Protein shakes

Be very careful with protein shakes made with animal protein powders.

I used those for a year back in 2012 and it's the reason my body triggered my dormant inflammatory arthritis condition. I'm now registered disabled. Since then life has been such a struggle, I really wish I'd never touched those things... it's just processed poison if you ask me. If I could wind back the clock, my god I would do it in an instant. That said, I don't want to scare people! Not everyone has a dormant gene waiting to trigger rheumatoid arthritis, so most people are fine with them... just don't be complacent about choosing a plant based protein powder instead.

The worlds strongest man is Vegan afterall! So there's something to be said for plant protein!

I like using Hemp powder in my smoothies, along with banana, cacao powder, porridge oats, some frozen berries, and chai seeds. I tend to drink one directly after my workout if I feel I need a topup for that day, because I figure that's when my muscles need the nutrients.

That sounds perfectly fine - you're taking the shake very close to your workout, so that sounds ideal to me.

Are you taking protein shakes because your daily diet doesn't give you enough protein? If you are entering your food into MFP you should be able to tell whether you're coming up short. I ask because if it's only 'walking' that you're doing then you shouldn't need to supplement your diet with a protein shake at all really, your natural diet should have enough protein in it to feed your muscles for that. I suppose if you are replacing a meal (i.e. breakfast) that's probably fine.

I would personally only consider a protein shake as 'additional' to a meal if there is a 'heavier' workout in your day than walking (i.e. one that would perhaps leave you with an exercise hangover / sore muscles if you didn't feed them enough extra protein).

Otherwise yeah, I would watch what kind of protein are in the shakes themselves, staying away from whey protein... but that's a personal preference based on my own particular horror story, as I said above.

A protein shake is literally just food in powder form. Nothing about it will make you gain or lose weight by itself. If a drink is easier for you in the morning, by all means make a shake! Just pay attention to the nutrients and make sure it fits into your calories for the day. Stay close to your calorie goal and you will lose weight no matter what you eat, as long as you are weighing solid food and measuring liquids accurately.

Hi, just wanted to add that the Carnation products are usually high in carbs, low in protein and if you're adding bananas, etc. that's a lot of carbs, especially if you're pre-diabetic. You might want to look for a higher protein whey product that's lower in carbs. Mix with berries rather than high carb fruits.

A protein drink is fine to head out with in the morning, but use drinks/shakes as supplements to a real food diet rather than a replacement. As long as you stay in a calorie deficit you will lose weight but the drinks/shakes in and of themselves will not make you lose weight; they may help you to create a calorie deficit which is all you need to lose weight.

I would stay away from carnation. But I hear you: I work seven mornings a week & a protein smoothie is nice for variety on a rushed morning.
I use Vega One chocolate flavor with a frozen banana, Greek yogurt, a handful of mixed baby greens, ice cubes & a little extra unsweetened cocoa powder to cut the stevia flavor. Nom nom nom. It is a treat, not a consolation prize, and I love it!