Curious about Protein powder...

sarachiavatti

I've been more intrigued by protein powder lately and wanted some insight on it. Can it help my weightloss, what are the benefits etc. I've been interested in the Vega One plant based protein powder since its dairy free (I'm lactose intolerant) and accessible to me (I live in Canada and don't order online). Any helpful info would be greatly appreciated!

TavistockToad

Protein powder helps you hit your protein goal, that's all.

janejellyroll

Protein powder is just a food, it won't hurt or help your weight loss more than any other food.

The benefits: it's a concentrated source of protein. Some people find that helpful to meet their protein goal.

HoneyBadger302

I struggle to hit my protein goals without at least one shake a day - well, AND stay within my calorie goals. Plus, I find it fairly cost effective in terms of the amount of protein I get vs the cost of trying to find that much protein in other sources.

It's also fast, easy, and something I can "eat" while walking around getting ready for work after my workout.

sarachiavatti

ok good to know,thank you all! Unfortunately i have no idea what my protein goal should be I'm new to the whole macros thing and don't know what would be suitable or if its even necessary. I generally just meal prep recipes that are pretty healthy, I try to always include chicken or fish somewhere in there. I don't know if im doing everything right lol. Jeez after typing this I feel so clueless

boymom121

It helps me with getting more protein and in the mornings I genuinely like drinking a smoothie...I don't have time to make something between getting ready for work and having a toddler. My drive to work is 40 mins so I like being able to mix my protein shake up in the blender, pour in my cup and drink on my drive into work. I used to have granola bar or other various bars but am finding out between the high fructose corn syrup and everything else in them some of them are not as "healthy" as they say they are so I'm just sticking with my shake in the am, it works for me.

gothchiq

It's good before a workout so that you can fuel yourself for exercise without having a load of food weighing you down. I was using EAS lean 15, but they changed the formula and now it's called something else, and now it tastes like POO. There are some more expensive ones that everyone says are good, but I haven't got the funds so I am shopping around for a relatively cheap protein shake mix that tastes all right. Mid range cost is one called Unjury (yeah name sounds weird) which you can order online and does taste quite good. I may go back to it if I can't find anything cheaper that isn't gross.

ritzvin

It's useful if you are having difficulty meeting your protein goals (can be difficult if you are a vegan, for instance). Otherwise, it's, IMHO, kind of wasting calories on something that usually tastes blech compared to something else you could have spent them on. I tried some when I started weightlifting and upped my protein goal, but I found I really like greek yogurt and cottage cheese (which are pretty efficient protein sources), so the protein powder was a stupid alternative for me. Would definitely be less so for someone who is dairy-free and coming up short on protein.

HoneyBadger302

sarachiavatti wrote: »

ok good to know,thank you all! Unfortunately i have no idea what my protein goal should be I'm new to the whole macros thing and don't know what would be suitable or if its even necessary. I generally just meal prep recipes that are pretty healthy, I try to always include chicken or fish somewhere in there. I don't know if im doing everything right lol. Jeez after typing this I feel so clueless

You can find some calculators that will give you macro recommendations (IIFYM is the one I've used historically) - I use it as a general guide though, not a hard and fast rule. Include all the major categories in your meals, and you'll probably be pretty close. My typical plate is lots of veggies, my protein of choice, and maybe a carb side. I'm finding (again) that I need to be sure to include enough fats, too - they really do seem to help with my satiety even if I don't find them great "bang for the buck" in terms of calories to volume!

KickassAmazon76

I have been seriously hit and miss with protein powders. I would say that I'm lactose sensitive (It makes me sick, but not enough that I can't have any), and that has put a lot of powders off the market.

I find my stomach does not handle most whey protein powders, but I can do whey isolates, but it seems no matter which kind I try... it gives me a nasty aftertaste for the whole day. That puts me off the powder, to be honest.

You may want to see if you can buy some varying sample packs of different kinds and flavors to see what you like and don't... but honestly, it's only real benefit is to give you that protein spike - so if you can find a different source that works well, go for that!

AnvilHead

sarachiavatti wrote: »

ok good to know,thank you all! Unfortunately i have no idea what my protein goal should be I'm new to the whole macros thing and don't know what would be suitable or if its even necessary. I generally just meal prep recipes that are pretty healthy, I try to always include chicken or fish somewhere in there. I don't know if im doing everything right lol. Jeez after typing this I feel so clueless

A good start for setting up your macros: https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/819055/setting-your-calorie-and-macro-targets/p1

sarachiavatti

Thank you everyone for all of your input, it's been very helpful!