Shed pounds with a protein shake?

It seems as though high protein diets and protein supplements have received a stereotype that they are solely for athletes, bodybuilders, or people looking to “bulk up.” In reality, everyone can benefit from a high protein diet, especially those interested in weight loss….That’s right, I said weight loss! I don’t know how many times I’ve recommended protein shakes to female clients and they look at me with a “you must be crazy look.” It seems as though in their minds they automatically associate protein shakes with bulking up or getting huge.  I reassure them that you won’t get “huge” by simply consuming a protein shake after you exercise or randomly throughout the day (if only it were that easy!).

Our lab (Exercise & Sports Nutrition Lab at Texas A&M University) has continually shown that a high protein diet when combined with a resistance training program is the most successful way to lose weight.  First of all, I should clarify that when I say a high protein diet it doesn’t mean that you should consume extra calories in the form of protein.  What it means, is that a higher proportion of your daily calories should be coming from protein (~55-60% of your daily calories).   

The theory behind a high protein diet is that it will help you maintain your muscle mass which is an active tissue that continually burns calories.  Otherwise, you will see people who lose both muscle and fat during a weight loss program which in turn lowers their daily energy expenditure and makes it harder to lose weight.  Also, it's important to remember that in order to lose weight, you will need to lower your calorie consumption or at least make sure that you are burning more than you are consuming. 

This type of weight loss program (a high protein diet) coincides nicely with a resistance training exercise program (specifically high intensity circuit styles of training) because it will actually add muscle mass which again will increase your daily energy expenditure (boost your metabolism). But again, don’t worry because this doesn’t mean you are going to get huge.  So in conclusion, don’t be afraid to grab that protein shake!