Protein Powder? Totally new at this!

katyparish · December 2013

Hi guys!

Ok, long story short. I'm almost 29, a mom of 3 under 4, and a small business owner. In high school and early college I was a super active athlete (rowing, softball, soccer, running, etc) and then found a sorority and alcohol and gained, oh, about 80 pounds.

I've just re-started MFP - I tend to do well, lose around 25 pounds, and then get pregnant.

To be fair, all of our kids have been planned but I recently got an IUD and my husband and I are done having kids for a while, ha!

Because I won't end up pregnant this time around, I'm ready to get serious and shed some of this weight. It's just time for a lifestyle change and we're doing it together. I'd like to lose around 100 pounds ultimately, but 50 would be an amazing start and is a weight I'm comfortable with (and haven't seen in YEARS) and would be a huge win for me.

All that to say. We're super busy with our crew and are starting T25. I got a new Polar FT4 for Christmas and I'm going to do the counting calories thing with an emphasis on eating clean. I love making spinach/fruit smoothies for breakfast but find they have no staying power - I'm starving again in a couple of hours.

What are you thoughts on adding protein powder to smoothies? I'm dreadfully afraid that doing so will end up ADDING weight so I haven't tried it yet. My days are so packed full of diapers, toys, naps, crying, and running an Etsy shop that I don't have time to make and clean up a big breakfast for myself every morning so I would LOVE to find a quick breakfast alternative.

Unfortunately, we're not in a position to do something like Shakeology - it's just too expensive. But since we typically have frozen fruit and spinach on hand for smoothies, an addition would be awesome.

Any thoughts are SO appreciated! Thanks!

JanieJack · December 2013

Congrats on T25! I hope you enjoy it. I haven't done it, but my friend loves it! She said its much easier on her back than some of ShaunTs other videos, and I can really tell a difference in her body since she started doing it.

Adding protein powder (or some other breakfast protein) definitely helps me last longer between meals. The only problem for me is, as much as I love smoothies, the calories of all the fruit in the smoothy was killing me. I find it much more effective to just drink the protein shake rather than mix it into a fruit smoothy. Play around with it and see how it works out for you.

When I first started adding protein, I was worried about it causing gain but couple of benefits are that I last longer between meals, better post-workout recovery (I'm not so sore). Protein just helps me not be so hungry!

You might also experiment with other protein sources. I find that when I include clean-up time, it's easier for me to cook some eggs (which I can do while making my son's lunch) than to make a fruit smoothie. Also, I don't use them now but when I first started incorporating more protein, I got these little packets from the grocery store that you add to bottled water. It was like crystal light but with protein.

MyIdaho54 · December 2013

Far from a pro on this question but my wife and I just tried our first smoothie with protein powder. We used strawberries (3 oz), half scoop protein powder (Body Fortress Whey protein), 1 cup of plain greek yogurt, 2/3 cup of 2% milk, and an ounce of almonds. We both loved it! There's many different smoothie recipes out there so try what appeals to you.

Individuals obviously vary in preferences. In my experience, I am more satisfied with solid food for breakfast and restricting smoothies to snacks or post exercise meals. Good luck! I'll be following this thread closely.

k_stew_ · December 2013

Protein powder doesn't need to scare you. Some of them are chock full of sugars and things, so look for one that is whey isolate and doesn't contain much if any sugar.

The calories in whey powder work just like the calories in all other foods. Think of whey powder as something to help you hit your protein macro is you're consistently short on it. You do not need to take a protein powder if you are meeting your daily protein goal. If you do need more protein in your diet, protein powder is way to it hit. Just count the calories the way you would anything else. There's nothing magical about whey that will make you larger. Except added calories to your diet.

ETA: an easy way to use a protein powder is to add a scoop to instant oatmeal after you've heated it in the microwave.

stt43 · December 2013

Putting on weight happens when you eat more calories then you burn off. There is nothing special about protein powder that will make this happen, as any food will.
Protein powder can be a cheap and convenient source of protein, but that's about all it offers. If you are already getting more than enough protein from other sources then it is unnecessary. If you need more protein and a powder works out best for your lifestyle then there is no reason why you shouldn't consume it.

livingleanlivingclean · December 2013

Your smoothie won't satisfy you long because it's just carbs....adding protein and fat will make it more satisfying and keep you feeling full for longer. That said, eating food will be better for this as opposed to drinking it.

If you still want to include smoothies, keep the fruit to a minimum and add protein and fat. Protein powders are easy to boost protein intake - I use a 100% WPI with no fillers, flavours or sweeteners of any sort. Yummy fats are coconut milk/cream/butter, nut butter, or avocado.

Sarauk2sf · December 2013

Putting on weight happens when you eat more calories then you burn off. There is nothing special about protein powder that will make this happen, as any food will.
Protein powder can be a cheap and convenient source of protein, but that's about all it offers. If you are already getting more than enough protein from other sources then it is unnecessary. If you need more protein and a powder works out best for your lifestyle then there is no reason why you shouldn't consume it.

^^this

katyparish · December 2013

Thank you guys SO much! Maybe I'll grab a small canister of protein for days when a smoothie is all I have time for but I think I'll stick to "real" protein as much as I can. I'm not really lacking it in my diet, just wanted to give the smoothies more staying power. My husband has wholegrain peanut butter toast for breakfast and it gets him to lunch, I'll just have to find my kryptonite.

Meanwhile, I'll look into the brands and the recipes that you all suggested - I really appreciate your help!

Thanks again!

JanieJack · December 2013

My husband has wholegrain peanut butter toast for breakfast and it gets him to lunch, I'll just have to find my kryptonite.

Man! I **WISH** I could last all morning off some peanut butter wholegrain toast! that's a LOT cheaper than the Vega protein I use haha

Dreamsfly · January 2014

Hi. I add protein powder to my shakes. A shake is one of my daily meals, sometimes 2. I also did a lot of research before I chose one. There are a lot of "junky" protein powders and you end up paying for artificial ingredients and fillers that can actually cause you to gain weight or do nothing you were expecting. Some have too many carbs.

There is a protein powder at http://inshapenow.net/supplements that is pure, the right proteins to release at the right times, nothing artificial, and really great tasting.

There is a sale on right now, on top of their other discounts. Code newyear20. I think only for today, but you can try it at a later date too to see if it works. But I wouldn't wait! I didn't and got a great deal.
There's a video when you first go to it that you can watch or "x" out of. It's great though for understanding the difference between powders.

Good luck!

Protein Powder? Totally new at this!

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