khyricat

umm.. I have put hypoalbuminemia down as a diagnosis a few times for dialysis patients and can think of a few other medical conditions that would cause this. But I can't see that being a concern on this forum. And honestly- needs for sports have been studied a lot, and no one needs huge amounts, but I do know some people who say 1.2 g/kg depending on how active someone is, which is still within the typical American diet for most people.

LAJ

That's awesome.

canklecat

Since this thread started I've finished those containers of Raw Lean vanilla by Nature's Science, and Go Lean vanilla vinyassa by Kashi. Raw Lean tasted better but it may be hard to find now and I'm a bit skeptical about the source. Kashi seems to be a reputable company.

Both were beany in flavor and texture. No amount of shaking or stirring helped the texture so I switched to the Shark blender. That, and adding some other flavors, helped the flavor and texture.

But both were gassy and there are some doubts about some vegan protein powders as complete sources, although Kashi's may be more complete. But due to the digestion issues I switched to whey.

After reading up on the many whey protein isolates I decided to try MyProtein Impact whey vanilla. It was highly rated by some reviewers. Comes in a resealable plastic/Mylar bag (the seal looks like Velcro type tape, rather than the familiar ziplock doodad). A few reviewers on Amazon complained their bags arrived split open but mine was fine. It may be a bit more delicate than powders in plastic jugs. I just filled a large empty yogurt container with the powder and put the rest of the bag in the pantry.

Tastes good, mixes easily in a shaker. I added a scoop to about 10 oz water with a couple of ice cubes, a spoon of Six Star creatine powder, shook it up in a hand mixer and it was ready to drink in about 20 shakes -- it was a bit thin, so use less water or more powder. And this morning I used some leftover cold coffee instead of water -- nice flavor. It's pretty sweet as is and won't need added sweetener. Has 18 g protein per 25 g scoop of powder. No digestion issues. I'll probably stick with whey, although I may try other brands and flavors.

Seattle Forrest

They didn't have the full fat Siggi's this morning so I resorted to Wallaby Organic Greek yogurt. 84 g protein for 880 calories.

shona

I have been reading through this thread because I need to add protein to my diet. I have a question about ingredients. I cannot take calcium supplements (don't process it properly). Most protein powders have added calcium. Once recommended in this thread lists calcium as an ingredient but does not list mg's. Does that mean calcium naturally occurs in the ingredients rather than being added? Thanks

canklecat

MyProtein Impact Whey Protein shows no calcium in the ingredients. Give it a try. It's one of the most highly rated. Not the cheapest, but not much more expensive. Mixes easily without lumps. Taste fine. Much easier to mix and more pleasant overall than the veggie based protein powders I tried earlier this year.

shona

Thank you canklecat. I just ordered some. I'll let everybody know...

wolfchild

Kaizen Naturals is a very good brand of whey protein and it doesn't contain any calcium.

shona

Thanks wolfchild. If I don't like the one I ordered I'll try Kaizen.

janejskelton

If you are the skinny guy then take the supplement.and I think organic protein is better than the supplement.My brother wanna take protein because he is a skinny guy.but his trainer told him to take protein after a 1-year workout.

shona

I'm a skinny gal who doesn't eat meat so I'm trying to get more protein.

Carbonfiberboy 

Whey protein is a milk product, and as such naturally contains calcium. The calcium is not added, since 100g of whey protein will naturally contain at least the MDR of calcium. Some labels may list the amount of calcium, which doesn't mean that it's added. Most people can't process calcium supplements very well, but calcium which is naturally a part of foods works fine.

shona

Carbonfiberboy that's exactly what I was wondering. Sometimes the way the label is written it looks like calcium was added and sometimes it doesn't. Thanks

canklecat

Yep, calcium is listed as an added ingredient on some of the plant based protein supplements I tried. I found those generally unpleasant, but not because of the added calcium or supplements. My digestion just can't handle legumes and pulses as a replacement for meat or dairy based protein. More power to folks who can, but I'll never be a vegetarian or vegan unless I devote my life to being a hermit.

And calcium and Vitamin D are added to some dairy products, but those are usually listed as added ingredients as well. I'm assuming that since it isn't listed on the MyProtein Impact Whey Protein, it contains only the amount of calcium normally present in whey.

EricT80

Try MRM Veggie Elite. I've others which blow my stomach up but this one is perfect imo.

Some to also consider about calcium is, from what I've gathered, is that the body, in order to process animal protein as it is acidic to the body, will pull calcium from the bones. In reality the calcium in whey, milk, cheese etc is pretty much a waste. It's also the reason why people-groups who drink more milk have more osteoporosis.

canklecat

That pop culture/health press theory has been disputed by researchers. From one PubMed abstract on the NIH site:
I suspect these reports mean well but misinterpret the data and how the normal human body eating a typical reasonably health diet is pretty much self regulating.

