Protein Shakes, Building Muscle, Staying Lean

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  • dragonfly74
    dragonfly74 Posts: 1,382 Member
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    someone said if you have belly fat to lose that it probably isn't a good idea to drink this right now.

    Is this in relation to Muscle milk or any kind of protein drink? I sure need help in my belly area and nothing seems to be helping. I was exercising an hour and a half a day ~ burning between 600 - 750 calories and eating 1200 calories. I have remained at 140 for WEEKS. So I have decided to calm it down a bit on the exercise and eating a few more calories a day. However, someone recommended I stop the protein shakes for awhile too. Currently I use GNC 100% whey protein and it only has 2g of sugar and has 20g of protein.

    I was interested when I saw the belly fat comment and wanted to know if this might be one of my problems.
  • jennylynn84
    jennylynn84 Posts: 659
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    The advice I have on how to do the actual strength training and not get bulky is to do a lot of reps with lighter weights. The scary huge guys at the gym grab as much weight as they can and do only a few reps. For leaner muscle and not bulk, grab a manageable weight and do it more time. For example, I do lateral arm lifts with around 2-4 pounds in reps of 20. It sounds like not much weight, but definitely burns by the end. And this route will keep you from becoming one of those scary hulked out chicks. :)

    Good luck!
  • lwebsmfp
    lwebsmfp Posts: 297 Member
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    someone said if you have belly fat to lose that it probably isn't a good idea to drink this right now.

    Is this in relation to Muscle milk or any kind of protein drink? I sure need help in my belly area and nothing seems to be helping. I was exercising an hour and a half a day ~ burning between 600 - 750 calories and eating 1200 calories. I have remained at 140 for WEEKS. So I have decided to calm it down a bit on the exercise and eating a few more calories a day. However, someone recommended I stop the protein shakes for awhile too. Currently I use GNC 100% whey protein and it only has 2g of sugar and has 20g of protein.

    I was interested when I saw the belly fat comment and wanted to know if this might be one of my problems.

    This is in relation to Muscle Milk, but I'm not sure if the same could be said for all Protein Shakes or just ones with the kind of ingredients as Muscle Milk.
  • bluexiii
    bluexiii Posts: 36
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    someone said if you have belly fat to lose that it probably isn't a good idea to drink this right now.

    Is this in relation to Muscle milk or any kind of protein drink? I sure need help in my belly area and nothing seems to be helping. I was exercising an hour and a half a day ~ burning between 600 - 750 calories and eating 1200 calories. I have remained at 140 for WEEKS. So I have decided to calm it down a bit on the exercise and eating a few more calories a day. However, someone recommended I stop the protein shakes for awhile too. Currently I use GNC 100% whey protein and it only has 2g of sugar and has 20g of protein.

    I was interested when I saw the belly fat comment and wanted to know if this might be one of my problems.

    This is in relation to Muscle Milk, but I'm not sure if the same could be said for all Protein Shakes or just ones with the kind of ingredients as Muscle Milk.

    Muscle milk is one of those shakes that are meant for "those big scary guys" in the gym, haha. Like anything however, too much in excess will add that unwanted belly fat! Somewhere between 1-2 shakes a day for most people is enough, any more than that and your body might start storing the unused protein as fat.
  • dragonfly74
    dragonfly74 Posts: 1,382 Member
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    Muscle milk is one of those shakes that are meant for "those big scary guys" in the gym, haha. Like anything however, too much in excess will add that unwanted belly fat! Somewhere between 1-2 shakes a day for most people is enough, any more than that and your body might start storing the unused protein as fat.

    Thanks for that info! I am usually getting around 90g of protein a day and am hoping that is okay.
  • 2bskinnyagain1978
    2bskinnyagain1978 Posts: 32
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    My husband has said their are certain shakes and protein bars that women should not eat I have just been scared to add these into my diet .. r the muscle milks for body builders .. when should u take protein shake after a workout or before I have heard so many diff answers to this.. I donot eat alot of meat because I just don't like fish .. steak etc I used to not even eat chicken but now I do .. Just a little confused and want to add protein without gaining weight witht he wrong shake.. not trying to build muscle yet til i lose all my weight..
    Thanks any help or advice is appreciated !!
  • mirgss
    mirgss Posts: 275 Member
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    Wow, so much information...and yet I still have questions. My coworker recently recommended that I start drinking protein shakes after my workouts. Up until recently, I have been mainly a cardio girl (30-40 minutes of running anywhere from 1-4x per week) with a bit of strength training here and there, mostly biceps/triceps. Lately I have been trying to do more strength training - chest, abs, back, etc.

