protein powder problems!!

lynsielou22
lynsielou22 Posts: 14 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I've heard great things about protein powder, and I always see so many delicious looking recipes involving protein powder. I've been thinking about getting some, but I wondered, if I start using it, will it increase my muscle mass too much? I would like to be strong, but I don't particularly want huge, bulging muscles... I think protein powder could definitely be kind of beneficial to my diet, because I don't think I'm always getting as much as I should. I just don't want to start consuming too much and then have huge muscles or anything.

Replies

  • hiker583
    hiker583 Posts: 91 Member
    Try natural sources of proteins like beans, lentils, tofu etc. They will give you the nutrition without any danger is side effects.
  • aub6689
    aub6689 Posts: 351 Member
    You won't gain any mass unless you are eating more calories than you are burning. There are protein powders made for people looking to put on mass-they are the ones with high carbs too-but even if you took these, you wouldn't gain mass unless you were consuming too many calories.
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 28,052 Member
    edited March 2016
    ...Why Women WON’T & CAN’T Get “Big” And “Bulky”

    How shall I put this? Hmmm. Alright, I got it…

    Women do not have physiological makeup to EVER get anywhere near as big and bulky as they are so scared of getting anywhere near as quickly as they are so scared of it happening.

    Seriously. If I could scream that directly into the face of every girl reading this, I would.

    Because no matter how hard a woman purposely tries to get that big, bulky, overly muscular and manly looking body that most women are scared to death of getting… they never EVER will.

    Even if they made it their one goal in life and did nothing but work to make it happen. It would still never happen anywhere close to the degree that women are so scared it might.

    Well… unless of course they use steroids.

    Read more: http://www.aworkoutroutine.com/workout-routines-for-women/
  • Wetcoaster
    Wetcoaster Posts: 1,788 Member
    edited March 2016
    No protein in any form will give you muscles.
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
    lynsielou22 wrote: »
    I've heard great things about protein powder, and I always see so many delicious looking recipes involving protein powder. I've been thinking about getting some, but I wondered, if I start using it, will it increase my muscle mass too much? I would like to be strong, but I don't particularly want huge, bulging muscles... I think protein powder could definitely be kind of beneficial to my diet, because I don't think I'm always getting as much as I should. I just don't want to start consuming too much and then have huge muscles or anything.

    Don't worry, you won't get 'huge muscles' by accident
  • cnbbnc
    cnbbnc Posts: 1,267 Member
    You're not going to get bulky. Powders are good to supplement if you're falling short on hitting your goal for the day. Real food is better, but they do have their place for some. Some powders are pretty high calorie and may have more carbs or sugar than you want so look at the labels before buying.
  • IGbnat24
    IGbnat24 Posts: 520 Member
    Sigh. You won't just wake up one day, look in the mirror, and see big, bulging muscles--No matter how much protein you're eating. Significant muscle mass takes years and years of hard work to build. Find a powder that tastes good to you and go to town.
  • itsbasschick
    itsbasschick Posts: 1,584 Member
    IGbnat24 wrote: »
    Sigh. You won't just wake up one day, look in the mirror, and see big, bulging muscles--No matter how much protein you're eating. Significant muscle mass takes years and years of hard work to build. Find a powder that tastes good to you and go to town.

    this ^
  • sunflowerhippi
    sunflowerhippi Posts: 1,099 Member
    I think everyone else covered it. Just find one you like the flavor of and go for it.
  • MelaniaTrump
    MelaniaTrump Posts: 2,694 Member
    Buy a protein bar first to see how you like the brand.
    Walmart and target have them.
  • khhregister
    khhregister Posts: 229 Member
    Rest assured. You can't get bigger muscles without working VERY VERY VERY hard for them in the gym. For YEARS. It doesn't happen by accident, and it doesn't happen because you eat extra protein. Only through VERY VERY VERY hard work, lifting weights. And even then, for women, unless you take anabolic steroids, muscle gains are very small compared to men. It's just not going to happen. Believe me. So many women are working their *kitten* off in the gym every day, just to get tiny results. Even at my peak fitness, at age 30, after working out 5X a week lifting weights in the gym for 8 years straight - all I had was a tiny bit of definition in my arms and legs and a hint of ab definition if I looked at myself in the right light. That was working my hardest. For years.

    If you eat extra protein and don't work out like Schwarzenegger in the gym and dope yourself up like Barry Bonds with the steroids, all that means is you ate some extra calories in the form of protein.

  • lexykassan
    lexykassan Posts: 19 Member
    The protein itself is not going to cause your muscles to suddenly bulk up. That takes a lot of work in very specific ways with lots of weights. And even then it's not guaranteed. Without chemical (read: anabolic steroids) or surgical intervention, most people simply will never look like the body builders you see in competition.

    If you do choose to try some protein powders, here are a couple of tips.

    Keep an eye on the various mixes of protein powders. Some are specifically meant for meal replacement (likely contain more fiber and vitamins/minerals). Others are specifically meant to provide protein for those trying to gain muscle (likely to contain more protein and focus less on overall nutrition). Almost all powders have some sort of sweetener (not all, but most) so also check on the sugar levels of anything you're looking to use.

    There are also lots of different sources of protein that these can be derived from. Whey is one of the most common for the pure protein powders. Soy is common as a plant-based alternative but some people are wary of this as it can contain estradiols. A newer source in greater use is pea protein. This does not contain the same levels of estradiols as soy and is still plant-based.

    Hope this helps. Best of luck!
  • amyk0202
    amyk0202 Posts: 666 Member
    Unless you are really unable to meet your protein requirements through diet, I would skip the protein powders. There are lots of recipes out there that sound good, but all the ones I've tried have never been very good. The flavored powders tend to be cloyingly sweet & have an aftertaste, they all clump. In order to get a good concoction, you need to blend them up into a fairly high calorie smoothie.

    I've had WLS, so I do use them on occasion to meet my protein requirement--unflavored, mixed in something I'm eating already. They are also very expensive. I wouldn't do it if I had the room in my stomach for another protein source--it's easier & cheaper to eat some meat or drink a cup of fairlife milk.
  • alittlelife14
    alittlelife14 Posts: 339 Member
    Protein powders are unnecessary for most part I agree

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