The real key to minimizing the risk of osteoporosis appears to be regular exercise.

wolfchild

When it comes to whey protein powders, it should have as little ingredients as possible and preferably no artificial sweeteners, the less ingredients the better it is. I don't like most whey powders, they are way too sweet because of chemical sweetener sucralose. I prefer unflavoured and unsweetened whey. I don't mind the taste as I always mix it with something else. One reason why I mentioned Kaizen Naturals is because they use stevia which is a natural sweetener and they also have unflavoured/unsweetened powders.

noglider 

@TimothyH, how are you doing with this?

shona

I don't eat meat and exercise a lot. I know I could use more protein.

Altimis

Shona, I have a solution for you. If you serious have problem with calcium (most whey will have trace of calcium so...)

You don't need whey to supplements of your protein counts.

You could just buy BCAAs supplements instead. We needs protein intake for Amino Acids so the body could use it to repair and build muscles. The most relevant amio acids is Leucine, Isoleucine and Valine. These 3 called BCAAs and building block for muscles.

BCAAs already in "Protein", we eat protein to get "BCAAs" so body could use it.

BCAAs usually expensive than Whey but that depends where you lives, in my country, BCAAs is cheaper than Whey.... so take a look your store nearby.

How to count BCAAs for Protein intake counts? Example: your daily protein was 150g, highest quality protein usually have % of BCAAs at around 20%, that translate roughly to BCAAs 30g.

If you take BCAAs 10g daily, you only need roughly 100g protein for daily intake. Its mean you need less "Protein" to hit your macro. (yep, you don't need to eat 1kg of chicken breast anymore, you could cut it down to 500g).

KraneXL

Yep, the best you can do is pick the one with the least amount. Labrada Lean Body has 300 mg./serving while Body Fortress has 126 mg. calcium.That would be ideal but unflavored protein taste ghastly.There's no real research on what is to much, and any harmful side-effects are still largely speculation at this point.

wolfchild

This is a very bad nutritional advice...Human body needs all the essential amino acids and not just BCAAs in order to be healthy and function at optimal levels... BCAAs are also a lot more expensive than whey powder and there is some debate as to whether they actually work or not. It's never a good idea to eliminate real food and substitute it with pills. My advice is to forget about BCAAs and use protein powder and get your protein from real food.

KraneXL

I'm pretty sure the assumption is to add the BCAA on top of your normal protein intake. However, you are correct in that BCAA are expensive and already contained in whey protein. The idea is that if you single them out they will be more effective. I'd estimate 3-5% and not worth the extra cost.

TimothyH

Thanks for asking Tom.

Overall, I'm down from 199 lb in mid-December and am now hovering between 170 and 171 lb on most days. Continued weight loss is a challenge and I'm not sure I want to loose more at this point. I've not been as scrupulous about diet as I had been and am just maintaining right now, allowing myself a treat after Mass on Sunday, a good Italian meal, etc.

The the point of this thread, casein protein has become a regular part of my diet. Right now I'm using Optimum Nutrition Vanilla but will go back to the unflavored Body Tech product when the current container is empty. I find the ON product too sweet tasting.

It is typically mixed with 12 oz Fair Life fat free milk and consumed after a ride. Occasionally I will have the same in the evening if I have been riding lots of miles and/or am feeling hunger pangs. It seems to help reduce carb cravings the next day. Much thanks to @Spoonrobot for this suggestion.

Average speed has increased a bit, typically 0.5 to 0.8 MPH and 1.5 MPH if I push hard on a given ride. The greatest measurable benefit has been Strava climbing segments. I've PR'd many of my favorite climbs recently. In general, riding is just so much more fun. Recovery is quicker and mileage has increased markedly. The weight loss is just what I needed to push training to the next level.

The downside is expensive gear which is starting to fit poorly. It can even be felt in my shoes. Further weight loss means I'll likely need new bibs and jerseys. A few ladies at Church have noticed too. At first they were like, "Oh, you are loosing weight!" and now they are like, "You are going to disappear!"

But yeah, overall it has been a very positive experience. I'd encourage anyone carrying a few extra pounds to buckle down. Leaving 30 lb at the bottom of a hill is a great feeling.


-Tim-

noglider 

Wow, that's fantastic.

I went from 178 to 153 by eating less junk and more protein. People said I looked too thin, but I felt fine. Now I'm back up to 170, and I'm happy about that, too, as I think some of it is in my arms and shoulders which I've been working on. I'm pretty scrawny up there. Another good thing about the regain is that I don't need to eat as frequently. Like you, I've also observed that protein does tamp down the cravings. I had to get smaller clothes, and upon regaining weight, my waist hasn't grown back much, so I think I'm doing pretty well.

I don't eat whey powder or drink milk or eat any supplements. I just eat plain old food. I've added red meat to my diet, and it seems to suit me well. My iron level is still low, so I should increase it more. And it does wonders for killing cravings for sweets. I inherited the low cholesterol gene from my father, so that's another sign that our genetics call for a meaty diet. I was meatless for years, and I think this is better.