Do Protein Shakes Help you Lose Weight?
Posted by Liz Delacruz
You probably have seen the various commercials of people who have lost wait due to a protein shake that they take throughout the day. But many who watch these commercials of various celebrities losing all this weight…do protein shakes help you lose weight?
There is no evidence that these shakes help you lose weight but what is known is that many protein shakes are pre-made shakes full of protein derived from soy, dairy or egg-based and things with protein does have calories.
Possibly the protein shakes are used to compliment a current diet that effectively features low calories, low-fat and possibly daily exercise. Those commercials don’t exactly explain what else the person may have done to lose the weight outside of drinking a shake a few times a day.
Of course, because these shakes have vitamins and minerals, if you are on the go and have no time to eat, then the shake is much better than not eating and for some, a shake can be enough to suppress their appetite for a short while.
But the way to lose weight is through a diet of eating the right foods and making lifestyle adjustments such as eating less fat, less oily foods and less sodium-based foods. Increasing the amount of vegetables and fruits and eating of foods with good carbs. Also, drinking eight glasses of water a day.
It is recommended that a person eats 1 gram of protein per pound of body weight, so if you weight 175 pounds, you should eat 175 pounds of grams of protein. This is through a 2000 calorie diet. If you are doing a 1300 calorie diet, then you should be consuming around 80 grams of protein.
These types of diets are good but there are people who feel they should only drink protein shakes and avoid food. Just remember that with any liquid based diets, you may lose a lot of water weight but once you get back into your regular eating routine, you eventually gain it all back.
The best thing to do is not think of protein shakes as a way to successfully lose weight. Think of them as a way to compliment a diet especially if you need to miss a meal (note: you should be missing meals but if you were to…then at least a protein shake can provide the nutrients you may have missed out on).
If you are planning to incorporate protein shakes for weight loss, then you may want to communicate that with your physician or dietitian especially if you have been diagnosed with a health related condition. Protein shakes may be safe but for those who continually use them without eating the proper foods can cause conditions to worsen.
Just remember that there are foods out there than can give you just as much protein but also foods that are low in carbs that can help you feel full but also give you the energy throughout the day. Not everyone is going to have long-term results like the celebrities in the commercials but if you use it to compliment your current diet, then it is OK to drink protein shakes.
