I am SOLD on whey protein powder!! I used to work out a lot years ago. I was about 140lbs back then (18-20 lbs more than I am now). A couple of weeks ago, I considered myself much stronger back then than now.

--I used to do 70# on the lat pulldown, 2 weeks ago, I could only do 50#, Now- 70#!!
--I used to squat 70#, 2 weeks ago, I could squat 50#, yesterday I squatted 95# !
--I used to be able to do 20 standard pushups at once. 2 weeks ago - 10 (at once), yesterday - 24!!

I probably could have squatted #100 (that's definitely what I'll be going for next week, if not more), but I didn't want to add too much at once. I've added 45# on squats in 2 weeks. 2 WEEKS!! I'm so excited. I can't believe how much stronger I've become in such a short period of time.

Now, I'd followed weight training programs before, but I'd never bought into the diet part of it. Mostly because I used to be fat, and the diet-pigout cycle got me there--195 lbs at 5'5", at my highest. QUITTING diets is how I finally lost the weight. So, as I said, I've never been too keen on following a diet plan, even if it isn't intended to be a weight loss diet plan. But, what the authors of "TNRL4F" (see my 1st post) suggest didn't seem unreasonable at all. They have you calculate your calorie needs for workout days, and then non workout days. You eat at least 5 meals a day, and try to get 30% of your calories from protein. That's pretty much it, aside from the usual advice--avoid sugar and refined carbs, eat good fats, etc., etc. The carb-to-fat ration is up to you, but they suggest the 40-30-30 split. I knew I wouldn't be following the calories to the letter, as I refuse to count them. lol. But I have been getting a lot more protein--I have a shake with my whey protein powder almost every day, I always, always, have one after my workouts.

I'd knew that whey protein was supposed to be the best for building muscle, but I never knew it could make such a difference! In the past, I've lifted weights for many months without making the progress I've made in the last 2 weeks. Amazing!

This is now my breakfast of choice:

3/4 cup 1% milk (just because I only drink organic milk and it's hard to find in skim)
1 banana
2 tbsp peanut butter
1 scoop whey P.P.
ice
.....all blended together. It comes out to 460 calories, with 35 grams protein (30.4% of calories, 20 grams fat, and 35 grams carbs. A little high in fat, but it's the good stuff, and it keeps me full for at least 3 hours.