Is there any point in me drinking protein shakes?

rachaelheaney

Hi guys! Just looking for some opinions.

I'm 6'0 tall and 167lbs at my last weigh in. Working on losing some weight at the minute, mainly doing cardio in the form of walking/jogging and exercise videos (30 Day Shred at the minute, if anyone wants to join me!). Averaging about 30-45 minutes a day of exercise. About 3 times a week a do a little resistance training. I do plan on starting a proper strength training regime to build muscle in about a months time when the gym I've joined opens. I have a personal training session booked for then. But is there any point in me trying to up my protein intake at this point? Or shall I wait until I'm strength training properly?

If anyone wants to have a look at my food diary, just send me a friend request with a wee note attached.

Thanks!
Rach x

emmymcq

I say, if you are eating a pretty healthy diet and get most of your nutrition from whole foods, them a protein shake may not be necessary. I can't remember the last time I had a protein shake.

rachaelheaney

Hey Emmy!

You have /such/ a good diet though. And while I do eat pretty clean I have trouble with my protein intake. Someone suggested protein shakes on my last diary entry and I just wanted a few opinions, haha.

x

now_or_never13

How much protein are you currently consuming?

Are you just meeting the default amount MFP gives when you set up your profile?

Ultimately, protien shakes will do nothing but reach your protein goals each day. It's best to get protein from real food. Protein shakes are suppliments for when you won't reach your goals.

rachaelheaney

How much protein are you currently consuming?

Are you just meeting the default amount MFP gives when you set up your profile?

Ultimately, protien shakes will do nothing but reach your protein goals each day. It's best to get protein from real food. Protein shakes are suppliments for when you won't reach your goals.

I changed it to 98 because the default was too low. On most days I'm making anywhere between 60 and 80 from sources like tuna and greek yoghurt.

jnn0409

I think most people that use them use them for after a strength workout, I think it helps rebuild muscle or something. There's GNC Lean Shakes, that's the only kind i've had and those are just meal replacement shakes to help lose weight.

jonnythan

Start training properly now.

rachaelheaney

I think most people that use them use them for after a strength workout, I think it helps rebuild muscle or something. There's GNC Lean Shakes, that's the only kind i've had and those are just meal replacement shakes to help lose weight.

This is why I was wondering if there was any point until I started the proper strength training regime.

jonnythan

I think most people that use them use them for after a strength workout, I think it helps rebuild muscle or something. There's GNC Lean Shakes, that's the only kind i've had and those are just meal replacement shakes to help lose weight.

They are good for that, but that's not the only use. They're just a good, easy, cheap way in general to get more protein into your diet. Protein powder is cheaper per gram of protein than pretty much anything besides roadkill. And it's easy to consume - way easier to drink 6 oz of protein shake than to eat 4 ounces of chicken breast, that's for sure.

WinnerVictorious

it's only really important when you are trying to build muscle. if you are getting close to your goals with your normal diet and not eating at a large deficit from your TDEE, then i don't think you really need to supplement your protein with shakes. building muscle is a different story, and that's really what the whole protein shake industry caters to... people actively trying to maximize muscle growth.

rachaelheaney

Start training properly now.

I have some dumbbells and a kettlebell and I do what I can at home, but my gym doesn't open until the 1st of April.

jonnythan

Start training properly now.

I have some dumbbells and a kettlebell and I do what I can at home, but my gym doesn't open until the 1st of April.

Ah. Well there's plenty of stuff you can do at home: push-ups, chinups, handstands, kettlebell rows, etc.

But, regardless, what's your current daily protein intake? Your diary is closed.

jonnythan

people actively trying to maximize muscle growth.

Or people trying to minimize muscle loss.

ninerbuff

Most people will use it as protein supplementation. Sometimes drinking a shake to add protein is easier than eating food. But you should try to get the majority of your protein from whole foods.

A.C.E. Certified Personal/Group FitnessTrainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

rachaelheaney

Start training properly now.

I have some dumbbells and a kettlebell and I do what I can at home, but my gym doesn't open until the 1st of April.

Ah. Well there's plenty of stuff you can do at home: push-ups, chinups, handstands, kettlebell rows, etc.

But, regardless, what's your current daily protein intake? Your diary is closed.

Anywhere from 60-80. Mainly eating seafood or turkey and greek yoghurt/cottage cheese to get there. Not the biggest fan of chicken.

rachaelheaney

Most people will use it as protein supplementation. Sometimes drinking a shake to add protein is easier than eating food. But you should try to get the majority of your protein from whole foods.

A.C.E. Certified Personal/Group FitnessTrainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

Would you recommend starting now? Or when I'm strength training properly?

RobynMWilson

Exactly. When you're losing weight, it's not gonna all be fat. What else do you think your losing?

Start with the shakes now. And like ^^ he suggested, no reason why you can't start doing push ups, etc at home...

WinnerVictorious

people actively trying to maximize muscle growth.

Or people trying to minimize muscle loss.

yes perhaps, but that's not her situation. i think protein shakes would have little benefit to her right now. i don't think she's in danger of losing muscle based on the information she's provided. when she stops cardio and starts building muscle, then the shakes would be useful. until then... meh.

my opinion of course, but based on the fact that she's 6'0" tall, is only trying to go from 167lbs to 140lbs, is doing some strength training every week, and is eating between 60% and 80% of her protein goal from her diet anyway.

robinso5

Im stuck on 6'0, 167 lbs...... what do you want to get down to?

jonnythan

Start training properly now.

