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7/15/12 11:41 A

Hi BILBY4
Just read your post from 7-6 ...... I completely agree!
I hear more people 'stressing' about the need for MORE protein! ........
I too have read articles in re: to "too much" protein ......... and for one.....
when you get too much protein .......... it THINS the bones ........ how
scary is that? .......... And I think I may start leaving out the expensive protein
powder from my morning green drinks! .......... (much waste--do not want on
my waist!) ............. Re the tracker and readout constantly me to "UP" my
protein .............. I ignore .............

current weight: 157.0

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7/15/12 10:51 A

www.foodmatters.tv/articles-1/top-6-plant-
based-proteins
a friend of mine shared this link with me just yesterday. I thought it was helpful.

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7/9/12 2:58 A

wow, DESERTJULZ 38 years vegetarian!! Now that's impressive, I certainly hope to be able to make that claim one day, fortunately my husband and his family have been vegetarian/vegans for most or all of their lives so I'm lucky to have the support here as well as at home. This may sound odd but it's hard for me to eat enough sometimes. I just don't feel hungry or I get way too busy and just don't so my problem is pretty much not getting enough of everything...so the smoothie is an easy way I've found and my husband usually makes for me to keep my body from going into that starvation mode from not eating, so far it's helping a lot and I'm losing weight because I'm eating more LOL.

The flax seed is something I'm going to definitely try!!! thanks so much for your veteran suggestions!

Edited by: 1MILLDOLLARBABY at: 7/9/2012 (03:00)

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7/8/12 10:31 A

I'm with you, SINCITYANGEL on the post-workout protein/fruit smoothie. Whey doesn't agree with me, and although I'm also vegetarian, not vegan, I prefer Garden of Life's RAW Protein. My smoothies vary a lot, but they always always always have RAW Protein, fresh-ground flax seed, psyllium husk, and spirulina as a basis. That slams in a nice 20 grams of protein, along with a nice start on the day's fiber needs.

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7/7/12 11:35 P

It sounds like you have an excellent plan worked out for yourself PETALIA...if that works for you and you feel good and are getting results more power to you!! In the end it all comes down to what our bodies tell us, we are all very different in lifestyle and health situations. I'm glad you have learned some new things that can also help make your life easier and happier!!

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7/7/12 11:30 P

Thanks everyone for all of your suggestions! Today I did much better meeting my protein goals. I was more intentional about making smart choices, not only calorie wise but protein wise as well. I also slightly decreased my protein goals on my nutrition tracker.

You all were a great help.

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7/7/12 4:52 P

Thank you BILBY4 for linking to the T-Nation article (I think.) Although it was informative and debunked many post-workout nutrition myths, after reading the whole piece I feel more confused. I had always heard that the post-workout meal window was 30 minutes. The writer says that the window is 24 hours and after a post-workout meal of solids, 'multiple post workout drinks' are in order. He says that a pre-workout meal is most important (I think.) He says many other things and I interpret that he concludes by saying many drinks ('fast' protein? Amino acids?), not one, are in order, as well that they should be of a particular nature (I think.)

In my own not so scientific life, I don't eat for the 2 hours before I practice power yoga. I don't eat any kind of sugar, including fructose, for the 2 hours following a HIIT workout (to allow the release of human growth hormone). Not to need to concern myself with a 30 minute post-workout window (which I have been doing as well) but rather to simply eat whole foods throughout the day is delightful. Not to fast before my early morning workouts is good news, too. When it all feels so complicated, I respond to the common sense notion of simply eating nutritious food before and after workouts. Nonetheless, yikes :)

Edited by: PETALIA at: 7/7/2012 (21:18)

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7/7/12 11:07 A

Well i personally love a protein smoothie in the morning after i get home from my workout....I find it's a different way to get the protein I do need in my diet...without having to eat a large amount or prepare or cook a lot....Plus mine taste like a yummy desert from the fresh fruit and other whole food ingredients....so I'm not tempted to attack the junk food or the processed junk that is way too easily available for those of us with busy lives and find themselves on the go.