    Here are my questions: If, when following the MFP recommendations for protein/calories, I am usually at my goal, how important is it to get more protein? I don't feel like my strength training workouts are particularly intense...although I do each exercise 3x and usually feel like I am about to failure at the end, I don't go work out for 45-60 minutes - I am more of 20-30 minutes. I am also concerned about going over my calorie limits.

    Also, when people say to drink the shakes after a "workout" - does that mean strength training or cardio? (I usually do them on alternating days.) Or both?

    I have started doing my strength training at school since their gym has a wider variety of equipment than I have at home. I am at school just about all day and I'm not sure how possible it is for me to bring a shake with me in the morning and drink it at night (that sounds gross/unhealthy if there's milk in it!). Any suggestions? Up until now I have been drinking chocolate milk after my workouts...I know it's not the best thing ever, but I heard the mix of protein/carbs is good post-workout.

    Finally, regarding protein shakes as meal replacement, would it be better to have one of those for breakfast than my norm? Usually I eat one Quaker granola bar...90-100 calories. I understand that the slow absorbing protein will help keep me fuller for longer, but as I said earlier, I worry about taking in too many calories - my limit according to MFP is 1200! It's hard to keep to that even with my current diet.

    Thanks for any answers...I appreciate it! This whole working out thing is harder than it seems! :laugh:
  • mhotch
    mhotch Posts: 901 Member
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    I am not sure protein supplements are necessary unless you are an elite athlete. Just a little extra in your diet is all that is needed. Beside your body absorbs it better that way anyway.

    Here is an conclusion from a article in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. The article can be found here "www.ajcn.org/cgi/reprint/72/2/551S.pdf"

    "CONCLUSION
    A strong theoretical basis exists for expecting a beneficial effect of a protein supplement in active people. Amino acid intake stimu- lates the transport of amino acids into muscle, and there is a direct link between amino acid inward transport and muscle protein syn- thesis. However, some experimental data suggest that exercise may actually decrease the protein requirements necessary to maintain balance. Nevertheless, it can be speculated that a protein supplement should be useful to stimulate net muscle protein synthesis, particularly if the supplement has the optimal proportion of individual amino acids. However, experiments have yet to be performed that document such a beneficial effect of protein supplements."
  • deeann1459
    deeann1459 Posts: 116
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    Why does everyone always say that women can't bulk? That is my biggest problem with weight training, and why I avoided it for a long time. I don't get cute, lean muscle... I get scary dude biceps and powerlifter thighs. Does this just mean my mother gave me Hulk genetics? (yes, she has the same issue... I have finally become resigned to the fact that dude arms are better for me than not lifting.
  • mzmoonlight
    mzmoonlight Posts: 160
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    I used to really suffer with a long recovery period after exercise until I started having protein bars. I find they work best if I eat half before my work out and half after. You can buy ones that are less calories for weight loss. The one I have is 207 calories and while there are bars out there with less calories I find this bar much more effective. I have recently started having a protein shake sometimes (instead) but I think it tastes disgusting with water so tend to have them in the morning. If I have one for breakfast I tend to be less hungry all day.

    I have increased my muscle mass while losing weight (and inches) so it is possible.
  • mirgss
    mirgss Posts: 275 Member
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    Oh, that's a great idea! I am new to all this nutrition stuff so I didn't know they even made protein bars. That would be much easier for me to cart around than a shake :) What brand do you like?
  • sofaking6
    sofaking6 Posts: 4,589 Member
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    I started taking soy proten (jay robb powder) because I was falling way under on my protein every day and feeling sluggish...as someone posted above, it was just taking me longer to recover than I felt it shoud. If you feel fine and your diet is already high enough in protein, then I wouldn't worry about it.

    Also..basically for girls, don't buy any of the stuff they sell at the gym..at least at my gym, it's all for adding mass. Go to GNC and ask them to recommend something that's good for women on a fitness program. I don't take it on a regimen, just as needed. But man it DOES make for tasty smoothies :drinker:
  • vrealize
    vrealize Posts: 13
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    I just wanted to add that my husband had noticed undesirable side effects from protein powders (to make shakes) and protein bars that contain the sweetner substitute "sucralose" (also what Splenda contains). The main side effect he had was eye sensitivity to light, almost to the point of blurry vision (pretty consistently)--which not conducive to his line of work. So if you notice any of those side effects while trying those types of powders/bars, try stopping them to see if the symptoms go away. He now orders his protein powder from trueprotein.com since he can get unsweetened, unflavored types.
  • lvfunandfit
    lvfunandfit Posts: 654 Member
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    I drink Muscle Milk Shakes. 130 Calories, 26 g of protein and 2 sugars per scoop. They are very tasty! I love them! and I'm not bulky! I also lift has heavy weight as I can lift to complete a full set of 12-15 reps for 2 sets and then I go heavier and try to get to 10-12 reps for the last set. Again, I'm not huge and buff. The heavier I lift, the more lean muscle mass I build. (For me, heavy is between 15-35 lbs for arms, 40-100 lbs for legs). Women do NOT naturally bulk up. I'm currently 125lbs and 20% body fat I'm 5'6" and I wear a size 4/6. Trying to get down to 16%. I'm telling you this so you can see that you can lift heavier, drink the shakes and not turn into a massive bodybuilding buff n stuff person.

