Protein Shake Concerns

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24

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  • KMiche82
    KMiche82 Posts: 144 Member
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    Try to look into herbalife shakes they are made from natural ingredients and I did not find in mercury on the label!!!!!
  • Dyannparham
    Dyannparham Posts: 2
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    I think the protein limits per serving are because protein can be hard on the liver to process. :-)
  • morkiemama
    morkiemama Posts: 894 Member
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    Thanks for all the responses! :) I really do appreciate them!

    I thought about trying to hit the protein I need through foods first and see if I can manage it. However, I'm sure a lot of the processed junk I eat does the same, if not more, harm as a shake would. >.<

    My issue is that I have officially started semester and I commute. I literally spend ALL DAY and then some on campus (we're talking 18+ hours on campus) between classes, teaching (I am a TA), office hours, group meetings, studying, etc. There is no way I can (practically) bring a lot of food with me to campus and I am limited in what I can eat since I don't have access to things like a fridge or many cooking devices.

    I have trouble fitting in my current not so specific macro meals and my workouts as it is, so I thought a shake might be a good option for me. Then I read things like consumer reports, etc. that made me wary of just charging forward on my own (limited) knowledge.
  • AggieCass09
    AggieCass09 Posts: 1,867 Member
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    http://www.bodybuilding.com/store/opt/natwhey.html

    thats what i use...good, cheap, no funky texture, all natural! vanilla is easy to mix with anything :)

    my breakfast shake was protein, coconut milk, coconut flakes (unsweetened), banana, ice....SO GOOD for only 363 cals!
  • Aperture_Science
    Aperture_Science Posts: 840 Member
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    I can see the arguments that (in an ideal world) you can get your protein requirements from food rather than a supplement. This is something that I attempt in my daily life. But sometimes I mess up with the planning and I don't have (or can't be bothered to make) a real food protein hit.

    In this instance I fall back on a Protein shake or two and I don't feel guilty about it.

    As for the amount of protein to consume I've seen a few different calculations from 1g per LB of Lean Mass to 1.5-2g per total mass. As you can imagine the Protein values vary considerably depending on these calculations. To make matters worse there is a mass of conflicting data about when to load up on Protein. Some advocate spreading it through the day, some prefer the end of the day and others say that it depends upon your work out times!

    My advice: Get your cals right and an exercise regime that you love and works for you first. Then work towards getting your macros right with about 1g - 1.5g of protein per lean mass LB, if doing this means that you need to use protein shakes so-be-it. Only when you have those two things in place should you worry about dropping the shakes in favour of "real" food. Finally tweak the Cals and exercise to maintain progress, if you feel you are putting on fat, drop the cals. If you feel that you are getting burnt out raise them (note: don't skimp on the fat or sleep when trying to increase strength).

    Best wishes
  • mathen2
    mathen2 Posts: 134 Member
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    Heard that Jay Robb's whey protein powder doesnt have all the harmful ingredients that you see in normal protein powders and is one of the cleanest protein powders out there. I havent tried it yet because I dont like the protein powders I have tried and the Jay Robb's powder is a bag which is around 25 bucks. Not sure if I should buy it only to dislike the taste
  • AggieCass09
    AggieCass09 Posts: 1,867 Member
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    I think the protein limits per serving are because protein can be hard on the liver to process. :-)

    there is a limit to what your body can process but it doesnt hurt you, you just flush it out
  • smurfee11
    smurfee11 Posts: 33
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    Beverly products are by far one of the best, we use it daily. It also has a great taste and you can cook with it. we make pancakes, cookies. Lots of great recipes. Clean ingredients and low sugar. Trying to add muscle takes heavy lifting. :)
  • hedgiie
    hedgiie Posts: 1,245 Member
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    Personally, i like to get my protein from whole foods. I do take protein shakes if i'm not getting enough protein from food otherwise, I drop the protein shake for the day.
  • saxmaniac
    saxmaniac Posts: 1,133 Member
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    I've been eating EAS powder for a year and am not dead yet.

    It's an adjunct, though, not replacement for all your protein. One-two scoops a day (25g-50g) is all I need to get up to my 1g per lb of bodyweight. The other 100+g comes from food.
  • mlawilm
    mlawilm Posts: 39 Member
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    I use Spiru-teen. Its a tri part plant based protein powder. It tastes pretty good. It comes in different flavors and then I add 1 cup frozen fruit, 1 cup sugar free juice or almond milk along with 1tbspn walnut oil, 2 tbspns chia seeds and 2tbspn ground flaxseed. It tastes great and keeps me full for a long time. But, I am working more on weight loss than muscle building so not sure if this would help you any.
  • Jeff92se
    Jeff92se Posts: 3,369 Member
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    Getting enough protein via whole foods is possible. Doing that while staying at a calorie deficit isn't that easy though.
  • _GlaDOS_
    _GlaDOS_ Posts: 1,520 Member
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    I think it's a legitimate concern, but you don't have to use whey protein powder. There are protein powders made from pea, soy, brown rice, and hemp. I use one called Sunwarrior, which is a vegan brown rice protein powder. There is probably some argument out there that whey or casein protein is better in terms of bioavailability, but I think if you are having a hard time meeting your protein needs, there are still other good choices besides whey.
  • onefitdiva
    onefitdiva Posts: 331 Member
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    www.nutrabio.com

    I love their unflavored whey protein isolate, it is pharmaceutical grade, had nothing artificial added to it, no fillers, and can be used for more that just a shake. I have added it to fruit smoothies, pasta sauces, oatmeal and baking mixes to increase protein.
    To make a workout shake here is what I use:

    1 scoop NutraBio 100% Pure Whey Protein Isolate
    1 Tbsp Hershey's all natural cocoa
    2 Tbsp PB2 (this is really optional)
    2 pkts. Truvia
    8 oz. Horizon organic fat free milk.

