elSmoko, I applaud you in working out.
Please check out these resources for info about anything working out.
On Usenet: misc.fitness.weights An excellent, excellent newsgroup. I'd go there first for any questions. You've got the pros there.
Check out the MFW FAQ which is very good too.
Here
As for you questions i'll try and answer them here:
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consuming a oj shake of it directly after I drop the weights >>
An oj shake? What's that?
A smart way of ingesting your protein and kcals/nutrition is to have your protein shake ready to gulp down pretty much right after you finish working out. On your way to the car ... whatever.
Actually, if you intend on using Creatine eventually then I would suggest on workout days to have a serving of Creatine 1 hour before working out, at the end of your workout and then wait 15-20 minutes or so and then down a shake and then 15-20 mins later have a full meal. Something to that effect. You are doing three things here. You are introducing the Creatine during times of high absorption and bodily needs. Same with the protein shake after working out. Then the meal tops it off with a general nutritional profile a short time afterwards.
Getting into the gym and working out is one thing. But to do it well is to be prepared. Being prepared sucks if you are lazy or not motivated ... like I am at this moment with a wife and kid.
What I did for years was have this lifestyle.
During the nighttime I would make enough protein drinks to last me a day or two. I would use my powder, mix in a blender with water (not milk for me because I want to stay away from the extra calories and sugars and carbs). Instead I would mix in maybe 1/8 chocolate milk of the total volume to make it taste nice and not nasty.
Don't worry about chocolate milk. For working out it's fine and it's profile is similar to regular milk. If you are in a dieting phase I would cut the milk and just use h20.
I have Nalgene bottles that you can get at any decent outdoor store. I use either the half liter or the 1.5 liter bottles. They are very scum resistant and that's important because over time your protein bottle can get very gross. Especially if you are using milk fluids to mix.
I put the protein drink in the Nalgene bottles in the fridge. I usually worked out it the morning or right after work in the afternoon. I take my bottle to the gym and consume right after working out. When I get home and shower and all that then dinner is ready and that's when I consume my regular meal.
For the day I usually have a shake with breakfast or for a coffee break. I have lunch and if I have any left over not earmarked for working out or if it's not a workout day i'll have another one in the afternoon. I do my workout thing and then I have another shake let's say around 8-8:30 or so. Last thing I eat is a shake. Don't get into the habit of consuming high glycemic index foods like breads and all that - especially before bedtime. It's a double whammy because it's high in carbs which fills up your body when you don't need it - converts into fat. Also, the high glycemic index ensures a higher propensity to fat conversion than normal. When you go to sleep you don't need the extra energy. Snacking at night while nice to do is not good for you if you want to look like those guys in the magazines ... unless you have a particular bodytype or metabolism.
You should always keep your protein relatively high and your total caloric intake a bit higher than your maintenance levels. Considering that you beginning to work out that if you are consistent (ie: you're still working out after one to two months) your metabolic fire will increase and you will need to be more consistent with your intake and the quality of your intake.
You can tone it down on non-workout days but you still have to make sure that you are consuming enough. With regards to Creatine some people just take it on workout days. That's fine. But if you are consistent with your diet then that will do you more good than you realize.
The whole working out process to get your body stronger and better looking is like math or physics.
You have to be consistent and keep up with it otherwise you won't do well. It's all cumulative. Working out for a couple of weeks and then falling off the wagon for another couple of weeks won't help. Here and there workouts will just keep your body guessing and sore as heck. If you fall into this trap then you either have to shape up or do something else with your time ... like concentrating with school. I probably shouldn't say that because any kind of exercise is good for you. All i'm saying is that if you want to progress with working out then you have to keep at it.
Sorry about the lecture. Hope this helps and you can email me if you have any other questions.
Bill