I'd just like to start out by saying that there is no scientific evidence that eating 1 gram of protein per pound of body weight will have any benefit. (At least not last I checked).
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Originally Posted by blahblah454
Keep your eye out while reading the ingredients!! Protein powders are FULL of shit that you do not want to be eating. Cheap artificial sugars (I refuse to eat any artificial sugars at all), artificial colors, high fructose corn syrup. All that stuff is horrible!
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There are protein powders out there designed for everyone's needs. You'll almost always be able to find one that meets your standards.
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Originally Posted by Jimellow
A general question/concern of mine is the prospect of added calories causing me to gain weight/fat. What are the odds of this happening?
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Adding calories may cause you to start gaining fat, it may also cause you to gain muscle faster. It really depends on how your body is doing right now. If you do start seeing extra fat, cut back on the shakes.
I would say it's probably a good idea to go through the motions of calculating how much you take in and how much you burn for at least 3 days. That will inform you on whether you even need more calories, and how many you might need. It makes all of this much easier and much less speculatory.
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Originally Posted by Hektore
Just eat more protein in your diet. And more food. (Note: by food I mean Food (TM) not food-like substances, know the difference) Have an extra piece of baked or grilled chicken. It will be just as effective and taste better. If you really want the whey you can get it in some cheeses (ricotta/cottage I think). Egg whites are also high in protein.
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This approach may not necessarily help the OP. Adding food may help, but he should also consider adding meals, instead of just adding to his current meals. Shakes make this very easy. Studies show that if you eat smaller amounts more often, your metabolism will stay higher and you will feel less inclined to over eat.
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Originally Posted by Jimellow
A more general question that came to mind since my original post is: How do I tell if I need more calories/protein in my diet? Aside from a numerical value, what indications does a body give that it needs more calories/protein?
I find that doing active things generally gives me more energy, as odd as that may sound, and while I'm pretty sure I'm not taking in as many calories as I should, I'm not lacking energy or noticing any other physical deficiencies. I sleep very well and find I have adequate energy to get me through the day, despite all the activity. Does this mean anything, or isn't that a valid indication of whether or not an individual is getting enough caloric intake throughout the course of a day?
I guess what I am asking is: Why I would be taking a protein supplement in the first place, or for the sake of this thread, why you are taking a given supplement?
In regards to the recommendation to eat more food, I would consider that to be a valid recommendation, but I generally don't eat a lot, and thus am wondering if that might be a reason to take a supplement? I eat enough to have energy and by no means am starving myself, but I don't consider myself to be a hungry person; someone that eats only what's necessary, but not much more.
There's a lot of great information in this thread, and I encourage everyone to continue replying and contributing. I am intrigued by supplements and their place in one's diet, and aside from determining whether they are something I should pursue, I also enjoy learning more about them and how they work through others.
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It's sometimes hard to tell if you are eating the right amount without sitting down and actually adding everything up. If you are severely starving yourself then it might be easy, you'd notice muscle loss and a lack of energy. However, if you are simply eating a bit less than you should, you may not know. You could just be making progress slower than you would if you were eating more. It's really hard to tell without doing the math.
A lot of people take protein supplements as a way to get extra calories into their diet. Some people take them specifically to get protein. In reality most people take protein supplements because they think it will do something magical. It won't.
You will not get huge muscles by adding a protein shake into your diet.
I use protein off and on as a way to get protein and carbs into my body after a work out or a way to add a meal.
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Originally Posted by Slims
I am like you, naturally very thin, but very active.
One of the best all-around, safe, nutritionally sound protein brands is Muscle Milk.
It is easy to mix, tastes great, and unlike the brands designed for gigantic body builders, it gives you a balanced amount of protein along with a few carbs, quality fats (the kind you actually need for balanced nutrition), a full amino acid profile (you need these to use the protein, etc.). It has several kinds of proteins some of which are absorbed very quickly and some a bit slower so your body has protein available for a longer time. It also has a lot of basic vitamins and minerals (but not in extreme quantities)
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I really have to disagree with this. Musclemilk in not at all one of the best protein supplements. By taking musclemilk vs other products, you are adding unwanted saturated fats and sugars to your diet. Musclemilk tastes good but for a reason.
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Originally Posted by Jimellow
Are calories taken in via supplement considered "good" calories? I suspect they aren't on par with the type of found in natural, healthy, foods, but where would they be classified in comparison to those found in junk food, for instance?
Also, can the supplements be unhealthy or detrimental towards one's health if they're taken in excess? Hypothetically, if I were to stop all physical activity and continue to take the supplements, would I see an increase in mass in the form of fat?
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Calories from supplements can be good or bad calories depending on the supplement itself. One of the reasons I dislike musclemilk for instance is that it has so many bad calories. And by this I mean calories from sugars and saturated fats. Those will not help you.
Protein calories from supplements are not bad calories but their not always good calories either. If you take to much you will see an increase in fatty tissue.
Okay so basically, it sounds like you want extra calories and I'll tell you right now that you don't need to get a powder that is 100% protein. You can get a powder that is 30% carbs and be just fine. As I said first, there's no proof that you need 1 g of protein per pound of body weight. In fact, if your average person ate that way, he or she would be eating way too much. There's nothing wrong with adding protein, but there's also nothing wrong with adding complex carbs. Protein will function to rebuild your muscle and after all other energy sources are depleted it will then fuel other body functions.
There are thousands of protein powders out there with thousands of different ingredients. I'm positive you can find one that fits your needs.
If you want something that has just the protein in it and very little sugar or anything else, look at trueprotien.com . True Protein will do custom mixes of their powders for you also but that requires some knowledge of types of proteins and carbs. Their proteins are high quality and they have a taste scale which is pretty accurate (ie a protein will be rated a 7 out of 10 for taste).
If you would like a protein that gives you a little more, consider going to a store and reading labels. One of the brands that I've really come to like is Myoplex. The reason I use Myoplex now vs True Protein (which I used while cutting) is that Myoplex offers products with varying amounts of carbs so that you can get what you want. Much of their carbs are simple sugars so I like the light version. The other thing that I really like is that Myoplex supplements their protein with at least 20 essential vitamins and minerals. There's also nothing along the lines of creatine or caffeine in there.
Long post. Sorry but I hope that helps.