Protein shakes for women

magretton

I have been doing a combination of strength training and cardio. I would like some help getting more lean muscle and am trying to get information about protein shakes. I'm sure my diet is lacking. Are pre made protein shakes helpful or should I try to make my own? Any suggestions would be very helpful. Thank you!

Hornsby

Protein shakes are a supplement. If you are not getting enough protein, a whey shake can be a cheap way to ensure you get enough. You should aim to get about a gram of protein per lb of lean body mass.

In order to get "lean" muscle (all muscle is lean, btw), you need a progressive lifting program and a calorie surplus. This is a general rule as there are some outliers. If you are focused on losing fat, do that. Worry about muscle later. Keep lifting, eat at slight deficit, get adequate protein to retain the muscle you have and lose fat. The quickest way to add 10lbs of muscle is to lose 10lbs of fat.

extra_medium

If you're trying to lose weight and retain the muscle you have, strength training and protein shakes will definitely help you hit your protein macro if you're really sure your diet is lacking in protein. There are a hundreds of types and just as many opinions about which is the best, but take a look at the one that meets your calorie/protein goals and then check the reviews.

kommodevaran

I agree with the guys above. Make sure you know how much protein you need, and try to get it through food first. Whatever you do, though - steer away from any products aimed at women - pink packaging means good markup.

auddii

I agree with the above; there's no protein powder for women. And I use a protein powder, but mostly because I don't eat breakfast, so it's harder for me to hit my protein goal on fewer meals.

And if you do want to get a protein powder, I'd try to find samples/small containers of different brands; what tastes good varies between people, so taste testing is the best why to find what you like.

kirstenb13

I drink them because I like the junky sweet taste of them from time to time and since I'm a vegetarian there are days when my protein is lower than I'd like but I feel that most days I can get my protein fine without them, so a meat eater should have an even easier time. But I don't think they are as crucial to getting fit as their marketing would like us believe, so try a couple of the small bags they sell in supplement stores and see if you like it, if not I wouldn't worry about skipping them.

jgnatca

Strawberry flavoured?
I reserve protein shakes on days where I won't meat my macro.

MelaniaTrump

Only difference I have found if it says "for women" it just has calcium added and no vitamin d to absorb it.
Just buy the regular kind. Same stuff. Normal calcium content.

wilsoncl6

As stated by all of the above posters, just find a good protein that you like. Some market proteins for women specifically because they may have less fat or calories per shake because many women aren't trying to bulk like a lot of guys using proteins. Just find one that you like the taste of (because if you can't stomach the taste, you'll never drink it) and that fits your macros while giving you the protein you need. I don't particularly agree with the 1gram rule as that is a little excessive for some people, especially those that aren't trying to be body builders. Somwhere between a max of 1gram and .08 grams should be good for muscle building. I also don't agree that you can't build muscle while in a deficit. It all depends on how much bodyfat you already have, if you're new to lifting or your particular genetics. The more bodyfat you have, the easier it is to see gains while in a deficit because you already have a surplus reserve to dig into, doubley easy if you are completely new to strength training because of newbie gains. I drink Syntha-6 (strawberry milkshake). That is the best tasting protein I've ever tasted. It tastes just like a However, depending on your goals, it may have too many calories per shake for many people.

Hornsby

wilsoncl6 wrote: »

As stated by all of the above posters, just find a good protein that you like. Some market proteins for women specifically because they may have less fat or calories per shake because many women aren't trying to bulk like a lot of guys using proteins. Just find one that you like the taste of (because if you can't stomach the taste, you'll never drink it) and that fits your macros while giving you the protein you need. I don't particularly agree with the 1gram rule as that is a little excessive for some people, especially those that aren't trying to be body builders. Somwhere between a max of 1gram and .08 grams should be good for muscle building. I also don't agree that you can't build muscle while in a deficit. It all depends on how much bodyfat you already have, if you're new to lifting or your particular genetics. The more bodyfat you have, the easier it is to see gains while in a deficit because you already have a surplus reserve to dig into, doubley easy if you are completely new to strength training because of newbie gains. I drink Syntha-6 (strawberry milkshake). That is the best tasting protein I've ever tasted. It tastes just like a However, depending on your goals, it may have too many calories per shake for many people.

Curious why you think an a gram per lb of lean body mass is excessive?

And yes, there are outliers on gaining on a deficit which is why I said there were some outliers.

magretton

thanks for all your input. I am definitely lacking in my diet. I am going to try and change and get more protein in that way. I will also try out some shakes here and there. It's hard to balance all the time!