Ladies, Protein Shakes?

Hi there, Im just wondering who on here drinks protein shakes? My Mom had some left over and she gave it to me.. It is BioX Xtreme Power Whey Complex @ 27 grams of protein per scoop..

I am trying to lose fat and gain muscle but no to much I dont want to look bulky just toned..

What ones have you tried? Are there ones specifically made for females? Id rather get first hand suggestions then just google it with no human input..

Thank

honestly, most protein shakes and powders have alot of extra added sugar and/or chemicals added to it.

if you want protein, i'd suggest eating things like nuts and nut butters, lean meats, beans, lentils, dairy, eggs, egg whites and other things like that.

they're healthy, full of protein (and fiber for some), contain alot of other important nutrients, and they're natural. :)

Well I use whey factors. as it's hard for me to get as much protein as I would like and still keep my calories down. 

@ericainrecovery -- my whey factors specifically says:  Contains no aritificial preservatives, color or sweeteners:  no wheat or yeast.  No added sugar.

A protein shake won't put muscle on you on its own.  If you do hard exercise before drinking the shake, it will help you build muscle, but by itself, it is just a good source of protein.  I have never heard of any made specifically for females.  I can't imagine why there would be.  It is just food.  I like having one for breakfast, because I am too lazy to make eggs or anything like that.  I also like having one after working out.  I consider it a good source of healthy protein since my other choices of protein sources, whole eggs or beef, are high in cholesterol and saturated fat.

I have protein shakes also for the protein - i find if i'm low on my protein for the day i'll have it to boost the figure a bit.

I recenty had a debate with a (male) friend of mine who says i shouldn't be drinking them unless i'm aiming for big muscles (!), and that by drinking them it will cause my weight loss 2 stop. but it hasn't i've still been losing the same as i was before i started drinking them !! I like my chocolate shake with 200ml of skim milk =)

the one I use onl has 3g of Carb (2g sugar)

and of course I'm not expecting it build muscles on it's own I weight train

I use the Zone Chocolate protein shake as a meal replacement ,usually lunch. I'm 61 and do  strengthening and core exercises to build  and tighten muscles. I have to lose 20 more lbs.  It also satisfies my taste for chocolate!

i used to drink vanilla soy protein but it had wayy to much sugar per serviing, so i switched to vanilla whey. the whey product i use has 1g of sugar and 280mg of sodium, 60g of protein per serving, and 1g of sat fat.

i always drink one after a workout and mix it in a blender with ice, water, bananas, and 2T of my natural pb. or, i mix it in a blender with ice, water strawberries bananas and sometimes fruit like cantalope or honeydew.

its sooo yummy. theyre like milkshakes, which are one of my favorite foods. and these are healthy so theyre a good fix for my milkshake cravings while being healthy and proteindense at the same time! =)

I use Bioplex whey protein isolate in both chocolate and vanilla - I just shake with a little ice and a cup of milk. Neither flavor has sugar or chemicals - they are all protein except for one gram of dietary fiber. Like other posters, I always drink one after I lift and I frequently have one on non-lifting days to help me balance out my macro-nutrients or meet my calories.

Ok so far I agree with everyone except Eerica. lol.

I drink protein shakes daily. Have been for the past 2+ years.

Perks: studies show that an increase in protein intake can provide much needed support for sustained muscle growth and reductions of body fat, and a reduced appetite for sugar.

Fact: the more muscle you have the less fat you have (i.e. muscle is a great thing, you just want lean muscle not bulky... so just keep to lower weights/higher reps, and don't do steroids. lol). Protein shakes have nothing to do with bulking up... your calorie consumption, where you get those cals (ie fats & carbs? bleck!), genetics, and how you lift are factors.

Con: Protein can stop you up or make women feel bloated. To alleviate this introduce larger intakes of protein sllllllloooooowwwwly. I take about 140-165g of protein a day. That came over time, and if you want to make sure you "balance" your diet, eat fiber (salad, fiber one, beans, la tortilla low-carb tortillas, popcorn etc) and that will help you keep regular.

Fact: while most people (including myself) do not like protein shakes with sugars, the protein does need to be consumed with something else... it is not digested nearly as easily in a shake form riding "solo". This is why some protein shakes are floating in sugar... they use sugar as the transport to your muscles. Here's some great ideas for transport: put a 1/2 cup cooked brown rice/quinoa/oatmeal/waxy maize/banana, etc in your protein shake. It will bump you up in carbs but they are at least the low-glycemic carbs and so you can maximize the nutrition taken from them . Also makes them quite tasty!

While I have never taken a protein shake made specifically for women (I find most have less protein per calorie) I love shakes and I need the supplements in order to reach my daily goals. The two supplements I take daily are: Dymatize Elite Rich Chocolate (117 cals, 24g protein, 0 sugar), and CarbRite Bars (190 cals, 22g protein & they curb my sweet tooth like non other).

