O good another beginner.. :)

[JennPie]

Hello I am a 22 year old newbie. I have been "bigger" mos tof my life but about 6 years ago I lost about 85 lbs. and felt great. I slowly let it creap back on me and now I weigh an astonishing 254 at 5'8''. I feel horrible and look even worse. With all that said I decided to start out with a pretty basic routine of walking/running (more wlaking than running right now) and I go to the gym 3 times a week for weight lifting. I have been feeling awefully tired the past couple of days really sluggish...I was thining about trying a protein shake or some kind of meal replacement to help me with 5-6 smaller meals a day. Anyone have a good tasting one. I don't want to drink chalk. I can't wait to see results everyone here is such a motivation tool to me I'm on here 3 times a day just reading as much as I can.

[digitalbath11]

Hello I am a 22 year old newbie. I have been "bigger" mos tof my life but about 6 years ago I lost about 85 lbs. and felt great. I slowly let it creap back on me and now I weigh an astonishing 254 at 5'8''. I feel horrible and look even worse. With all that said I decided to start out with a pretty basic routine of walking/running (more wlaking than running right now) and I go to the gym 3 times a week for weight lifting. I have been feeling awefully tired the past couple of days really sluggish...I was thining about trying a protein shake or some kind of meal replacement to help me with 5-6 smaller meals a day. Anyone have a good tasting one. I don't want to drink chalk. I can't wait to see results everyone here is such a motivation tool to me I'm on here 3 times a day just reading as much as I can.

If you want protein reviews, there's a great sticky post in the supplement section of this forum. If you want basics on nutrition, calories, meals, there's great posts and stickies in the nutrition section of the forum too.

Good luck and happy reading!

[jennvega12]

If you want protein reviews, there's a great sticky post in the supplement section of this forum. If you want basics on nutrition, calories, meals, there's great posts and stickies in the nutrition section of the forum too.

Good luck and happy reading!

^^^^THIS^^^^

I want to wish you luck on reaching your fitness goals =)

[samuraimom]

I honestly don't think most of them taste too bad these days. When I was first into weight training back in the late 80's they were HORRIBLE. Chalky would describe them, but even worse. I just couldn't bring myself to do them.

When I first got into working out again and thought of starting protein shakes I was really hesitant remembering that taste. I must say of all the ones I've tried, I actually like them!! I don't know if it's just I'm remembering how bad they used to be or if they're really that good, but I have no problem drinking them now.

I usually get a flavor that tastes good just shaken up with water in my shaker like orange or fruit punch for a quick boost of protein between meals, but I also like to dress them up with Peanut Butter, fruit or yogurt, milk, or flax in the blender for a meal replacement for those times I just don't feel like eating, but need something more sustaining. Those ones even my kids LOVE!!

There are lots of good reviews on this site as others have pointed out.

[lauren921]

How many calories are you taking in? Maybe you're tired and sluggish because you're not eating enough.

[RBeck_101]

I did a multi-step program:

First of all, pretty much all the protein supps. sucked when I mixed them with water... so I basically weaned myself to it by starting off with fat free milk, then half ff milk and water, then straight up water.

I used BSN Dessert (fudge), then Optimum Nutrition (milk chocolate) but I just tasted Isoflex (chocolate peanut butter) at a recent competition and it made me think I was in heaven.

hope this helps!

[jweb9]

Hello I am a 22 year old newbie. I have been "bigger" mos tof my life but about 6 years ago I lost about 85 lbs. and felt great. I slowly let it creap back on me and now I weigh an astonishing 254 at 5'8''. I feel horrible and look even worse. With all that said I decided to start out with a pretty basic routine of walking/running (more wlaking than running right now) and I go to the gym 3 times a week for weight lifting. I have been feeling awefully tired the past couple of days really sluggish...I was thining about trying a protein shake or some kind of meal replacement to help me with 5-6 smaller meals a day. Anyone have a good tasting one. I don't want to drink chalk. I can't wait to see results everyone here is such a motivation tool to me I'm on here 3 times a day just reading as much as I can.

pro 5 from gnc strawberry tastes really good (:

[rinitytay]

Good luck on reaching your goals. You've already done it once but this time it will be for good! I really love Optimum Nutrition in Mocha Cappucino, Extreme Milk Chocolate, and Chocolate Coconut. I just mix a scoop up with 3 or 4 ounces of water. Tastes great!!