    Hope this helped!
  • TONYAGOOCH
    TONYAGOOCH Posts: 470 Member
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    I use Dymatize ISO-100 protein powder. The chocolate is very good and it's only 106 calories with 24g of protein per scoop.
  • morkiemama
    morkiemama Posts: 894 Member
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    Hi there, I just went to my nutritionist and she said if I was needing protein, that I could use a protein shake. She stated I could use a whey protein powder, add greek yogurt, and do fruit or even avocado (mild taste). She stated no more than 25 grams of protein though per serving (? forgot to ask why). She also said to add flax seed to it. I'm curious to try this concoction.

    I think I read somewhere (don't quote me on this because I am new to this whole thing and have read A LOT of conflicting information from various sources @_@) that you should limit your amount of protein per serving because any more than xxx amount does not absorb efficiently. I am unsure if this is true or has any backing whatsoever LOL. I'd be interested to know what she says if you do end up asking her why. :)
  • GetFitE
    GetFitE Posts: 247 Member
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    I use a protein shake as a post-workout drink just to give me some quick energy back. I'm always on the go and sometimes it makes for a good breakfast or grab-n-go snack. I use Pure Protein which I bought from publix. It's Vanilla Creme flavor. I blend it with 8oz water or a low-calorie 100% juice (like Good Belly) and add fruit to it for better taste. Because of the vanilla creme flavor my drink usually tastes like peaches and cream or strawberries and creme. It's really good. I also use Amino Vital Pro. it's really good to spice up your water. I try not to drink it outside of it being a post-workout drink. I usually just try to get my protein in through lean meats (chicken, turkey), or a 3oz portion of beef.
  • Lynniebinee
    Lynniebinee Posts: 11
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    Thanks for all the responses! :) I really do appreciate them!

    I thought about trying to hit the protein I need through foods first and see if I can manage it. However, I'm sure a lot of the processed junk I eat does the same, if not more, harm as a shake would. >.<

    My issue is that I have officially started semester and I commute. I literally spend ALL DAY and then some on campus (we're talking 18+ hours on campus) between classes, teaching (I am a TA), office hours, group meetings, studying, etc. There is no way I can (practically) bring a lot of food with me to campus and I am limited in what I can eat since I don't have access to things like a fridge or many cooking devices.

    I have trouble fitting in my current not so specific macro meals and my workouts as it is, so I thought a shake might be a good option for me. Then I read things like consumer reports, etc. that made me wary of just charging forward on my own (limited) knowledge.
  • morkiemama
    morkiemama Posts: 894 Member
    Options
    I can see the arguments that (in an ideal world) you can get your protein requirements from food rather than a supplement. This is something that I attempt in my daily life. But sometimes I mess up with the planning and I don't have (or can't be bothered to make) a real food protein hit.

    In this instance I fall back on a Protein shake or two and I don't feel guilty about it.

    As for the amount of protein to consume I've seen a few different calculations from 1g per LB of Lean Mass to 1.5-2g per total mass. As you can imagine the Protein values vary considerably depending on these calculations. To make matters worse there is a mass of conflicting data about when to load up on Protein. Some advocate spreading it through the day, some prefer the end of the day and others say that it depends upon your work out times!

    My advice: Get your cals right and an exercise regime that you love and works for you first. Then work towards getting your macros right with about 1g - 1.5g of protein per lean mass LB, if doing this means that you need to use protein shakes so-be-it. Only when you have those two things in place should you worry about dropping the shakes in favour of "real" food. Finally tweak the Cals and exercise to maintain progress, if you feel you are putting on fat, drop the cals. If you feel that you are getting burnt out raise them (note: don't skimp on the fat or sleep when trying to increase strength).

    Best wishes

    Thank you so much for this advice. It really is confusing (and somewhat overwhelming) for a beginner like myself. I know the look I want and I know I have to life heavy to get it. I have a lot of work to do in regards to learning to lift (let's face it... I'm not knowledgeable and naturally prone to hurting myself :P), but I'm working on that too.

    Then I started to do reading and gathered that all my lifting while in a deficit wasn't going to achieve what I was looking for because my body didn't have the things it needed to put on the muscle. I'm now trying to figure out how to adjust my diet without having to do a complete overhaul.

    Too many changes at once will most likely lead to failure (at least for me), so I thought a protein shake might be a convenient compromise for me until I get better at everything. That includes cooking because, if I'm going to be honest, I suck at it and have made completely inedible things more than a few times... :blush:: and that is WITH the proper equipment at home!
  • morkiemama
    morkiemama Posts: 894 Member
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    Heard that Jay Robb's whey protein powder doesnt have all the harmful ingredients that you see in normal protein powders and is one of the cleanest protein powders out there. I havent tried it yet because I dont like the protein powders I have tried and the Jay Robb's powder is a bag which is around 25 bucks. Not sure if I should buy it only to dislike the taste

    Thanks! I've also read about this particular brand. I'm hoping that I'll be able to obtain individual trial packets of a few brands and try them before having to purchase a full size of anything. I know that there are local stores that sell things like that. :)

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