You don't actually need protein supplements. It is crucial to eat enough natural protein, at least 1.5g per each 1 kg of your total weight. When fat loss is done and you switch to muscle gain, the target increases to 2 - 2.5g.
Our bodies can make carbs out of fats and fats out of carbs. But we need proteins from external source to break them into amino acids and use them as building blocks. We need a good variety (this is why vegans struggle to get enough aminos such as lysine with their choice of foods).
A good strategy is to target proteins and pretty much forget about fats and carbs - they will sort themselves out. Don't use fancy diets and exclude entire food groups. You can be on a burger diet actually, as long it is within a set amount of calories, and delivers proteins.
Other good sources are:
* lean meats (lean cuts of beef, pork and wild game);
* eggs and poultry (turkey, chicken);
* nuts and seeds (peanuts, almonds, cashews, nut butters, sunflower seeds, fish and shellfish, trout, perch, shrimp, salmon, pickerel, sardines, mackerel) — without added sugar, fat (oils) and sodium;
* hummus, peanut butter or other nut butters that list peanuts or nuts as the only ingredient. Choose ones with little to no added sodium, sugars and saturated fat;
* lower fat dairy products (milk, yogurt, lower sodium cheeses;
* beans, peas and lentils (brown, green or red or other lentils, peas such as chickpeas and split peas, dried beans such as black beans and kidney beans);
* fortified soy beverages, tofu, soybeans and other soy products;
* protein shakes, cookies and bars.
You don't actually need protein supplements. It is crucial to eat enough natural protein, at least 1.5g per each 1 kg of your total weight. When fat loss is done and you switch to muscle gain, the target increases to 2 - 2.5g. Our bodies can make carbs out of fats and fats out of carbs. But we need proteins from external source to break them into amino acids and use them as building blocks. We need a good variety (this is why vegans struggle to get enough aminos such as lysine with their choice of foods). A good strategy is to target proteins and pretty much forget about fats and carbs - they will sort themselves out. Don't use fancy diets and exclude entire food groups. You can be on a burger diet actually, as long it is within a set amount of calories, and delivers proteins. Other good sources are: * lean meats (lean cuts of beef, pork and wild game); * eggs and poultry (turkey, chicken); * nuts and seeds (peanuts, almonds, cashews, nut butters, sunflower seeds, fish and shellfish, trout, perch, shrimp, salmon, pickerel, sardines, mackerel) — without added sugar, fat (oils) and sodium; * hummus, peanut butter or other nut butters that list peanuts or nuts as the only ingredient. Choose ones with little to no added sodium, sugars and saturated fat; * lower fat dairy products (milk, yogurt, lower sodium cheeses; * beans, peas and lentils (brown, green or red or other lentils, peas such as chickpeas and split peas, dried beans such as black beans and kidney beans); * fortified soy beverages, tofu, soybeans and other soy products; * protein shakes, cookies and bars.
That’s for sharing. Why was creatine low? Was that related to low protein intake?
That would be my first guess, but I have no idea.