We just got a blender in my house, and I considered making protein-enrich shakes that I can drink before and after I go to the gym.

I thought about buying some WHEY protein powder but the girls here at work told me that it will make me bulk up and that it isn't a good idea + the fact it costs a fortune.

My quesions are:

- Do any of you use protein powder in shakes?
- Does it cause you to gain or bulk up?
- What is a good shake I can make not using protein powder?

I am looking for simple recipes, not too pricey if possible (if anyone has any)

Thanks!

And did you ask the girls at work what kind of research they did or what kind of personal experience they have to back that claim up?
I get really get annoyed when people distribute such ill advice. Protein shakes will NOT make you bulk up (you would be lucky if they did). Whey protein is easily digestible protein that facilitates muscle recovery after weight lifting. As a woman, you do not enough have enough testosterone to bulk up easily.

One of them dated a body builder, but I don't think she knew anything about his routine other than he ate a ton of protein-rich foods and bars and whey powder.

I thought the same thing as you, but when they told me that I became unsure.

I am turned off by the price of protein powder though, so if you know any good recipes I can do using various food I am all for it I just know I can't afford the powder right now, unfortunately. I'd love to try it at some point!

I also buy Designer whey. I drink it just with water actually, which most probably think its awful. I don't think its bad. I like the chocolate and i bet with a banana or something it would be a delicious shake. Its 100 cal and 18g of protein. I drink one every day to help reach my protein requirements, and honestly I have lost weight faster while taking it than I was before. Just my opinion. Plus the vitamin shop usually has it for a pretty reasonable price. Its like $18 for the 2lb container, which has like 40 servings in it.

I used to buy protien powder. Spent a lot of money on. I would never like or drink it - I don't even want to think how much money I have thrown away learning I won't drink it.

I have so few calories a day I hate wasting on a protien drink. They quickly add up to 200 or more calories. I would rather have a chicken breast and some veggies and truth me told it would keep me full much much longer.

Anyway the one I did like was FitSmart Vanilla (has lots of fibre too!), it is really good with some yogurt and frozen berries and I would totally drink it more if it would just keep me fuller longer then 20 mintues.

Sometimes now I just blend some fresh spinach with frozen berries and orange juice. Spinach is good for me!

Costco has this HUGE bag for $20. I have 1 or 1.5 servings a day and I'm still working on the same bag a month later.

I mix it with 1 serving of frozen fruit (usually 1 cup), 1/3 cup vanilla yogurt, 1/2 a banana and a little crystal light.

Whey protein isn't any different than any other protein - you won't "bulk up" from whey protein any more than you would from a piece of fish or chicken breast. Dietary protein can help you lose less muscle to weight loss, but it doesn't add muscle unless you're doing some very heavy weightlifting workouts - and even then you couldn't add enough to "bulk up" unless you were taking some kind of anabolic steroid. Even men can't "bulk up" just by eating protein.

It also doesn't have to cost a fortune. I bought a brand at Target called Pure Protein (Vanilla Creme flavor) and for just under $20.

The tub contains 26 (34g) servings at 130 calories each (.77 per shake if you use this much).

However, to better fit the exchange plan I was using, I used 28g servings. Meaning the container held 31 (28g) servings at 108 calories (.65 per serving).

I noticed that Sams Club has a similar whey protein that is under $30 for twice as much (which would bring the per serving cost to .48 (for 28g servings) or .58 (for 34g servings).

There's a bulk baking supply store and a local cheesemaker that also sell unflavored whey protein, I haven't priced out the exact per serving cost, but they're even cheaper (though I'd have to add in my own sweetener cost to be sure they're cheaper per serving).

Before you go out and buy a big tub of whey protein, you could try no sugar added Carnation instant breakfast, or something like Slim Fast (Walmart has a store brand, I think it's Equate). They're not cheaper per serving, usually - but they have the advantage of coming in smaller packages.

I've made shakes and smoothies without protein, but they're not very filling. They fill me up for an hour or so, but I feel starved an hour or two later. With the whey protein added, it'll satisfy me for 4 to 6 hours.

It doesn't make you bulk, at least for me. I have one as either an am snack or pm snack and its great. Quick and easy way to get the protein in. I use a Whey Protein with no added fillers or sugars, mix it with .5 c skim milk and a serving of frozen berries. 182 calories of yumminess!

Check your local vitamin store. The Vitamin Cottage by my house has single serving packets of all their tub sized whey protein powders. Also, check netrition.com. I've gotten some good deals from them before.

Each morning I start my day off with a protein smoothie. 2 cups water, 1 cup ice, 1 cup milk (2%), 3 frozen strawberries (whole), 2 packets flavored protein mix or 2 scoops of powdered protein (Muscle Milk Light), vanilla and cinnamon for taste. I normally workout in the mornings after breakfast.

You will want to go with a whey isolate.. it generally has more protein content
I have almost 2 a day, sometimes more if need be. I never seem to eat enough chicken/beef/anything of the sort so it helps me get that extra.

What i do is i just put a scoop.. and a cup of orange juice! tastes like a creamcicle (sp) then i eat it with either carrots or fruit... some sort of carb.. and im good to go.

Honest to god, cottage cheese is practically unprocessed whey protein (not exactly, but whey protein is made from the by-products of cheese production, and cottage cheese is sorta the middle step) and if you really want shakes, people say it blends well. I just eat it--it's easy and takes pretty much any flavoring, sweet or savory, well. I don't know how the cost works out, serving per serving, but cottage cheese is pretty cheap: 1.50/lb here, if you buy the 2 lbs tub.

I make protein-packed shakes using about 1 cup of fat-free cottage cheese, some ice cubes, a splash of milk and whatever flavoring I choose - right now it's a tablespoon of low sugar Strawberry Quik powder. Oh, and some no-cal sweetener. In fact, that's my breakfast here in a little bit, for just over 200 calories and more than 30 g protein.

I second the idea of cottage cheese. Greek yogurt is another high-protein dairy item that makes yummy smoothies.

Thank you all for the helpful and wonderful comments.

I will go check out the prices for myself. They have some at Shopper's and at GNC in the mall. From what everyone says it does'nt seem so bad, and I can definitely afford 20 bucks.

The reason I want the shakes is I don't get much protein as it is. I get some from red meat and cheese, but that's about it. So the shakes will help me with that. And also I don't eat before I go to the gym because I feel sick if I do, so a shake would help.

Thank you again!