Protein powder for women
Moderators: Boss Man, cassiegose
Protein powder for women
Hello all. I am a woman trying to lose about 10 lbs and I am looking for some advice on protein supplements. I work out for about an hour a day, alternating between cardio and strength training. I eat very healthy foods but I have never been one to count grams of protein and carbs before. I only eat meat about 4 or 5 times per week but I thought I was getting enough protein through nuts, yogurt, rice, beans, and eggs which are all a big part of diet. I increased workout intensity a bit this week and I have been feeling a little achey and weak even though I consume about 1600 to 1700 calories per day. After doing some research I realized I am probably not even close to getting enough protein. I've been trying to figure out what type of protein powder would be best for me and how much I should use. Several sources claim that whey is better because it is fast acting, but their reasoning seems to be geared towards men who want to significantly increase their muscle mass. Intuitively, slower absorption seems like it might help prevent cravings and be more compatible with a weight loss goal but I haven't been able to confirm this anywhere. Any suggestions? I am 5'5" and weigh 150 lbs if that makes any difference. I am already quite muscular so I am just looking for a way to recover better without building size.
Re: Protein powder for women
Adding a bit of size is no bad thing, as an extra 1lb of muscle burns an extra 45-50 calories per day, so if you gained a bit more size, ut lost a bit more fat as well it wouldn't be an issue, as it would be healthy and almost in every single occasion, it looks nice on females, despite what some men with prehistoric attitudes to female bodies might say.
Ignore such people; it's 2012AD not BC
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You could take one with Carbs if you wish and just reduce the dose. So if it says you get, for example, 50g Carbs and 35g Protein from a serving, which is often definied in scoop amounts, you could have half after a workout and consume an additional 170 calories, based on that amount.
You could also have a half serving added to your breakfast as well.
This gives you more nutrition to kickstart your metabolism in the morning and more nutrition to recover from after workouts.
Given that sedentary females are supposed to get around 1,800 calories a day, then with exercise, a bit more is quite desirable, so you would be getting roughly 2,000 or so by estimates.
If a Protein powder is a bit funny tasting when you use it, you can experiment with flavour changing additions, like ground ginger, ground nutmeg, mocha powder, vanilla essence, honey, stevia, truvia, erc and see how that works out.
Hopefully this helps in some way
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Ignore such people; it's 2012AD not BC

You could take one with Carbs if you wish and just reduce the dose. So if it says you get, for example, 50g Carbs and 35g Protein from a serving, which is often definied in scoop amounts, you could have half after a workout and consume an additional 170 calories, based on that amount.
You could also have a half serving added to your breakfast as well.
This gives you more nutrition to kickstart your metabolism in the morning and more nutrition to recover from after workouts.
Given that sedentary females are supposed to get around 1,800 calories a day, then with exercise, a bit more is quite desirable, so you would be getting roughly 2,000 or so by estimates.
If a Protein powder is a bit funny tasting when you use it, you can experiment with flavour changing additions, like ground ginger, ground nutmeg, mocha powder, vanilla essence, honey, stevia, truvia, erc and see how that works out.
Hopefully this helps in some way

Re: Protein powder for women
Thanks for the advice! I don't mind gaining a little size but I just wanted to avoid getting lots of bodybuilding advice since it's not one of goals. As far as whey vs. casein vs. soy, do you know if any are preferable for weight loss? I also get headaches from artificial sweeteners and I can't find powders without them. I don't want much sugar either but I prefer sugar to fake sugar given the choice. Any recommendations would be much appreciated.
Re: Protein powder for women
Perhaps avoid Casein for weight loss, as it's got 8 calories per gram of protein versus 4 for other types. Many bodybuilders use something like that at night as it allows for more muscle preservation, because it's mroe anti-catabolic.
I used to use it in the past, but not for years now, as I always found it a little difficult to make it more flavoursome and decided I didn't really need it anyway.
Soy compared to whey, should only be a problem if you have Soy intolerance, but the fact you are asking about it would suggest otherwise.
One with Carbs is better as you can help the protein work better. About 40% of Protein intake can be converted to Glycogen stores, via Insulin activity.
I alreayd mentioned about ways to take it anyway.
So Soy or Whey would be okay.
I used to use it in the past, but not for years now, as I always found it a little difficult to make it more flavoursome and decided I didn't really need it anyway.
Soy compared to whey, should only be a problem if you have Soy intolerance, but the fact you are asking about it would suggest otherwise.
One with Carbs is better as you can help the protein work better. About 40% of Protein intake can be converted to Glycogen stores, via Insulin activity.
I alreayd mentioned about ways to take it anyway.
So Soy or Whey would be okay.