So... the owner of my gym suggested that I add 40-60 grams of whey protein shakes to my daily intake...

What do ya'll think of that?

I always thought protein shakes were for body builders... and I am NOT wanting that... I want to shrink... not bulk up.

It is extraordinarily difficult for women to bulk. Men can bulk because they have testosterone.

also,protein helps with muscle recovery. You might want to ask about hemp protein as well, google it,I was just reading about the positive effects of muscle recovery. Also, it's not processed...it's just ground hemp (usually has chocolate flavor or something)

protein is your friend imo

I've added whey protein to my smoothies throughout my weight loss successes. The last thing I've worried about or have had an issue with is bulking up because of it.

Protein will help you keep muscle while you are dieting, and it also makes you feel more full than carbs. However, there's nothing magical about a shake, and in fact they are usually an expensive way to get protein (per gram) and highly processed. "Real" food will work, too.

Just be sure to factor the extra calories from protein into your daily allotment. If you just add 50 g of protein, without subtracting out equivalent carbs or fat somewhere else in your diet, you're adding 200 cals per day, not including the calories in the protein vehicle (e.g., many shake formulas include a bit of sugar to improve taste).

KAW

I use whey protein in smoothies. I first bought flavored whey protein, but then I found plain whey powder from nearby cheesemakers (it's a byproduct of the cheesemaking process, and a lot cheaper than the flavored stuff). And today, I found it (plain whey powder) in the natural/organic food section of the supermarket. It's cheaper from the cheesemakers, but not everyone has local cheesemakers.

I like fruit smoothies occasionally, and they don't seem to be very filling unless there's some protein. I like whey protein for it's subtle flavor and convenience. Because I don't drink smoothies every day (or even every week) a powdered protein is convenient.

I've also added protein powder to yogurt and sugar free puddings. I'm not much of a meal-replacement person though, so mostly I rely on these when I'm feeling kind of icky and don't want to do any "real" cooking.

I've thought about adding protein powder to broth and skim milk to make a "cream" soup, but haven't tried that yet.

Most women don't seem to get enough protein. It's like they hesitate to eat it. But protein is really important for health! And it's a friend to exercise, muscle fitness, bone strength, etc. Long ago member Meg on 3FC suggested that 100 grams a day was a good target for me since I was working out 5-6 days a week and feeling tired. It sure helped! But I find it hard to get up to 100 grams now and usually am closer to 70. (And I don't work out 5-6 days a week anymore.)

Unlike carbohydrates, protein doesn't seem to be a food trigger. I don't think I've heard of anyone overeating on tuna...

No, you're not going to bulk up. As one of the posters said, this doesn't really happen to women without a lot of focused effort in body building.

Jay

For me the most important number to me is my calorie allotment. Staying within my budget, consistently, consistently, consistently has been the key to my weight loss. There is no doubt about it.

However, wanting to get the biggest bang from my calorie buck (volume, satiation, filling power, stave off cravings) ensures that I get all the proper nutrients and minerals, including protein.

I do better when I eat more protein--I am not sure if it's the protein, or the "not carbs", but it works. However, and this is just my experience, I think shakes are a bad, bad, bad idea. I like to EAT. When I drink my calories, they are gone in a second and I don't feel any more full. If I enjoyed the flavor, I immediately want another one.

There are lots of good sources of protein out there: boneless skinless chicken breast, cottage cheese, egg whites and greek yogurt are great low-calorie ways to get protein. Milk/yogurt are fair ways.

Don't blindly assume anything called "a good source of protein" really is, however: nuts and whole eggs both have a reputation for being "high protein" but they have MUCH more fat than protein. They can certainly be part of a healthy diet, but ounce for ounce, they are mostly fat. Beans also have a reputation for being high protein. They are basically carbohydrates with a lot of protein in them compared to other carbs. So replacing your rice with beans is a great way to increase your protein. Replacing cottage cheese or meat with beans will significantly reduce your protein.

I'm actually sitting here at my desk reading 3FC posts and drinking a fruit smoothie with whey protein mixed in (I like Jillian Michaels whey protein... its yummy!) and some crisp turkey bacon on the side. I'm about to go the gym, and that's my normal before gym fare. I've got protein and fruit... definitely fills me up without making me FEEL filled up while working out. And all for about 325 cals for breakfast.

Go for it, I'd say... but like they said... keep it in your daily allotment.

I've recently added whey protein to my routine. I mix it with milk as my after workout snack. I do cardio and weights and need to build some muscle. Building muscle doesn't mean bulking up though. I'm sure you've heard all about how muscle helps burn fat.

Thanks ... great advise! I think I will try some... and see how it goes

Yeah, it's extremely unlikely that a person who is (a) a woman, and (b) eating at a calorie deficit, will put on significant muscle bulk. So there's no danger in upping your protein, as long as you account for the calories by reducing some other macronutrient - fat or carbohydrate - in your diet.


I've been trying to add more protein to my diet, just because when I look at the nutrient balance over the course of a couple of weeks I don't think I eat enough of it.

But for me that just means eating bigger portions of things like fish and chicken, and compensating for the calories elsewhere - less fruit, or less cheese (which has some protein, but also more fat than fish or chicken, so I can't eat as much of it). I don't really want to turn to things like protein shakes when there are whole food tweaks I can make to my diet instead.

So, I'm curious - what are some of the reasons why folks turn to stuff like protein shakes instead of whole food sources? The only reason I can think of is that maybe for vegetarians, low-calorie whole-food protein sources are harder to come by?

Ditto what everybody else said. I have to get plenty of protein or I never feel full and I'm certainly not bulking up, no matter how much exercise I do. I do drink shakes sometimes, but it's more a convenience thing, either when I have no time, low on protein with not many calories to spare for the day or I just can't bear to have more {insert natural protein sources}, because some days I just really don't feel like eating much. Most of the time I eat a lot of whole foods with plenty of protein; better for me (IMO) and often much tastier

I think part of it started with body builders, who really need LOTS of protein and LOTS of calories: more food than they really want to eat. So they are eating huge meals all day and still not getting enough protein--for them, protein shakes or powder makes sense. That creates this connection between protein shakes and very healthy people. Part of it is also marketing, of course.

I much, much prefer to get my protein from whole food sources like chicken or fish. But, I like to eat similar macronutrient ratios at every meal, so days where I don't want eggs for breakfast I might make a fruit and spinach smoothie with some whey powder. That's rare, though.

Then again, I have no problems eating my 100g of protein per normal day.