Starting to take protein shakes..advice please

A. If you eat 1800, why aren't you logging it?
B. Doesn't really matter when you drink the shake. If you mix it with fruit taking it within, say 30 minutes of working out may have a small benefit.

I don't think it really matters that much when you take a protein shake, some people will say before a workout others might say after a workout. I sometimes have my protein shakes in the morning for breakfast and sometimes I have them at night for desert. I too would be interested to hear other peoples opinion on this. The main thing I think though is that you up your protein levels in general to maintain muscle mass. How useful they are to you would largely depend on how much protein you are currently consuming, the less you are consuming currently the more beneficial it would be for you to incorporate them into your routine.

If you are looking for something to increase your stamina during workouts then you should probably be looking for some other sort of supplement like xtend or something but the protein shakes will help you with your recovery and muscle building in general. Plus they can be super yummy.

As far as what to put in them this post has it all...
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/938748-what-s-in-your-home-mixed-protein-shake

You want a protein shake to help with what?

I supplement my protein macros with a scoop or two or three per day. Your protein looks on the low-ish side, so might help with that part of your intake. (although you said you log your food, there are no days I can see you hitting 1800 cals for the last 7 days, just so you are aware of that)

Other than that, what you eat and when you eat it has no bearing on training, etc. As long as you are hitting your calorie goals and macros daily, you can eat, drink, be merry all the way up until you go to sleep at night : ) Nutrient timing and all that jazz has been debunked, de-mythed, debated to death on here.

There are a variety of ways that you can use your protein shakes to your benefit:

- Using the shakes as part of your overall meals has the benefit of increasing overall protein consumption and maintaing a healthy blood sugar level condusive to burning fat instead of burning muscle. When your body is sated with adequate protein, it will burn fat stores to produce required energy.
- Shakes before a workout should be for the purposes of having energy in order to get the best workout possible. In other words, ingest calories before a workout so that you have the energy to burn even more calories.
- Recovery shakes should be used after a workout (preferably in conjunction with L-Glutamine) to help with muscle repair/gain. This is especually true if you are looking to improve overall muscle mass or are doing a lot of strength training. Also, it's best to mix your protein shake with water instead of milk after a workout. Use of milk can slow down absorption, and the primary focus of a post-workout shake should be quick absorption.

Message me if you're interested in a brand recommendation that has been effective for me and my spouse (works well and tastes pretty darn good). I usually don't drop brands in forum discussions in order to comply with site regulations.

i dont think it really matters when you take them as long as you DO take them. just try to get as much protein in you especially if you are weight training. im a fan of isopure zero carb creamy vanilla!

What are your goals?

I bought vanilla whey powder (body fortress) from wal-mart, it doesn't taste super great but it's cheap, has lots of protein, low in sugar, no fake sugar and low in carbs. I mix with water, sometimes milk. I take after my lifting sessions which are in the evening, days I don't lift I don't take any, just eat regularly. As the person above me mentioned, I take it to preserve muscle mass because I'm currently restricting. It doesn't matter when you drink it.

I don't think protein does much for stamina, I usually drink 1 strong cup of coffee 20 min before hitting the gym because I am tired after a long day and need a little jump to lift heavy.

Body Fortress products contain sucralose. Reread your label.