Low carbohydrate - high protien shake

[pj7]

I was speaking with my family doctor his morning about me starting the atkins diet, tomorrow is going to be day one. We were talking about a weight lifting routine for me since I already get enough cardio from bicycle commuting roughly 25 miles per day and how to properly recover after the weight lifting. He mentioned to me that I really should get a minimum of 10g protien directly after the workout (15 being idea) and that it should be in the form of a drink since the protien needs to be intorduced as quickly as possible. Eating food would take over an hour for the protien to start working whereas a drink would start in less than half that time.
I've searched and found no recipes on here for a protien shake that would meet these needs. However, I have found a protien shake in the store that would seem to abide by induction rules.
It has sucralose listed for a sweetener and nothing else for that part. It has 15g protien and 3g net carbohydrates but has the usual marketing hype of "1g impact carbs", whatever that means... I'll stick with reading it as 3g net carbohydrates. The ingredients do not seem to conflict with the acceptable foods list so to me, it seems like a decent protien intake for the two times a week that I will be doing full body resistant training.

What input would the more experienced on this forum give? I know shakes are frowned upon for various reasons. But my doctor has recommended this to me and it would not seem to conflict, especially since it is only one shake in every eight days. (Yes, my life is based around an eight day week, odd enough as that is)
Of course if I notice some sort of stall or other issue I would discontinue their use. Or does anyone here have a recipe for a roughly 10g protien shake?

[julirama723]

Re: Low carbohydrate - high protien shake

I'm not sure how much protein you really need unless you're becoming a body builder. I find that I get enough protein (almost too much sometimes) by just shooting for a daily number of 30%. I strength train 3 days a week.

However...

You can make your own shakes using silken tofu and heavy cream. The silken tofu replaces the banana that's usually found in shakes or smoothies--it makes the drink very creamy. You can add a drop or two of flavoring if you wish, as well as sweetener. Just make sure to count any carbs from sweeteners and tofu towards your daily total. Cocoa is considered a spice and can be added as well. Count the carbs.

As you go up the rungs of OWL, you can begin adding peanut butter (rung 3) or berries (rung 4) for different flavor combinations.

[ValidRouge]

Re: Low carbohydrate - high protien shake

There is nothing that I know of that is *truly* induction friendly. Induction is two weeks (14 days), then you add more veggies in for a week or two, and then you add dairy in. On the dairy rung, you can add whey protein isolate in a powdered form that you mix to make a 'shake'. There are lots of brands that are sugar free. GNC has one, Wild Oats has one and there is another brand that I prefer, but I don't have the exact name of it handy right now. They are really tasty and don't have all the chemicals and sugar alcohols and such that the premade/canned shakes have.

I'd go ahead and do your induction and then move quickly up to the dairy rung of the Ongoing Weight Loss phase so that you can have it.

[ValidRouge]

Re: Low carbohydrate - high protien shake

Ahhh, good idea Julie, on the tofu. That would get the protein in and still be 'legal' during the induction phase and rung 1 of the Ongoing Weight Loss phase.

[WarOnTypeII]

Re: Low carbohydrate - high protien shake

Silken Tofu ? Is that the brand name or the "stuff" ?

Valid,

Whenever you get a chance, can you update with the name of the shake "there is another brand that I prefer, but I don't have the exact name of it handy right now"
I'd appreciate it.

Thanks

[julirama723]

Re: Low carbohydrate - high protien shake

Tofu comes in different "strengths" or levels of firmness. Usually it comes in "silken", "firm", and "extra firm". Silken is very creamy and smooth, almost like a thickened yogurt and it works great for smoothies.

[WarOnTypeII]

Re: Low carbohydrate - high protien shake

Cool Stuff. I love the firm stuff like in Chinese food, always have. Thanks for the info.

[not2late]

Re: Low carbohydrate - high protien shake

Eating food would take over an hour for the protien to start working whereas a drink would start in less than half that time.

