this may be my first genuine "in my day" unc moment: if you wanted gains before the Obama era you needed to swallow the equivalent of home insulation. now they not only make Chips Ahoy flavored whey protein but they make cereal with it already added. God is great, just enjoy His bounty

April 10, 2026 - 12:29 UTC

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The only thing I’ve tried that I’ve been like “nah too far” is the protein sparkling water they sell at Costco. Otherwise, love it
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but I bet the macros are immaculate
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I have distinct memories of buying peanut butter power bars and choking down what I can only describe as a peanut butter flavored tube of melted plastic
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I first tried a power bar at a track meet in the early 90’s and thought “this must be what the rubber track tastes like”.
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The texture of these is seared in my memory- so *specific* and deeply unpleasant.
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it's amazing that we made it tbh
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Power Bars were an abomination unto the Lord

I still don’t know what the fuck they were made of but their texture was vile
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Kids do not understand how nasty protein shakes used to be, it all tasted like chalk
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we used to have to eat grownups foods, it was awful, and i can watch saturday morning cartoons whenever i want too. huzzah! (is this also part of the Everyone Is Twelve Now theory?)
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scatological humor though, that shit is timeless
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I've eaten a 1970s high-protein carob bar from an unbranded mall "health food" store. I fear neither noose nor fire.
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God, the old metrx bars were like eating an old tire
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just putting it out there, waiting for a product manager ideation session to find a way to bring us to nirvana:

Protein Poasts
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Yeah I’ve been doing my reps
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Protein Postum was right there.
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I just watched Josh Johnson’s bit on protein powder. He knows of what you speak.
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My most "in my day" observation on this is that it's amazing how the recommended amount of protein you need according to folks at the gym keeps going up as more companies figure out how to make more protein products. People pre-2000 must have been dying of protein deficiency all the time.
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If anything it's gone down at least according to most online people. Back in, say, 2006, 1g per lb bodyweight was considered the normal starting point recommendation and go up from there.
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I make protein ice cream in my Ninja Creami and add protein brownies for added flavor and texture. We’re never going back!
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*Making a smoothie with vegan, pea-protein based powder* You know what this would be in the ancient times of 2005 son? Actual peas.
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I described the taste of an early MetRx bar as like a baked potato flavored carpet sample
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Flip side of all this is the insanely easy access to roids that the kids now have. The number of young men I see on “gear” now — for fun, not because they’re pro bodybuilders — is disturbing.
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Folded up cardboard with baking chocolate smeared on it.
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Lol, chocolate and dirt.
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I had a housemate who was constantly having that stuff and not cleaning the measuring implements (did he use spoons? Cups? Can’t remember) and I finally got another set and put a big label on like “do not use for your gross supplements.”
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I just ate like 3 cans of tuna a day
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Gulping down MetRX protein and creatine powders after track workouts like swallowing partially dried cement
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Oh god I remember my first time tasting protein powder, and spitting it back up
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Heh. Honestly, I didn't notice the protein craze until a medical specialist I went to specifically advised me to eat more protein.

Now I want to wear a disguise whenever I buy something that brags about protein content on the packaging.

🥸 "I'm not gullible! I'm following medical advice!"
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I drank soooooo many awful Ensure milkshakes for extra calories and protein in high school (late '90s/early 2000s). I hadn't thought about them in years but the vivid memory of the taste and texture came back INSTANTLY when I read this!
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I chugged those shits regularly when I was breastfeeding and too exhausted for real food

Definitely trauma calories
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Chocolate protein powder and milk is what I did. Basically a chocolate milkshake.

I didn't have a problem with the texture but a blender mostly takes care of it.
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Water. There’s literally water.
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I used to go through two quarts of cottage cheese a week when I was a competitive swimmer.
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Oh man that Clif protein bar that’s just an Oreo brick dipped in Oreo filling? I still eat them even when I’m not running enough to justify it.
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Protein powder is not to be enjoyed. It is meant to be choked down in a shaker bottle you didn’t properly clean, and taste like a mixture of wallpaper paste and a vanilla scented candle.
Food is numbers. Nothing more.
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how’s the heavy metal profile these days. I used to be on that ON Gold Standard blender bottle stuff in the pre-transition era
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Yeah like Love Good Protein bars are legitimately delicious haha.

Ditto for Canadian Protein’s Chocolate Milkshake flavoured whey my god
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That stuff has an overwhelming Splenda taste
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There was always GOMAD if you didn’t mind having a bad time, digestively speaking
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Shaker cups didn't exist! You want a protein shake? Go get the big ass blender (glass! full size! no single serve cups!) or stir it with a spoon until the globules of unincorporated powder floating on top were only the size of quarters instead of one giant mass
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At last people didn't damage their liver and kidneys.
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and the "preworkout" was literally just meth.
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Just get some stuff online that has DMAA or a whatever they've called it to skirt laws around research chemicals. I liked LeatherFaze and God Of Rage before the last admin found out how powerful my pumps were
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no it wasn’t. it was the *precursor* to meth.
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Wait - it isn't anymore????
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As A Person Who Lifts I find the whole discourse baffling, because when you actually ask people what they think is “too much protein” and when you look at what some of these “high protein” labels include it’s all over the map.

(I like Casey Johnston’s 1% milk rule.)
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i kinda can't believe this advertising actually worked on somebody
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