Good luck to ya!

 

Original Post by littlemalynda:

Fact: the more muscle you have the less fat you have (i.e. muscle is a great thing, you just want lean muscle not bulky... so just keep to lower weights/higher reps, and don't do steroids. lol). Protein shakes have nothing to do with bulking up... your calorie consumption, where you get those cals (ie fats & carbs? bleck!), genetics, and how you lift are factors.

Women will not bulk lifting heavy weights with low reps. Low weights/high reps is not a good idea while in a calorie deficit because it won't do much to preserve your existing muscle.

Fact: while most people (including myself) do not like protein shakes with sugars, the protein does need to be consumed with something else... it is not digested nearly as easily in a shake form riding "solo". This is why some protein shakes are floating in sugar... they use sugar as the transport to your muscles. Here's some great ideas for transport: put a 1/2 cup cooked brown rice/quinoa/oatmeal/waxy maize/banana, etc in your protein shake. It will bump you up in carbs but they are at least the low-glycemic carbs and so you can maximize the nutrition taken from them . Also makes them quite tasty!

High GI carbs are better for post-workout nutrition. Wikipedia explains: (taken from the article on sports nutrition)

Typically, high glycemic index carbohydrates are preferred for their ability to raise insulin levels, thus increasing rate of nutrient storage.

High GI carbs are better for post-workout nutrition. Wikipedia explains: (taken from the article on sports nutrition)

Typically, high glycemic index carbohydrates are preferred for their ability to raise insulin levels, thus increasing rate of nutrient storage.

sigh, ok another reason to switch my pre & post workout snacks. i usually like to have a banana & peanut butter before and then a protein shake afterwards. i've read some where else that it would probably be a better idea to switch them???

I'm not sure about that; I found this interesting reading:

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/05/health/nutr ition/05Best.html?_r=1&oref=slogin

"Just after exercise, perhaps for a period no longer than a couple of hours, the protein-building processes of muscle cells are especially receptive to amino acids. That means that if you consume protein, your muscles will use it to quickly replenish proteins that were not made during exercise."

But interestingly, it goes on to say that we don't need that much protein. I don't have a particular view (although I occasionally have the chocolate whey powder with yoghurt), but I'd say it's not worth obsessing too much about the protein/carb balance, but just make sure you're taking in good (enough) food to support the exercise, and recovery. But, more from the article:

"Asker Jeukendrup, a 38-year-old 14-time Ironman-distance finisher who is an exercise physiologist and nutritionist at the University of Birmingham in England said the fastest glycogen replacement takes place in the four hours after exercise. Even so, most athletes need not worry.

“Most athletes will have at least 24 hours to recover,” Dr. Jeukendrup said. “We really are talking about a group of extremely elite sports people who train twice a day.”"

Overall message I take from this: chill.

 You also need to consider that your needs are sports-specific, and the NYtimes article is focused on the needs of endurance athletes.

 Competitive dieting (aka. 'bodybuilding') has different pre- and post-workout needs, and nutrient timing does make a difference in performance and training effect there - The Top 10 Post Workout Nutrition Myths and 21st Century Eating from Dave Barr has some elements to take into consideration there.

 Endurance athletes and strength athletes have very different needs when it comes to post-workout nutrition:Solving The Post-Workout Puzzle - Part 1 and  Part 2 highlights some of the differences in nutrient needs and recovery strategy between the groups. And their prescription for how much you need pre/post workout lacks precision and thus is of only limited utility - Alan recommends:

Pre-workout
Protein = 0.25g/lb Target Body Weight
Carbs = 0.25g/lb TBW
Post-workout
Protein = 0.25g/lb TBW
Carbs = 0.5g/lb TBW

 You don't need microgram precision, but you do need to be in the rough general neighbourhood for optimal training and recovery.

 If you're not concerned with optimising performance and think that a 5-10% difference in results per training session isn't worth the bother and expense, well, that's understandable - not everyone want or need to push their perfomance to their personal limits.

Food alone wont tone you up, but you probably knew that.  Extra calories are extra calories, so if you drink this stuff and consume above and beyond your needs, you will gain weight.

I dont really know about all this when to drink (before or after) controversy, but here are my thoughts-

I drink a plain, store brand soy protein isolate without much added sugar and just mix it with cold water.  It has 28 grams of protein and about 110 calories per serving and it is fortified.  It is lumpy and can taste dry or chalky if I don't mix it at least an hour before I drink it, so I usually mix it the night before.  I drink shakes after a run, strength trainings, or as a snack. In addition to the plain stuff, I like Spirutein cookies and cream flavor and Cherries Jubilee.  It only has around half of the protein of the plain stuff but they taste good mixed with the plain stuff. If I want to splurge, then I put soy milk or a banana in there.  

besides so much crap marketed "for women" is just bs advertising designed to separate you from your money

as far as before/after workouts, I can't handle too much liquid before exercise so I just eat a banana, apple, very thick oatmeal with peanut butter...

