5 ways to ‘shake off’ body fat

If you’re looking to lose weight, get in shape and blast away the excess body fat, you should be drinking protein shakes.

In fact, replacing one to two meals per day with a high-quality protein drink is one of the easiest ways to drop pounds fast.

And, to make it even better, protein drinks are a natural, healthy way to decrease your body fat unlike those amphetamine-based stimulant drugs your doctor might prescribe…

You know the ones that come with a list of side effects as long as your arm, like headaches, dizziness, tremors, insomnia, diarrhea, constipation and even impotence.

It’s amazing the risks people are willing to take to lose weight and feel better about themselves.

Luckily, those are risks you can avoid when you turn to protein to help you meet your weight loss goals instead.

Here are five ways replacing at least one meal per day with a protein shake can help you shed those extra pounds.

# 1 – Curbs cravings

Adding protein to your diet can help decrease your cravings for all that diet-busting, calorie-laden food you’ve been consuming. In fact, in one study, overweight men who added an extra 25% of protein to their daily diets cut their cravings by 60% and their late night snacking by half.

#2 – Burns calories

A high-quality protein, like whey protein, is thermogenic. This means it helps your body to burn more calories. And, as you know, the more calories you burn, the more weight you lose.

#3 – Balances hunger hormones

Increasing the amount of protein you eat, especially at breakfast, can help balance your hunger hormones so that you eat less overall. In fact, a high protein diet reduces the levels of your hunger hormone, ghrelin while at the same time increasing the hormones, GLP-1, PYY and CCK that decrease your appetite and send your body the signal that you’re full.

#4 – Keeps you satisfied

Protein also helps you feel full longer. Studies show that a high protein meal beats a high carb or even high fat meal for keeping you satisfied so that you don’t reach for that mid-morning donut.

#5 – Builds muscle

A high protein diet also helps your body build muscle and muscle burns more calories. This means that giving your body the high-quality protein it needs to strengthen your muscles helps rev your metabolism so that you shed the excess weight faster.

Choosing the protein that’s right for you

There are numerous types of protein powders on the market.

Whey protein is the most common and a great choice but it’s also milk-based so if you have issues with dairy, it may not work for you. Otherwise, whey protein can boost your odds against heart disease and stroke according research from the U.K., and that’s a big plus.

Soy, hemp, pea, and even egg protein powders are available. Try them out and see which works best for your body’s unique needs.

The most effective way to use protein powder for weight loss is to replace at least one meal per day with a protein shake, usually breakfast. You can also drink a protein shake for lunch as well if you like and then eat a sensible dinner.

To make your protein shake, use one to two scoops of protein powder mixed with water and ice in the blender. You can add a handful of berries or a teaspoon of almond butter to make it even tastier.

If it’s still not quite your cup of tea, try mixing your protein with coconut or almond milk instead for a richer flavor.

Adding protein shakes to your diet as a meal replacement option is an easy, safe way to lose weight. You’ll feel better, your muscles will be stronger and you’ll get back into shape faster. Add in light daily exercise, like walking and put your results on fast forward.

Sources:

1. Phentermine — Drugs.com

2. The effects of consuming frequent, higher protein meals on appetite and satiety during weight loss in overweight/obese men — The Obesity Society

3. Ghrelin and glucagon-like peptide 1 concentrations, 24-h satiety, and energy and substrate metabolism during a high-protein diet and measured in a respiration chamber — The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition

4. Critical role for peptide YY in protein-mediated satiation and body-weight regulation — Cell Metabolism

5. Effect of a high-protein breakfast on the postprandial ghrelin response — The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition

6. Diet induced thermogenesis — Nutrition & Metabolism