Protein Shakes....I'm just not convinced

AirCircleI

Also, not a big fan of cleaning my blender, so what brand pre-made shakes/bars are you consuming? Keep in mind that my goal is to slim down, not bulk up.

I don't have a blender, I use a shaker bottle (you can get them cheap) - I always see people with nice recipes using fruit and blenders, but I have been banned from buying more kitchen appliances by my SO (I have a habit of buying kitchen gadgets and then using them once a year).

I use Reflex - not sure if they have it in the US (if that is where you are, I am in the UK), but I'm sure others can give suggestions. My only suggestion is to watch out for the ones with artificial sweenters. I had a natural chocolate one which tasted nice, then accidently bought a kilo of one with artificial sweetener and I don't really like the taste, but now I have so much of it I just need to get through it. This is the one I will buy next: http://www.reflex-nutrition.com/natural-whey-protein.html

I keep some at work and some at home and mix it up whenever I want a snack and either don't have or don't fancy something else like nuts.

MandyMcAwesome

[/quote]this^^^^ protein shakes are just to supplement your diet. If you meet your protein needs without then it doesn't make a difference.
[/quote]

That makes perfect sense. Thanks

JNick77

this^^^^ protein shakes are just to supplement your diet. If you meet your protein needs without then it doesn't make a difference.

That makes perfect sense. Thanks

True. For me though after I lift I'd rather knock-back two shakes than have to sit down and eat 3 or 4 chicken breasts. Don't have a ton of time in the morning and I definitely don't feel like eating much, which is why 2 shakes and a half-serving of brown rice or dry oats is better for me.

bobie1978

I am just starting to drink protein shakes.. because in the morning I don't have a lot of time. I don't cut out my food unless I have to but much better than skipping a meal

fitniknik

I have a scoop of Gold Standard after I work out. Its worth the 130 calories to me! I feel so much better after I take it, plus I burn a TON of calories while I am working out so it make sense. I wouldnt take it if you were just going for a walk or something that is just purely cardio, but if you are doing any kind of HIIT or strength training it gives your muscles basically pure fuel to repair themselves more efficiently.

jenn26point2

I prefer egg whites. They're the perfect protein and fat free!!

Low in calories too. I had 4 of them for breakfast for a whopping 70 calories.

rachelhohenbrink

I eat my protein with my breakfast before I work out. I have just recently starting eating hemp hearts which are pack full of protein. There are 10 grams for 2 1/2 TBSP and it's 170 calories I believe. The thing I like about hemp hearts is that they help control my hunger the rest of the day. I find myself not as hungry throughout the day when I consume them at breakfast. I either put them in yogurt or just wash them down with water after eating an egg and some veggies.

jenn26point2

Easiest way to clean you blender: fill it half way with water and turn it on to the fastest setting. You can use soap if you want to, but be prepared to rinse and rinse and rinse b/c the blade will stir up a LOT of suds!!

If you have a dishwasher you can pop it in there after doing the "spin cycle" if you don't feel it's "clean" enough.

rileysowner

I dont want to replace a meal with a shake, so let's just knock that idea out.

I hear a lot that people, especially women, should have protein after they work out. But I am not convinced that a protein shake is worth the 170-250 calories.

Are you drinking in your protein? Any suggestions?

You don't need to have a protein shake, but frankly the amount of protein you get for those calories is quite a bit better than most other sources which is the appeal of them. The better ones are pretty much all protein with little fat or carbohydrates thus allowing for the increase of protein intake without significantly increasing those other macro nutrients.

lauehorn

I dont want to replace a meal with a shake, so let's just knock that idea out.

I hear a lot that people, especially women, should have protein after they work out. But I am not convinced that a protein shake is worth the 170-250 calories.

Are you drinking in your protein? Any suggestions?

Chocolate milk is what I tell my cyclists to drink. It has the perfect balance of protein, carbs and fat to aid your body in recovery, and it's better than any artificial protein shake or supplement. Also, Greek yogurt is good - add some fruit and nuts or seeds to it.

