Protein powder for weight loss? You must be joking. Isn’t protein powder only for getting big and ‘jacked’? We’ve heard this a thousand times.
But after reading this post you’re going to understand exactly why protein is actually the most important part of your weight-loss toolkit.
If you’re like most of us, then you’re looking ahead to Summer. Beach season. Wedding season. All the seasons where you’d love to shed a few of those extra Winter pounds.
Or maybe you’re just thinking about starting a weight loss plan to drop a few pounds so you can go into the warmer months as your best self.
Whatever your reason is, there is one key weight loss tool you may not be using— protein powder.
That’s right. Protein powder.
Often associated with bulking up, putting on mass, or getting ‘jacked’ in the gym, there is more and more research emerging showing that protein powder can be an essential weight loss tool.
The truth is that there are so many different types of protein powder, with so many different benefits.
No matter what your goals is, you can almost certainly benefits from this essential macronutrient.
Now. If you are new to your weight loss journey and aren’t quite sure how to use protein powder to lose weight, that’s perfectly okay.
We are ready to help demystify protein powder and give you the confidence to start using protein as your ultimate weight loss tool.
Before we dig into some of the research, let’s cover off on some basics.
We’ll dive into the world of weight loss, and outline some basic habits that along with a low-calorie protein powder, can help you towards your dieting goals.
These include:
- Building muscle
- Getting the proper nutrients
- Creating a workout plan
- Eating whole foods and snacks
- Consider a natural weight loss supplement
I know – building muscle might seem counter-intuitive to losing weight, but just hear me out, because putting on some muscle is actually one of the key ways that protein powder helps you lose weight.
To help understand why that is, let’s do a quick refresher on protein powder.
What Is Protein Powder?
If you’ve never consumed protein powder before, you may be wondering just how useful it really is, if it’s even safe, or maybe, as mentioned above, you think that it’s just for die-hard gym rats who spend hours in the gym every day!
But protein powder is actually an incredibly popular, heavily-researched, exceedingly safe, and incredibly effective supplement that is helpful in almost every area of your health.
As you probably know- protein Powder is a powdered form of protein.
Types of Protein Powder
Some common types of protein include whey protein, casein protein, soy protein, hemp protein, and pea protein powders.
All of these are vegan protein powders besides whey and casein.
Whey is the most common type of protein powder, which is made from the byproducts of cow’s milk.
Dairy based protein powders can be made in two forms – concentrated or isolate.
Generally speaking, concentrated proteins are better than isolate proteins for weight loss, since they have less sugar and fat.
Mixing Protein Powder
You combine protein powder with water, milk (regular or dairy-free, like almond milk), or blended in a smoothie to make protein shakes.
One serving of protein powder typically has around 20 grams of protein and can also have additional vitamins and minerals to help fuel your body.
Just be sure to watch out for fillers, amino spiking, or added sugars, which can hinder the health benefits of the protein powder (and may even contribute to weight gain).
Protein powders are a safe and effective way to boost your protein intake.
Protein is an essential macronutrient that helps support muscle development and retention as well as helping repair your body.
Along with hydrating properly, getting adequate protein is one of the best ways to assist workout recovery.
Protein is found naturally in animal meat, seafood, and dairy products, as well as many plants like soy, peas, beans, nuts, and veggies. 4
Why Is Protein Powder Good for Weight Loss?
If protein powder is beneficial to muscle growth, then why would it be so important to weight loss?
Well, there’s a handful of reasons why protein powder1 is good for weight loss. Here are a few of them.
Weight Loss vs. Fat Loss
When we say we want to lose weight, what we really mean is we want to lose fat.
You want to shed the fat to reveal the muscle tissue that is underneath, not lose the muscle along with the fat!
Sufficient protein intake is vital during a fat loss plan to ensure that you retain and build muscle mass2 while shedding fat.
Amino acids can also help retain muscle mass while eating fewer calories.
Increased Satiety
Increased protein intake has been shown time and time again in numerous studies to decrease hunger and increase feelings of fullness.
Protein has a pronounced effect on the hunger hormone ghrelin, sending signals to your body that you are full.
This can have a huge impact on weight loss by making eating in a calorie deficit less difficult.
For this reason, many people use their protein shakes as a meal replacement in the mornings.
Boosted Metabolism
Not only does protein make you feel fuller, it actually helps you burn more calories. Protein has the highest thermic effect of food, or TEF, of any of the macronutrients.
This means that it takes more energy for your body to digest protein, which can cause your metabolism to go up by as much as 80-200 calories per day.
These are not the only benefits of protein in regards to weight loss, but rather just a few of the most pronounced benefits. Clearly, there is a lot to gain from a high protein diet.
How to Effectively Incorporate Protein Powder Into a Weight Loss Program
As we mentioned earlier, protein powder is a tool for weight loss, not a magical hack that will help you cut weight completely on its own.
In order to see the full benefits of protein powder on your weight loss, you first need to get your weight loss program in check and make sure you are optimizing your plan.
Ensure You Are Eating in a Calorie Deficit
The only way to lose fat is by eating in a calorie deficit.
