Protein is an important part of any weight gain diet. If you are not getting the necessary daily protein intake from normal foods, drinking protein shakes is a good option and they don’t necessarily have to taste bad!
If you are short on protein to begin with your might be putting your muscles in a catabolic state (where you actually break down muscle tissue). By getting up to an intake recommended for someone who works out consistently and at least at a moderate intensity, the extra protein will help you either maintain or build muscle. I would recommend 1-1.5 times your bodyweight in grams of protein to take in daily. Don’t forget to include the protein already in your regular diet though.
With an optimal protein intake it will indirectly help you burn fat. The more muscle you have the more efficiently your body will use up excess calories that are normally converted to fat. I believe you definitely need to keep your protein up even if you are trying to get lean. It will help more than hurt in my opinion. I would rather lose less weight and have more lean muscle mass than lose more weight because of losing lean muscle on top of the fat. Remember, muscle weighs more than fat so you must take that into consideration. Don’t measure your success based on how much you weigh, base it on your body composition measurements. Get your body fat percent tested regularly to monitor your progress.
Here’s a cool homemade protein shake recipe which tastes great.
- 12 oz milk
- 12 oz pineapple juice
- 1 banana
- 6 ice cubes
- 2 scoops vanilla protein powder
- Blend it all up and it makes it a hell of a lot easier to drink.
Here is a list of 20 weight gain protein shake recipes to give you a few more ideas.
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{ 6 comments… read them below or add one }
I love protein shakes as they give you energy and increase the protein needed to achieve what results you want. I love making all-natural smoothies and just add a scoop of whey protein in it. It taste great and has the protein I need.
I always drink protein smoothies, but do you need to workout in order to help build muscle or will just drinking the protein build the muscle?
of course you need to workout.. I’d say its 90% effort in the gym, 10% supplements (protein, creatine etc.)
Here’s a great tip for a pre-bedtime shake. This baby will be duelling your muscle growth for up to 6 hours while you sleep. It might not be to everyone’s taste, but seriously it does the job like no other!
Blend the following:
1 large glass milk
4 tablespoons plain yoghurt
3 tablespoons cottage cheese
1 raw egg
2 tablespoons Whey protein powder
3 tablespoons oats
1 tablespoon honey
A little water
This is great to fill the hole while you sleep, but DON’T have it before or after your workout as it’s designed for ultra slow release only.
Hi My daughter is undergoing an operation to remove her wisdom teeth. She is 15 yrsold. Will this protein powder fill her up and make her feel full after her op?
@Mrs B yodgee – If the recovery is anything like mine was she will be eating solids on the second day after the op. In the meantime just feed her some nice soup or anything which is not very solid.