Protein and weight gain

[GreenPisces]

Hello all..! I have always made some effort to exercise and stay fit in some form or other, but recently I've been trying to build a bit more muscle and mass. Not easy, as you other veggies will know. I tried taking some of those protein shakes but find my body isn't absorbing them very well.
Anyone know of a better way to gain mass that is vegan friendly?? Or even a good high protein shake/supplement (non-whey!).
Any help would be appreciated!

[Blue Plastic Straw]

The idea that you need lots of protein to build muscle mass is a myth created by the supplement industry. To build 20 pounds of muscle in a year you need 20 extra calories a day, four of those from protein. The important thing isn't to have lots of protein, it's to have enough energy to work out, meaning adequate calories, especially carbohydrates.

[epski]

Get about .5g protein per pound of body weight, and you'll be fine.

Also, go for 60% of calories from carbs, 25% from fat (you might be able to sustain a little more, but that puts your protein at 15%, which is plenty)

[zoebird]

yup, that's what i was goign to say. increase caloric intake. you do need protien, but not a diet based in protien.

also, as you gain muscle, you may gain fat. when you get to a certain weight/muscle mass, then you can go on a leaning-phase diet and exercise regiment that will help you maintain muscle while you loose weight. My husband goes through this cycle (bulking then leaning) every year. He's in a bulking phase now, which means he's increasing weight/muscle mass. he's at about 10-12% body fat. when he does a leaning phase, he goes to about 8%. he'll maintain that for about 6-8 months, then when winter comes to goes into a bulking phase until late spring/early summer.

[formicalinoleum]

Just like everyone else said, increase your caloric intake and start a muscle-building workout routine.

I agree with epski. His breakdown of protein/fat/carb looks pretty good. (I personally go for 20% fat and a little more each on carb and protein, but it's pretty similar.) And it's quite easy to get 15% and even 20% protein just through foods, by eating plenty of whole grains, legumes, soy products, and gluten. Seitan is very high protein.

[epski]

Yeah, lower fat is better, so long as you're getting high quality fats in your diet. I was erring on the side of caution here.

My breakdown, which I don't track daily (more of a reference), is 12% protein, 16% fat, and 72% carbs, though I must confess to adding a little extra protein at my early stages of starting to work out again. Once I'm back into my routine more regularly, I'll probably come back to something near what I have here.

But, to reiterate, you don't need a lot of protein. In fact, I'd say 20% is more than enough, and a LOT to eat depending on how many calories your diet is based on.

Mine's based on 3,000/day, which would mean 600 calories from protein, or 150 grams!!! Now that I can see being stressful in terms of trying to find and consume that many grams of protein.

Not sure if you're male or female (this is your only post, and your profile doesn't say), but women who are working out and looking to gain mass ought to be pushing 2500 calories per day, and men as many as 3500 calories. (despite my goal of 3000, I usually hit around 3300 -- better to budget low and go over)

Someone looking to consume 2500 calories a day will be well-served with only 15% of calories coming from protein, or 375 calories. That comes to about 94 grams of protein. I'd wager you'd be doing great with 90g per day. Now that is a lot of protein, but it adds up if you're eating mindfully and staying away from empty carbs and fats.

Damn. I didn't think it was possible to ramble on such a clear-cut topic. My bad.

[GreenPisces]

Hi Epski and the others, thank you so much for you replies. It does help me. To answer your question Epski, I am male. 32 years and around 120-130 lbs. I seldom fluctuate from that and find it really difficult to get much over 130. I have to start looking into my diet to adjust calories and carbs as you guys mentioned. Though being a good little vegetarian for about 15yrs, and vegan for half of that I will risk showing my ignorance here: can you demystify this a bit more? All the percentages have confused me, I never look at my diet that way. Can anyone just tell me: Eh buddy, eat 4 carrots a day!!
Some how I know it is not that simple.. :-/

[GreenPisces]

.. by the way I forgot to mention... I worked out my metabolic rate (BMR) to be 1430, and my daily calorie requirement to be around 2500. Does that help at all??

[epski]

It's not that simple. I sure can't plan your diet for you. I highly recommend that you look into nutrition if you want to be healthier and more fit. I worry you might be missing other vital nutrients, too. Please visit http://www.veganhealth.org (veganhealth.org) for more details than I can go into on that.

I will say that, at 2500 Calories per day and 130 lbs, you are looking at a base need of 65 grams of protein. That's right around 10%, which is par for the course. If you wanted to up that to 15% for the initial phases of your new work-out regime, that wouldn't hurt. that brings you to a total of (let's call it) 90g per day. Start looking at labels. Try to keep your diet low in overall fat, but make sure you're getting enough proper fats, like Omega-3s and Omega-6s. Figure carbs should be about 65% of your diet, and make sure they're mostly complex and not starchy carbs or vegan cookies like I'm eating now. :D

For 2500 Calories/Day, consume:

94g of Protein (1g/4C) = 15% of Calories
56g of Fat (1g/9C) = 20% of Calories
406g of Carbohydrates (1g/4C) = 65% of Calories

[GreenPisces]

i will have to start slow on that.. I doubt that I can stomach 94grams to start.
hey what are good sources of Omega-3's and 6's?

thank you so much. You are my guru! :smoke:

[epski]

Yeah, start off with the 65g first.

Here's a helpful table on ALA/LA oils: http://home.pacbell.net/epski/vegan/studiesnutrition/ALAandLAinPlants.tiff

You're welcome. I'm glad you found my ramblings helpful. I'm no nutritionist, but I've picked up a few things in college courses and my own research into the research out there.

[zoebird]

well, i can give a nutritional thing--i dietary consultation. i'm not a consultant yet (ie, i'm not certified yet), but i'm getting there. If you're willing to take it and realize that it's not a nutritionist thing, it's not a real consultation, and i won't be liable if it doesn't work or if you somehow go bananas, then i'm willing to give you some ideas.

just pm.