"For women" generally means extra calcium and iron; and seriously, just have some more spinach and broccoli instead.

There's nothing wrong with protein shakes, but you could get alot more natural protein from food sources alone, at a fraction of the cost and calories! A tuna fillet, for example, is 90 calories (3 oz.), with 20 grams of protien. It costs less than a dollar per fillet. A can of tuna with multiple servings is even cheeper, the whole 6 oz. can containing 180 calories, 1.5 grams of fat, and 39 grams of protein for 50 cents.

 

Also, cottage cheese is very nutritious. Not only does it have 12 grams of protien per 90 calorie, half cup serving, but cottage cheese also contains 10% the RDA for viatmin D, along with 15% of your daily calcium needs.

 

But then, there's the issue of taste. Ofcourse a shake sounds more appealing than plain tuna or cottage cheese (unless you have my oddly plain taste buds!).  So try to jazz things up by combining these and other protein rich foods (lean lunch meats, beans, lentils, low-fat dairy) to get even more nutrients.

 

Some of my favorite post-workout meals would include...

A ham and cheese sanwhich on whole grain bread (220 calories, 5 grams of fat, 3 grams of fiber, and 19 grams of protein)

A tuna salad made with spinach, tomato, light italian dressing, plain yogurt, and cracked pepper with a touch of lemon juice (210 calories, 3 grams of fat, 5 grams of fiber, and 25 grams of protein)

Cottage cheese with blueberries and flaxseed (220 calories, 7.5 grams of healthy fats, 9 grams of fiber, 16 grams of protein)

Black beans topped with lowfat cheese, diced tomatoes, broccoli, and turkey (290 calories, 4.5 grams of fat, 10 grams of fiber, 22 grams of protein)

Oatmeal made with 2 egg whites, splenda and cinnamon, and 1/2 cup of skim milk; mixed with pumpkin puree and cinnamon (260 calories, 2 grams of fat, 7 grams of fiber, 14 grams of protein)

An apple with cinnamon and skim ricotta cheese (220 calories, 2 grams of fat, 5 grams of fiber, 15 grams of protein)

or my favorite... GREEK YOGURT! I mix it with pinapple and kashi GO LEAN! cereal, for a lovely snack of 280 calories, 1 gram of fat, 11 grams of fiber, and 31 grams of protein :D

 

 

There is however an absorption speed advantage to whey protein, which solid food can't compete with. Nutrient delivery to your muscles starts almost immediately and  peaks after 90 minutes with whey, while solid food generally doesn't start to deliver nutrients until after 30-60 minutes and peaks at 3-5 hours.

 This is important when you're trying to hit that 45-minute supercompensation window that Barr describes.

 It depends on what you did for a workout and what your goals are though - in general food is better for you; there's just a small but statistically significant improvement with amino acids or whey post-workout.

Original Post by julzdanceruns:

There's nothing wrong with protein shakes, but you could get alot more natural protein from food sources alone, at a fraction of the cost and calories! A tuna fillet, for example, is 90 calories (3 oz.), with 20 grams of protien. It costs less than a dollar per fillet. A can of tuna with multiple servings is even cheeper, the whole 6 oz. can containing 180 calories, 1.5 grams of fat, and 39 grams of protein for 50 cents.

 

But then, there's the issue of taste. Ofcourse a shake sounds more appealing than plain tuna or cottage cheese (unless you have my oddly plain taste buds!). *emphasis mine*

I do! lol

I have a whey protein shake after working out for the fast delivery, but I don't like them. I use Six Star Muscle vanilla flavor with 1% milk. One shake is 240 cals, 4.3 grams of fat, and 32 grams of protein.

I prefer to get my protein through tuna/turkey sandwiches. My favorite sandwich is 2 slices of low cal multigrain bread, 4 slices of thinly sliced turkey, 1 can of tuna, lettuce, and tomato. It is 250 calories, 2 grams of fat, and 45 grams of protein. It's a bit dry because I don't want to waste calories on mayo, but very filling and more than 1/3 of my daily protein intake!

Original Post by julzdanceruns:
It costs less than a dollar per fillet. A can of tuna with multiple servings is even cheeper, the whole 6 oz. can containing 180 calories, 1.5 grams of fat, and 39 grams of protein for 50 cents.

well its not really cheaper where i live & taking some dry powder with you to mix at the gym is less hassle & im more likely to do it. i can drink it right then & there before i go home, start dinner & take a shower. with my schedule, at least i've put something in my stomach to hold me off till dinner. i then make sure to get as much protein, carbs & fat in my body with dinner. i dont use those shakes as a meal replacer. not to mention right after a workout drinking something sounds more appealing than eating something when you are all sweaty.