We often assume that whey protein shakes are the exclusive domain of gym rats… bodybuilders suffering from compulsive bigorexia who are on an eternal quest to get bigger and gain ever more muscle.

This is a major misconception. In fact, whey protein shakes can be – and in fact are – effectively used by all sorts of people. Ranging from sedentary individuals to elite athletes. 

Besides being one of the three primary macronutrients, protein plays a key role in successful fat loss.

How can I lose fat?

It is very clear that in order to lose fat, you must achieve the fabled calorie deficit. In other words, you need to eat and absorb fewer calories than the calories that you burn. (i.e. your “calories in” must be less than your “calories out“).

Your baseline daily calorie expenditure depends on a variety of factors:

  • weight,
  • body composition (including body fat percentage) and
  • your current health condition.

Also relevant to the “calories out” part of the fat loss equation are your activity levels, including – but not limited to:

  • physical exercise and training,
  • the thermic effect of food, namely the calories that your body actually needs to expend in order to  process, digest and absorb food.

How can Whey Protein help me lose weight?

Whey Protein shakes can help you achieve a healthy fat loss for a number of reasons:

1. Reduces hunger

One of the most proven and effective nutritional strategies for fat loss is a relatively high-protein diet. For example the Atkins diet. Protein is considered to be the most satiating macronutrient on a per calorie basis. Therefore, it promotes healthy fat loss by regulating appetite and reducing hunger.

2. Maintains lean mass

While dieting, a high protein diet also helps maintain lean muscle mass. This is done by minimising loss of muscle. Muscle is metabolically expensive tissue. Which means that you can lose fat easier the more lean muscle mass you have.

3. Increases metabolic rate

Protein is also the most effective macronutrient for increasing metabolic rate. It has the highest thermic effect of food. In other words, your body needs to expend more calories to process, digest and absorb protein as compared to carbohydrates and fat. Thereby, facilitating a calorie deficit and promoting fat loss.

Is Whey Protein a healthy source of protein for fat loss?

At +boost, we strongly advocate a healthy and balanced diet, based around whole food protein sources such as poultry, fish and beef (unless you are vegan, of course!) However, too much protein from animal sources can contribute to excessive saturated fat and cholesterol levels. Which may undermine your cardiovascular health.

+boost Whey Protein provides a low-fat, low-cholesterol and low-calorie (not to mention delicious!) alternative to eating more frequent and larger portions of animal-based protein products.

Can Whey Protein help me improve my body composition?

boost whey protein

Yes: by making it easier for you to achieve the requisite calorie deficit in order to lose fat, while preserving muscle mass thanks to the muscle-sparing effects of a high protein diet. Therefore, whenever you are in a calorie deficit on a high protein diet, your body will preferentially gravitate towards breaking down and metabolising your stored body fat for its energy requirements, instead of breaking down muscle. 

A +boost Whey Protein shake can also help fuel your workouts to burn even more calories. Thereby, helping you achieve the calorie deficit you require to achieve your desired body weight. 

While it may sound counterintuitive, it is important to remember that the more lean muscle mass you have, the more calories your body burns at rest.

+boost Whey Protein helps prevent muscle breakdown during workouts, while helping muscles to recover, repair and grow after workouts. The resulting increased lean muscle mass automatically up-regulates your basal metabolic rate. This makes it easier for your body to achieve a calorie deficit and to lose fat.

How does protein affect hunger?

Protein is known to lower ghrelin levels in your body. Ghrelin is a hormone that affects appetite. It’s often referred to as the “hunger hormone“. The higher the ghrelin levels in your body, the hungrier you feel; conversely, the lower the ghrelin levels, the more satiated you feel.

Research has shown that higher-protein diets are associated with lower ghrelin levels and hence reduced hunger and higher satiety. 

+boost Whey Protein contains 70% protein, so that each scoop (approximately 31g) provides you with a generous 22g of protein. Consuming this amount of protein has been shown to reduce ghrelin levels in the body.

Is +boost Whey Protein a meal replacement?

In principle, no. However, +boost Whey Protein is a fantastic component to create your own favourite meal replacement shake.

For a complete, balanced meal replacement, you would use:

Furthermore, during a dieting phase focused on fat loss and/or weight management, it may be beneficial to consume a +boost Whey Protein shake as a standalone meal replacement, without added carbohydrates and fats.  

Does protein facilitate dieting?

It does. There are some differences in how the body digests and absorbs primary macronutrients (namely protein, carbohydrates and fat).

Higher protein foods typically take a longer time to digest. This is because this food tends to stay in your stomach for longer, so your brain sends signals indicating that you’re satisfied and full. High protein foods also tend to avoid the insulin (blood sugar) spikes associated with high carbohydrate and sugary foods.

Another noteworthy consideration is that high protein food sources typically tend to be higher in volume, meaning that you can consume larger quantities of food with lower calories overall than high-carb and high-fat foods. This means that your food portion sizes will feel generous and you won’t feel deprived during a fat loss and/or weight management dieting phase. Instead, you will feel fuller for longer.

A +boost Whey Protein shake can also make your life easier on a diet because it’s so easy, convenient and tasty, making it a great low-calorie snack alternative to high-carb and/or high-fat snacks.

+boost Whey Protein comes in two delicious flavours: chocolate and vanilla cookie. It is very versatile and can be used to increase protein content and add delicious taste to healthy, low-calorie recipes such as protein pancakes and smoothies. This enables you to enjoy delicious treats while avoiding the high calories and sugar typically found in regular pastries and sweets.

What is the best time to take Whey Protein?

If you are engaged in exercise or sports, we recommend consuming one serving within 60 minutes of completing your physical activity – at this time, your muscles are primed to benefit the most from +boost Whey Protein’s recovery, repair and tissue-building properties.

Otherwise, it depends on how you prefer to use whey protein to help you achieve your goals. For instance, if you’re using +boost Whey Protein as a component of a healthy meal replacement shake, you should obviously have it at the time of the meal you are intending to replace – be it breakfast, lunch, dinner, or anything else in between. 

Conversely, if your objective is to use +boost Whey Protein as a convenient, tasty and low-calorie snack, it may be opportune to have it in between your main meals in order to help you remain feeling full and satisfied. You can adjust the timing to suit your own personal preferences, depending on the times you tend to feel most hungry.

How much protein should I consume for fat loss?

In order to preserve lean tissue while in a calorie deficit, we recommend consuming approximately 1.5-2g of protein per kilogram of bodyweight on a daily basis.

Using a high quality supplemental source of protein such as +boost Whey Protein – in addition to whole food sources as part of a healthy, balanced diet – can make it easier for you to achieve the required daily protein intake to help you achieve your fat loss goals.

Start achieving your weight loss/fat loss goals right away with +boost! Order your Whey Protein from the comfort of your home, and we will deliver it right to your door! ☺️