I am still having a healthy eating plan and doing it. I have indulged a few times.

I have read about whey proteins. That they give energy, is a great protein snack, and can keep it up with the muscles... and some say they help burn fat?!

Is it a good idea to start incorporating it in my diet? Someone help me?

Whey protein is just a protein supplement. Its good for a post-strength training drink (you want to have carbs equal to 2x the amount of protein with it so it can be absorbed quicker).

You could also use it as a meal replacement shake (kinda like ultra slim fast).

It won't help you much in the ways you want though. Its not gonna boost your energy (ive never felt such effects). It doesn't burn fat. Fat gets burned when your body needs energy and has to pull from your fat stores. Thats the only way to burn fat and the only way to trigger it is to create a calorie deficit.

No drinks/foods burn fat. Some stuff will have caffeine and other things that can help speed your metabolism which will make your body use more energy, so if you are in calorie deficit they can help, but its all minimal compared to diet/exercise.

What CAN help you is to make sure you have plenty of 'good' carbs (fruits/veggies/whole grain stuffs) and food high in fiber. That will help you keep satiated longer and decrease your urges to indulge. To help you get started Caffeine can be a good aid in curbing hunger too.

You are still going to get hungry. Dieting is eating less calories than your body needs to maintain its current weight, so your body is going to want more food. You just have to get through it. Just don't allow yourself to get hung-up on indulgences. Also, you can indulge in moderation. Just make sure you account for the food in your daily calorie limit.

Its tough, but many people here have proven it can be done. So you can do it, just keep repeating that to yourself. Also, make sure you stay hydrating by drinking plenty of water. Being thirsty can feel like hunger I've read (over and over) so you might jsut be getting tricked by your body =P

Whey protein is just another form of food. Asking how you "use" it is like asking how you "use" a chicken breast or how you "use" a piece of steak or how you "use" cottage cheese.

You "use" it like food, either as a snack or as part of a meal.

There's no magic to whey protein - or any kind of protein powder. It won't boost your metabolism. It's not a diet pill. It's not a diet aid. It's just protein in yet another form.

I "use"/eat protein powder at least aound 4-5 days a week. I use it to just get more protein into my diet. The kind i have is around 110 calories with 26g protein per serving. I usually make it into shakes. With soymilk, 1/2 banana, 1/4 cup frozen fruit, and some fiber supplement (like metamucil). I have used it in other things such as yogurt or pudding or just milk. For me its a quick fix to just get more protein in my diet since I dont eat a lot of meat.

I normally use it for making smoothies (frozen fruit + protein powder + water), or sometimes adding to my oatmeal.

I've tried using it in pancakes, but so far it hasn't worked to well - cottage cheese seems to work better.

If anyone else has any recipes with whey powder I'd be interested in them though. Especially since it's getting a little cold for smoothies.

I mix it in oats sometimes. Also I just ordered a flavorless whey protein that you can supposedly mix in soups and so forth - I should have it in a week and I'll let you know how that goes.

I use it in my iced coffee in the morning. Makes my coffee taste like iced french vanilla capuccino.

When running a calorie deficit I find it somewhat difficult to get adequate protein. It's pretty cheap too.

I started incorporating protein powder into my diet a couple months ago. I found a site online that offered what seemed like a good product so I thought I would give it a try. I sure am glad I did. I have noticed a difference since I started adding more protein to my diet.

Protein powders won't make you thin, but they can help you manage your weight. Muscles need protein to grow. Muscles also burn fat. Ergo, consuming more protein and growing stronger muscles will theoretically help you to burn more fat.

But whether or not you should start taking them is really up to you. If you don't get enough protein just from the foods you consume, it might be a good idea to add a protein supplement to your diet. Just be careful you don't take too much in a day and make sure to drink plenty of water!



Also, for Jeanette, there's a site called BulkFoodsDirect.com. This is where I get my protein from, but they also have a bunch of recipes for breads, muffins, cookies and a few other things. Could be worth checking out.

And, I agree with Kara. Adding a bit of protein to your oatmeal in the morning is a great way to get your carbs and protein in one quick meal. The protein I get is also unflavored, so adding it to just about anything is super easy!

Hmm, that's true. I've mixed lemonde syntrax into my iced tea.

And I sometimes add the unflavored whey to my oatmeal.

I'm curious about adding it to soups. Now I wonder how it works for thickening sauces... I'm going to try to make chicken fricassee this week... although I'll probably make it once by the recipe before adding anything experimental.

Heather, any particular recommendations from the bulk foods recipes?

Jeanette, I think one of my favorite ones is the flour tortilla recipe they have. I love tacos and quesadillas, so it was nice to see a great recipe using protein for this. If you try it, just make sure you roll the tortillas out as thin as you can. They are super easy to make.

I've also had good luck with the bread and chocolate chip cookies. I am still planning on making the cheese cake, but haven't gotten around to it yet. The basic fruit smoothie is another one of my favorites.

Let me know what you think if you try any of them. Good luck!!