I feel like protein shakes don't help

[BigFoot04]

ive been working out at the gym for months now , protein shakes were great after a work out cause it was like the cherry on top and boosted my mood but i have periods where I forget to have them and I feel like my gains get better without them. anyone else experience this ?

 

[EyeBRollin]

They don’t. Waste of money..

 

[Don Dark Horse]

Eat right and the shake won't matter. They are called 'supplements' because that's what they are for. They are a side dish, a snack. Train hard, eat well and you will still get bigger. If you feel like it helps, with being hungry or recovery then fantastic. In my personal experience, when I over-rely on shakes, specifically mass gainers, my gains are stagnant. When I fixed my diet it all came together.

 

[BackInTheGame78]

ive been working out at the gym for months now , protein shakes were great after a work out cause it was like the cherry on top and boosted my mood but i have periods where I forget to have them and I feel like my gains get better without them. anyone else experience this ?

Protein shakes don't hurt or help with muscle gains. Just another source of protein but totally unnecessary if you are getting enough protein from whole foods.

 

[andreihaha]

For me, they work when I don't have time to cook/get a real meal. But one, two max per day should be the limit. As said before, it's just a supplement, and doesn't have enough nutrients on its own. Combine it with something.

Example: Brad Pitt was getting a protein shake and a banana as a post-workout meal when preparing for Fight club. But he was just trying not to loose muscle and look lean, not gain muscle.

Depending on your goals, it's more important to customize a diet you can follow, and use suppliments just when necessary. Good luck with whatever you want to achieve!

 

[SargeMaximus]

I can’t eat enough food so I need shakes. Easier to digest

 

[EyeBRollin]

I can’t eat enough food so I need shakes. Easier to digest

Why can’t you eat enough real food?

 

[SargeMaximus]

Why can’t you eat enough real food?

I have a high metabolism. I need something like 4000 calories a day. Im allergic to nuts, milk, potatoes, all the foods most body builders use for calories. I eat clean and clean foods don’t have many calories, so that means I’m eating more volume. If I eat too much I get hella constipated. So shakes are the only solution. Liquid calories like juice as well

Just to give you an example: breakfast:

4 scrambled eggs
1/2 cup of chopped kale
1 tbsp coconut oil
1 cup kefir
1 cup pineapple juice
1 chunk of cheese

That’s a little less than 1000 calories.

 

[EyeBRollin]

I have a high metabolism. I need something like 4000 calories a day. Im allergic to nuts, milk, potatoes, all the foods most body builders use for calories. I eat clean and clean foods don’t have many calories, so that means I’m eating more volume. If I eat too much I get hella constipated. So shakes are the only solution. Liquid calories like juice as well

Just to give you an example: breakfast:

4 scrambled eggs
1/2 cup of chopped kale
1 tbsp coconut oil
1 cup kefir
1 cup pineapple juice
1 chunk of cheese

That’s a little less than 1000 calories.

Recreational athletes seldom need that many calories. And I see what the problem is… you eat too clean. Get a big bowl of oatmeal and throw some honey and peanut butter in it. It’s not hard to get 1,000 calories per meal on solid food..

 

[SargeMaximus]

Recreational athletes seldom need that many calories. And I see what the problem is… you eat too clean. Get a big bowl of oatmeal and throw some honey and peanut butter in it. It’s not hard to get 1,000 calories per meal on solid food..

Oatmeal I can only have a bit before that good ol constipation I mentioned.

I also told you I was allergic to nuts. That includes peanuts. Honey, I have some occasionally but I don’t like lots of sugar

It’s very unlikely you can suggest anything I haven’t tried already. Been at my diet since 2012. Food allergies and digestive issues are a constant battle

 

[FlexpertHamilton]

Have you tried carnivore? That helped my GI issues like nothing else.

I eat meatloaf, steak, and organs for most of my meals now, you can easily bulk on that if you get fatty cuts and cook in ghee or lard.

 

[SargeMaximus]

Have you tried carnivore? That helped my GI issues like nothing else.

I eat meatloaf, steak, and organs for most of my meals now, you can easily bulk on that if you get fatty cuts and cook in ghee or lard.

No because I need carbs. I tried going keto a while back. Almost killed me

 

[FlexpertHamilton]

No because I need carbs. I tried going keto a while back. Almost killed me

You need to transition slowly if you're going to do it. Maybe set a limit of 100g per day, then 50, then 20, then 0 if you ever try carnivore.

 

[Zimbabwe]

Protein rich foods are really expensive, It's also hard to get them with a low amount of carbs. That's where protein shakes come in.

$27 for Vegan Pea protein, 25g protein per scoop is very good value.

 

[SargeMaximus]

Yeah I don’t think I’ll be doing that. I also don’t want to get too much iron. It is what it is. Years ago kale really helped my digestion so I’ve reintroduced it to my diet. We’ll see how things go

 

[andreihaha]

Protein rich foods are really expensive, It's also hard to get them with a low amount of carbs. That's where protein shakes come in.

$27 for Vegan Pea protein, 25g protein per scoop is very good value.

We have a producer in Romania where I live that made a protein powder with less than 1%carbs+fat, so almost pure protein. Granted that's whey, not veggie. And tastes really good too.

 

[DonJuanjr]

Oatmeal I can only have a bit before that good ol constipation I mentioned.

I've found if I have more than 2 servings of whole grains, then I start getting flatulence. I've also found that lower quality protein powders introduce offensive smell. I've been using whey isolate that is unflavored and non sweetened. Seems to work better. Brand is myprotein.

 

[Romanemp22]

Invest that money in food full of proteins, don't buy powder

 

[SargeMaximus]

I've found if I have more than 2 servings of whole grains, then I start getting flatulence. I've also found that lower quality protein powders introduce offensive smell. I've been using whey isolate that is unflavored and non sweetened. Seems to work better. Brand is myprotein.

I don’t use whey at all. Try egg protein. Much better for digestion

 

[mjb3617]

I've found if I have more than 2 servings of whole grains, then I start getting flatulence. I've also found that lower quality protein powders introduce offensive smell. I've been using whey isolate that is unflavored and non sweetened. Seems to work better. Brand is myprotein.

Same experience when it comes to whole grains. Must be the high fiber content.

I use optimum nutrition whey protein. Never had an issue with it. I use it in addition to my post workout meal to bolster protein consumption.

Like other posters said, solid food is the best choice for protein consumption. Powder has it's uses, but I think a lot of people get too wrapped up in them.