I have some dumbbells and a kettlebell and I do what I can at home, but my gym doesn't open until the 1st of April.

Ah. Well there's plenty of stuff you can do at home: push-ups, chinups, handstands, kettlebell rows, etc.

But, regardless, what's your current daily protein intake? Your diary is closed.

Anywhere from 60-80. Mainly eating seafood or turkey and greek yoghurt/cottage cheese to get there. Not the biggest fan of chicken.

And you're losing weight? You certainly want to consider getting more protein into your diet, whether through a daily protein shake or something else.

Eating more protein than you're eating helps prevent muscle loss. So does doing strength training, which you should start doing now in some form. You're losing weight - you need to do more than just run a calorie deficit to force your body to lose more fat than muscle. Strength train, eat more protein, get toned and look awesome.

jonnythan

yes perhaps, but that's not her situation. i think protein shakes would have little benefit to her right now. i don't think she's in danger of losing muscle based on the information she's provided. when she stops cardio and starts building muscle, then the shakes would be useful. until then... meh.

my opinion of course.

Losing weight, no strength training, low protein intake? She's the poster child for muscle catabolism.

Anyway, I was just commenting on your blanket statement about the protein industry.

psych0kitty

Im stuck on 6'0, 167 lbs...... what do you want to get down to?

I'm glad I'm not the only one who was frightened by that.

TrailRunner61

I refuse to add any powdered crap of any form to my diet. I prefer to get it in a more natural form called food. It's also a LOT cheaper. Some people swear by it but I'm not one of them. I think that most of the people who use it burn a LOT of calories from lifting so they have more room to add that stuff to their daily cal totals. To me, it's a waste of money but, whatever works for ya.

PikaKnight

I use it to help me meet my protein macro. I've had issues getting enough and protein powder helps me get close to my macro easier and more consistently.

WinnerVictorious

yes perhaps, but that's not her situation. i think protein shakes would have little benefit to her right now. i don't think she's in danger of losing muscle based on the information she's provided. when she stops cardio and starts building muscle, then the shakes would be useful. until then... meh.

my opinion of course.

Losing weight, no strength training, low protein intake? She's the poster child for muscle catabolism.

Anyway, I was just commenting on your blanket statement about the protein industry.

huh? re-read her posts. she is doing strength (resistance) training. she doesn't have a lot of weight to lose. she probably is not eating at a high deficit. she bumped up her protein goal to 98 from the MFP settings and says she's averaging between 60-80 per day from normal diet. i don't see anything there that makes her a candidate for catabolism.

too much protein is not a bad thing. the body just won't use the excess. and if she wants to drink one protein shake per day to add 20-25g of protein and perhaps 150-200 calories, then it won't hurt her, but it seems like a waste of money to me.

rachaelheaney

And you're losing weight? You certainly want to consider getting more protein into your diet, whether through a daily protein shake or something else.

Eating more protein than you're eating helps prevent muscle loss. So does doing strength training, which you should start doing now in some form. You're losing weight - you need to do more than just run a calorie deficit to force your body to lose more fat than muscle. Strength train, eat more protein, get toned and look awesome.

Is there like, a recommended protein intake though? Or a calculator? MFP's default for me was ridiculously low and I'm a bit of a newbie when it comes to this stuff. I do strength train! Not a lot, haha, but some. That's why I have my wee training session booked at the gym, to learn what's best for me with my bad arm and knee.

jonnythan

And you're losing weight? You certainly want to consider getting more protein into your diet, whether through a daily protein shake or something else.

Eating more protein than you're eating helps prevent muscle loss. So does doing strength training, which you should start doing now in some form. You're losing weight - you need to do more than just run a calorie deficit to force your body to lose more fat than muscle. Strength train, eat more protein, get toned and look awesome.

Is there like, a recommended protein intake though? Or a calculator? MFP's default for me was ridiculously low and I'm a bit of a newbie when it comes to this stuff. I do strength train! Not a lot, haha, but some. That's why I have my wee training session booked at the gym, to learn what's best for me with my bad arm and knee.

There are many recommendations for protein intake. The most accepted answer is generally 1 gram of protein per lb of lean body mass. So if you're, say, 135 lbs and 24% body fat, that's 102 g of protein per day.

rachaelheaney

Im stuck on 6'0, 167 lbs...... what do you want to get down to?

I'm glad I'm not the only one who was frightened by that.

Between 140 and 150, wherever I'm happy. I have a small frame for such a tall person. Obviously I understand that when I build muscle it's going to increase aswell.

jonnythan

I refuse to add any powdered crap of any form to my diet. I prefer to get it in a more natural form called food. It's also a LOT cheaper. Some people swear by it but I'm not one of them. I think that most of the people who use it burn a LOT of calories from lifting so they have more room to add that stuff to their daily cal totals. To me, it's a waste of money but, whatever works for ya.

Do you know where whey comes from....?

Also, are you aware that per gram of protein, protein powder is cheaper than, say, chicken or tuna?

rachaelheaney

Lordy, I didn't realise I was going to start arguments. Haha!
Thanks for all the input though, guys.

Basically, what I'm getting is, protein from food is the better choice, but when I'm struggling a protein shake won't do me any harm, especially when I'm strength training. And I also need to work out my body fat percentage to really know how much protein I need...

ldalbello

only if you put booze in it