideally I'd like my stomach to have some definition and eventually abs, at the moment I still have a little pot.

What I want to know is am I eating enough protein and if there is anything I can do extra to get to my goals. I did a little calculation last night and I worked out that on an average day I consume around 100 grams of protein. Is that enough?

I'm currently 12st 2 or 77kg. I've read somewhere that to build mucsle I need to have 2 grams of protein per KG, is that right?

At the moment my diet is like this:

Breakfast : Porrigde with skimmed milk, flax seeds and raisins.

Mid Morning: Sometimes I dont have anything but occasionally I'll eat nuts.

Training - I train just before lunch and have standard protein shake straight after.

Lunch - Usually something like Couscous with tune or Basmatti rice and chicken.

No afternoon snack.

Dinner: Pretty normal dinner as I eat with the family, so anything from chilli and rice to spag bol.



Should I maybe take another protein shake?

Also, I normally use promax, been wondering if its worth changing to cyclone? And does my routine/diet sound ok?

Any advice would be great !


Cheers

Ben

[Spanishdream]

The general consensus is to aim for 1g per 1lb of lean body mass, anything more isn't necessary but the benefit of protein rich foods is that they're satiating.

[nicklyne]

1g per 1lb of lean body mass

this



that is all

[Ben1974]

Thanks for the replys.

So by the look of it I'm well short of what is required.

Currently weighing 170 pounds, looks like I need twice as protein that I'm currently getting.

I can have another protein shake which will up my protein by 25g but I will still be looking for another at least another 50g.

Any suggestions of how I can safely add more protein without adding too much fat/calories? Should I be investing in some supplements?

[nicklyne]

Thanks for the replys.

So by the look of it I'm well short of what is required.

Currently weighing 170 pounds, looks like I need twice as protein that I'm currently getting.

I can have another protein shake which will up my protein by 25g but I will still be looking for another at least another 50g.

Any suggestions of how I can safely add more protein without adding too much fat/calories? Should I be investing in some supplements?

you also need minimum fat lol ..... 0.4-0.5g per pound of total body weight so you need 68g minimum having 0.4/1lbs

please read http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showth...hp?t=136691851

[Joehunni]

Thanks for the replys.

So by the look of it I'm well short of what is required.

Currently weighing 170 pounds, looks like I need twice as protein that I'm currently getting.

I can have another protein shake which will up my protein by 25g but I will still be looking for another at least another 50g.

Any suggestions of how I can safely add more protein without adding too much fat/calories? Should I be investing in some supplements?

Not investing in supplements, investing in chicken breast and tuna lol

[nicklyne]

Not investing in supplements, investing in chicken breast and tuna lol

maybe not so much tuna unless you want mercury poisoning

[Spanishdream]

Honesty, unless you want to burn holes in your pockets, I'd consider investing in some supplements. I'd say aim for 150g a day personally, for your stats. Getting that much protein from diet alone is going to be expensive.

[Joehunni]

maybe not so much tuna unless you want mercury poisoning

Umm maybe if it was the cornerstone of every meal, but I can't imagine a few cans a week having any negative impact whatsoever.

[nicklyne]

Umm maybe if it was the cornerstone of every meal, but I can't imagine a few cans a week having any negative impact whatsoever.

granted!

[elgatito71]

Honesty, unless you want to burn holes in your pockets, I'd consider investing in some supplements. I'd say aim for 150g a day personally, for your stats. Getting that much protein from diet alone is going to be expensive.

^^^^^^ very true!

[Ben1974]

With regards to supplements I'm currently using just one serving of promax a day. Should I be upping this to 2 servings a day? An extra serving is only 100 calories so its not going to make any difference to my weight but I'll get an extra 25g of protein. Maybe I should be taking something like caesin before I go to bed? Or just go the natural way with whole foods?

Also I was thinking about trying Maximuscle Cyclone or something similar, are they anygood or just a marketing fad? I like the idea of getting creatine and other nutrients to aid muscle growth.