Why is It so hard to find low calorie/carb drinks, That are rich in protein.

itsorange
itsorange Posts: 1 Member
in Food and Nutrition
I am on a weight loss journey and throughout my time in the gym I always felt nauseous and tired, as if I didn't have any energy to work out. My friends suggested me to take some sort of protein shake but I am a little skeptical about it, plus I don't want to buy expensive stuff. I just want to drink something that's refreshing, and will help me gain energy.

Answers

  • Corina1143
    Corina1143 Posts: 3,838 Member

    I don't know what you consider too expensive, but walmart, most grocery stores have protein drinks for $3 or so. My own favorite protein drink is whey isolate (I'm a milk drinker), 1/2 a banana, a boatload of ice, and a little water. All in the blender. About $1 each. But of course, initial investment in whey powder.

    One of my favorite cheap cooling drinks is 1 bottle water, a couple slices cucumber, leave it in the fridge a day or two. Maybe even put it in the blender.
  • Alatariel75
    Alatariel75 Posts: 18,341 Member
    Unless I'm missing something on the market, protein drinks tend to be on the thicker side and more like milk drinks, not my idea of refreshing.
  • claireychn074
    claireychn074 Posts: 1,656 Member
    If you’re lacking energy in the gym a protein drink isn’t necessarily likely to help you (they are usually thick, take a little time to digest and I wouldn’t personally try to drink one whilst I’m lifting - I’ll have one after). If you’re flagging in the gym, then your calories overall may be too low, or you may need to time your food. A carb snack like a banana is good right before a workout: diet sport drinks will give electrolytes (lack of electrolytes can contribute to fatigue) without high calories or too much sugar, or the old standby - a handful of jelly babies. As long as you include them in your calorie counting, they are fine to eat. You might alternatively find you need a meal an hour or so before - sometimes it’s just about meal timing.

    So after all that - what is your calorie deficit? When do you flag - towards the end of a hard workout or early on in an easier workout?
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 34,621 Member
    Agree with the posts above, but would add that protein drinks can vary in calories, but ones with a meaningful amount of protein won't be super low calorie.

    That's because protein inherently has calories, right?

    Carbs - especially sugars - or caffeine are more likely to spark energy level quickly compared to protein.

    Protein is more about muscle repair and recovery after workouts.
  • sollyn23l2
    sollyn23l2 Posts: 1,788 Member
    itsorange wrote: »
    I am on a weight loss journey and throughout my time in the gym I always felt nauseous and tired, as if I didn't have any energy to work out. My friends suggested me to take some sort of protein shake but I am a little skeptical about it, plus I don't want to buy expensive stuff. I just want to drink something that's refreshing, and will help me gain energy.

    It does sound like you need more carbs before your workout, not more protein.
  • SweatLikeDog
    SweatLikeDog Posts: 320 Member
    Bone broth
  • springlering62
    springlering62 Posts: 8,686 Member
    edited December 8
    And that’s why I have such a fitness crush on @claireychn074

    She gives good lifting advice. Listen to what she says.

    Calories are fuel. If you’re crashing like that, you’re not fueling.

    Experiment and find what works for you. So what if it takes a few days or couple of weeks, or even months, to fall into a rhythm?

    After dabbling in no breakfast and then small breakfasts, I finally realized, duh!!! my mornings are exercise heavy and it pays to fuel. I make time for a protein heavy breakfast (only because protein satiates me and takes me through several workouts in a row). My breakfast is often my largest meal of the day. I make sure it’s delicious and enjoyable, as well as filling.

    Otherwise? I crash, come home frantically hungry, and reaching for the first thing I can stuff in my mouth.

    That totally negates any purpose in working out.

    I also make a habit of keeping something small and sugary in my gear bag, in case I do feel like I’ve wound down too far. In my case, a 15 calorie soft Ginger Chew candy I can suck on for the ten minutes or so it takes to reach the car and drive home. Low cal, fast acting, straight up sugar, helps me to revive long enough to get lunch ready. (I’m flexible enough to have lunch an hour early if I’ve bottomed out.)

