Many people start playing sports and dieting to lose weight. Others do it to increase muscle mass and get the body they want. Any reason is good to eat well and exercise, but sometimes mistakes are made in both directions due to ignorance, despair and not having a specific goal defined.
Protein shakes are excellent food supplements so you can build your muscles and meet your daily protein needs. However, the diet you have to achieve this goal and these shakes can help you gain weight to have more muscle mass or to lose weight. To find out if really protein shakes are fattening or help you lose weight and how to take them, at OneHOWTO we recommend that you continue reading this article.
Do protein shakes make you fat or slim?
No food makes you fat or thin just by eating it, so protein shakes do not have this quality either. They are a good nutritional supplement, but what really makes you fat is a diet in which the calories you consume are higher than those you burn. Other factors such as lack of rest and a sedentary life also contribute to weight gain. In contrast, a diet in which the calories consumed are lower than those burned by exercising and a good rest facilitate weight loss. Therefore, protein shakes help you gain weight, increase muscle mass, and lose weight, because they complement the daily dose of nutrients you need and will help you in one way or another depending on the rest of the food you eat and the exercise you do or the calorie expenditure you have.
There is no other explanation for gaining weight or losing weight. 250 to 300 are the protein shake calories: well embedded in the diet, it will help you have a better sports performance and lose weight. We recommend that you also read this other oneHOWTO article on When to drink protein shakes.
How to make a protein shake to increase muscle mass
Confusion can question you what are protein shakes for, since some help to gain muscle mass and others to lose weight, especially according to the lifestyle you have at the level of exercise. In the case of those that help build muscle, there are many types and different flavors: at oneHOWTO we help you make a protein shake to build muscle with chocolate and almonds using the following instructions.
- In a blender, pour 1 cup of lactose-free milk, half of an almond and chocolate brownie (or a chocolate brownie, better if it is homemade, and a tablespoon of almonds) and chocolate-flavored protein (between 20 and 30 grams, depending on your weight).
- Cover the mixer and beat all the ingredients for a few minutes.
- Try to get a homogeneous liquid and you can already drink it comfortably.
Although you can take the shake at different times, the ideal is to do it about an hour before the exercise session to burn all its calories and obtain the benefits it contains for the muscles. If you want more ideas, here you can discover 6 recipes for homemade protein shakes to increase muscle mass.
How to make a protein shake to lose weight
You do not know how to take protein to lose weight? Do not worry. This is not a legend: you need to know the right ingredients to make it without turning it into a calorie bomb. At oneHOWTO we help you achieve this by proposing a tasty red fruit protein shake. To do this, you will need:
- Protein flavored with vanilla or another flavor that you like combined with the rest of the ingredients (1 tablespoon).
- Blueberries (1 cup).
- Raspberries (2 cups).
- Strawberries.
- Cinnamon.
- Honey.
- Lemon, grapefruit or orange juice. Instead of juice you can use milk, but it must be skimmed.
Follow these steps to make the smoothie:
- Wash and cut the fruit into small pieces and put them in a blender.
- Add the rest of the ingredients and turn on the blender to blend them.
- Keep the blender running until you get a smooth and palatable texture.
This protein shake with berries can be a great option for any breakfast and is low in calories due to its high fruit content. On very hot days, add ice to your shake to make it colder and a refreshing drink. You can learn more options with this other post about How to make homemade protein shakes to lose weight.
Other questions about drinking protein shakes
After solving the big question about whether protein shakes make you fat or lose weight, or rather how to take them according to both objectives, at oneHOWTO we want to clarify more questions you may have about these nutritional supplements:
- Does protein make you fat if you don’t exercise? No. As stated above, protein alone does not make you fat or lose weight. Of course, in case of consuming it in doses higher than what your body needs and together with an unbalanced diet, it does contribute to gaining weight.
- Can I always have protein shakes? It is not advisable to take these supplements very frequently. They will only be necessary in stages of great physical demand and to achieve good muscular development.
- Can protein shakes replace meals? Absolutely. It is a nutritional supplement, so it is an addition, but in no case should they be prepared to take them instead of a meal.
- If I eat more protein, will I gain muscle sooner? On the contrary. If you eat more grams of protein than your body needs, you will only gain weight because you will skyrocket your calorie intake. The development of muscles is achieved with a good diet and sports, so do not try to speed up the process in this way.
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