Protein Powder/Fat loss?

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Ryan1062
Ryan1062 Posts: 2 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Hi everyone! I've recently started losing weight (Started about 2 months ago) and i'm already beginning to see some crazy results. I started at 288 pounds, and i'm now down to 249 pounds. My goal weight by June is something around 200 or so if at all possible. Anyways, I've been working out, and eating cleaner. My routine consist of: Mon - Biceps and Chest/cardio, Tues: Legs/cardio, Wed. - Cardio/rest, Thurs: Back and Triceps/Cardio, Friday - Shoulders/Cardio, Sat: Rest/Misc., Sunday - Rest/Misc. This seems to of worked thus far, and now that I am at a lower weight, I was wondering if I should start taking some Whey Protein powder and how it would affect my fat loss/muscle gain? I bought some from GNC, but i'm not quite sure when I should start using it/how often I should use it. My current Protein intake is fairly low, with it mostly coming from dinner (Portion of Chicken, Fish, Lean beef, Lean turkey) and a few pieces of low sodium lunch meat during the day. I'm able to move up my weights in the gym, and lift more, but I feel like I would be losing more fat/getting stronger with more protein...any thoughts? opinions? help? Would be greatly appreciated! - Ryan

Replies

  • busybigdad
    busybigdad Posts: 2 Member
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    Hey Ryan, all I can give you is my opinion on the matter. Last year, I dropped about 100lbs with 50% of my diet being protein. This worked out to being about 1 gram of protein per pound of body weight. In order to eat 270 grams of protein, there was no way I could eat it all through basic food, therefore I used protein powder. I used it in meals that lacked protein and after every workout. I would say that I ate 190 grams of protein through food and the other 80 through powder. Protein powder is a supplement and nothing more. Its there to help supplement your protein needs, depending what they may be.
  • Wetcoaster
    Wetcoaster Posts: 1,788 Member
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    Protein will help you maintain muscle as you lose weight.
  • dhimaan
    dhimaan Posts: 774 Member
    edited December 2015
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    You will not get stronger eating more protein, that will happen if you eat more food (although that extra food could be protein). There is a big debate about how much protein you really need.
    I personally know two guys who were ripped (under 10 percent body fat) eating 150-160 grams of protein with heavy lifting. They were close to 200 lbs. Mind you they did 2-3 cycles of steroids.
    There is also a user here on the forum who competes and if you look through his diary he is eating 170-180 grams of protein (seems like a low amount) and has maintained his mass.
    Noah Siegel on the other hand weighs 200-215 and eats 300 grams of protein during bulking and maybe more during cutting. Seems like overkill to me but it works for him.
    Personally I lost too much mass/strength eating below the 1 lb/bodyweight/per gram of protein (I understand the deficit had a lot to do with that). I have increased my protein intake somewhat and don't know if the extra protein is helping or not but I am not taking any chances.
    IMO better to aim on the high end.
  • RuNaRoUnDaFiEld
    RuNaRoUnDaFiEld Posts: 5,864 Member
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    Ryan1062 wrote: »
    Hi everyone! I've recently started losing weight (Started about 2 months ago) and i'm already beginning to see some crazy results. I started at 288 pounds, and i'm now down to 249 pounds. My goal weight by June is something around 200 or so if at all possible. Anyways, I've been working out, and eating cleaner. My routine consist of: Mon - Biceps and Chest/cardio, Tues: Legs/cardio, Wed. - Cardio/rest, Thurs: Back and Triceps/Cardio, Friday - Shoulders/Cardio, Sat: Rest/Misc., Sunday - Rest/Misc. This seems to of worked thus far, and now that I am at a lower weight, I was wondering if I should start taking some Whey Protein powder and how it would affect my fat loss/muscle gain? I bought some from GNC, but i'm not quite sure when I should start using it/how often I should use it. My current Protein intake is fairly low, with it mostly coming from dinner (Portion of Chicken, Fish, Lean beef, Lean turkey) and a few pieces of low sodium lunch meat during the day. I'm able to move up my weights in the gym, and lift more, but I feel like I would be losing more fat/getting stronger with more protein...any thoughts? opinions? help? Would be greatly appreciated! - Ryan

    Protein won't make you lose weight or fat any quicker, it won't help you gain muscle either as you are in a deficit. It simply helps you hit your protein goals.
    How low is your protein daily?
  • Dreysander
    Dreysander Posts: 294 Member
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    Protein powder is good for getting your protein number up without spending a lot of money. Meat can be expensive, so can eggs depending on where you are and the time of the year. Protein powder is cheap by comparsion and some of it is pretty tasty.
  • ultrahoon
    ultrahoon Posts: 467 Member
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    Protein powder has calories, and weight loss is entirely about calories. If drinking a shake puts you over your maintenance, it will hinder your weight loss progress.

    But I'd suggest tracking your food honestly and accurately for a while with some scales before you start self-diagnosing and taking supplements. Protein powders are not magic, use them only if you know for a fact you can't get adequate protein from your regular diet,
  • Ryan1062
    Ryan1062 Posts: 2 Member
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    RuNaRoUnDaFiEld wrote: »
    Ryan1062 wrote: »
    Hi everyone! I've recently started losing weight (Started about 2 months ago) and i'm already beginning to see some crazy results. I started at 288 pounds, and i'm now down to 249 pounds. My goal weight by June is something around 200 or so if at all possible. Anyways, I've been working out, and eating cleaner. My routine consist of: Mon - Biceps and Chest/cardio, Tues: Legs/cardio, Wed. - Cardio/rest, Thurs: Back and Triceps/Cardio, Friday - Shoulders/Cardio, Sat: Rest/Misc., Sunday - Rest/Misc. This seems to of worked thus far, and now that I am at a lower weight, I was wondering if I should start taking some Whey Protein powder and how it would affect my fat loss/muscle gain? I bought some from GNC, but i'm not quite sure when I should start using it/how often I should use it. My current Protein intake is fairly low, with it mostly coming from dinner (Portion of Chicken, Fish, Lean beef, Lean turkey) and a few pieces of low sodium lunch meat during the day. I'm able to move up my weights in the gym, and lift more, but I feel like I would be losing more fat/getting stronger with more protein...any thoughts? opinions? help? Would be greatly appreciated! - Ryan

    Protein won't make you lose weight or fat any quicker, it won't help you gain muscle either as you are in a deficit. It simply helps you hit your protein goals.
    How low is your protein daily?

    Well, I'd say roughly 80 Grams a day if that. Most of my food is vegetables and fruit, with that daily portion of meat sometime around dinner. There's very little protein in my other meals.
  • quiksylver296
    quiksylver296 Posts: 28,439 Member
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    ultrahoon wrote: »
    Protein powder has calories, and weight loss is entirely about calories. If drinking a shake puts you over your maintenance, it will hinder your weight loss progress.

    But I'd suggest tracking your food honestly and accurately for a while with some scales before you start self-diagnosing and taking supplements. Protein powders are not magic, use them only if you know for a fact you can't get adequate protein from your regular diet,

    This^^

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