Greetings EF folks,

I am in a big confusion and I know there are lot of EF guys who works out and got a good idea about which suppliment to take.

Well, 2 months back I was overweight ( i'm 176cm and weighed 90 kilo). After following some strict diet rule and intense workout, I managed to weigh 75 kilo. I know, I've done a great job; however, my goal is to get shaped properly and i'm kinda fine with this weight. I don't want to gain or lose but just to get in a proper shape. On market there are varities of protein shakes available and I'm confused which I should buy. I'm really concerned of the fact that protein shakes increases weight; therefore, I must be aware before buying.

To sum up, I want a suppliment to increase my stamina but not to gain weight or muacle.

Any help? :-) Thanks in advance.

Proteine Shakes are silly IMHO, just eat healthy (not too much, not too little, not too fat, not too skinny etc) and exercise properly and you will be fine.

Thank you for your advice :-) appriciated; however, if i had enough time to taje care of proper diet ( shopping, cooking etc.) I wouldn't have chosen to get one. Danm! why there is only 24 hr in a day ;-)

Surely stamina can only be increased by exercise?

It's what you don't eat and drink that keeps you healthy.

Diet is a huge part of stamina / energy and pre and post workout intake can either support or have a negative impact.
Example you would not have a high protein pre workout however high protein post workout is a must.

If the main reason is ease of use then I would make sure of a couple of ingredients. Protein from a GOOD source and NO PROCESSED SUGAR. Be careful on the sugar as manufacturers like to call it other names however the impact on the body is the same..

If its a whey protein shake that comes from well raised animals New Zealand WHEY seems to be of a better standard than most.
If its Soy make sure it has been treated as most soy has an actual anti nutrient make up and can have the reverse impact on the body than what was expected.
Limit the amount of processed sugar, in fact no processed sugar is the goal. Sugar has direct correlation to inflammation due to the amount we take in. Inflammation impacts the recovery process causing unecessary fatigue. That includes reducing grains yes and bread.

As some others have mentioned eat - well and the rest will take care of itself. MY eat well and others eat well are two different outlooks. You seem to have a really good handle on what you are doing and are on a great road to further wellness.

Any other information PM me ...hope this helps.

You've done really well to lose that amount in that time -- so well done.

Not sure why you're talking about protein shakes and supplements if you're keen just to maintain your current weight. No disrespect to JR1965 but there is something just slightly unnatural and faintly obsessive about all this powder in packets. What's wrong with real food?!!

Do your exercise followed by eating a nice salad with your real-food protein, which could be fish or eggs or turkey or even some cheese and a few nuts. Your weight and tone/shape will be absolutely fine, and the exercise will improve your stamina.

And real food tastes much nicer...

Protein shakes are to provide you with extra protein when you are not getting enough protein to build the muscle you want to. If you are just looking at sustaining your level then protein shakes may not be necessary just a good diet. If you are looking to build muscle then protein shakes are good. If you get high quality protein shakes (I suggest whey) then if combined with a good workout routine you will be able to build muscle and get into shape (you will not put on fat from good quality protein shakes).

What I would suggest is writing to Supplement suppliers and asking them what is best, this is what I did and I got all replies in English.

Try these guys:

http://www.powerfood.ch/

they are really good and supply the best...i just brough some Pure Whey from them...great stuff and tastes great.

I heard a doctor talking about these protein shakes the other day on the radio.

You can get more than enough protein from a glass of milk after a workout compared with one of these protein shakes.

If you ever read about what Olympic athletes eat, you'll find most of them just eat healthy, normal food.

Of course, as protein shakes cost a lot more than a glass of milk, you may need to convince yourself they're doing you some good.

Sorta BS - most Olympic athletes eat enormous quantities of calories - however they can get them in - 10,000 calories in some disciplines such as swimming would not be unusual.

Protein shakes help you to hit 6-7 meals a day - keep your metabolism going full blast - and depending on what you're using in them and mixing with them can shift your fats/carbs/protein ratio to an optimal amount.

I import the stuff in 25kg boxes and I recommend allthewhey.com.

Hi Sam

Firstly I'd make sure you have a healthy diet, exercise regularly and getting enough sleep? Too many people think that by simply consuming supplements they'll magically gain weight, lose weight, perform better, etc...

If you have a balanced and healthy lifestyle, then I'd recommend a Whey Protein shake to be taken with your favourite berries and fruits, yoghurt, honey, ginger and all blended together first thing in the morning and after exercise. Most sports stores stock a decent selection.

Cheers
Bradley

Sure, but Milk does not help your muscles to recover quickly. What the protein is doing it helping the muscles recover and not eating into the muscle to recover. The body needs some way of sourcing the muscles to get bigger and repair i.e. to avoid all the muscle aches you get after working out.

A balanced diet helps by far but taking a Protein shake will speed up that recovery and growth quicker then some foods and Milk. Usually, you should be refuelling your body within 30 mins of a workout.

Are you saying that milk does not contain protein?

Mutually exclusive statements.

Well, why don't you state the obvious?!?!?!?

We all know milk contains protein, but show me one proven piece of research out there that out performs a Protein Shake?

Are you saying that Milk out performs a proven Protein Shake?

Hardly - eating frequently increases your metabolism.

I just did. For your benefit. You seemed to be implying that milk did not contain protein. It does. A lot of it.

You show me one bit of "Independent" research that show that people doing sport require protein supplements that they cannot get easily from normal food.

Eat eggs, cottage cheese some fruit as snack etc Not so difficult to replace the protein shakes and it doesn't take that long to prepare...
If you have shakes ones in a while when you are on the run its no biggie either.

I would say no to any protein shake unless you are going for the bloated gorilla look. At out fitness centre there are many with huge unnatural arms but also strange looking bellies and bloated body.

I go fitness 4 times a week to do cardio and weights. I have 9% body fat currently and Ms Panda washes her clothes on my stomach. Just eat clean, eat smart and your body can get all the protein it needs from natural food sources.

I say amen to that!