    The more lean muscle you have the more fat you will burn and the more tone and defined you will be. You can't become a huge bodybuilder with out the help of some extra testosterone and a super high calorie diet. And they lift 200-300 plus pounds for sets of 3-6 reps. It takes them years to get there. . .
  • chirokelly
    chirokelly Posts: 6
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    Why are women afraid to "bulk up?" Muscle is sexy. Women don't have enough testosterone to bulk up like men. A 150 lb muscular woman will be much smaller than a 150 lb fat/untoned woman. Plus you can eat more (healthy foods) because you need to maintain that muscle. So my advice is to build muscle and cut the fat off your body. To do that, you will need to eat more protein in your diet. Lean meats, fish, egg whites, whey protein are the best. I try to get 100 g per day but usually come a little short. RDA is only 50 g - that's not enough. Regarding protein bars - women be careful. Many have too many carbs and calories. To have the athletic look, you'll need to lift weights - higher resistance, slow and controlled til it burns. An anti-inflammatory diet is best. Here's a couple great web sites to read about that: www.thepaleodiet.com, www.deflame.com. There are way too many unhealthy food pressures in our culture - be smart. Stay strong. Good luck everyone!
  • nolachick
    nolachick Posts: 3,278 Member
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    Calorie deficit DOES NOT mean you can't gain muscle! This is a common myth. It all depends on what kind of calories you are taking in! Taking in the proper amount of carbs and protein (whole grains, lean meats such as chicken and turkey) will allow for muscle gain. Filling your body with excess sugars or fats will obviously not allow for proper muscle gain

    I am not sure if this is the rule of thumb for women as well, but for men to gain muscle they should typically take in 1g of protein for every 1lb in weight. This may seem like a lot, but you will see and feel the results in the definition of your muscle!

    Most proteins are high in cholesterol and caloric content. If you are starting a new protein regiment, start with one serving a day. If you are still losing ample amounts of weight, you can try adding more shakes during the day until you find a healthy balance.

    For healthy (and economical) choices of protein, I recommend either BSN Syntha 6 or EAS Myoplex Meal Replacement powder packs. GNC 100% Whey protein is nice (I used this for about 4 years), but is WAY overpriced, doesn't taste that great and leaves you feeling cotton-mouthed.

    www.dpsnutrition.com is a great place to order either the Syntha 6 and EAS proteins at by far the cheapest prices.

    bump
  • lexistepps
    lexistepps Posts: 200 Member
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    SO glad to find this post! I just purchased some Special K Protein Shakes today to recharge after a workout.

    I noticed that several people asked a question that I didn't notice get answered:

    If I am doing more cardio than weight training, are protein shakes still necessary?

    If I missed this answer, sorry! So much info to read...oye.
  • Iceprincessk25
    Iceprincessk25 Posts: 1,888 Member
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    Mmmmmm Syntha 6 Chocolate is the best tasting shake out there! SOOOOO DELISH!
  • andyxbear
    andyxbear Posts: 269 Member
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    bumping for later...
  • chrisdavey
    chrisdavey Posts: 9,834 Member
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    If I am doing more cardio than weight training, are protein shakes still necessary?

    If I missed this answer, sorry! So much info to read...oye.

    IMO it depends on your goals and the type of cardio you are doing e.g. if you just want to lose weight (not specifically fat) then a moderate intensity steady state workout like a long job will burn the calories for sure. What I found was that doing this predominantly led to substantial decrease in muscle mass as well (this was without any post workout specific nutrition) and I lost a lot of weight but muscle as well. Now I have added resistance training and I focus my cardio more on high intensity interval training like kettlebell circuits, body weight exercises (pushups, chinups etc). Since doing this (and eating a bit more, about 300-400cals/day) I have put on 5kg from my lowest weight but I am now a LOT stronger and still have just as much endurance as I did before.

    Cliffs:
    if you don't care about muscle loss, don't have a protein shake post workout.

    my 2c

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