I'm a newbie at weight training, and we have some serious experts on here, so I hope you'll get better information than what I can give.
However - my understanding is that directly after your work-out (and I mean within a half-an-hour or less), you should be eating some carbs and some protein to help your body recover from the muscle tears you've created by lifting weights. Protein shakes are often a convenient way to do that, but they are not the only way to do it. Lot of people would urge you to eat whole foods instead. (My favorite combo for that right now is egg whites and cherries.)
Most days, I consume either a protein shake or a protein bar that has been specifically formulated for recovery. (I am taking their word on that, actually. I don't really know enough about what I'm looking for yet. As Jocelyn would say, I'm not quite that far into the weeds.) I don't know that it's better, but it's convenient, and gives me an excuse to eat something that tastes just like a candy bar and feel saintly about it.
Congrats on continuing your commitment. That's the real secret, you know. Not 10 pounds in 2 weeks, but doing it consistently.
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