Caloric Deficit: Eating less calories than you burn that day. This is the essential mechanism by which you will lose weight.
There are no other secrets, methods, or tricks to drop fat.
A calorie deficit is the only proven, effective and safe way to lose weight.
That being said, there are some unique reasons why you might not be losing weight on a deficit.
We cover off on those reasons in-depth here.
Being in a calorie deficit means eating fewer calories than you are burning through day-to-day activity and exercise.
A good calorie deficit is around 300-500 calories per day.
At 500 calories per day, you can expect one pound of fat loss per week.
While this may seem slow, a pound a week will add up very quickly and you could see a physical change in as little as three or four weeks.
Get Active
There is simply no way around it: a weight-loss plan becomes much more effective and sustainable if you incorporate physical activity into your plan.
But if you find that exercising in the gym is difficult to stick with, then take some of the pressure off and find other ways to get active.
Take a walk every day, play with your kids in the yard, or join a local sports league.
There are plenty of ways to get physical activity, and the best kind of physical activity is the kind that you enjoy and will do consistently.
Try and get 30 minutes of cardiovascular exercise three days per week, and also try and get in 30 minutes of resistance type training three days per week.
That’s only three hours out of the week, but the results will be incredible.
Make Sure You Are Consuming Enough Protein
Now that you have a calorie deficit in place and are getting a healthy amount of physical activity, it is time to consider your protein intake.3
This is where protein powder can come in.
Protein powder can help you lose weight by ramping up your metabolism and helping build lean muscle.
How much protein you need per day depends on your bodyweight, and activity level.
We recommend you should be consuming 1.2 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight.
This equates to around .6 grams of protein per pound of body weight.
This might sound like a lot of protein, but it is more manageable than you think, especially if you are supplementing your protein intake with protein powder.
We recommend supplementing with our Apollo line of protein powders daily for a boost of protein in your day.
Our Apollo line of protein powders is nutritionist formulated to give you the exact nutrition that your body needs.
Each scoop of Apollo protein powder packs in 24 grams of fast and slow-digesting protein to fuel your body for the long haul, and at only 110 calories per serving you can feel good about supplementing with our protein powder.
We use concentrated forms of whey and casein protein to create a low-calorie protein powder that is perfectly optimized for a weight-loss goal.
And with delicious flavors like Birthday Cupcake with Sprinkles, you can treat your taste buds while also treating your body.
We strive to provide you with the highest quality protein powder money can buy.
In addition to using the superior concentrated versions of each protein, we also commit to using grass-fed variants when possible.
Grass-fed proteins are more nutrient-dense than standard protein powders, and have superior texture as well.
They also cause less bloating than some other low-cost alternatives.
We know you’ll love the APOLLO protein powder.
If you’d like to try before you commit to buying a full-tub, check out the protein powder sampler box.
It allows you to try 8 flavors of our award-winning proteins in one convenient (and cute!) variety pack.
Stick With Your Plan
The biggest things that throw people off of a well-designed weight loss program are impatience and inconsistency.
It is so important to stick to your plan and keep going.
Weight loss is a slow, and often grueling process, but trust us, going slow and steady is much better in the long run.
Studies show that people who make small lifestyle changes and lose weight slowly and steadily keep the weight off far better than people who crash diet and lose weight very quickly and then go back to their old habits.
At the end of the day, a weight loss journey isn’t just about losing weight; it’s about maintaining your weight after you’ve hit your goal.
It may take weeks or months to see huge changes in the mirror, and that’s okay!
Small progress over time adds up in the long run and is more sustainable to maintain.
So don’t give up, don’t lose hope, and stick to your guns.
Seek support from your family and friends, and us here at UNICO.
Having a community behind you rooting for you will help you stick to it when it gets tough.
We know how hard weight loss can be. That’s why we want to give you the supplements, knowledge, and support to help you keep going.
With a little perseverance and a lot of willpower, you can achieve anything you put your mind to, and we are here to give you the support to power on.
Final Thoughts
Using protein powder for a weight loss goal doesn’t have to be daunting or intimidating.
In fact, it is one of the best things you can do to supplement your lifestyle habits.
Increasing your protein intake is a good and healthy idea for just about anybody, especially if you are on a weight loss journey.
Keep in mind that adding protein powder to your weight loss plan as a tool does not eliminate the need for a calorie deficit or sufficient activity levels, nor does added protein supplementation eliminate the need for patience and consistency in your weight loss plan.
But adding protein powder can certainly give you an extra boost, making it easier to stick to your plan and helping to give you the results you want.
Our Apollo line of protein powders is the perfect protein supplement to aid you on your weight loss journey.
Delicious flavors combined with science and nutrition-backed ingredients make for a protein powder that is safe, effective, and incredibly yummy.
And our protein powders at UNICO are third-party tested for quality, and safety, so you can be sure that you are getting the absolute best quality product on the market.
Try us; you’ll never go back to another protein powder!
Sources:
1Dietary patterns associated with risk factors for cardiovascular disease in healthy US adults | NIH
4Dietary protein content for an optimal diet: a clinical view | NIH
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