My Peek into The Great Protein Debate

I'm sitting here delving into my high protein post-workout breakfast, and thought I'd share my latest muse.. Muscle & Fitness Hers Magazine.  I am an Oxygen Magazine fan at the core but I was procrastinating getting to campus last night and I grabbed a copy of M&FHers and a green tea at CVS to kill some time, and now I'm positively stuck on the idea of weightlifting and protein and shakes and when to drink the shakes and, and, Eek!.. It's no wonder people get all fired up over their protein - there are a lot of opinons out there.

If you haven't yet been seduced by my propaganda and free advertising and hopped on over to Livestrong to start tracking your food, or you just aren't feeling that site, M&F Hers has a sort-of similar food tracking system (under the 'Trainer' tab), and theirs comes with a "personalized" training program.  Most of the program components are free, but you of course have the option to fork over some monies to upgrade.  The freebie version is definitely worth giving a shot if you need to focus, organize, or get re-motivated, or if you just honestly don't know what the hell you would do with a dumbbell if you had one.

I told myself I wouldn't try to throw in too much fitness and exercise advice in here because I am by no means an expert on that topic, but sometimes - ok, usually! - nutrition and fitness are inevitably (and succesfully) intertwined.  I myself am entering week 4 of a self-inflicted much-more-planned-and-rigid-than-I'm-used-to exercise routine.  I truly believe  the saying that "the best exercise routine you can do is one you haven't tried yet."  So, if I'm out of my comfort range a bit, mostly figuratively and well, literally too I guess, it's probably a good thing.  Hence the addition of one full hour of swimming - in a bathing suit - in public - at the gym to which I belong.  I've come leaps and bounds and pounds since true terror at the thought of a swimsuit, but still.  I just learned, as of last week, how to go underwater without holding my nose.  I am so lame!  But Dr. Ben and Ed are doing a triathlon in August and their training schedule was contagious.  Their goal is to finish all 70.3 miles, mine is to wear a two-piece bathing suit as I cheer for them from the sidelines. 
P.S.  That is not me in the photo.  Not yet anyway. 

This morning, my workout schedule had me waking up early and hitting the treadmill for interval training before breakfast.  (The idea is that my body will burn up some fat as opposed to glycogen - stored up energy in my muscles - or any sugars I've eaten recently, because I hadn't eaten yet and I'd been fasting as I slept all night.)  I got through about 20 minutes of intervals and started to feel very yucky.  Round 1 hypothesis (further testing needed): I am the type of exerciser that needs to eat something before a workout, even if it's a little eensy bit of something.

Part two of today's plan included a brand new lifting session for Back, Chest, and Shoulders.  I mix and match moves from Oxygen magazine, old favorites, and moves from other magazine tidbits.  It's important  to keep your body guessing!  Today's moves were all courtesy of totally-likeable and huuugely-muscled 2010 Miss Figure Olympia, Nicole Wilkins.  She definitely kicked my patootey - well, the patootey of my back and shoulders.  i can already tell it was awesome. And fun too, because it was different.

Now for the fun and pertinent food-related part: breakfast!  After feeling a little lousy during the intervals on an empty stomach earlier, (though I had paused to eat some nonfat yogurt and half an apple before lifting weights), I was pumped for food.  I had simple Protein oatmeal and it was great.  If you're not familiar with it yet, (and you probably should be if you're going to be scrolling through nutrition blogs, because it's mentioned a LOT.) The standard recipe is very basic:

Protein Oatmeal
Heat .5 cup steel cut oats with enough water or small amount of milk to achieve desired consistency, then mix with 1 scoop protein powder.  Sprinkle with 1 tbsp ground flaxseed, if desired.
Approximate nutrition facts without flax (varies by protein brand, water vs milk, etc): Calories 270, Total Fat 4g, Carbohydrates 30g, Fiber 5g, Protein 34g.

It's a tasty, filling, and complex-carb and protein-packed post-workout meal to make sure I'm getting the most from my workout.  Many many weightlifting forums have many many protein pancakes, muffins, bars, cereal, and of course shake recipes.  It has nice carb sources to get your blood sugar back up and pumping, but it's really the wallop of protein that usually gets the publicity.

I'm still figuring out where I stand on the protein issue.  I definitely know that you need enough biologically available protein to maintain your muscles, not just build bigger ones, and that protein keeps you fuller longer.  (Aka, less snacking on random fluff.)  Some heavy protein supporters suggest ingesting 1 gram of protein per pound of body weight.  The FDA and their food pyramid recommend a much lower percentage.  I'm still on the fence.  I have noticed faster weight loss when my protein percentage is higher, but faster is not always better.  I don't want to trick myself into thinking I'm losing weight when I might just be losing water because I'm not taking in as many carbohydrates - because I was too full from the protein!  I dig the fullness and the amino acids, vitamins, and minerals, but I don't want to get carried away and become an anti-carb-ist or protein robot. 

Some reccomended protein-rich diet plans are just not feasible for real life situations.  I can't pause work at 2 pm to 'snack' on 3 oz ground turkey and 1 scoop protein powder.  This was an actual snack combination I saw in a recent heavy-protein diet plan - I understand that they don't expect me to blend them together and I agree that it would be a filling, nutritious snack, but how is this convenient?  We must keep searching for new options.

For the moment, the Great Protein Percentage Debate must rage on, as far as I am concerned.  I will keep an eye from a slight distance and relate any interesting developments.  I'll also keep you posted on my weightlifting/swimming/etc progress and whether or not I've gone whacko with turkey crumbles and almonds in my pockets and scoops of protein powder hidden in potted plants in my office.