Where did he get this information from? I'm only asking because unless the protein is predigested ("hydrolysed"), it would take your stomach acids the same amount of time to digest a protein molecule no matter if it's from a shake or from a steak.

[pj7]

Re: Low carbohydrate - high protien shake

Where did he get this information from? I'm only asking because unless the protein is predigested ("hydrolysed"), it would take your stomach acids the same amount of time to digest a protein molecule no matter if it's from a shake or from a steak.

I sort of took his word on it and never asked for facts of the matter.
He is my family doctor and his wife is a nutritionist, he competels on some body building circuit around these parts and appears to know what he is talking about, so I never questioned him.
I was on the website of Mens Health Magazine just a few minnutes ago doing some reading on this and the information I gather from there seems to support this, that drinking the protien is quicker than eating it.

[pj7]

Re: Low carbohydrate - high protien shake

I'm not sure how much protein you really need unless you're becoming a body builder. I find that I get enough protein (almost too much sometimes) by just shooting for a daily number of 30%. I strength train 3 days a week.

However...

You can make your own shakes using silken tofu and heavy cream. The silken tofu replaces the banana that's usually found in shakes or smoothies--it makes the drink very creamy. You can add a drop or two of flavoring if you wish, as well as sweetener. Just make sure to count any carbs from sweeteners and tofu towards your daily total. Cocoa is considered a spice and can be added as well. Count the carbs.

As you go up the rungs of OWL, you can begin adding peanut butter (rung 3) or berries (rung 4) for different flavor combinations.

Well, I am fairly muscular as is and his concern did seem more on the preservation of my current muscle structure.
I play hurling and football and have built a rather muscular body (bench press 210 x 15 reps, my one rep max was around 255lbs last time I did it and I could probably leg press a small volkswagon ) but I haven't worked out in a gym in almost a year. I've also packed on quite a bit of fat over the last few years. I have the muscle to aid in the metabolism of the fat but my eating habbits leave alot to be desired.

I like the idea of the tofu shake and never considered that, I will definately look into it.

[not2late]

Re: Low carbohydrate - high protien shake

If you don't mind, could you ask him what studies and references he bases this on. I'd like to look them up and read them.

[pj7]

Re: Low carbohydrate - high protien shake

My next apt. with him is in 10 weeks, if I remember to do so at that time I will, but I can make no promises, alot can happen to cloud my memory in 10 weeks.

To be clear on one thing that I left out, he mentioned a "whey" protein shake and not just any old shake, I forgot to mention that and to be honest it had slipped my mind until reading your post. He did say that "whey" protien digests faster than any other protien.

[Kawispice]

Re: Low carbohydrate - high protien shake

Speed of absorption of protein is increased by dextrose and decreased by fat. So after a workout ideally when building muscle, one wants fast absorption eg, whey powder drinks are good, at bedtime when one wants slow absorption of protein one adds fat, such as flax oil etc to slow protein absorption down.

I agree with the doctor's recommendation.... however... this is true in the muscle building stage i.e. weight gaining part of body building. When you are trying to lose weight, then you are doing aerobics more intensely, one does less actual weight training and thus less need for fast protein replacement.

You can either lose weight or you can build muscle. You cannot do both at the same time. Typically body builders lose weight through intense aerobics, then build muscle and gain muscle weight and then before competition for about 6 weeks go on a progressively decreasing carb diet to get the "cuts" muscle definition, one needs for competition.

[Kawispice]

Re: Low carbohydrate - high protien shake

Megs,

Body builders (the ones who win competitions) are rarely the academic type. In fact I really think that the degree of muscle they have is negatively correlated with their IQ... hehehe... maybe I am wrong about this....

Bodybuilders are interested in winning, that is their objective, they are not interested in theory, they are only interested in results.

[julirama723]

Re: Low carbohydrate - high protien shake

Well, whey protein is on the Dairy rung, rung 2 of OWL. So once you get there, whey protein will be legal for you.