Protein---To take or not to take....

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draby2011
draby2011 Posts: 178 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I have been doing research but everything so far is still inconclusive.

Should I take protein?

I have been doing cardio and strength training at the gym. I understand that protein helps with muscle building and helps with soreness. I also understand that once you build muscle, you can burn more calories at a regular resting rate.

However, at the same time, I'm not so much trying to gain muscle as I am trying to lose weight and whey protein is VERY high in calories.

Do you take protein when working out? Why or why not?

Side Note: I'm not just weighing myself, but measuring myself as well.

Thanks in advance!

Replies

  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
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    Get enough protein in your diet, supplement with powder if necessary (which it shouldn't be if you plan your day round your protein intake)

    If you want to build muscle you need to be eating at a calorie surplus.
  • bumblebums
    bumblebums Posts: 2,181 Member
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    If by "take" you mean "eat", yes, you should eat protein. If you eat normal food, it is indeed hard to avoid eating some protein, even if you don't mean to.

    If, on the other hand, you mean protein supplements, then it depends. How much protein are you getting, in grams, on average? I would check your diary but it is locked.
  • ElliottTN
    ElliottTN Posts: 1,614 Member
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    You may possibly be the first and only person who has done research on protein and found it to be inconclusive.
  • QuilterInVA
    QuilterInVA Posts: 672 Member
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    Whey protein has about 130-140 calories for 25 grams. That is anything but a lot of calories. A serving of meat has more than that for the same grams.
  • CARBLEGEND
    CARBLEGEND Posts: 47 Member
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    low protein is the way to go! I say high sugar!
  • MoreBean13
    MoreBean13 Posts: 8,701 Member
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    Whey protein is not high in calories. Protein has ~4cals/gram. A good whey isolate is 99+% protein, so it's about 4 cals/gm.

    Add protein if you're having trouble meeting your protein goals with the rest of your diet. You don't need it if you're meeting your goals with food. There's nothing magic about it, it's just an easy way to meet your protein macro.
  • RunningSwede
    RunningSwede Posts: 42 Member
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    Take. …but as part of a balanced diet. If my food choices for the day as calculated by MFP food diary shows I’m low on protein I’ll mix a quick scoop in a glass of water to get my percentage up. Happens about 2-3 times a week.

    I'll also mix up a scoop if I fill the urge to much coming on (and then take a walk until the urge goes away).

    My choice: zero carb whey protein isolate (105 calories per scoop or ~31g)
  • victoriavoodoo
    victoriavoodoo Posts: 343 Member
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    Whey protein is low in calories if you find a good brand without a lot of other stuff! Some add carbs and things and are meant for bulking, or they have fillers or the flavoring adds calories/sugar.

    There are 4 calories per gram of protein. Always. If your powder has 25 grams of protein in a scoop, it should have around 100/102 calories. Maybe 125 for flavoring etc. But if you're looking for low cal just multiply the grams of protein in a scoop by 4 an compare that to the total calories amount to get an idea of how
  • victoriavoodoo
    victoriavoodoo Posts: 343 Member
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    Another way to look at it: If you're spending more calories on protein, the percentage of your calories that go to fat and carbs will be smaller. Most people think this is a good thing. Like, supplement if you need more protein to fit your macros?

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