Protein question

[judejude]

Why are protein drinks important to 'add' to a person's diet?

A trainer told my friend that unless a person is seriously working out to build muscles & get big, protein drinks & bars will only make her gain weight. But trainers do tend to have their own theories on things & they don't always agree.
I work out only about 1 hour a day, 5 days a week. I'm vegetarian so most of my protein comes from soy 'fake' meat products and vegetables. I don't like the taste of soy milk & dairy doesn't agree w/me. I did try a milk product that was made w/some whey & that was kind of ok, but not good enough to drink on a regular basis.

I've heard there are soy protein drinks, but I don't want to add anything to my diet that isn't necessary.

I'd like to hear other theories about how important adding extra protein to a person's diet is. Sorry for the long post.

 

[toastythemosty]

I just drink a protein shake immediately after strength training to feed my muscles. I try to get in at least 100g of protein a day, but I did hear in the Men's Fitness magazine that protein burns many more calories than carbohydrates, and fat uses hardly any calories during digestion.
Personally, I have not gained anymore weight from eating 100g of protein a day plus the complex carbs, fruits, etc. I have been stuck at 115 for about a month now...the numbers on the scale just have not budged for now, but like I have said before, my bodyfat has gone down.

Charlotte~~

 

[materialsgirl]

Funny you should mention this - there's a post below about an article on MSN Health which mentions this very topic. (It's about muscle building myths - one of them being that you have to eat a lot of protein to build muscle). Check it out, it should give you an idea of how much protein you really need. And yes, excess protein is wasteful - it's just extra calories.

 

[cjbate]

The definition of too much protein in the article though is anything above 1.25 g per lb of body weight....which is actually a LOT in my book! I agree....it is all about calories in, calories out, and if they are clean or not. The question depends on what else you are eating.....

 

[judejude]

Thanks for all the info guys! I'm not a body builder at all so don't have any specific kind of regimen. I just started doing Cathe's tapes a month ago. I did the Firm for many years prior & gym exercise before then. Since I don't work out super long & hard, and from the advice on the post, it doesn't sound I need any more protein than I get eating regularly.
I really appreciate everyone responding so quickly & I just love the Cathe style programs!

 

[ColleenM]

Most people don't get enough protein so it's usually a quick easy way to get more protein in. It should be used as a meal tho not in addition to a meal for most people.

Colleen

 

[Jcrew3082]

I agree with Colleen. I think many (but not all) trainers seem to advise lots of protein. Like Colleeen said, since most Americans eat more carbs than protein, a protein shake is a fast way to get lots in at once.