** Building Muscle on a Budget - 10 Cheap Protein Sources **

[CMB]

This stuff is no comparison to whole food.

Calories are calories my friend. Not to mention if you get the right brands you can get 100 times the amino acids from those shakes than real food.

Not sure why everyone is anti-shake around here....

[Gaspari1255]

Calories are calories my friend. Not to mention if you get the right brands you can get 100 times the amino acids from those shakes than real food.

Not sure why everyone is anti-shake around here....

Can you explain this? Shakes are fake food. I have one PWO because its convienent and cheap. But, if it were up to me, I would eat a full meal PWO instead. I just don't have the time. Look at those crazy 1000+ calories mass gainer shakes, you think thats equivalent to eating 10oz of meat, 2 sweet potatoas, and 8oz of almonds? I doubt it

[gbrice75]

Calories are calories my friend. Not to mention if you get the right brands you can get 100 times the amino acids from those shakes than real food.

Not sure why everyone is anti-shake around here....

Your first sentence says it all. I'm not even going to dignify it with a response.

I gotta run now - going to stock up on doritos and snickers bars since 'a calorie is a calorie'.

[gbrice75]

Calories are calories my friend. Not to mention if you get the right brands you can get 100 times the amino acids from those shakes than real food.

Not sure why everyone is anti-shake around here....

Ugh, this bugged me so much, I guess I AM going to dignify it with a response after all.

Firstly, I am not anti-shake, nor is that the general feeling on the board. Shakes have their place in a bodybuilding diet IMO - PWO is a great example, where whey protein can deliver amino's faster then whole food can, at a time when the body really needs them. First thing in the morning is another good time, although personally i'd do a shake + whole food combination.

I also want to point out that so long as the individual is getting plenty of protein/nutrients from whole food, I see no issue with adding shakes in to up the calories. Eating a 2000 calorie diet of almost all whole food is easy. Eating a 5000+ calorie diet (going extreme here but stay with me) of almost all whole food is difficult, I don't care how big the guy is. This is where shakes play a good role with regards to convenience.

But protein shakes weren't even the topic - the OP mentioned 'mass gainer's' specifically. I am against these, 100%. Firstly, they're usually loaded with a bunch of garbage you can't even pronounce. Secondly, just think of this - mass gainers, protein powders, etc. are all sold under the umbrella of 'supplements'. Look up the definition of supplement. Supplement does not mean meal replacement, and I firmly believe there is no shake that is an equivalent to whole food. If this were the case, dieting would be a cake walk - i'd simply eat shakes all day, after all, they taste great! I could live off of cookies and cream, vanilla ice cream, double chocolate, etc and make great gains??? Gimme a break man.

[RaginCajun]

ugh, this bugged me so much, i guess i am going to dignify it with a response after all.

Firstly, i am not anti-shake, nor is that the general feeling on the board. Shakes have their place in a bodybuilding diet imo - pwo is a great example, where whey protein can deliver amino's faster then whole food can, at a time when the body really needs them. First thing in the morning is another good time, although personally i'd do a shake + whole food combination.

I also want to point out that so long as the individual is getting plenty of protein/nutrients from whole food, i see no issue with adding shakes in to up the calories. Eating a 2000 calorie diet of almost all whole food is easy. Eating a 5000+ calorie diet (going extreme here but stay with me) of almost all whole food is difficult, i don't care how big the guy is. This is where shakes play a good role with regards to convenience.

But protein shakes weren't even the topic - the op mentioned 'mass gainer's' specifically. I am against these, 100%. Firstly, they're usually loaded with a bunch of garbage you can't even pronounce. Secondly, just think of this - mass gainers, protein powders, etc. Are all sold under the umbrella of 'supplements'. Look up the definition of supplement. Supplement does not mean meal replacement, and i firmly believe there is no shake that is an equivalent to whole food. If this were the case, dieting would be a cake walk - i'd simply eat shakes all day, after all, they taste great! I could live off of cookies and cream, vanilla ice cream, double chocolate, etc and make great gains??? Gimme a break man.

bump!

[CMB]

Ugh, this bugged me so much, I guess I AM going to dignify it with a response after all.

Firstly, I am not anti-shake, nor is that the general feeling on the board. Shakes have their place in a bodybuilding diet IMO - PWO is a great example, where whey protein can deliver amino's faster then whole food can, at a time when the body really needs them. First thing in the morning is another good time, although personally i'd do a shake + whole food combination.

I also want to point out that so long as the individual is getting plenty of protein/nutrients from whole food, I see no issue with adding shakes in to up the calories. Eating a 2000 calorie diet of almost all whole food is easy. Eating a 5000+ calorie diet (going extreme here but stay with me) of almost all whole food is difficult, I don't care how big the guy is. This is where shakes play a good role with regards to convenience.

But protein shakes weren't even the topic - the OP mentioned 'mass gainer's' specifically. I am against these, 100%. Firstly, they're usually loaded with a bunch of garbage you can't even pronounce. Secondly, just think of this - mass gainers, protein powders, etc. are all sold under the umbrella of 'supplements'. Look up the definition of supplement. Supplement does not mean meal replacement, and I firmly believe there is no shake that is an equivalent to whole food. If this were the case, dieting would be a cake walk - i'd simply eat shakes all day, after all, they taste great! I could live off of cookies and cream, vanilla ice cream, double chocolate, etc and make great gains??? Gimme a break man.

Man I didn't come off like that. You're saying it as if I told the kid to live off shakes.

I have 4 shakes a day, One mourning shake, lunch shake, PWO and before bed. Only whey is used in the mourning and PWO, lunch shake is egg protein powder. I also have REAL food with each of those meals.

And I agree, there are TONS of weight gainers out there. I personally very rarely use these anymore, but had moderate success with them in the past. And people should always read everything on the label too.

So in all reality I have seen 4 or 5 times on this board about how 3 shakes a day is way to much, or "shakes do very little" as I recently saw in another thread. Shakes are a BB'ers friend, as is real food as well.

[gbrice75]

Man I didn't come off like that. You're saying it as if I told the kid to live off shakes.

I have 4 shakes a day, One mourning shake, lunch shake, PWO and before bed. Only whey is used in the mourning and PWO, lunch shake is egg protein powder. I also have REAL food with each of those meals.

And I agree, there are TONS of weight gainers out there. I personally very rarely use these anymore, but had moderate success with them in the past. And people should always read everything on the label too.

So in all reality I have seen 4 or 5 times on this board about how 3 shakes a day is way to much, or "shakes do very little" as I recently saw in another thread. Shakes are a BB'ers friend, as is real food as well.

The bold above says it all. I'll stick with my original statement - which is shakes are meant to supplement real food, not replace it.