BTW it really depends on the duration and intensity of your exercise whether you need to eat afterwards (or fuel during). If you are doing a 30 minute to 1 hour workout, unless it's an intense spin class or the like, chances are you just need to eat at your normal meal times or when your body is hungry. (I usually workout after work, so I do breakfast, lunch, snack, workout, dinner) I've seen many people gain weight or wipe out the effects of their calorie burn thinking they needed a sports drink during or a protein shake after their 30 minute or 1 hour work out. Truth is, most people do not. Please research when you should fuel and more importantly LISTEN TO YOUR BODY.

TheJustPull

The ones I drink come in either a powder form (which I make smoothies and such with) or pre-mixed form, which are easy to take to work. What I found is that the pre-mixed ones are ideal for me when I forget to pack an afternoon snack, so it's not a "meal" replacement for me, but a snack substitute. I've played with this for a little bit and if I have it as my snack around 3:00, then it holds me over until dinner and keeps me full.

Depending on the time of day when I workout will also determine if I have one after a workout or not. If it's late at night and that's the only time I could squeeze in, I typically don't drink one. First thing in the morning is a differently story. With my schedule, my workouts are typically never at the same time so I have to work with what I have.

Oh and the one I drink is 190 calories, & 20g protein. Perfect snack size.

What kind do you drink?

mandy_freeman

I like the EAS chocolate ones and I don't even blend them. I have the shaker cup from GNC that has the mixer ball in it. Fill with water, scoop the protein, close lid, shake, drink. YUM!

hedgiie

If i have a choice to take my protein from whole foods like chicken, fish, meat then I would toss my protein shake. But If in situation that I can't any protein then protein drink is better than nothing.

♥Amy♥

I use protein powder, but I don't like to drink my calories (I'd rather eat them), so I just mix my protein powder into food.
Here are 2 things that I do. There are a ton of recipes of things you can mix it into if you don't want to just drink it.
~I make pumpkin oatmeal (oats, canned pumpkin & pumpkin pie spice) and then mix in vanilla protein powder into it
~Mix chocolate protein powder with plain greek yogurt and peanut butter or PB2

TinkrBelz

MY DH has told me for years, to consume more protein. I was afraid because I thought it would bulk me up. But, after a female friend told me to add more protein and then I researched some more, I have added more protein to my diet and cut back on my carbs.

I do not do a protein shake in place of a meal, I will do it with a meal or a snack.

But, I also eat protein in every meal/snack. I balance my protein and carbs. So, I have eggs and oatmeal for breakfast,

Protein bar/shake or almonds for snacks.

Cottage cheese with a vegi burger for lunch or with my dinner (some sort of meat)

My goal is to eat at least my lean muscle weight of protein, so that is roughly around 106g. But, I have it set up in my MFP as 35/35/30 protein/carbs/fat. So, most days I am hitting 100-150 grams of protein and carbs.

When I make my shakes, I do use milk because as a woman I need the calcium. (1 cup milk, 1 cup water, 1 scoop of protein...if I am low on protein, I will add 2 scoops) I also use an immersion blender, you just rinse that off...easy clean up. I do have some ready made protein shakes, but I try to limit those to if I am on the go...easier to carry.

I need to say, that since I have changed my eating, I have dropped 5lbs and 2% of bf! I can see that I am leaning up! Also, I am old, so if I can do it, you younger chicks surely can!!!

And I do some sort of protein after workout, either a shake or cottage cheese.

AllanMisner

I travel a lot and there aren't always good food choices. I pack up powders (in little ziplock bags) along with a shaker bottle. This can be a meal replacement (if I can't find a good fish or meat source of protein) or as a snack. It doesn't make up the majority of my protein intake, but it can help keep me fed and from eating bad foods (like when I walked by the Godiva store yesterday after work).

