Weight-Loss Protein Powder

[ItDoesntHurt]

Well, my goal is to drop this nasty midsection I've piled on, and I've been doing well for about 3-4 weeks now. I run, I do pushups, and I'm eating very well. My concern has been that, since weight room access is verrrrry spotty at the moment, as I drop fat, I'll also be losing strength. (Additionally, I surely wouldn't mind toning my upper body; I was thrilled by my weight performances in high school but have lost so much of that strength.)

Tonight at the store, I figured I'd try supplementing my exercising with protein powder, but I've always been skeptical about the stuff. Seems like a too-good-to-be-true type thing: could it really help supply my muscles with a healthy amount of protein? My stuff has some calories (though not many) and 26g of protein per scoop. Doing some research, I've heard it mentioned that excessive amounts of protein could be counterproductive, that the body metabolizes protein fairly slowly and the excess can be burned for energy or stored as fat.

My concerns:

1. Does store-bought protein powder tend have a solid effect on muscle?

2. Are there specific kinds/brands to go with and specific ones to avoid?

3. I think I eat a healthy amount during the day in chicken, turkey, milk, low-fat cheeses, etc. and really only want to use this stuff as quick floods of protein immediately after exercising. Can too much protein be harmful?

Thanks in advance for the time/effort!

 

[wishes]

Protein powder is good for putting weight on, or muscle mass generally when doing weights. Its not particularly useful for weight loss (though you can substitute meat for it if you are vegetarian).
Running is cardio, so no particular need, however if you wanted to use it as a meal replacement or just to get more protein in then i would suggest a whey protein as the easier to digest.
Steve will probably correct my ramblings here (Watching TV whilst posting sometimes makes me illegible).
Calorie deficit is what will loose the weight, exercise will help that along. Best protein comes from things like meat, tuna, dairy, nuts, etc

 

[Jeanette401]

So, a good target for protein in a day is 1g per pound of lean body mass. For a female, 100g to 120g a day is a pretty reasonable starting point (since I don't know your height/weight/bf% etc!). If you don't think you are getting that much normally, then protein powder is a quick way to add extra protein. (This is for someone dieting and who wants to maintain their muscle while doing so)

The good about protein powder:
It's quick.
It's easy.
It's protein.

The bad:
It still has calories.
It may be less filling than 'real food'

Aside from convenience it's not really better than say, having a chicken breast. And if you ADD it to what you're already eating, then you're adding more calories. It works better if you replace something with less protein in it.

I personally do buy it - and I like the unflavored whey protein isolate from True Protein. If you have a sweet tooth, some of the syntrax flavors are very popular. EAS isn't bad.

I use it when I'm low on protein for the day (usually because I snacked on something I probably didn't need) and want to get protein with minimal calories. However, I also have added it to the diet hot cocoa mix for a snack, I make a protein brownie, I'll make protein smoothies with frozen fruit... it's sort of become an ingredient.

But there's nothing really special about it that you couldn't get from say, egg whites, or chicken breast, etc.