# Counting protein grams



## TJohn (May 29, 2003)

I've read on some sites that you shouldn't count incomplete proteins from plant sources in your daily total when you're trying to gain muscle mass. Is that right?

TJ


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## Jodi (May 29, 2003)

I never do.  If I need 30G of Protein then I make sure that the 30G comes from the meats or protein powder I eat.   Everything else, additional bonus!


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## w8lifter (May 29, 2003)

I count it, because of the calories it provides, and as long as you're eating complete proteins at some point in the day, those incomplete proteins will be made "complete" (this is how vegetarians make complete proteins) ...that said, I generally don't eat a lot of other foods that provide tons of protein so it's generally only a couple of grams per meal, and I don't know how much of said incomplete protein is utilized.


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## Jodi (May 29, 2003)

But we don't count our veggies?  I don't even enter them into fitday.  I know broccoli has something like 6G Protein per cup but I never figure that in.


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## TJohn (May 29, 2003)

Yeah if I counted all my incompletes yesterday I would've been around 277 grams! I should be around 240 right now. I was just asking because I was concerned that I'm eating too much. They really do add up but if they form complete like w8 says..... I guess I am having too much.

TJ


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## Jodi (May 29, 2003)

This can't be right TJohn because from Day 1, DP and w8 have ALWAYS told me to never to count my veggies.  I'm wondering if she thought you meant from other sources (other than veggies) like nuts etc.  Those I do count but I've never counted veggies


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## Dr. Pain (May 29, 2003)

Well, somewhere we said if you eat a cup to 1 and 1/2 cups of veggies, or 4-6 cups of greens...don't count em...and specifically we were talking about the carbs, not the protein...(too difficult to seperate out)....Now with greater quantities...we suggested you count them...(I believe the last time this was mentioned, carb wise, was with asperagus in one of w8's journal's...lol)

The protein in oats, nuts etc, should be counted....esp since we count the foods, but the quality and assimilibility of the protein should be/or can be greatly discounted or ignored at the individuals discretion...except by Vegetarians...while these calories can not be!  (So everyone here is right...from a certain POV  )

Lyle ...makes a point in his writings to say that if you got 20 grams of protein from say bagels.....it is still Protein...and should be counted.

DP and w8 say....Don't fucking eat bagels


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## TJohn (May 29, 2003)

Well I was referring to proteins that come from pb and nuts too. They are incomplete right? Also, I'm talking for just gaining mass here too, not for weight loss or maintenance diet. I'll have to do some more research. Thanks for the help!!

TJ


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## w8lifter (May 29, 2003)

> _*Originally posted by Jodi *_
> This can't be right TJohn because from Day 1, DP and w8 have ALWAYS told me to never to count my veggies.  I'm wondering if she thought you meant from other sources (other than veggies) like nuts etc.  Those I do count but I've never counted veggies




Exactly what I meant


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## w8lifter (May 29, 2003)

> _*Originally posted by Dr. Pain *_
> Well, somewhere we said if you eat a cup to 1 and 1/2 cups of veggies, or 4-6 cups of greens...don't count em...and specifically we were talking about the carbs, not the protein...(too difficult to seperate out)....Now with greater quantities...we suggested you count them...(I believe the last time this was mentioned, carb wise, was with asperagus in one of w8's journal's...lol)
> 
> The protein in oats, nuts etc, should be counted....esp since we count the foods, but the quality and assimilibility of the protein should be/or can be greatly discounted or ignored at the individuals discretion...except by Vegetarians...while these calories can not be!  (So everyone here is right...from a certain POV  )
> ...



Well said, lol


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## TJohn (May 29, 2003)

> _*Originally posted by Dr. Pain *_
> 
> 
> The protein in oats, nuts etc, should be counted....esp since we count the foods, but the quality and assimilibility of the protein should be/or can be greatly discounted or ignored at the individuals discretion



Like people trying to gain mass on a bulk! Got it.

Assimilibility  not there's a word!

TJ


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## Dr. Pain (May 29, 2003)

Depends what esle is in the meal ?

Roger at Beverly gave me this analogy.....:

Imagine you are trying to spell the word STOP.  You have 45 "S's". 24 "T's", 1 "O", and 18 "P's"...How many times can you spell the word stop?

Well, amino acids are like this.....there are 8 essential, 9 if you count histidine...from which other aminos can be synthesized .....if you have a concern about incomplete proteins.....or only having 0-1 "O" so to speak..then you must either supplement with complimentary foods, preferably in the same or next frequent meal, or an amino acid supplement(within 3 hours for most aminos except l-leucine...7 hours)

DP


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## Jodi (May 29, 2003)

*Relieved*  I thought for a moment I've been doing it all wrong all this time.


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## w8lifter (May 29, 2003)

sorry for the confusion


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## Duncan (May 29, 2003)

*Incomplete Proteins and there compliments*

A complimentary pair are 2 incomplete proteins or food combos that make a complete protein meal, ie., you can count all the protein.  For simplicity sake, I also added typical food combos that may add a complete with an incomplete protein (IE Cereal and milk) resulting in a full complete meal.  Enough completes for you?

Cereal/Milk
Pasta/Cheese
Bread/Cheese
Grains/Beans & Legumes
Rice/Beans
Pita/Split Pea Soup
Tortillas/Beans
Corn Bread/Chili w kidney beans
Wheat Bread/Baked Beans
Chick Peas/Tahini(Hummus)
Tofu/Sesame Seeds

Now, you do not necessarily have to eat the compliments at the same meal, as long as you eat them in the same day you are fairly safe, but who the hell is going to keep track?  Anyway, this guide is more of a vegetarian's reference guide, but it can also be adapted for us normal folks to use.  As an example, say I eat Rice at a meal, as long as I have beans some other time that day, I can count the protein for both in my totals.

Most of this stuff was borrowed, without permisiion, from Nancy Clark's Sports Nutrition Guidebook.  Great Read


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