Speaking for myself (clinical studies deal with other people and we all react to things in our own way), my body processes protein very differently than carbs. After eating a high carb diet for a few weeks, I can see the fat increase. I can eat as much protein as I want and my body doesn't seem to turn it to fat.

As to timing, if you're eating five to six meals per day and have a good amount of protein in each meal, you kinda already are taking protein before and after your workout.

jaymek92

as a vegetarian in college who's trying to eat 95% clean and build muscle, i semi-regularly have protein drinks. i have two flavors of gnc pro performance, which has a bit more than 100kcal (depending on the flavor) and 20g protein per scoop. generally, i have two scoops with water after i lift, which helps keep me full, since i have class right after i work out and don't always have time to eat a full meal (but i usually do have some fruit with it). otherwise, i'll have a scoop or two if my protein is too low for the day and the other day, i put a scoop of cookie and cream protein into my oatmeal and even though the consistency was weird, it tasted fine and kept me full for a good 4 hours.

Cr357

I dont want to replace a meal with a shake, so let's just knock that idea out.

I hear a lot that people, especially women, should have protein after they work out. But I am not convinced that a protein shake is worth the 170-250 calories.

Are you drinking in your protein? Any suggestions?

Chocolate milk is what I tell my cyclists to drink. It has the perfect balance of protein, carbs and fat to aid your body in recovery, and it's better than any artificial protein shake or supplement. Also, Greek yogurt is good - add some fruit and nuts or seeds to it.

BTW it really depends on the duration and intensity of your exercise whether you need to eat afterwards (or fuel during). If you are doing a 30 minute to 1 hour workout, unless it's an intense spin class or the like, chances are you just need to eat at your normal meal times or when your body is hungry. (I usually workout after work, so I do breakfast, lunch, snack, workout, dinner) I've seen many people gain weight or wipe out the effects of their calorie burn thinking they needed a sports drink during or a protein shake after their 30 minute or 1 hour work out. Truth is, most people do not. Please research when you should fuel and more importantly LISTEN TO YOUR BODY.

For endurance athletes such as cyclists chocolate milk is an excellent option.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22080318
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21904247
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20482784

MandyMcAwesome

I dont want to replace a meal with a shake, so let's just knock that idea out.

I hear a lot that people, especially women, should have protein after they work out. But I am not convinced that a protein shake is worth the 170-250 calories.

Are you drinking in your protein? Any suggestions?

Chocolate milk is what I tell my cyclists to drink. It has the perfect balance of protein, carbs and fat to aid your body in recovery, and it's better than any artificial protein shake or supplement. Also, Greek yogurt is good - add some fruit and nuts or seeds to it.

BTW it really depends on the duration and intensity of your exercise whether you need to eat afterwards (or fuel during). If you are doing a 30 minute to 1 hour workout, unless it's an intense spin class or the like, chances are you just need to eat at your normal meal times or when your body is hungry. (I usually workout after work, so I do breakfast, lunch, snack, workout, dinner) I've seen many people gain weight or wipe out the effects of their calorie burn thinking they needed a sports drink during or a protein shake after their 30 minute or 1 hour work out. Truth is, most people do not. Please research when you should fuel and more importantly LISTEN TO YOUR BODY.

I desided to take your advise. I reivewed my journal for the past 10 days and in 8 of those days, I was over my protein intake goal. 2 days I was under but not by much. I eat greek yogurt most every day and I take in a lot of dairy, so I am meeting my body's needs. I am in more of a weight loss mode now, not so much body building, so for now I am going to stay my current course.

My work outs are not that intense and are half cardio, half machines at the gym or entirely cardio. I think I will hit the chocolate milk if needed.

Thanks for everyone's post!

dinosnopro

I travel a lot and there aren't always good food choices. I pack up powders (in little ziplock bags) along with a shaker bottle. This can be a meal replacement (if I can't find a good fish or meat source of protein) or as a snack. It doesn't make up the majority of my protein intake, but it can help keep me fed and from eating bad foods (like when I walked by the Godiva store yesterday after work).

