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Protein Shakes For Weight Loss
Can protein shakes really help one to lose weight? How does drinking more protein shakes help in burning fat? Let's have an in-depth discussion.
First of all, it is very important to recognize that losing weight is all about boosting your metabolic rate. Your metabolism is the rate at which your body converts food and oxygen into energy. The higher your metabolism, the more fat your body will burn. Everyone has a resting metabolic rate. That means even while at rest, we are all burning up calories. The thing is, some people have a higher metabolism than others. That is why they can eat and eat and never seem to grow fat. Having more lean muscle mass naturally leads to a higher metabolism.
Also, it's important to know that muscles weigh heavier than fat. So if you build more lean muscle mass, doesn't that mean you put on more weight? Very confusing indeed. No wonder so many people eat less (dieting) in order to lose weight. There is only one number they believe in - the number on the weighing scales.
Unfortunately, weight management is not as easy as it seems. On the surface, it appears that the less calories you consume, the less you'll weigh. However, there is such a thing as body fat ratio. Your weight will primarily consist of weight from your lean muscles, and weight from your fat. Let's take a look at a few scenarios.
Little muscles and low fat - If you try to eat lesser and lesser, you will find yourself in this scenario. And it can be really hazardous for your health because your body is not getting an adequate amount of nutrition to meet daily needs. That's why some people get so sick from dieting that they have to be hospitalized. This is known as an eating disorder.
Little muscles and high fat - The majority of the population will fall under this category. These are often people who work very hard, and eat very hard as well. They spend long hours working but they don't exercise, and they don't watch their diet. Hence, their muscles stay weak, and they keep putting on weight (more fat). As they grow older, their natural metabolic rate drops and the problem accelerates.
Strong muscles and high fat - This group of people exercise on a regular basis, but they don't watch what they eat. As a result, they feel strong, but their bodies also contain a high amount of fat.
Strong muscles and low fat - This is the ideal scenario. These are people who exercise regular, and stick to a healthy eating plan. Just look around you. How many people can actually achieve this target?
So what does protein shakes have to do with losing weight?
You see, the only long term weight lost solution is to improve the metabolic rate. As the metabolism starts to climb, the body will burn off fat quicker. This happens even when the body is at rest.
To build lean muscle mass, the muscles must be fed an adequate amount of amino acids (found in protein). The proteins help the muscle to recover and grow. As the individual acquires more lean muscle mass, the metabolic rate will start to climb.
That's why it's always good not to trust the weighing machine at the start of a weight loss program. It's perfectly normal to see the numbers stay the same, or even increase as the individual gains more muscles. Remember, muscles weigh more than fat.
But a sure sign that this approach works is that the body shape starts to change. Places where fat accumulates (the waist area for men and the butt and thigh areas for women) will start to slim down even though the numbers on the weighing scales doesn't decline. This is sign that the body fat percentage is declining.
As lean muscle mass increases, so does fitness level. That means the individual can now engage in longer periods of exercises and burn even more fat. The best part is, even after the workouts, the individual continues to burn fat at a faster rate than the average person. That's due to the higher metabolic rate.
So to achieve this result, you see that it's very important for the individual to consume enough proteins on a consistent basis. That's why protein shakes work so well when it comes to losing weight.
Protein shakes are designed for fitness enthusiasts and for those looking to slim down. Therefore, they contain a high percentage of proteins, and is very low in terms of fat and carbs (perhaps 3% combined). So you don't have to worry about all those calories you are consuming when drinking protein shakes.
For best results, always drink your protein shakes right after your workout. You should also be drinking your shakes on rest days. That's when your muscles are recovering.
Here are some affordable protein shakes to help you get started.
