What happens when you quit Protein Powder?

addysolari

I'm looking to gain more weight. In a month I've put on 2 kgs purely using food but I find it hard to make my daily calorie goal so I want to start taking protein powder. My question is what happens after you stop using it? Is it the same as food, you just stop taking it? Also I've been told you get pudgey because you retain water when you quit? help.

ta
-Adam

pkw58

I think that nothing happens... I use protein powder occassionally as a replacement meal or snack and honestly cant tell the difference.

TavistockToad

how would anything happen when you stop taking it? if you just stopped, it would mean you would then be getting less calories, and less protein which may hinder your bulking. if you replace it with other food this wouldnt happen?

Unknown

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toddis

I would guess a decrease in protein intake might result in an increase of say carb intake? A little water weight would come with that? Nothing specific to do with the powder though.

james6998

Protein powder is a quick absorb protein source, nothing more nothing less. Stop taking it and you just stop feeding your body the protein it provided, thats it.

Chadomaniac

how would anything happen when you stop taking it? if you just stopped, it would mean you would then be getting less calories, and less protein which may hinder your bulking. if you replace it with other food this wouldnt happen?

I think OP is confused between Creatine and protein powder

contingencyplan

You get less calories/protein. That's it.

addysolari

how would anything happen when you stop taking it? if you just stopped, it would mean you would then be getting less calories, and less protein which may hinder your bulking. if you replace it with other food this wouldnt happen?

I think OP is confused between Creatine and protein powder

No i mean Protein powder. Just trying to settle some rumors I heard. I'm pretty inept on the whole supplements subject so so pardon my ignorance.

Thanks for the responses

Iron_Lotus

how would anything happen when you stop taking it? if you just stopped, it would mean you would then be getting less calories, and less protein which may hinder your bulking. if you replace it with other food this wouldnt happen?

I think OP is confused between Creatine and protein powder

That's what I was thinking

UsedToBeHusky

:huh:

deksgrl

You consume less protein, unless you replace it with an alternate source of protein. Do you plan on changing your protein/carb/fat ratio?

TheSlorax

I believe it goes something like the plot of the naked lunch

mamacoates

Protein powder is not a drug that you "quit" or something you "take". It is a dietary supplement to enhance the nutritional make-up of your daily nutrition plan. As a result, when you are no longer consuming it you now have less of that nutritional component and you have to make sure you are getting it elsewhere in your diet, along with the calories (fuel) it provides.

Since you state you are trying to gain weight, if you remove the protein powder, you need to replace those calories with something else otherwise you may incur a calorie deficit and start losing the weight you have managed to put on. Diet and nutrition is simple science. Calories are fuel, protein is one of the many building blocks that your body uses to be healthy. Remove it from your diet and you need to replace it with something else.

Parallel universe: What if you "quit taking" milk, or "quit taking" green veggies, or "quit taking" water?? Up periscope: What happens when you "quit taking" carbs or fats? . It is all relative. :happy:

KukuDan

Your wallet bulks up

snookumss

Wouldn't make any difference. Whoever said that probably had changes for a variety of other reasons.

Markguns

Your wallet bulks up

^ THIS!

MB_Positif

You get the shakes and stomache pains. Then, you get so desperate that you put strange hot dogs in your mouth for your protein fix.

This. Definitely this.

CometMeebru

how would anything happen when you stop taking it? if you just stopped, it would mean you would then be getting less calories, and less protein which may hinder your bulking. if you replace it with other food this wouldnt happen?

I think OP is confused between Creatine and protein powder

creatine not even once

MercenaryNoetic26

No more protein poots for you.

ETA: Ohhhhh, you mean CREATINE? Apparently, I was recently educated, you lose your strength gains (to a degree). Yes, it makes sense that you won't be retaining as much water in your muscles.

Double ETA: OP you have confused me. So you think quitting protein or creatine (one of the two) makes you retain water? I give up.

addysolari

No more protein poots for you.

ETA: Ohhhhh, you mean CREATINE? Apparently, I was recently educated, you lose your strength gains (to a degree). Yes, it makes sense that you won't be retaining as much water in your muscles.

Double ETA: OP you have confused me. So you think quitting protein or creatine (one of the two) makes you retain water? I give up.

No i mean bloody protein powder......