[KaraPhoto]

I was thining about trying a protein shake or some kind of meal replacement to help me with 5-6 smaller meals a day. .

Coupla things!

First welcome and congrats for getting back into it. I recently did the same thing - stalled out at 171 for many months and kinda lost motivation. Now I'm just pushing myself to get back to doing what I need to do.

1 - The whole 5-6 meal a day thing is a myth. If breaking your food into smaller portions more often helps you control hunger, then go for it. But you don't NEED to eat that way. It doesn't do anything to "boost" your metabolism. It's a dieting myth that's been thoroughly debunked. I personally do a LOT better eating 3 real meals - allowing 400-500 calories for lunch and dinner - and then maybe grabbing an apple or some veggies and hummus as a snack for 100-150 cals. Eat when YOU want to eat and don't be fooled into thinking you *have* to eat at any particular time

2 - I actually add protein powder to my regular foods most of the time, rather than having a specific protein drink. Usually in the mornings I mix unflavored whey protein in with my yogurt or my oats. It gives me the protein boost and still allows me to EAT ... which is important for me mentally. I would never be able to survive on one of those "drink a shake" kinds of diets.

3 - When I first got back into my routine, even though I was eating right and getting plenty of sleep, I was EXHAUSTED. I could get up from an 8 hour sleep and feel groggy and out of it. It will take your body a few days or up to a couple of weeks to not feel so exhausted. Once things settled out, I actually slept a lot better again and woke up feeling refreshed. But for the first week ... I felt like the walking dead!

4 - All of that said, make sure that you're eating enough calories. Too many people cut back too much when they're trying to lose weight. At a guess I'd say you should be eating 2000+ calories to lose weight - although you should use the calculations in the sticky post to confirm the actual number (mine is just a rough estimate based on your height and weight). If you're working out hard, you need to make sure to feed your body enough to sustain, even while losing fat.

Hope that helps!

[ZandP]

I think besides extra protein, an important thing to remember is really looking at your diet and seeing what you eat. I eat fairly healthy, mainly natural unprocessed whole foods, but when I wrote down everything I put in my mouth for a week, it was still surprising! Really focus on fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, low fat dairy or soy and lean proteins as well as healthy fats. If a healthy diet is in place you will feel and look better as well!

[MandyJo3]

Good luck reaching your goals! Don't give up!

[Hannah73Louise]

Good Luck!! You can do. The biggest thing for me was consistency. However you decide to do it just stick with it day in day out, and before you know it you'll be there!

[TrueAmateur]

Good Luck!! You can do. The biggest thing for me was consistency. However you decide to do it just stick with it day in day out, and before you know it you'll be there!

Short and straight to the point advice... I like it.

[CandyJam]

Good luck! It's important not to give up and by you being ready to get back into it and taking small steps everyday you are heading in the right direction

[priceor]

Hello I am a 22 year old newbie. I have been "bigger" mos tof my life but about 6 years ago I lost about 85 lbs. and felt great. I slowly let it creap back on me and now I weigh an astonishing 254 at 5'8''. I feel horrible and look even worse. With all that said I decided to start out with a pretty basic routine of walking/running (more wlaking than running right now) and I go to the gym 3 times a week for weight lifting. I have been feeling awefully tired the past couple of days really sluggish...I was thining about trying a protein shake or some kind of meal replacement to help me with 5-6 smaller meals a day. Anyone have a good tasting one. I don't want to drink chalk. I can't wait to see results everyone here is such a motivation tool to me I'm on here 3 times a day just reading as much as I can.

Could your calories or carbs be too low?

I've been using PVL Whey Gourmet PB Chocolate or Dymatize Elite Whey Protein Isolate Chocolate Mint. I think both taste great mixed with water and a little sweetner.