Whey / protein shakes, say what?

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Since I started working out frequently in the gym, I really got interested in the relationship between the food you eat and the effect on your work-out. That is: pre-workout meals and post-workout meals. Along the way I somehow got introduced to the the world of protein/whey shakes. I knew protein shakes from the wholefood stores I visited, but that was a alley that I always skipped. When I walked through the store and saw those big shiney plastic containers all lined up (like these) and imagined bodybuilders (like these) buying and consuming them. I always thought it was used to get big, bigger, biggest. And honestly, as a woman I am not striving to end up looking like this. But hey, now I know better. I now learned that lot's of women use them too.

As I am not a dietitian or a professional I can't tell you anything about the technical stuff. I found an article though that explains everything step by step, click here (I can't guarantee the quality of this article). I am still doubting about buying it or not. On one hand I believe you can get enough protein out of your food, on the other hand I believe it might be a good supplement after lifting weights (and it might help that I saw some recipes in which people used protein powder to make these delicious looking pancakes).
I would love to hear your opinion. Do you use protein shakes or not? And what are your reasons to do so or not?

Claudia ★