Speaking for myself (clinical studies deal with other people and we all react to things in our own way), my body processes protein very differently than carbs. After eating a high carb diet for a few weeks, I can see the fat increase. I can eat as much protein as I want and my body doesn't seem to turn it to fat.

As to timing, if you're eating five to six meals per day and have a good amount of protein in each meal, you kinda already are taking protein before and after your workout.

It could be water and not fat, when I eat high carb meals I "bloat up" I will have no abs in the am and by noon ( with proper hydration) I will have abs.

glitchswifey

My husband and I both take the ON Vanilla Ice Cream 100% whey protein and it has 24g of protein w/ 120 calories. We started taking this everyday after we do our insanity workout. The flavor is good and I like that it's only 120 calories. I should also mention we don't use it as a meal replacement, we just add it to our breakfast.

Carita79

alot of interesting info on whey..
any info about bulk soy protein powder?
i just bought some at the health food store..not flavored at all and a bit tough to choke down if not mixed into my yogert well!
but other than taste is there any issues with soy protein i should be aware of?

600racer

I've started working out and dieting after a several year layoff and my muscles are coming back faster with less work with a high protien diet. I use suppliments to get the amount I want because I don't want to eat that much tuna, chicken etc.

tamamommy

I was told to avoid products containing soy because I have estrogen issues. If that doesn't apply to you, I think the soy protein is an excellent source. Best of luck!

JNick77

alot of interesting info on whey..
any info about bulk soy protein powder?
i just bought some at the health food store..not flavored at all and a bit tough to choke down if not mixed into my yogert well!
but other than taste is there any issues with soy protein i should be aware of?

I've read a little that indicates excess soy can increase estrogen level but at what quantity that is I'm not sure. You may want to read-up on it. For women it may not even be an issue. Why Soy over Whey or a Whey Complex (Whey + Casein + Egg protein)?

FORIANN

as a vegetarian in college who's trying to eat 95% clean and build muscle, i semi-regularly have protein drinks. i have two flavors of gnc pro performance, which has a bit more than 100kcal (depending on the flavor) and 20g protein per scoop. generally, i have two scoops with water after i lift, which helps keep me full, since i have class right after i work out and don't always have time to eat a full meal (but i usually do have some fruit with it). otherwise, i'll have a scoop or two if my protein is too low for the day and the other day, i put a scoop of cookie and cream protein into my oatmeal and even though the consistency was weird, it tasted fine and kept me full for a good 4 hours.

Be careful. If you take more than 2 sccops (3 if you're a big guy) you can begin to screw yourself over longterm. Your body gets (for lack a better term) lazy and stops being effective at extracting nutrients (in this case protein) from the foods you eat. If you take too much you're setting yourself up for failure. Remember, it's a supplement only.

hesn92

No. I have no need for a protein shake.

RonSwanson66

If you take more than 2 sccops (3 if you're a big guy) you can begin to screw yourself over longterm. Your body gets (for lack a better term) lazy and stops being effective at extracting nutrients (in this case protein) from the foods you eat.

Stop making things up.

dinosnopro

If you take more than 2 sccops (3 if you're a big guy) you can begin to screw yourself over longterm. Your body gets (for lack a better term) lazy and stops being effective at extracting nutrients (in this case protein) from the foods you eat.

Stop making things up.

what? people post things on here that they heard from their sister's friend, that heard it from their cousin, that heard it from their uncle, that heard it from their best friend, that knew someone that told them, and its not absolute fact? I am shocked and will from now on stop taking everything I read on here as the gospel.

Altruista75

I've been using Shakeology by Beachbody in the mornings after my workouts now for over a month and I have to admit I feel so much better. It actually has helped "regulate" me too which I always had issues with. In addition, it's only 150 calories and it satisfies my sweet craving so that I'm not dying for a piece of chocolate throughout the day!