Good for you for making positive changes in your life!

Is a whey powder like Gold Standard something I should be taking to supplement my exercising?

Most unbiased sources will tell you that it is not strictly necessary, and in general it is recommended that you get your nutritional needs met from whole foods. But also, whey protein is basically the most well studied and proven-effective workout supplement that exists. Like… it’s protein. If you aren’t getting enough protein to support your workouts, a whey shake can be a quick and easy way to increase protein intake. Add to this the fact that it is quite cheap, and there is no real reason not to supplement with a protein shake.

As for which brand to buy - avoid the uber cheap brands sold online, unless they have independent third party testing. In the US at least, supplements are not regulated to the same standards as food, so it is possible for these products to be contaminated with toxins like heavy metals that could be dangerous to long term health. Ideally you would be able to source reliable third party testing for any whey product you might consider buying… but ime, this data can be difficult to find. So my recommendation is to just go to the grocery store and buy a name brand, since the manufacturer will be incentivized to not poison their customers, lest their good reputation be sullied.

As far as which brand in particular to buy… it probably doesnt matter that much. Try a few and see what you like. Taste will probably be the biggest difference. Maybe one brand gives you gas. But people who swear by one brand or another, in my view, are expounding on some kind of cognitive bias rather than an actual lived experience. If you are lifting heavy and eating a reasonable amount of dietary protein, then taking a supplement is just there to eak out the last bit of gains you might be missing, over the course of months. Anyone who claims that they can “feel it working” after a workout or something does not understand the mechanism of how this supplement works.

I have already ordered some Creatine HCL, on the recommendation of a trainer at the gym. I have done some reading on it, and realize there is some debate on if it is better than Creatine monohydrate, worse, or generally undecided… But I figured something was better than nothing, and I didn’t want to deal with possible side effects from the monohydrate.

I’ve never heard of HCL. But regular old creatine monohydrate is the second best studied and evidence supported supplement we know of. Not sure what sides you are talking about. The ones I know of are slight water retention in the muscles (which is basically a non-issue), some gassiness when you take it (take it with a meal), and hair loss (disputed, probably just a corrolation between men losing their hair and deciding it is time to get jacked). If HCL avoids these issues for you… great! But it doesnt have the same robust research behind it as monohydrate, and it is probably more expensive for approximately the same effects.

Also, similar to protein supplementation, supplementing creatine will likely not lead to huge increases in gains. It makes it possible to push slightly harder each workout, which means you get a slightly better adaptation response.

Changing gears - you say you’ve had weight rebound several times in life, that you struggle with issue of willpower, and that your plan is to go to the gym alone. Well, my recommendation to you is to go out into the big wide world and try some exercise that is actually… like… fun? I’m not saying you should stop lifting. But go play some pickup volleyball in the park or take up crosscountry skiing with a meetup group or something. Humans are social creatures who respond to the incentives of our environments. The best way to stick to an exercise habit (and this often leads to sticking to dietary habits as well) is to make the exercise fun, social, and regularly scheduled.

For more background, I am a generally large framed man with a comfortably fit weight of around 260-280.

What… the fuck? If you are 7’ tall, you would still be classified as overweight on a bmi chart at 280. Sure, bmi has its flaws. But unless you are extremely tall or are already carrying around a huge amount of muscle mass, I’d recommend discussing what your goal weight should be with your doctor. For reference, I’m 6’4" and 185/190, and I don’t look emaciated.