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7/7/12 4:32 A

The reality is that protein synthesis remains elevated for a long time after a workout, in fact for around 24 hours. The post-workout protein snack being essential is just another myth. It's great for selling protein isolate powders, not so good for your body:
"Comparing research that used drinks consumed immediately after a workout (Tipton et al., 2001) versus those ingested an hour after training (Rasmussen et al., 2000), the results are surprising: it seems that post workout meal ingestion actually results in 30% lower protein synthesis rates than when we wait."

www.t-nation.com/free_online_article/sport
s_body_training_performance_nutrition/
the_top_10_post_workout_nutrition_myth
s;jsessionid=F2CBDD69438DDD7364311AA82
CB57173-mcd01.hydra

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7/7/12 3:57 A

you can find articles on topics on both sides of the issue. protein is good or bad...that is only a choice for you to make. It depends on your lifestyle and how active you are..I am very active, and my work involves a lot of strength training. it also depends if you are vegan or vegetarian....I think some people who post on here forget that this team is for both. I am a vegetarian...and I don't plan on becoming vegan any time soon. Protein is needed to help repair muscles so if you exercise a lot the lack of protein may hinder how fast your body recovers...if you are truly concerned, ask your physician the next time you are there. I use protein shakes very frequently, I make my own fresh however with fruits, veggies, and whey isolate powder I mix it all up with almond vanilla milk and it's usually my after workout treat.

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7/6/12 8:18 P

People in Western countries, even vegetarians, even vegans, don't suffer from protein deficiencies. It's far more common for people to suffer from diseases caused by excess protein. Like any nutrient, protein is toxic in excessive amounts.
There are any amount of topic threads here already that discuss why the Spark protein schmotein recommendation is set so high (gotta keep the sponsors happy!) and why veg*ns should ignore it. Eat a range of fresh healthy food and your protein levels will most likely be fine. Unless you are an Olympic weightlifter in training you probably don't need protein shakes.

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7/6/12 7:16 P

Mrslawyer - Keep in mind, that most vegetables contain some protein. You can get about 3.1 grams of protein from eating a Portabella mushroom, depending on the size of the serving. I use them as a burger alternative, and they are quite delicious. Also, you can utilize tofu as a protein source with 5 grams per 3 oz. portion.

Tofu is also a lot of fun, since it has little to no flavor. You can place a weight on the tofu and squeeze out all the water it was packed in, then add your favorite vegan/vegetarian flavorings, i.e. teriyaki, soy sauce, BBQ sauce, etc. You can BBQ, bake, fry or steam tofu for a wonderful selection and variety of tastes. There are so many sources of protein in the vegetable kingdom, you won't really miss out on it. Plug protein sources into your browser and you should have an amazing amount of information at your fingertips! Hope this helps!

Yours,
Jan C.

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7/6/12 5:00 P

I like what you said Nelle_Ramona .............. and I love to use Quinoa lately .......... Sound advice. Tkx. 2B./ jan

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7/6/12 4:17 P

There are lots and lots of threads and postings on this team's pages about protein. I'd recommend doing a search putting 'protein' in the query box.

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7/6/12 4:04 P

I'm not an expert, but I do know that the meat industry has caused everyone to overvalue protein. It is important, just not as much as most people think. I really don't believe that the minimum of 60 grams is necessary for everyone, but it would probably depend on your body's indvidual chemistry and level of physical activity.

Like Sandy said, if you're not vegan, low-fat milk and eggs are good sources of protein. Beans are definitely good for you. It's really easy to put beans in most meals too like soups, stews, casseroles, etc. (Natural) peanut, almond, cashew butters are good in small amounts. Whole grains usually have a good amount of protein, especially quinoa. Those along with tofu are pretty much my go-to foods for protein.

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7/6/12 3:27 P

Hello to everyone.

I love all the information posted here.
It is very helpful, as I am a very new "newbie" to this lifestyle as well.

Thank you.

Edited by: SANDY-TOES at: 7/6/2012 (21:12)

current weight: 151.0

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7/6/12 2:39 P

Hello Everyone,

I am a fairly new Vegetarian. I just started tracking my nutrition info on Sparkpeople and I realized that I am not getting nearly enough protein.

Any suggestions on how you guys make sure you are getting enough? Anything helps. Foods to eat or recipes? Also, do any of you supplement with protein shakes? If, so do you have a particular brand that you recommend?

Sorry if this question has already been asked.

Thanks in advance for all your help.

current weight: 184.5

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