Protein Shakes???

Hey Everyone!!

I'm just wondering about protein shakes and such. Good/Bad? Which ones are considered "best"? Just thoughts in general!!!!

Thanks!

I think they are a good way to get the best protein/calorie ratio in order to help keep muscle while losing weight.  Plus they taste good if you buy the right ones.  As with everything, you need to budget them into your calorie allowance. 

I am a big fan of the 'All the Whey' brand.  Their products seem to mix and taste better than others I've tried.  The cinnamon bun and cup cake batter are delicious.  I also have a mint chocolate flavor from Scifit Instant Whey Protein, which also tastes great, but is a bit more chalkey than other brands I've tried.  I think the taste fits with the mint chocolate flavor, however their strawberry is the worst I've ever tasted and reminds me of pennacilian. 

I'm not sure if I'm allowed to promote brands/shops here, but if you're looking for deals on protein shakes they come up every couple weeks on slickdeals.net if you keep tabs on things over there.  PM me if you want more specific recomendations on websites to buy from.

EDIT: Just make sure to check the nutrition for the ones you buy.  Some are targeted towards weight GAIN for body builders.  I haven't checked the facts myself, but I've read that the popular muscle milk brand has a higher calorie/protein ratio than others, and also tastes better for this reason.  Feel free to prove me wrong though.

Thanks so much!

I'll definately look into trying the " All the Whey" brand! I am fairly active, do alot of cardio and recently started doing abit more weight training... how much exactly do I have to be doing to start using protein shakes? I don't want to go overboard with the protein and end up gaining the fat instead of the muscle... thanks!

Define "a lot of cardio" and "a bit more weight training". My personal opinion for 90% of the people who use those products it is not really necessary. Got to love marketing.

UD

Original Post by umneydurak:

Define "a lot of cardio" and "a bit more weight training". My personal opinion for 90% of the people who use those products it is not really necessary. Got to love marketing.

UD

 I agree ... unless you're endurance training (i.e. running/cycling cardio sessions upwards of 90 minutes) or doing very intense weight training protien shakes may not be necessary.

That being said, I also think it's important to include protien at every meal, and they can be a quick easy supplement to add protien to a snack or breakfast and they are filling. They do tend to have a couple hundred calories per serving though so if you're watching calories be sure to include them in your daily totals.

Thanks to both of you...

Sorry for not being specific enough...

I usually end up doing 60 minutes of cardio 6 days a week, tredmill,bike or elliptical (some days 45min if im rushed) in the gym, and if it's fairly decent outside ill go for a run, or throw on my rollerblades, I also go to badminton on Mondays. I never used to be "big" on doing weights but now I am spending anywhere from 45min to an hour of weights...

I do eat alot of chicken, nuts etc.... but I was just wondering if a protein shake every once and a while would hurt. Thanks for your input!

I weight train 3 times a week and I drink a protein shake after every training session.

I use Presidents Choice whey protein. 110 cals a scoop and 27grams of protein.

I make my own mixes. Here's a lower cal one I'm using now:

- 1/2 cup skim milk (45 cals)

- 1/2 cup frozen berries (30 cals)

- 1 scoop protein powder (110 cals)

- 1/2 cup ice

Blend and enjoy. Its almost like a treat more than a shake- I hate the taste of protein but this formula does the trick!

I am never do them...I only get my nutrients form food.

Seems I am the only one who looks for high nutrient and protein foods on CC.

And I catch a lot flak when I suggest colon cleanses at plateaus and reduced vitamin consumption when your on a balanced healthy diet.

I do not agree with Vitamin consumption to replace food or these shakes. 

I think the body wants things naturally.

I drink everyday Formula 1 Nutritional Shake Mix (is from Herbalife) instead of breakfast. If you are interested you can find it's nutritional info at CC too. It has helped me to attain my weightloss goal.

Original Post by themassageguy:

I do not agree with Vitamin consumption to replace food or these shakes. 

Supplements (vitamins, fish oil, protein, etc) are not replacements for food, they are used to in addition to a healthy diet. 

Original Post by floggingsully:

Original Post by themassageguy:

I do not agree with Vitamin consumption to replace food or these shakes. 

Supplements (vitamins, fish oil, protein, etc) are not replacements for food, they are used to in addition to a healthy diet. 

Exactly!  Sometimes I don't feel like eating a chicken breast after my workout right before I go to bed.

Thanks for all the feedback.

Chelslaw, thanks, i'm definately gunna whip up some of this, and try it out!

themassageguy, I do not intend to use this as a "replacement" of any sort.... just to help get that little bit of extra if iv already ate as much fish and chicken I could possibly eat! Always great to hear others opinions though!

If you are wanting to add a protein shake into your diet and still loose weight. Opt of a Whey Isolate protien.  Whey isolate has the most amout of protein for the least amount of calories, fat, and cholesterol.  Whey Complexes are good too but the isolate is the best.

Right on, ill definately look into that!

If you are just looking for the protein, just to add protein, whey protein is preferred over the "designer" proteins from the stand point of cost. I bought a large bottle of designer stuff at a natural foods store and it was pretty expensive even on sale, but it does taste pretty good, especially if mixed in milk. It was even pretty low in carbs too, only 2g of sugar/22g protein. Next time I will be looking for a bottle that is just whey, or even try using dry milk and add it to 1% milk for a shake.

As per the need for supplementing with protein, I did get some info from a UCLA nutrition page that says basically that an active person who is restricting calories to lose weight needs as much protein as an athlete in weight resistance training for strengthening muscle! It says you need about 0.82g/lb (1.8g/kg) of protein to make sure that your body has enough building blocks to keep your body from taking it from your existing muscle.

There is a max amount of protein that your body can process without adverse effects, so make sure you don't consume more than 0.91g/lb (2.0g/kg). It also states it takes more water to properly urinate off the bi-products of protein digestion, so make sure you keep your water intake high.

Here is the site posted about nutrition. The portion about protein is about 3/4 down, it is a fairly large page.