Does protein powder make you gain muscle and weight?

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I want to lose weight but not gain anything else.
?

Replies

  • Hendrix7
    Hendrix7 Posts: 1,903 Member
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    Unless you are in a calorie excess, no.
  • msafunk
    msafunk Posts: 163 Member
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    You're not going to gain weight from protein powder unless it pushes you into excess calories. And You're not going to gain muscle mass if you don't work them.

    You're also not going to get bulky muscles unless you really want them and try.

    I highly suggest that if you want to lose weight, lift some weights, and don't be afraid to push your limits. You'll lose weight a lot faster if you have more muscle. It takes calories to repair the muscles after you've lifted weights, and it takes more calories to maintain them.

    You won't get manly looking muscles unless you really research and work on it.
  • californiagirl2012
    californiagirl2012 Posts: 2,625 Member
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    Whatever you eat, protein, carbs, fat, doesn't matter, if you eat too many calories you will gain fat. If you eat at a calorie deficit you will lose fat. end of story.
  • manderson27
    manderson27 Posts: 3,510 Member
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    No, but it does help keep your protein up and helps your muscles to recover after a work out.

    You would have to be eating a calorie surplus to build muscle and gain weight.
  • sullykat
    sullykat Posts: 461 Member
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    Eating/drinking protein powder just means that you will be having protien… just like eating a chicken breast, or an egg white. The only way to gain muscle is to lift weights. The only way to gain weight is to eat excessive calories.
  • samhigh
    samhigh Posts: 86 Member
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    Will taking protein powder increase muscle = No. Stressing the muscle is what causes growth. Get your protein from whole foods.

    Will consuming protein help minimize lean muscle loss during a caloric deficit = Yes

    What will make me lean and ripped = Eating a balanced diet and doing strength training
  • ribena1958
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    my son takes it before gym, no calories at all unless you mix it with milk
  • doxielvr
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    Along the same lines...5 pounds of muscle will take up less room than 5 pounds of fat. Concentrate more on inches lost than on the scale.
  • LorinaLynn
    LorinaLynn Posts: 13,247 Member
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    There is nothing magical in protein powder that would make you gain muscle. It's like asking if chicken makes you gain muscle. It's just a protein source that some find easier or more enjoyable than chewing even more chicken.

    Eating adequate amounts of protein, combined with proper exercise, can help you retain as much of your muscle as possible, which simply means you'll lose more fat, and not have to lose as many pounds to reach your goal body.
  • AnvilHead
    AnvilHead Posts: 18,344 Member
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    my son takes it before gym, no calories at all unless you mix it with milk
    How can that be? If his protein powder has zero calories, it also has zero protein. Protein has 4 calories per gram. If a powder has 30 grams of protein per serving, for example, it will contain at least 120 calories (4x30)....usually a few more than that due to varying amounts of carbs/fat in different protein powders.
  • kittyraj
    kittyraj Posts: 129 Member
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    Whatever you eat, protein, carbs, fat, doesn't matter, if you eat too many calories you will gain fat. If you eat at a calorie deficit you will lose fat. end of story.

    So how do you gain muscle?
    As I understand eating excess calories is required but how best to ensure those excess will turn into muscle and not fat? or does it turn into a little bit of both?

    If it turns into a little bit of both, how best to lost the fat after without losing the muscles just gained?
    Thanks
  • kittyraj
    kittyraj Posts: 129 Member
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    Will taking protein powder increase muscle = No. Stressing the muscle is what causes growth. Get your protein from whole foods.

    Will consuming protein help minimize lean muscle loss during a caloric deficit = Yes

    What will make me lean and ripped = Eating a balanced diet and doing strength training

    Thank you!

    Best answer!
  • DaBossLady24
    DaBossLady24 Posts: 556 Member
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    my son takes it before gym, no calories at all unless you mix it with milk

    There's a protein powder in existence that has zero calories? :huh:
  • mmapags
    mmapags Posts: 8,934 Member
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    Whatever you eat, protein, carbs, fat, doesn't matter, if you eat too many calories you will gain fat. If you eat at a calorie deficit you will lose fat. end of story.

    So how do you gain muscle?
    As I understand eating excess calories is required but how best to ensure those excess will turn into muscle and not fat? or does it turn into a little bit of both?

    If it turns into a little bit of both, how best to lost the fat after without losing the muscles just gained?
    Thanks

    You gain muscle by proper nutrition, a calorie surplus and strength training. You can do the first 2 but if you don't do the 3rd, no muscle growth. Without the strength training, you will just be an overweight person with a good diet. You must stress the muscle so they recover and grow. The protein part is critical in the rebuilding and growth of muscle tissue.

    When in surplus, you will gain some of both fat and muscle. If you keep you surplus reasonable, like 300 to 500 calories, you will minimize fat gain. After gaining the muscle you want, you eat in slight deficit while maintaining protein intake and strength training to lose fat and maintain maximum muscle tissue.
  • Greenrun99
    Greenrun99 Posts: 2,065 Member
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    my son takes it before gym, no calories at all unless you mix it with milk
    There's a protein powder in existence that has zero calories? :huh:

    No all protein powder has calories.. some are no fat no carbs though.. but ALL have calories. :cry: