Protein powder, do I need it?

The source of protein really doesn't matter much. Protein powder is more a matter of convenience and caloric efficiency so to speak. It saves time and effort and you can limit the calorie intake to almost exclusively protein , rather than protein mixed w/ other energy sources (carbs, fats) in your food. So, if you have calories to spare and time to prepare food, it tastes better and is more satisfying than a protein supplement. If you are on the go or have limited calories available in which to get your protein, go for the supplement. One caveat would be, try to stay away from soy or raw egg as protein sources,. Egg protein is not metabolized well when raw, but is excellent when cooked. Soy protein is one of the more difficult sources of protein for your body to digest and its bio-availability is less than ideal when compared to other protein sources

I tried protein powder twice, one recommended for slimming and it stalled my weight loss both times, I would stick to getting it from food to avoid the extra sugars.

Get what you can from food but if you need help in meeting your protien for your macros then a shake is a way to go I use them all the time just make sure it is a decent protein does not have fillers in it somethinlike mts whey cellucor or
optimum nutrition I go for 1 graham of protein per pound of body weight and to have kidney issues with protein you would have to be going in a crazy amount like always hiting 600 grams of it and you are not trying to train for my Olympia so you are fine

It's something that people will never agree on. However, having done a fair bit of research - a *pure* whey protein shake after exercise seems to be accepted as a pretty positive thing to be doing. I'm taking casein before bed too but not sure if it has any effect - just following coaches orders

I think cases of people having "too much" protein are fairly extreme and not really something we need to worry about as average weightwatchers consuming 100-200g of protein a day.

I couldn't agree more. Likely people who had kidney trouble, already had kidney issues and this simply highlighted it. This is a very extreme, uncommon scenario and is not a good reason to be offered up as advice. A person supplementing once or twice a day is going to be just fine. Hysterics are really a disservice to what people are trying to do here.

You don't NEED it but I have found that a shake in the morning is convenient and surprisingly filling. I eat/drink my breakfast on the way to the gym which usually consists of 2 sccops of Natures Bounty Chocolate protein powder. with PB2 (a dried peanut butter without most of the fat and still has the protein and is only 45 calories for 2 tbsp) and milk. That and a banana :flowerforyou: . It keeps me full until about 12:30pm and after exercising for about 2+ hours.

a *pure* whey protein shake after exercise seems to be accepted as a pretty positive thing to be doing. I'm taking casein before bed too but not sure if it has any effect - just following coaches orders

I think cases of people having "too much" protein are fairly extreme and not really something we need to worry about as average weightwatchers consuming 100-200g of protein a day.

I believe this is correct. The point of the whey isolate powder is for post work out recovery because it is absorbed so fast into the bloodstream. Casein is absorbed slowly so its perfect for bedtime. Casein can be found in cottage cheese and some of these new Greek yogurts; so the point of the casein powder is to avoid digestion issues associated with dairy if you have them.

If your trying to trim down then idea is to preserve your lean muscle mass. 1 gram per pound of lean body weight is sort of a rule of thumb as a minimum. Unless you have some existing renal problem this will not hurt you. If you have an existing renal insufficiency or you are currently taking NSAIDs (prescription or over the counter) more than one aspirin/day, then limit your protein intake and don't use any protein supplement. So start there and adjust your intake depending on achieving some goal like a body fat % or some performance measurement like maintaining a certain level of strength or speed.