For individuals who struggle to consume enough calories throughout their day or are in need of a convenient way to supplement their diet with more protein, protein shakes are perfect alternative for them. The reason for this could be lack of time to cook or grab a meal or lack of appetite. A protein shake is manufactured in such a manner that one can consume in a matter of minutes. However, it’s always better to consume real and whole food for a more complete nutritional profile and avoid consuming protein shake or supplements as a substitute.
A protein shake will help to add calories and protein to your diet & replace a meal. Protein shakes are a drinkable meal & can be prepared instantly. This not only will help someone to get 15-30 g (depending on the protein supplement) of protein but will also allow that person to remain full for a long period of time. This happens because of the fact that it is comprised of pure liquid & promotes satiety as compared to carbohydrates and fat.
As compared to food, liquid meals or substances will enter into the stomach a bit quickly & digests quickly. However, consuming them often result in bloating. This is due to the fact that they also take up more volume in the stomach after taking a decent amount of any liquid in general.
Now coming to our main topic, i.e. when to drink protein shakes for weight loss?
Well, to answer that, there is no set time when you should drink a protein shake to help weight loss. The biggest factor to hinder in your weight loss journey is feeling hungry. This is because we often tend to eat unhealthy snacks when feeling hungry as hunger prioritizes convenience over nutritional value. In this scenario, the best thing to do suppress your hunger is to use a low fat and low sugar protein shake. It will keep you satiated and stop you from opting unhealthy options to satisfy your hunger.
To prevent unhealthy snacking, you can use a protein shake to bridge the gap between breakfast and lunch or lunch and dinner. This will ultimately help you to control what you eat and will eventually ease your weight loss journey. Another major cause of weight – binge eating, can also be controlled with this.
To satisfy your hunger & begin your recovery process, it is a good idea to consume a protein shake post-workout. If you consume high calorie & opt for unhealthy options, then all your hard work will go in vain. To prevent this, you should definitely include a protein shake in your regime.