Cutting Weight and Protein Shakes

You know more than me, mate, I know the very basics. The way I've always tried to work it is to keep my food ratios at the same kind of level. 33/33/33 protein/carbs/fats. Also, a simple rule to eating healthy is just asking if you'd have direct access to that particular food without man-made intervention. You have direct access to animals and could slaughter one for food. Same goes for fruits. So in most cases it's most likely healthy. You do not have direct access to a kebab for example or sweets, they are man-made and full of ****.

Having a sweet tooth is just psychological. Don't buy any chocolate or sweets or whatever, then you can't be tempted to eat them. There's been times when I've been hungry, wondering around the house looking for something to eat, it would have been a chocolate bar but we have no chocolate in the house so I ended up having to eat fruit...

 

It's actually recommended that 45-65% comes from Carbs, 20-35% from fats (no more than 10% from saturated fat) and 15-25% from protein.

BB my advice would be basically the same as Virus', if you can avoid temptation for awhile it'll become easier, because it's a high GI food your blood sugar will spike, you'll crash and then you'll need another high sugar snack to get you feeling good again. So once you start it's a vicious cycle, gonna have to go cold turkey to break the addiction mate. I've been there with the chocolate bars so I understand your predicament. I've been clean for awhile now

 

But is that a guideline for the average guy or for an athlete?

 

That's the range for everybody, an athlete should be getting close to the 65% for carbs during training, if the athlete wants to lose weight they would lower their carb intake and increase their protein intake. The misconception that athletes need alot of protein is common, they need slightly more than the sedentary person but nowhere near the amount that some people consume, they're just opening themselves up for health problems. Noone ever needs a protein shake unless they're suffering from certain health problems. It seems to be a common thing in bodybuilding circles, saturate themselves with protein just to make sure. Not healthy people and unfortunately people just equate more protein to more muscle, you can only absorb so much and an athlete needs energy, should be looking at carb intake so the protein can do it's job, carbs are protein sparing.
Not directed at you mate, I'm sure you're aware of most of that. Just felt like giving a lecture :good

 

I completely agree with protein being overemphasised by everyone, Ylem's post is a good example. Want to build muscle? Have lots more protein! Hmmm. No.

 

I do find that protein intake has made a difference to my physique though- perhaps thats more to do with the exercise i've been undertaking.,

 

Who knows, maybe it does. Just because something is readily accepted doesn't make it useful. Hell, look at Purell and the flu shot.....

 

Recommended by whom?

As for the sugar thing, yeah, I can't keep any of that stuff in my house. I have friends who can have a box of chocolates that they can nibble on for a month, with me it'll last a day, maybe two...

 

By the 2005 dietary guidelines for Americans, it's what nutritionists worldwide refer to and all recent nutrition textbooks work off.

 

Make sure you are consuming all your daily vitamins, minerals, and water. Add some discretionary calories (foods for taste instead of health) in order to enjoy life and you'll be all right. There's no need to take protein shakes or even a multivitamin if you follow a solid diet.

 

that based on grams or calories?

 

Ratio of energy, so calories.