I'm considering starting to take protein powder as a supplement but I'm curious about what happens to your body when you stop taking it so I can make an informed decision about using it. I'd heard about water retention (I don't know the science, it was just a thing i heard)

I was just asking for advice is all and I figured people here would have proper experience with the stuff and could give me an unbiased opinion.

rainbowbow

No more protein poots for you.

ETA: Ohhhhh, you mean CREATINE? Apparently, I was recently educated, you lose your strength gains (to a degree). Yes, it makes sense that you won't be retaining as much water in your muscles.

Double ETA: OP you have confused me. So you think quitting protein or creatine (one of the two) makes you retain water? I give up.

No i mean bloody protein powder......

I'm considering starting to take protein powder as a supplement but I'm curious about what happens to your body when you stop taking it so I can make an informed decision about using it. I'd heard about water retention (I don't know the science, it was just a thing i heard)

I was just asking for advice is all and I figured people here would have proper experience with the stuff and could give me an unbiased opinion.

Why are you trying to gain weight with a protein powder? Most are under 200 cals and not really high enough in calories to make a huge difference. You could have a tablespoon of butter and peanut butter and do better than that.

Supplements are meant to supplement your diet. If you're getting enough protein as is there really isn't a point in adding a protein supplement....

Ninkyou

Some protein powders have Creatine in it, that's why people are talking about it, OP. Just wanting to clarify that.
If the protein powder you chose has Creatine in it, I've read you'll gain some water weight, because the Creatine increases the water retained around your muscles. If you stop taking it, then the water retention will go away, which *might* cause a less defined look if you're bulking. Don't think it would leave you flabby so to speak though. Otherwise, nothing happens. You just stop taking it and that's the end of it.

sijomial

I used to have chicken breast as a protein supplement but decided that was a habit I just had to stop - so I went cold turkey.

BrainyBurro

I used to have chicken breast as a protein supplement but decided that was a habit I just had to stop - so I went cold turkey.

Fullsterkur_woman

There is 0 reason that taking protein powder OUT of your diet would cause water retention. And even if it did, so the hell what? It's just a temporary issue.

If you're getting enough protein in your diet already, just add more calories. If you're not getting enough calories, some of the protein you're eating is getting used to meet your energy needs. You could eat more protein to make sure that you have some for your energy needs and some for building muscle, but if you're already optimized for muscle building with your protein intake, you're better off eating more calories as fat and carbs to provide your energy needs. Protein is the least efficient of the macronutrients for providing energy.

My husband had this problem too. He ate lots of protein, but he just wasn't eating enough *calories* to be in a surplus, so he couldn't gain, despite working out like a monster. Now he shoots for 200 grams of protein a day overall and drinks half a gallon of whole milk a day in addition to his regular diet to make sure he gets a surplus of calories. He's gained something like 20 pounds so far this year, and that's lifting heavy 3 days a week, and making sure that sleep is a top priority. Of course it hasn't all been muscle, that would be ridiculous, but he wasn't fat to begin with, and the strength gains have been totally worth it!

grantdumas7

Some protein powders have Creatine in it, that's why people are talking about it, OP. Just wanting to clarify that.
If the protein powder you chose has Creatine in it, I've read you'll gain some water weight, because the Creatine increases the water retained around your muscles. If you stop taking it, then the water retention will go away, which *might* cause a less defined look if you're bulking. Don't think it would leave you flabby so to speak though. Otherwise, nothing happens. You just stop taking it and that's the end of it.

Creatine doesn't increase water retention around the muscle instead it brings water into the muscle.

grantdumas7

Protein powders are a convenient pure and simple.

Ninkyou

Some protein powders have Creatine in it, that's why people are talking about it, OP. Just wanting to clarify that.
If the protein powder you chose has Creatine in it, I've read you'll gain some water weight, because the Creatine increases the water retained around your muscles. If you stop taking it, then the water retention will go away, which *might* cause a less defined look if you're bulking. Don't think it would leave you flabby so to speak though. Otherwise, nothing happens. You just stop taking it and that's the end of it.

Creatine doesn't increase water retention around the muscle instead it brings water into the muscle.

Yes, thank you for correcting me. This is what I meant to say, but I worded it very poorly

KANGOOJUMPS

its like falling off the planet earth.
spirally down?
who the hell knows!

FrnkLft

Your spending potential rises.