protein shakes only for bodybuilders?

pinklights

hey .. im tryng to loose the last of my 3 stone target ... but the last 10 pounds are IMPOSSIBLE!!! i think it might be too many carbs .. are protein shakes the answer? ive been trying to research on line but all i keep getting is weightlifters/bodybuilders sites

im in the gym doing cardio/spinning/kettlebells at least 3/4 times a week.

Any ideas if protein shakes would help?

marathonic

pinklights wrote: »

hey .. im tryng to loose the last of my 3 stone target ... but the last 10 pounds are IMPOSSIBLE!!! i think it might be too many carbs .. are protein shakes the answer? ive been trying to research on line but all i keep getting is weightlifters/bodybuilders sites

im in the gym doing cardio/spinning/kettlebells at least 3/4 times a week.

Any ideas if protein shakes would help?

Protein shakes aren't just for bodybuilders but they do add more calories and, if everything else remains the same, adding them will result in a weight increase.

You need to take a good look at your diet and cut out any of the crap. If you drink alcohol, consider giving it up for a month and the pounds should fly off. Alcohol itself contains calories and the crap you tend to eat when drunk/hungover adds more again.

tHE vAGGABOND

When I was loosing weight I used a specific brand of shake for breakfast..

Getting a large range of vits and minerals into me in handy format, and filling me up at the same time.

Like everything, Im sure some brands are suited to different purposes...

pinklights

marathonic wrote: »

Protein shakes aren't just for bodybuilders but they do add more calories and, if everything else remains the same, adding them will result in a weight increase.

You need to take a good look at your diet and cut out any of the crap. If you drink alcohol, consider giving it up for a month and the pounds should fly off. Alcohol itself contains calories and the crap you tend to eat when drunk/hungover adds more again.

Thanks for your reply. No, hardly ever drink unless its a night out/occasion. Ive been so good in the food department .. i just thought it could be due to too many carbs and it probably is maybe i need to reduce the carbs even more. The dreaded last 10 pounds ...its so irritating!!

Mack_1111

If your doing cardio, spinning & kettles you'r going to need carbs as a source of energy. Anybody who tells you otherwise DOESN'T KNOW WHAT THEY ARE TALKING ABOUT. You may however be consuming too much carbs and you may need to tweak your diet! Slowly up your protein content and lower your carb content.

A lot of people, including myself, take protein supplements; what you need to understand is that protein supplements are not more effective at muscle building/recovery, the're just more convenient to take after a workout!

There can be 300+ calories in protein shakes so if you'r going to take them be sure to knock 300 calories of your diet, (assuming you'r taking note of what you consume), otherwise you could end up putting on weight! The difficulty here is that protein shakes aren't filling and you may still feel hungry.

I'd also recommend that you forget about your weight!!! I'm assuming you want to look good and have a lean athletic look? Therefore monitor your % body fat instead as that's more accurate at monitoring your progress. (People who want to loose weight often loose muscle and are left with the excess flab which is unsightly)

Phill Ewinn

You should hit the weights OP. Cardio alone might not be enough.

Parsley

post up your current diet and we can go from there...

pinklights

ok .. im a coeliac so there is alot i cant eat.

breakfast - 2 pieces of fruit -usually between apple/mandrine/grapefruit/berries
lunch - chicken low fat spreadable cheese and rice cakes or low fat cereal
dinner - rice and chicken or steak and veg.

dont generally snack (dont get time in work ) but maybe some unsalted/unroasted nuts if i get a chance.

Parsley

pinklights wrote: »

ok .. im a coeliac so there is alot i cant eat.

breakfast - 2 pieces of fruit -usually between apple/mandrine/grapefruit/berries
lunch - chicken low fat spreadable cheese and rice cakes or low fat cereal
dinner - rice and chicken or steak and veg.

dont generally snack (dont get time in work ) but maybe some unsalted/unroasted nuts if i get a chance.

maybe have a protein shake instead of one of the pieces of fruit for breakfast? and maybe cut down the portion sizes of rice/other carbs if you think you're having too much of them.

pinklights

pinklights wrote: »

ok .. im a coeliac so there is alot i cant eat.

breakfast - 2 pieces of fruit -usually between apple/mandrine/grapefruit/berries
lunch - chicken low fat spreadable cheese and rice cakes or low fat cereal
dinner - rice and chicken or steak and veg.

dont generally snack (dont get time in work ) but maybe some unsalted/unroasted nuts if i get a chance.

You don't sound like you're eating enough in my (not very worthwhile) opinion.

You need a bigger breakfast. Some eggs or some chicken, beef/venison sausages maybe.

Drop the rice cakes at lunch time and fill up on salad/veg.

Are you drinking plenty of water?

I'm sure others can give better tips. I'm not really "fit" to give advice but I am going by what I'm told by PT etc.

Mack_1111

You need a more substantial breakfast!!!

Also don't be such a fat phobe; low fat = high (sugar + salt).

chris139ryan

i would have a protein shake in between your breakfast and lunch and before you go to bed. it doesnt look like your eating enough so your body is plateauing. try eating more like 5-6 times a day but smaller portions that your on now. also another great way to loose weight is get in all your carbs in your breakfast and lunch and dont have carbs for dinner just protein and veg. this works wonders if your body is going through a plateau stage. best of luck

Owen_S

You need enough protein when losing fat, since after losing fat, your primary goal is to preserve(or even increase) lean body mass. If you lose LBM then you won't look any better than you did before the diet, and will end up with a lower BMR and TDEE(that's basically a 2 sentence summary of Tom Venuto's book on fat loss :pac:)

So if it helps you get enough protein, then go ahead and use it.