Best protein powders for muscle gain?

Look, there’s no need to overthink this whole thing, and honestly, most people don't even bother writing about it because it’s been covered a million times already... but here we go. You gotta push yourself to slash those carbs as much as possible since they're basically just fuel for body fat. Proteins? Those are gold for building muscle and won't touch your fat stores nearly as much as carbs ever will. For dinner, you should be cutting carbs down to almost nothing—we're talking a tiny trickle at best. Instead, swap them out for lean proteins like low-fat cheeses, fish, or chicken... It's not like there's some magical "post-workout rule" you have to follow either; it’s still mostly protein during that window too. And seriously, don't waste your money on those protein shakes... You just need to stay damn persistent and keep grinding until you actually start seeing progress in the mirror! If you want some actual meal ideas, go check out the "Fitness Nutrition Log" thread, or if you want to get nerdy about what's actually inside different foods, look right here:

http://www.fitness.com/nutrition/calories.aspx

Tyler Ross86 said:There’s no need to overthink this—hardly anyone bothers writing much about it since it's been covered countless times already. You just need to cut carbs to the absolute minimum because they drive fat storage; proteins are fine for muscle and won't cause weight gain like carbs do. For dinner, keep those carbs almost nonexistent—always swap them out for lean proteins like low-fat cheeses, fish, or chicken. There isn't some magical rule for post-workout nutrition for you either—stick mostly to protein then, too. You don't even need protein shakes. The main thing? Be stubborn and stay consistent until you see results. If you want actual meal ideas, check out the "Fitness Food Diary" thread, or look up nutritional info here:

http://www.fitness.com/nutrition/calories.aspx

Thanks a lot!

Just one more thing... What’s the deal with calories? How much do they actually matter when you're trying to drop weight?

redcanyon66 said:I just wanted to ask... what's the deal with calories? How much do they actually matter when you're trying to drop some weight?

Of course they matter. It’s pretty straightforward math, really—if you want to lose weight, you have to consume fewer calories than your body burns in a day. That includes everything from your basal metabolic rate to whatever energy you use just moving around or hitting the gym.

redcanyon66 said:Thanks so much!

🙂

redcanyon66 said:I just wanted to ask... what's the deal with calories? How much do they actually matter when you're trying to drop weight?

Look, they matter, obviously, but don't go driving yourself crazy counting every single morsel. It’s way easier to just make sure you aren't overstuffing yourself at any given meal—you know, eat only when you're actually feeling a bit hungry. Your body is pretty smart at sensing what's calorie-dense anyway... so honestly, focusing on the actual nutritional breakdown—like your carbs, proteins, and all that jazz—is way more important.

Tyler Ross86 said:Exactly. But you can't just shake off those "elephant-sized" meals overnight; once your stomach stretches out like that, you're in trouble. If you happen to slip up even a little bit with your workouts for any reason at all, man, you are absolutely doomed. ☕

Wait, why on earth did you make bananas and eggs sound so fattening?

Hey everyone, I have a quick question 😉

So, I went through this whole thread from the beginning, but I couldn't quite find an answer to what's been on my mind... basically, if a girl is about 155 lbs and 5'6", wants to lose fat while keeping her muscle—how much protein should she be hitting daily?! Full disclosure: that girl is me

urbantrucker322 said:hey everyone, quick question 😉

So, I went through this whole thread from the beginning, but I still can't find an answer to what's bugging me... basically, if a girl is 155 lbs at 5'6", wants to lose fat while keeping her muscle, how much protein should she be hitting daily?! btw—that girl is me.

Maybe aim for 140g spread across 4 or 5 meals.

Man, I’ve barely managed to eat 110 grams so far—I really need to start bumping up my whey intake. Lately, I’ve just been mixing it into my oatmeal in the morning and tossing it into some cottage cheese at night. 😉

Thanks! 😉

urbantrucker322 said:hey everyone, I have a question 😉

So, I was reading through this whole thread from the very beginning, but I couldn't quite find an answer to what’s really bugging me... basically, for a girl who weighs about 155 lbs and is 5'6", looking to lose fat while keeping all her muscle, how much protein should she be hitting daily?! btw—that girl is me...

Wait, why are you even worried about losing muscle?

urbantrucker322 said:Oh man, up until now I've barely been hitting 110 grams, I definitely need to start adding more whey—I've been mixing it into my oatmeal in the morning and then into cottage cheese at night😉

thanks 😉

Ditch the whey in your cottage cheese during that last meal... it's kind of a waste of extra protein if you can just eat the food itself. Just go for 250g of cottage cheese and maybe throw in some Omega-3 supplements if you can swing it.

darkcrane34 said:What's the point of wasting muscle like that?

Ditch the whey with your last meal; you're just throwing protein down the drain. Stick to 250g of Greek yogurt and grab some omega-3s if you can afford it.

Care to explain?

putting whey in cottage cheese???

gross

Nicholas Kern90 said:Could someone walk me through this? I’m a little lost.

Insulin levels are climbing—which means insulin sensitivity is definitely in the zone.😁

restlessmason54 said:Why on earth did you beef up the bananas and eggs in your list?

Because, man, the sheer amount of food you just listed for one single meal is absolutely insane...

Carl Taylor said:Insulin levels are spiking. Looks like IS is pushing hard.😁

Ever wonder how much that whey protein is actually going to spike your insulin?

Nicholas Kern90 said:Can you imagine how much that little bit of whey is going to spike your insulin?

I mean, yeah—it does trigger an insulin response, sure—but when you mix it with a lean protein source, that effect actually gets dialed back quite a bit. Honestly, though, I don't really see any massive benefit to mixing them like that, especially if you're just a casual lifter... maybe some people do it just to make the taste less awful, I guess...

I just picked up some BSN Lean Dessert protein, and man, it is absolutely delicious! BSN🙏
You can grab it right on ProSports👍

A little info on the product:

http://store.bsnonline.net/detail/le...ng=en&skin=bsn

I figured I should probably weigh in here and share a win of my own. I finally picked up some Optimum Nutrition 100% Whey—the Vanilla Chai flavor, which is basically just vanilla and cinnamon swirled together—and honestly, it’s top-tier. Snagged it at GNC for $59.

velvetraven said:I’ve gotta jump in here and brag a little too! I picked up some Optimum Nutrition 100% Whey in that Vanilla Chai flavor—it’s got that perfect vanilla and cinnamon blend—and honestly, it’s fantastic. Snagged it for $59 over at GNC.

Optimum👍 personally, I’ve been swapping out my post-workout whey for their liquid aminos lately, and man, I am beyond satisfied with the results.

Hey there!
So, I’ve finally decided to pull the trigger and buy some protein powder today... I’ve never actually bought or used any supplements before... I’m looking to build up some muscle, but since I'm just starting out, I have no idea which brand or type I should go with. Any recommendations? Also, I'm 17—is it safe to use these? Are they actually going to cause any health issues or harm my body at all...
And roughly how much should I expect to spend on them in dollars?
THANKS!