    As @AnnPT77 says, why would you expect something full of protein to be low cal? That’d be like me expecting a Coke Zero to be full of nutrition.

    Investigate getting your protein from “real” food. Shakes, smoothies and drinks are a convenience, but pricey, and like Chinese food, good in the moment but leave you feeling more’ish shortly afterwards.

    I’m not knocking protein drinks. I have an easy, super high protein smoothie in my arsenal (Corepower chocolate + serving cottage cheese+lotsa ice, provides 40gr of protein) but it’s not a go-to. I only pull that one out when I see I’m short on overall protein for the day.

    Because, if I’m doing my job of caring for myself, I should have pre planned my meals and protein around my activity, unless something unexpected happened.

    Think ahead. Pre-log. Pre-plan. Don’t just wing it all day.

    Reevaluate your calorie needs. It sound like you’re cutting too hard, or are enthusiastically doing more than you’re capable of.

    It’s cool. We’ve all been there, done that. This whole thing is a learning process, and since we’re each unique in our needs, requires some experimenting. Just stick with it!!!!!!😘
  • ShevelleMM
    ShevelleMM Posts: 1 Member
    Alatariel75 wrote: »
    Unless I'm missing something on the market, protein drinks tend to be on the thicker side and more like milk drinks, not my idea of refreshing.

    Isopure Protein They are more like what you would imagine you get from crystal light. They settle into completely clear and not thick at all and has saved my life.
  • nicsflyingcircus
    nicsflyingcircus Posts: 2,899 Member
    My favorite bang for my buck (calorie wise, not actual money, oof) is 1UP Nutrition Lemon Italian Ice clear whey. 20g protein/80 calories. Also mixes easily with water and tastes delicious.
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 34,621 Member
    springlering62 wrote: »
    (snip good post to shorten reply & focus on one thing)


    Reevaluate your calorie needs. It sound like you’re cutting too hard, or are enthusiastically doing more than you’re capable of.

    (snip)

    Man, that is a good point, and I think the bolded is under-mentioned elsewhere in this thread.

    Over-exercise for current fitness level is not a good plan. It can be counterproductive for either of fitness improvement or weight loss.

    Over-exercising beyond current fitness level can cause fatigue, which makes us drag through the day, rest more, move less doing daily life stuff, maybe even sleep more, so we burn fewer calories than expected during the non-exercise part of our days. In effect, that wipes out some of the exercise calories. That's counter-productive for weight loss . . . especially since most of us burn more calories doing daily life stuff than we burn in an exercise session.

    On the fitness front, over-exercising for current fitness level tends to hinder recovery post-exercise. Recovery is where the real magic happens: Our body building back better after the exercise. If we overdo the combination of exercise frequency, intensity, duration - even if the exercise types differ - we can limit recovery, so achieve less (or no) fitness improvement.

    The right amount of exercise varies with current fitness level (and fueling also matters).

    In extreme cases - fortunately quite rare - over-exercise, even a single session, can cause a very serious, fast muscle-wasting health condition called rhabdomyolysis. (That link goes to a brief overview from the Cleveland Clinic, a mainstream, sensible source.) Untreated, it can even be deadly.

    I think the sweet spot for an overall exercise program is finding a manageable challenge. The "manageable" piece minimizes the fatigue/under-recovery risk. The "challenge" piece helps make fitness progress. Exactly what exercise types/levels that is will vary individually.

    As our fitness improves, we will need to increase one of duration, frequency, intensity - or change exercise type(s) - to keep the challenge in the picture. As we're fitter, we can do that without compromising recovery. It's a bit of a balancing act, but achievable.

    Here on MFP, it's all too common to see people start off super-aggressively, going for fast weight loss and stacking extremely intense daily exercise on top of that. IMO, that's not a good plan: It can lead to fatigue, immune system problems, increase injury risk, and more . . . and makes giving up more likely, because it gets Just. Too. Hard.

    Please be careful! I'd love to see you succeed with your goals . . . but not risk your health or well-being along the way.

    Best wishes!

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