Hi there,
I’d be most grateful for your advice.
I’m training hard, eating healthy, and overall pretty satisfied with my results in terms of strength, endurance, and aesthetics. However, I’ve got some perfectionism issues 
To start, I’d like to increase my protein intake. So, for a 34 yo guy, 6ft 2in 215 lbs BFP about 12 to 15, how much whey would you recommend? At what times of the day would be the best time to take it?
I’ve been thinking of 25g 3 times a day, let’s say at about 11 AM, 6 PM, and before bed.
What do you guys say?
Any advice would be very much appreciated.
Thanks!
If you have perfectionism issues this sounds as a potentially unhealthy can of worms for you to open
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What you’re asking is way overthinking things. Whey is just a supplement, basically a food, and there’s not much anyone can suggest based on the info you’ve provided. How much per day and when is going to depend almost totally on the rest of your diet, when you eat, how much, and how much protein you get in through meals.
I like to have 1.5 scoops around my workout - usually during, but apart from that the only reason I have other shakes is to get my total protein up for the day, because I don’t eat a ton of meat. It has nothing to do with it being whey; it’s just convenience and if I get a lot of normal food in, then I have less shakes.
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I use 50g of whey hydrolysate peri workout: before, during and after (I lift around 5-6am) and once between lunch and dinner; around 75g total.
I do this for the sake of speed and timing. Other meals are solid “whole” foods.
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Thanks guys, I agree no one can give a strict answer. Thanks for your thoughts, it’s very much appreciated.
Do you know how much protien you get in now from your regular diet?
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I no longer use a protien supplement and generally consume 200+ grams of protein per day from food. At a current 205 lbs that’s more than enough according to some of the recent articles I’ve read that puts the optimal intake at between 0.55 and 0.82 g/lb bodyweight.
You don’t need to be too specific as to how much and when throughout the day, just space it put over 5 meals or so. The body takes about 36 hours to fully digest food anyways.
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If really a perfectionist get your wallet out and do this 
…
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Thanks for the link, very useful information!
These are impossible to answer usefully without knowing your current diet and actual goal. Otherwise you’re just throwing darts in the dark.
What benefit are you expecting from an extra 75g protein, versus 50 or 100? And why specifically whey?
Generally speaking, the best time for a whey shake is right around training, with some simple carbs. Beyond that, what and when you’re eating is a huge factor to sorting out the what/when for protein shakes.
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Sure, you are right. I haven’t provided all the necessary details.
My goal: increase muscle mass (currently at 215 lbs, 6 ft 2 in heigh, BFP somewhere in between 12 and 15, actually don’t care much about the BFP).
Current diet plan (I’m trying not to be obsessive with counting macros and things like that): protein-based diet with up to 5 whole eggs, cottage cheese, and milk for breakfast; 2 small to medium meals (e.g. chicken or turkey breast, vegetables, lettuce), rice or pasta in the afternoon, one large meal in the evening (e.g. 8oz steak, sweet potatoes), some snacks (almonds, walnuts, raisins).
Training plan: 4 heavy training sessions per week with the push-pull method (e.g. 260 lbs bench press, 300 lbs squat, not ass-to-grass though, 400 lbs deadlift, etc.)
I thought adding some protein powder would be beneficial, but it is also possible I do not need it at all, so I wanted to hear what you guys think.
Why not? Not only is your question nutrition related, macro specifically; but diet is the single most important thing that leads to positive results. You’re doing yourself a disservice by not “counting macros and things like that”.
While I’m a firm believer that one doesn’t need as much protien as supplement companies have lead us to believe; nor do you need to be obsessive about protien timing: it’s still important to keep track of your calories and macros, especially when it comes to keeping historical records.
How would you know what your need to change to reach your goals if you don’t know what you’re eating now, or what you were eating last week, last month or last year.
I keep track of everything: nutrition, weight, BF%, measurements. It has helped tremendously to compare current data/ results to historical data/ results and allows me to reasonably predict future results.
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Hi @Veteq, thanks for posting a thought provoking reply to my post…
Protein shakes would be beneficial towards that end because they’d add a few hundred quality calories to your daily diet. Most people find it easier to pound down a protein shake rather than a couple of boiled eggs, in terms of appetite and general convenience.
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