Losing weight is a science and is about the calories you consume and the foods you eat within your nutrition program; millions of people are trying to lose weight and become healthier fitter, and more successful. If you are looking to shed fat and gain muscle, consuming protein shakes for diet could be a great option.
People have realized that the food you eat affects your body. In the quest for their dream, bodies have been replacing with shakes as a healthy alternative to snacking; some shakes are designed as meal replacement shakes (MRP) and have become very popular over the last few years.
What are the benefits of shakes for diet and weight loss?
- Healthy Snack
- Convenient to take with you on the go.
- Can be made in less than 30 seconds
- Aids fat loss
- Aids Muscle gain
Protein shakes or shakes; is there a difference?
Protein shakes are different and come in a few different forms depending on what you want the shake to do; some are fast releasing, some are slow-released over 5-6 hours, some have added ingredients to aid fat loss further or to help gain muscle or weight, here is my guide to a few of the different types you can purchase to help in you’re pursuit of your dream body.
Whey Protein Concentrate:
Because of the lower manufacturing costs, this form of whey undergoes the least amount of filtration and processing and is generally heavier in fat and carbs. The protein content is typically 70-80%.
Whey Protein Isolate:
This protein has been filtered to remove the majority of the fat and carbs, leaving a high-quality, fast-absorbing protein. Pure protein in excess of 90%.
Hydrolysate protein:
Due to the fact that it is filtered and predigested, making it very simple for the body to absorb, it is often the most costly of all the protein powders available. Some manufacturers employ two or three of these processes, so check the label to see what you are getting for your money!
Casein Protein:
Casein is a slow-release protein that is often taken before bed to allow the amino acids to be drip-fed to muscles while you sleep.
Meal Replacement Shake:
MRP can be an ideal way for busy people to help substitute their diet; they often have more ingredients than a shake to give a more balanced meal; however, they are not as good as a nutritionally balanced whole food meal.
What exactly are diet shakes?
To be frank, a lot of these so-called diet shakes are no magic pill however will help aid you in your weight loss pursuit. They normally add things such as green tea (which can be purchased from the supermarket) or L-Cartanine, which has been shown to aid in weight loss via changing how the body deals with carbohydrates. The rest is made up of regular whey proteins.
These foods are not necessarily a smarter choice than whole, healthy foods, but they can help ‘’supplement’ ‘your diet and help your metabolism by increasing the number of small meals you have per day.
I normally recommend 1-2 shakes per day between meals to curb hunger and allow for good protein to help repair your body; whether that be from a hard workout or just from a stressful day, your body needs requires protein to function and be healthy.
Top 10 tips for maximizing weight loss with shakes:
- Use a high-grade supplement. Don’t just buy cheap powder.
- Look for products that are isolated as these are the lowest in fat.
- Green Tea and L-Carnitine will help assist you in losing weight.
- Try to have 2-3 shakes per day.
- Having higher protein content in your diet has proven to aid fat loss.
- High protein diets are proven to boost metabolism.
- Do not use milk. This is high in fat and sugars, not what you want for weight loss.
- Keep changing flavors to keep it interesting; some taste great also!
- Make sure you have a balance of all amino and vitamins.
- Using a shake post-workout is the most efficient time to help aid recovery.