Happy Monday?
Like everyone I am not a fan of Monday, and I have recently managed to make my Mondays so miserable that I am gone from my house from 6:30 in the morning until 8:30 at night, with only a quick 15 minute stop at my house to eat a quick dinner before hitting the gym for spinning and my lifting class. It's pretty much torture. But at least I get it over with?
Why am I blogging then? Well- tonight I am skipping the spinning part of my workout because I have a bad cough and I'm afraid I'll have a cough fit mid workout (it could happen during lifting too, but I don't want to skip my lift because I just got into this lifting stuff!). So...I have time to blog. Monday's are still not my favorite.
Today was a wild day at work, all sorts of crazyness was going on around me and since I had a training session on Friday afternoon, I spent half the morning catching up on what I missed in my classroom. It may not sound like I would miss much between 11:30 and 3:30 on a Friday, but believe me, you'd be surprised!
But enough about Mondays, let's chat about protein. Specifically, are you getting enough of it? Although I have NEVER been into the low carb craze, I have always known the benefits of protein. Hey, anything that is going to keep me full for longer and help me eat less? I am on board. However, I've only paid a small amount of attention to how much protein I am getting versus how much I need. I am trying to change that.
Right now I am in the process of reading The New Rules of Lifting for Women by Lou Schuler and Cassandra Forsythe.
It's SO good. I promise to tell you more about it when I actually finish it, but for now I have to tell you one of my favorite parts is the discussion about what a terrible idea it is to cut calories. Yippee! No complaints here. One of the big reasons is that you end up getting less protein. When you are doing a lifting program (or probably even if you are not) this is a terrible idea because your body will start stealing the protein it needs (not the fat that you want it to steal) and without getting too scientific, this will not be good. In this book, it is recommended that you get 30 % of your calories from protein, so if you eat 2000 calories per day that's 150 grams of protein per day. That sounded like a lot to me (but believe me, they explain in detail why you need that much) so I decided to see how I'd do today:
Breakfast:
Bagel- 12g
Cream Cheese (1/2)- 3g
Egg Whites-12g
Snack:
Pretzels- 2g
Lunch:
Black Bean Pizza- 5g (crust) +1g (tomato sauce) +8g (black beans) + 1 or 2g for mushrooms and other veggies= 15g
Apple- none?
Snack:
Cheerios- 3g
Dinner:
Tuna- 13g
Sandwich Thin- 4g
Greek Yogurt (mixed with tuna)- 9g
Post Workout/Dessert:
Vanilla Greek Yogurt- 15g
Corn Flakes- 2g
And the grand total IS: 90 grams!
Wow, Lou (author of New Rules...) how in the world are you going to get me to 150? That was me putting in a serious effort to eat a lot of protein! Well, maybe not a serious effort- my dinner's sometimes include more protein but I don't have time for more than a tuna sandwich and some kettle baked chips. However, I also included some egg whites in my breakfast, and a greek yogurt post workout that I don't always have. Some major spots I think I could add more protein would be in my morning and afternoon snacks. But, seriously how many greek yogurts and egg whites can I eat in a day?!
How much protein do you think you get? Do you have any high protein snack ideas for me? I do have to be careful not to bother my stomach, but I'm open to ideas you may have :)
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I hope that you get better soon. It is no fun being sick!
ReplyDeleteI have never been into the whole 'low-carb' diet thing. I am a girl who loves carbs! Why would someone want to cut that out? It is no wonder you loose weight when you cut them out! But what about when you start eating them again? Yikes! I think the most important thing is balance. I don't deny myself anything. If I do, I just want it even more!
Do I get enough protein? I think that I do. I try to incorporate it into each meal.
Have fun tonight at your lifting class!
i have no clue how much protein i get, whoops! i do like milk and cheese and eggs and yogurt and meat... and nuts and beans... but it would be a good idea to track it for a week or so to see what my intake is like. good luck with your protein and i hope you get to feeling better soon!
ReplyDeleteI'm loving that book right now, too! SO good. And the calorie discussion was fascinating, I'd really never thought of it that way - working out more and eating less is like saying you voted for it and then voted against it. Totally makes sense though.
ReplyDeleteI actually did the first day of the lifting program this morning - Stage 1, workout A. My butt is sore, that's for sure!
I definitely don't get enough protein either - something to work on!
Hmmmm....I understand why they don't encourage cutting calories, but are they still recommending 2000 cal. per day for women? That seems like a lot, even if you are lifting. Just curious...
ReplyDeleteSounds like I need to check this book out.
ReplyDeleteI need to start paying more attention to the amount of protein I am eating - esp when I start training for my 1/2 & then full marathons this year. I know i don't get enough. I am starting to eat eggs for breakfast so that is helping, but other than that, protein is missing from alot of my meals...
hummus is one of my protein adds.
