protein shake to belly fat??

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Craig_hyde
Craig_hyde Posts: 161 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Ok, so in the past two weeks, I have taken to having a protein shake after my dumbbell exercises, just to try and build a bit of muscle... It has worked as a couple of tshirts are feeling tighter around the arms. But also tighter around the stomach. Which is where my problem is, you see, my belt is a lot shorter now (2nd loop) I can comfortably wear size xl t-shirts (usually wear xxl for bagginess and comfort, yet my stomach still feels and looks huge.

Not sure if it's my own dysmorphic view, or the protein shakes. Does anyone have an idea/explanation?
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Replies

  • xxnellie146xx
    xxnellie146xx Posts: 996 Member
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    If you are eating at a deficit, protein shakes will not cause you to gain fat. Maybe your body is holding on to water?
  • Craig_hyde
    Craig_hyde Posts: 161 Member
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    I drink a fair bit of water... although this week has been kinda bad for me (food wise - had an old friend visit for a metal concert, let myself go a bit) So it could be water weight. Forgot about that :-/

    Guess it was a Zebra (Scrubs fans should know the reference)
  • ginamc04
    ginamc04 Posts: 113 Member
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    I wouldn't blame the protein shake. Whatever you ate over the weekend is probably just hanging on. Drink extra water & eat extra clean, it will probably go away. :)
  • redraidergirl2009
    redraidergirl2009 Posts: 2,560 Member
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    Probably the extra food. Protein shakes aren't diet pills, they have calories. If you ate the same and added them in and no longer were at a deficit then it's possible to gain weight. Best to work them into your daily cals.
  • chels0722
    chels0722 Posts: 465 Member
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    You might be getting too much protein. Excess protein can cause bloating, like a lot of foods. I would go back and look at any other dietary changes you have made recently. Your body may just be bloating in adjustment to recent changes.

    It is much more likely than having gained actual fat, especially since you are eating at a deficit.

    EDIT: I just wanted to edit to clarify that I'm not saying too much protein is a bad thing. I am just saying that any sudden change in diet can throw your body for a loop.
  • DopeItUp
    DopeItUp Posts: 18,771 Member
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    Just to be clear, protein shake calories are no different than any other calorie. They will make you fat if the extra calories from them results in an overall calorie surplus. Just like a calorie surplus from any other food.
  • ScottishMrs
    ScottishMrs Posts: 254 Member
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    Ok, so in the past two weeks, I have taken to having a protein shake after my dumbbell exercises, just to try and build a bit of muscle... It has worked as a couple of tshirts are feeling tighter around the arms. But also tighter around the stomach. Which is where my problem is, you see, my belt is a lot shorter now (2nd loop) I can comfortably wear size xl t-shirts (usually wear xxl for bagginess and comfort, yet my stomach still feels and looks huge.

    Not sure if it's my own dysmorphic view, or the protein shakes. Does anyone have an idea/explanation?

    Do you have any known issues with dairy/lactose and do you mix your protein powder with milk? I started out by mixing my protein powder with milk and got major bloat because I'm mildly lactose intolerant. I switched to rice milk or coconut milk and now my belly bloat is gone (I don't like soy and I'm allergic to almond). Perhaps this is a possibility for your perceived belly fat issue.
  • Craig_hyde
    Craig_hyde Posts: 161 Member
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    No issues, mix it with water anyways.
  • ScottishMrs
    ScottishMrs Posts: 254 Member
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    No issues, mix it with water anyways.

    Dang. It was worth a try though.
  • seanezekiel
    seanezekiel Posts: 228 Member
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    No amount of protein itself can cause weight gain. Other the base calories it has. Is the protein you are taking JUST protein? For example a good protein will only have around 140 or so cal for 30g. Also if you are eating exactly at the line for you calorie intake then adding protein shakes on top of it then maybe as you are still increasing your over all calorie intake.
  • dancingdeer
    dancingdeer Posts: 379 Member
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    What kind of protein is it? Whey, egg white, pea, hemp? I can't do any protein powder that is dairy derived - it makes me puff up in the stomach like a balloon. I can only do egg white protein. Maybe that's the problem?
  • Craig_hyde
    Craig_hyde Posts: 161 Member
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    It's Whey protein, from Holland & Barrett
  • krhn
    krhn Posts: 781 Member
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    Are you in a caloric deficit at the moment?
    If you are then I would ask if you take creatine... If not its either a high intake of sodium which is causing high water retention!
  • Craig_hyde
    Craig_hyde Posts: 161 Member
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    I'm just calling it like I see it. Started using the shakes, stomach got bigger. Yeah it may be a zebra diagnosis but still. (Zebra Diagnosis, from Scrubs. Common ailment with uncommon symptoms... if you hear hoofs, think horse, common, & don't think zebra, rare.)
  • Craig_hyde
    Craig_hyde Posts: 161 Member
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    Are you in a caloric deficit at the moment?
    If you are then I would ask if you take creatine... If not its either a high intake of sodium which is causing high water retention!

