Protein Shakes, Building Muscle, Staying Lean

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Replies

  • mirgss
    mirgss Posts: 275 Member
    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
    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
    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
    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
    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

    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
  • lexicalabrese
    lexicalabrese Posts: 200 Member
    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
    Mmmmmm Syntha 6 Chocolate is the best tasting shake out there! SOOOOO DELISH!
  • andyxbear
    andyxbear Posts: 269 Member
    bumping for later...
  • chrisdavey
    chrisdavey Posts: 9,834 Member

    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
  • Becka77
    Becka77 Posts: 284 Member
    I like the Atkins protein shakes. Sometimes I use them for a quick snack. I can't drink them right after working out because they make me sick, they are just too heavy on my stomach.
  • sbilyeu75
    sbilyeu75 Posts: 567 Member
    Protein shakes are good for a post strength training replenishment. You can gain muscle and you won't bulk up. Women just don't have the hormones for this. You can gain muscle and lose body fat but you have to really know your body and the calories you are consuming. In the last month I've lost 2.5 lbs and gained 1 lb of muscle. To do this I have been eating my exercise calories, doing 45 minutes of strength training, 10-20 minutes of high intensity cardio and eating at 40% carbs, 30% protein, and 30% fat.

    I also recommend myoplex ready to drink shakes. They are one of the healthier ones on the market with less sugar, saturated fat, and calories.

    I concur with the bulking comment. Women just don't bulk, unless they are taking some sort of hormone. I've gotten the best results with heavy strength training.
  • david1956
    david1956 Posts: 190 Member
    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.

    Yes, it probably is genetics. And in a way I think you're highlighting an important point that in some ways is obvious yet can frustrate people if they're not realistic about it. Although with weights you can to some degree "sculpt', none of us can magically be someone else with an "idealised" physique. I have a tendency to put on muscle and will never be "thin" in that sense. Sprinters will never be marathon runners and vice versa.

    My trainer and I have discussed quite a bit what my target weight might be (I'm on that smaller harder to lose fat) and we both feel it may not be so easy to tell. He's really surprised how quickly I pack on muscle, so to me it's a matter of if my fat percentage is coming down, and I'm getting stronger and fitter, my physique will go where it's going and it's going to be good whatever it is.

    BTW, for what it is worth, someone up there said muscle is sexy (on women) and I agree. Don't know how typical I am but find muscular, even slightly stocky builds my personal "thing". Media pressure to be skinny doesn't speak for every guy, in fact probably not many of them. But the main thing is, aren't we all out to be fitter and healthier?
  • mddomain
    mddomain Posts: 34 Member
    The protein I use is the Whey Protein by Optimum Nutrition. It has 120 calories per scoop, 24 grams of protein, 3 grams of carbs, and 1 gram of sugar. The flavors I've tried are absolutely delicious! (Cake batter and Rocky Road really satisfy any sweet tooth cravings!)

    Where do you buy this particular brand of protein? I have to admit I am intrigued by the cake batter flavor! :tongue:
  • longhorns2
    longhorns2 Posts: 23
    bump
  • kdiamond
    kdiamond Posts: 3,329 Member
    FWIW, you don't HAVE to drink protein shakes. Most people drink them because they are convenient. Personally, I think they taste disgusting and I refuse to drink them. I will however, always have a post workout snack, which is usually greek yogurt or 1% cottage cheese. You should try to consume protein after working out (best time is 30 minutes or less) as it helps repair the muscles that are torn/depleted during a workout. Also, when I started really digging into a major fitness routine a few months ago, I weighed 105. Now I weigh 108 but I am much more muscular. I lift pretty heavy weights (at least I think so). Back in the day I could only lift "Barbie" weights. So I have not bulked up by lifting heavy, quite the opposite really, I am very lean, even though I weigh a bit more. Lifting heavy is the way to go! I have lost a few inches in this process as well, everywhere except my arms which gained about an inch around - I love it.
  • AKosky585
    AKosky585 Posts: 607 Member
    I use the GNC Amplified Wheybolic Extreme 60. It comes in plain, chocolate and vanilla. A serving is 3 scoops, which is 280 calories, 60g of protein. I usually only use 1/2 scoop at a time twice a day with a cup of milk. It is roughly 50 calories, 10g of protein per 1/2 scoop (scoops are pretty large too) and less than 1g of sugar (2 g for full 3 scoops) They are not horrible...in fact, I am so used to them now that the chocolate tastes like chocolate milk now.
  • chrisdavey
    chrisdavey Posts: 9,834 Member
    FWIW, you don't HAVE to drink protein shakes. Most people drink them because they are convenient. Personally, I think they taste disgusting and I refuse to drink them. I will however, always have a post workout snack, which is usually greek yogurt or 1% cottage cheese.

    You probably know this but there are different types of protein and the type in cottage cheese is casein which is a slow digesting protein as opposed to whey which most people will have post workout as it is quick to digest (much like dextrose for the carbs). In saying that, I always thought if you had a pre workout meal with slower digesting protein and carbs that it would be sufficient to feed your muscles anyway.

    Agree with everything else you said :)
  • kdiamond
    kdiamond Posts: 3,329 Member
    FWIW, you don't HAVE to drink protein shakes. Most people drink them because they are convenient. Personally, I think they taste disgusting and I refuse to drink them. I will however, always have a post workout snack, which is usually greek yogurt or 1% cottage cheese.

    You probably know this but there are different types of protein and the type in cottage cheese is casein which is a slow digesting protein as opposed to whey which most people will have post workout as it is quick to digest (much like dextrose for the carbs). In saying that, I always thought if you had a pre workout meal with slower digesting protein and carbs that it would be sufficient to feed your muscles anyway.

    Agree with everything else you said :)

    You're absolutely correct and I should have specified that I eat cottage cheese post workout if I workout at night...last snack before bed...like you said it is slow digesting and helps repair muscles and keep you full while you sleep. :))
  • neonpink
    neonpink Posts: 203 Member
    Bump
  • ryzola
    ryzola Posts: 51 Member
    Just thought I'd post here to say I've bodybuilt for the last 6 years and actually hold a rep position for Optimum Nutrition. So if you are after free samples...I can help.
  • mmtiernan
    mmtiernan Posts: 702 Member
    The protein I use is the Whey Protein by Optimum Nutrition. It has 120 calories per scoop, 24 grams of protein, 3 grams of carbs, and 1 gram of sugar. The flavors I've tried are absolutely delicious! (Cake batter and Rocky Road really satisfy any sweet tooth cravings!)

    Where do you buy this particular brand of protein? I have to admit I am intrigued by the cake batter flavor! :tongue:

    You can get Optimum Nutrition at GNC or buy online from bodybuilding.com. My fave flavor is Extreme Milk Chocolate. I also add Vanilla Ice Cream flavor to my oatmeal in the morning.

    I don't drink a protein shake as a meal replacement, but I do have one after a strength training workout to aid in muscle repair. I absolutely notice a difference the next day if I don't have protein after a workout - I'm sore and sluggish. But that's just me!
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