ReplyDeleteHusband & I can only get enough protein by adding in protein shake supplements. It's hard to eat enough otherwise!
Hm! I've never paid much attention to how much protein I consume. I'll have to count it up one day!
ReplyDeleteI LOVE Greek Yogurt, if it weren't for the hefty price tag I think I would eat it with each meal!
I got sick in college from not eating enough protein (and had to un-become a vegetarian!) so I am definitely all over my protein intake!
ReplyDeleteI might have to pay attention to what I eat tomorrow and see how much protein I get in. I am sure it is a lot less than I need!
ReplyDeleteI need to check this book out...once you finish it maybe?? lol. I hate lifting weights, but I need to get back into lifting...and soon!! Look at you goo!! Awesome :)
ReplyDeleteI'm not huge on protein. I eat some yogurt occasionally and maybe an egg per day. I know veggies have protein...so basically, I don't know how much I get- nowhere near 150 grams though! I should count it up one day so I have the answer :)
ReplyDeleteI have a hard time eating enough protein here...I know that for sure. I buy a protein powder supplement which I add to my oatmeal in the am and sometimes have a small shake after working out. I guess I also get protein in yogurt, cheese, and chicken, but not necessarily enough and definitely not everyday.
ReplyDeleteSometimes I get really into tracking what I am eating, but when eating becomes so scientific, I get really bogged down by the whole process and end up just wanting to enjoy food rather than constantly calculate. Have you ever tried thedailyplate.com? You can easily track what you eat and it shows a pie graph of calories from carbs, fat, and protein.
Protein is important, but I think people overlook that we do get a lot of protein in other sources besides meat. Greek yogurt, cottage cheese, beans, and even pasta all have protein. You don't need tons and tons unless you're a pro bodybuilder. It is important though. Thanks for raising the issue :)
ReplyDeleteI try to get enough protein but it is hard!
ReplyDeleteGood job on keeping up with your work outs even though it turns your day into a long one!
This book sounds interesting. I'm excited to hear more about it. I think 150grams is a lot, personally, and from what I know 1.0-1.5 grams of protein per kg is as much as you need. Anything more than 1.7 really does nothing. The 1.7 is reserved for those endurance or strength training athletes.
ReplyDeleteGreat diet plan you have written out! You could be a dietitian yourself!!! :) That's what I used to do all day.
I haven't recently counted how much protein I get, but I know that if I don't get enough, I get shakey....so I guess I'm doing okay. But 150 grams seems like a lot! I'd be interested to read more about what this book says. I've heard a lot about it, but have never read it.
ReplyDeleteI am totally intrigued by this book. That seems like an awful lot of protein. I wonder why the recommend so much?
ReplyDeleteAs far as running with music goes, I didn't start out running with music (20 years ago there were no ipods) and I find that it speeds up my pace or distracts me from zoning out. Its also hard to hear other people when listening to music and I've been ran into by other runners and cyclists enough times in CP to not want it to happen again. =)
I'll have to check out the yoga you suggested from Exercise TV. Thanks for the recommendation.
I have never heard of combining tuna and greek yogurt. Is that your own creation, or from the book? How does it taste?
ReplyDelete:-)
Oh woah, 150 is a lot!!! I'm definitely falling short... although I have no idea how much I AM getting. Great idea though to see how much you actually get in one day!
ReplyDeleteWhile training for fitness competitions I'm suppose to consume 200g of protein a day. At first it was hard, but now it's a breeze. In my blog under the 'Food' tab I have a bunch of recipe suggestions, but generally speaking you just have to sneak it into every meal/snack (if you're eating 6x a day you just have to make sure to hit 25 g with every meal). You naturally will probably eat less carbs because you'll be full. For example, replace your carb snacks with a protein shake/chicken breast, and mix egg whites or protein powder in with oatmeal. Protein powder is great for easily increasing protein intake because it mixes well with so many things (yogurt, cottage cheese, milk, oats, pumpkin, sweet potato, etc). Hope that helps :)
ReplyDeleteAnd here's the recipe link: http://nourishedfitness.com/food/fitness-recipes/
stirring in protein powder to your yogurt or dips?
ReplyDeleteEgg whites in cooking?
Protein powder + skim milk after a workout. I have a hard time even getting go 100 without it. I really like all the whey protein - they have a cupcake batter flavor! Yum! The chocolate is really good too. You can get a good price at www.bodybuilding.com
ReplyDeleteIt can be difficult to get all that protein in with just food products. You may want to add in protein shakes or bars to supplement. Great start though!
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