If the goal is weight loss and money is no object, you'll want to use a whey isolate because it's lower in calories than the whey protein blends and protein concentrates.
The thing about protein shakes is that there are countless types of protein powders on the market. Some of them (mainly mass gainers) are simply protein powder plus sugar and other additives. There are other types of proteins as well. Hemp, egg, plant based and I don't even know how many others.
CAVEAT EMPTOR! You'll have to educate yourself on protein powders. Your needs may differ from ours - or in this case, mine. I started off knowing that to lose fat, the easiest way I knew to do that was to gain muscle. So, I plotted out my diet at a 1000 calories deficit, but ensuring that I took in at least 125 grams of protein a day (500 calories worth) so what muscles I do have won't wither away, or at least minimize the loss. And, if I eat too much, I'd at least gain some muscle as well as fat. (The only reason to have a cheat day, in my opinion, is to gain some muscle to make that fat loss easier.)
To be specific, I initially used the protein powder as a meal substitute. I was eating oatmeal for breakfast and was tempted by Smoothie King on the way to work. So, I decided to just make my own to save money. I used a scoop of Body Fortress Whey Isolate (130 calories, 30 grams protein, vanilla cream) with 100 calories worth of oatmeal flour. (I put a tub of regular oatmeal in my food processor) I then add 1 tablespoon of ground flaxseed ( about 40 calories), a teaspoon of micronized creatine, 2 ounces of banana (about 50 calories) and 2 ounces of any other fruit, typically raspberries or strawberries (another 30 calories)- with an 8 ounce base of unsweetened almond milk, which is only 30 calories.
I was working out in the evening, a couple of hours after dinner. I'd have a pre-workout smoothie, as well as a post workout smoothie. I'd use different recipes, but finally decided to workout in the mornings so that I wasn't taking in carbs so late at night, right before bed.
Now, I have a smaller size smoothie for my pre-workout - whey, creatine, almond milk, oatmeal and just banana - 310 calories.
Post workout I'd have the first one - about 370-400 calories, depending on which flavor protein and what fruits I'd use. Some days, I'd just have the pre-workout smoothie and just have eggs, canadian bacon and cheese sandwich instead of the post workout smoothie. My theory is that my muscles aren't going to repair all at once. It's a process. The protein from the eggs, meet and cheese are all going to digest at different rates, feeding my muscles as they go. Somedays, I'll just have greek yogurt with fresh fruit and a half ounce of honey (210 calories, roughly) The casein protein will also slowly feed my muscles, while the whey gives them a quick hit.
Some people feel that protein powders are just expensive urine, and that you're better off getting your nutrition through real food. There may be some truth to that. But - protein is still just protein. Whether it's eggs, beans, meat or powder, your body needs a good amount of it. There's no set rule of thumb that has any scientific basis to it that I could find. Some say 1 gram per pound of lean muscle mass. Others use a range of .4 to 1.5 for each pound of lean muscle mass. <shrug> I just went with a formula I found on the internet that pertained to macronutrition and desired body type. (Meso, ecto, endo)
In summary - the best use for protein powder in my opinion, is whatever works best for you. Try it initially as a meal substitute - but only if that meal substitute is fewer calories than the meal you would have had, and it has all the macronutrients you need (fats, carbs and protein)
You'll want to plan your meals out so that those macronutrients also provide you with the micronutrients your body needs. (vitamins and minerals) This way you can assess the total calories you'll consume on the day and see what nutrition needs you'll need to meet with supplements and toss them into your smoothie if need be. (things like carrot, kale, broccoli - they might sound nasty in a smoothie, but if you get a good recipe, they're not too awful.)
Those who have no idea what they are doing genuinely have no idea that they don't know what they're doing. - John Cleese