    I take both Creatine & Protein when I use weights, usually half a scoop of protein when doing cardio.

    As someone said before, it could just be excess water weight. But thank you to evetyone with an insight :-)
  • kmw011001
    kmw011001 Posts: 4
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    I was surprised to find my protein powder had artificial sweetners. Just throwing out another thought... maybe the bloat is from a sweetner?
  • CharRicho
    CharRicho Posts: 389 Member
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    It's Whey protein, from Holland & Barrett

    Whey is extremely high (like 20X higher than a glass of milk) in lactose (ok, I didn't look those figures up, but it's very high anyway, you can google it). I didn't know I was slightly lactose intolerant until I started making whey protein shakes. Lactose intolerance causes bloating. I always felt like crap after a protein shake. Now I'm using hemp protein and I never get that (I've also cut out a lot of other dairy, although it's hard because I love yogurt and cheese)

    If the bloated feeling is happening right after the protein shakes, it could very well be that you are slightly lactose intolerant and reacting to the whey-based shakes.

    If it's a generally feeling and not specific to the shakes, then yah probably just reaction to the weekend, drink water, eat clean... yada yada
  • DopeItUp
    DopeItUp Posts: 18,771 Member
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    It's Whey protein, from Holland & Barrett

    Whey is extremely high (like 20X higher than a glass of milk) in lactose (ok, I didn't look those figures up, but it's very high anyway, you can google it). I didn't know I was slightly lactose intolerant until I started making whey protein shakes. Lactose intolerance causes bloating. I always felt like crap after a protein shake. Now I'm using hemp protein and I never get that (I've also cut out a lot of other dairy, although it's hard because I love yogurt and cheese)

    If the bloated feeling is happening right after the protein shakes, it could very well be that you are slightly lactose intolerant and reacting to the whey-based shakes.

    If it's a generally feeling and not specific to the shakes, then yah probably just reaction to the weekend, drink water, eat clean... yada yada

    Actually, the opposite is generally true. Whey protein generally contains a very small amount of lactose as compared to other dairy products: http://www.livestrong.com/article/305788-whey-protein-powder-lactose-intolerance/ . It all depends on the brand of course, but I'm just speaking in generalities. If you have real allergies to lactose, I'd probably seek out a whey isolate, which generally contain very little to no lactose as they are almost pure whey.
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,411 MFP Moderator
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    Creatine is more likely the thing that is causing bloat as compared to the protein shakes. But lets start simple, how many calories are you eating? Also, did you just start weight training? I had to stop creatine because it was giving me stomach issue.
  • PikaKnight
    PikaKnight Posts: 34,971 Member
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    It's Whey protein, from Holland & Barrett

    Whey is extremely high (like 20X higher than a glass of milk) in lactose (ok, I didn't look those figures up, but it's very high anyway, you can google it). I didn't know I was slightly lactose intolerant until I started making whey protein shakes. Lactose intolerance causes bloating. I always felt like crap after a protein shake. Now I'm using hemp protein and I never get that (I've also cut out a lot of other dairy, although it's hard because I love yogurt and cheese)

    If the bloated feeling is happening right after the protein shakes, it could very well be that you are slightly lactose intolerant and reacting to the whey-based shakes.

    If it's a generally feeling and not specific to the shakes, then yah probably just reaction to the weekend, drink water, eat clean... yada yada

    Actually, the opposite is generally true. Whey protein generally contains a very small amount of lactose as compared to other dairy products: http://www.livestrong.com/article/305788-whey-protein-powder-lactose-intolerance/ . It all depends on the brand of course, but I'm just speaking in generalities. If you have real allergies to lactose, I'd probably seek out a whey isolate, which generally contain very little to no lactose as they are almost pure whey.

    ^true. I am lactose intolerant and take Optimum Nutrition Whey Isolates protein powder and have done fine on it

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