Confused! No Protein Shakes = Weight loss?

LisaGod85
LisaGod85 Posts: 47 Member
edited September 30 in Health and Weight Loss
So, I'm a little confused about something here.I stopped drinking protein shakes after workouts and I suddenly lost weight! I was trying to follow what I had read in various books and nutrition books and each plan recommended a protein shake after workouts. I eat balanced meals, watch my sweets and make sure I eat about 1600 calories a day, sometimes more, sometimes less.

(I used biotest low carb protein powder and/or Syntha-6)

Here's what I used to do:

Over the last year I was in Graduate school and watched what I ate, worked out 3-4 days a week for 1 hour, mixing cardio and strength training. I would stay at the gym until I'd burned at least 5-600 calories or more each session....(I have a polar HRM) and then afterward I would drink a protein shake, followed by dinner when I went home. I would try to limit sugars, carbs, and watched my portion sizes. I never really lost much weight, I hit a loss of 5 lbs and stayed there (I started at 190lbs).

Here's what I do now:

After graduating, I hunkered down and really watched my portions because I could not go to the gym, tracked every single day, threw out all the soda in the house and I suddenly started to loose weight. For the last two weeks, I go to the gym five days a week doing the same routine as I did in school. I've dropped 10 lbs and am now sitting pretty at 175lbs. The only things I have changed are that I do not drink protein shakes after my workout, I just eat a modest lunch. What the heck?! Has this happened to anyone else?!

Replies

  • vim_n_vigor
    vim_n_vigor Posts: 4,089 Member
    By drinking that shake you were basically adding another meal to your day.
  • MissMaryMac33
    MissMaryMac33 Posts: 1,433 Member
    No reason at all for this so something else had to have changed to. I drink at least 2 protein shakes a day and count them in my calories just like food.

    Are you sure you were tracking the right calories for every shake? including everthing you mixed them with?
    ARe you tracking the right calories burned? Did you change your daily net?

    If you just dropped protein shakes and didnt replace those calories with something else --- then of course you would lose -- you have a bigger deficit. But you'd notice the same thing if you just stopped drinking soda and didnt replace it with something .

    Make sense

    Side note.. doesn't syntha-6 have a ton of calories? I never tried it but I remember reading the lable and thinking no... but I can't remember why... high sugar?
  • Rae6503
    Rae6503 Posts: 6,294 Member
    I think having some protein after a workout is good, but now it doesn't have to be a shake. How many calories were the shakes you were drinking? I drink about 8oz of skim milk after my workouts...
  • pkarim
    pkarim Posts: 171
    The only time protein shakes didn't work for me is when I would add a lot of extra things in them life fruit and yogurt and milk peanut butter, almond butter. I usually try to just add one thing now and it has been working just fine. It seems like your diet has more of an effect on your body than your exercise so keep it up you are very lucky :) I can eat healthy til my face turns blue but if i don't exercise the scale will not budge
  • Katemarie34
    Katemarie34 Posts: 144 Member
    agreed- most protein shakes are like a meal. it'd be a great breakfast replacement after a morning workout, or just skip your extra meal at night and just have the protein shake.
  • razeak
    razeak Posts: 12 Member
    Up your protein intake maybe. If you are burning too many calories with your intake your body will use muscle mass. A higher protein intake will offset this mostly. Was the loss sudden or did it happen over a period of a few weeks.

    1600 calories a day doesn't sound like enough with your activity level. Is 1600 net or gross?
  • texaspye
    texaspye Posts: 8
    I also drink my shake after a workout, but use it as a snack, not a meal replacement. The shake I use allows you to do one or two scoops and use it as a snack or meal replacement. For you, probably eating dinner and having the shake was more like 2 dinners. I have lost 15 lbs in 2 months with my shakes, and I mostly use them as meal replacements with a couple healthy snacks and one good meal. Let me know if I can help!
  • yanicka
    yanicka Posts: 1,004 Member
    You might be in fact losing muscle. Muscle is so much easier to burn then fat. 700 calories deficite for one pounds of muscle and 3500 calories for one pound of fat.
  • kneeki
    kneeki Posts: 347 Member
    You might be in fact losing muscle. Muscle is so much easier to burn then fat. 700 calories deficite for one pounds of muscle and 3500 calories for one pound of fat.
    That is my guess as well. Either that, or you were inaccurately logging your food intake.
  • dyiaane
    dyiaane Posts: 271 Member
    This is a great topic. I just typed in Protein shakes and this thread came up. I have never had a protein shake and want to know what the benefits are. I work out 5 days a week . I do a lot of cardio and some weights. I only have a few more pounds to loose. Is it worth it for me to start drinking protein shakes? Any advice will be helpful. Thanks.
  • LisaGod85
    LisaGod85 Posts: 47 Member
    Thanks for all the comments!

    @texaspye - I thought that too, but what I would do is use the shake as "lunch" after my workouts, and not eat my burned off calories (as much as possible) I would use two scoops and I weigh all of my food. So it would be breakfast, snack, workout, protein shake, dinner. Is this what you do?

    There is 4g of sugar in a scoop of powder for Syntha-6...Here is the nutrition info for Syntha-6 (http://www.bodybuilding.com/store/bsn/synth.html) it's about 400 calories for the shake I was making, just two scoops and water.

    1600 calories is what I stick to usually, eating back what I burned off generally, unless I'm not overly hungry. But most days I eat back my calories now, but not overboard.

    Perhaps I am loosing muscle, as I do not eat as much meat these days (poor) and limit my protein shakes. Sometimes I'll have it a scoop in a fruit/icecube/togurt smoothie. But not often anymore, honestly, it's made me a but afraid to use them since I'm seeing such results (I've lost an inch on my waist and tummy in the last three weeks) without using them. My other theory is perhaps I was not working out hard enough to really need them?
  • ansonrinesmith
    ansonrinesmith Posts: 741 Member
    It's been said here already, but I instantly thought "You aren't getting the most out of your workout if you don't put protein back in. Probably not adding muscle as much anymore.
  • Asereth333
    Asereth333 Posts: 7 Member
    Perhaps its just that you changed the times you were working out and eating? It seems, from your post that you went to gym after classes then had shake, then dinner but then after graduation you go earlier and then eat lunch? Am I reading that correctly? Sometimes just changing your routine can shake up your metabolism.
  • LisaGod85
    LisaGod85 Posts: 47 Member
    Thanks again for all the great replies! Sometimes it's hard to see things clearly from your own perspective.

    Asereth333, that is true! I do go at different times now. Now it's in the middle of the day, whereas before it was suuuuuuuuuper early or in the late afternoon.

    I'll look back into working more protein into my diet, but I'm leaning more toward chicken these days instead.
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