Whey Powder

Not everyone who makes use of whey protein is looking to pack on a ton of muscle, some may simply want to use whey protein for weight loss purposes – more specifically, to lose unwanted fat. In this picture, where does whey protein fit in, and does it really fit in at all?

Complete proteins (which include whey protein) actually fit into the fat-loss picture in several major ways…

1: Lean muscle mass is protected

Even if you don’t care about building muscle in and of itself, you are kidding yourself if you think you can successfully lose a lot of fat, and keep it off, by allowing your muscle to waste away. Muscle wastes away when on calorie deficit dieting because the body prefers to keep fat and burn muscle. However, the less muscle you have, the slower your metabolism becomes, and the slower the fat comes off you.

Whey protein fits into this picture because it is an outstanding source of complete protein, which, coupled with a resistance-training regimen, feeds lean muscle mass. Resistance training and high protein is necessary to keep muscle mass whilst losing fat, and it’s very encouraging that dieters are now seeing just how effective and healthy this combination is when they try to lose fat.

2: Protein is a more satisfying nutrient than carbohydrates

Fats are 9 calories per gram, with protein and carbohydrates being 4 calories per gram. Protein, however, is much more satisfying than carbohydrates. For the dieter who struggles to eat less food (a necessary and unavoidable aspect of losing fat) this is an enormous benefit, which basically means if you opt for protein based meals as opposed to what most dieters are taught – carb based meals – then you will satisfy your appetite whilst taking in less calories.

3: Carbohydrates need replacing with something – and protein is perfect

I say carbohydrates need replacing in a fat loss diet for another reason – they raise insulin which promotes fat storage. Now, you may be wondering, if the aim is to lose fat, why replace those calories with anything? The truth is, if you drastically cut calories for a prolonged period (usually 2 weeks), you will find your fat loss will really slow as your body thinks it’s going to starve, so works to preserve fat by slowing your metabolism and burning muscle.

Therefore, less carbs makes way for more protein whilst still allowing you to reduce your overall calorie intake and lose fat whilst feeding muscle mass.