By Greg Bastin • February 22, 2020
In addition to strength, whey protein offers a plethora of benefits. Discover how to reap those benefits now.
Protein is essential to a healthy and strong body.
Besides carbohydrates and fats, it’s the other macronutrient in food.
With a sufficient protein intake, you can expect many health benefits.
Protein is essential for tissue repair and muscle building, not to mention maintaining strong bones and healthy blood.
But did you know that not all sources of protein are equal in terms of energy?
At the very top is whey protein, which you may have heard of, especially in recent times.
Its popularity skyrocketed for good reason, starting with the many positive effects on your health and vitality.
Whey protein is made up of a mix of various milk proteins found in whey, the liquid component of milk.
During cheese production, the fatty parts of the milk coagulate and the whey gets separated.
If you consume it in the right way, whey protein can bring a multitude of benefits.
This guide will give you tips for maximizing the beneficial effects of whey protein and getting your body into shape.
But first, let’s look at the role whey protein plays in weight loss.
How Whey Protein Helps with Weight Loss
Whey protein supplementation is very popular and works well for people on almost any kind of weight loss diet, restrictive or not.
To begin with, protein helps moderate your appetite.
When you consume more protein, you feel fuller even when you’ve eaten less.
One study conducted by the University of Missouri showed that making protein 25% of your daily calorie intake can cut cravings by 60%.
And this reduces the need for late-night snacks by half.
Furthermore, a study carried out by the University of Washington’s School of Medicine showed that increased protein intake can decrease your food intake by up to 441 calories.
Protein helps to preserve muscle mass while helping you lose fat.
As a result, you can safely lose weight rapidly and still increase your strength and vitality.
To get enough protein, many people go with protein supplements.
Just recently, one man who supplemented with whey protein posted his results on social media.
With the help of whey protein, he managed to lose over 70 pounds.
He cut carbs to the minimum recommended amount of 20g, and reduced his calorie intake to 1,400–1,700 per day.
Thanks to the increased consumption of proteins, he didn’t feel hungry all the time.
He now plans to keep using the supplements and increase his exercise regimen to focus on muscle growth.
No matter your body goals, whey protein can help you achieve them… but only if you use it the right way.
Here are some useful tips to follow:
1. Take the Right Amount For You
Just because protein can help you lose weight doesn’t mean that more is better.
You need to find the ideal intake that will let you maximize the weight loss benefits and keep your bones and muscles strong.
On a low-carb diet, you should eat 0.7–0.9 grams of protein per pound of body weight (1.5–2g of protein per 1kg).
The problem is, many people struggle to get this much protein from the foods they eat.
While there are many natural protein sources, many people turn to supplementation for help.
For most protein powders, the suggested amount per serving is around 30g.
This is enough to kick-start the body’s muscle protein synthesis.
This process results in the formation of new muscle tissues, so you might notice a significant positive change in strength and endurance.
Also, this is the threshold amount of protein for helping you lose body fat.
This is because your body needs more energy (calories) to break down protein than other nutrients.
As a result, it will burn through its fat stores more quickly.
Again, you should stay within the recommended daily intake and not eat too much protein.
Research shows that when there’s excess protein the body turns some of the amino acids into glucose, which can be a problem if you’re following a low-carb diet.
2. Make Your Whey Protein Recipes Interesting
On its own, whey protein has a mild milk-like flavor.
While some people might not mind the taste, the majority prefer to mask it with other ingredients.
First, you might want to check how you like the taste with just plain water.
Many protein powders already come mixed with flavors like chocolate, vanilla, or coffee.
But if you don’t like the taste, there’s some great news.
You can include a whole range of ingredients in your shake that don’t add too many extra calories.
For example, you can add fruits like bananas and strawberries to your shake.
The most important thing here is to watch out for fructose, especially if you’re on a low-carb diet.
Some fruits may still contain quite a lot of sugar.
This is why many people decide to go with vegetables instead.
Spinach, kale, and leafy greens, in general, can be an excellent choice.
You can also try adding seeds and healthy calories like almond and cashew butter.
Or you might want to try a different liquid base and go with full-fat or almond milk.
Basically, you can add anything to your shake that you think will make the taste more agreeable – just be careful with the carbs.
3. Understand the Different Types of Whey Protein
As mentioned, not all types of protein are equal, which extends to whey protein.
There are three main subtypes, with each of them suiting different dietary and body goals.
You have a choice among the following three:
Generally speaking, whey protein isolate is the best choice for most people.
It doesn’t add to your carb or fat intake and it delivers the most health benefits of protein.
4. Know the Best Time to Consume Whey Protein
This can get a bit tricky, as there are only a few rules to follow.
For the most part, the best time to take your supplements will depend on your habits.
For example, if you work out, it would be best to take your shake as soon as you finish exercising.
This will help your muscles recover and promote new muscle tissue growth. What’s more, it will help you feel less fatigued and sore.
Besides exercise, people choose different times of day to take their protein.
This doesn’t make much difference, so you can choose the time that works best for you.
As a general rule, you’ll want to consume protein right before bedtime.
This will prevent your body from going into catabolism, the process of breaking down muscles for use as energy.
So, if you train hard to build muscle and stay in shape, make sure to fuel your muscles while you’re sleeping.
5. Make Sure to Eat Regular Food Too
A big mistake many people make is using protein shakes as meal replacements.
However nutritious they might be, no supplement can replace regular food.
Remember that your body needs a myriad of vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients.
Depriving yourself of real foods can have serious health consequences.
On the weight loss side of things, your body might go into starvation mode, storing fats as part of its defense mechanism.
This is why you must always make sure to stick to a healthy diet and use whey protein for it’s intended purpose – as a supplement, not a replacement.
Eat diversified, healthy meals and your whey protein shakes will be able to do their job the right way.
Stay Healthy and Strong
While a low-carb diet can work well on its own, why not speed up your weight loss and achieve your body goals sooner?
Whey protein can be an excellent way to do it, as long as you know how to use it right.
Adding a supplement to your diet is a great way to not just speed up the process but make it more enjoyable as well.
There are all sorts of ways to make your shake delicious and let it help you feel less hungry.
If you’re looking for one of the purest options on the market that will let you reap all the benefits, check out Opportuniteas whey protein isolate.
