There is a lot of confusion about weight loss shakes, protein powder, their nutritional benefits and whether they help you to lose weight. I am going to cut through the competing claims and give you my personal experiences as well. 

First of all, what is this shake and what does it do? It is any type of drink that is claimed to help you lose weight or to help you ‘recover’ from a workout, meaning that it will replace the nutrients and minerals in your system that you just used in your workout.

They come in a variety of different forms. Some weight loss shakes come in a powder form that you have to mix in a blender.

Others come in ready-to-drink containers. Regardless of how you choose to use them, weight loss shakes can be beneficial for you, so long as you can separate the truth from the facts.

Claim #1: Weight Loss Shakes help you recover from your workouts

Absolutely. During a workout, you are burning calories but also nutrients and minerals that need to be replaced. In addition, you are working your muscles and they need protein to grow. Ad ideal time to have a weight loss shake is immediately after your workout. It will not only rehydrate you but also add the nutrients, minerals and protein to allow you to recover from your workout.

How do you choose which protein powder to use for your weight loss shake? 

• Read the nutrition facts label- Here you will see the example for the protein powder that I use, EAS 100% Whey Protein. What am I looking for?  

1) Calories per serving. If I am using the protein powder as a meal replacement then I want to make sure the meal I will be replacing had more calories than the whey protein. 

At only 130 calories per serving, adding 2 scoops of protein powder to 16 ounces of water in a blender gives me a 260 calorie meal replacement or recovery from a workout, just what I am looking for.

2) Sugar content. I have found that many of the ‘health drinks’ that pose as weight loss shakes are absolutely loaded with sugar. At only 1 gram of sugar per serving this is ideal drink to use as a meal replacement because it will keep my sugar levels down.

3) Protein content. At 23 grams per serving, putting 2 scoops of protein powder in the blender just about gives you a full day’s supply of protein from one drink!

You are free to choose another type of protein powder if you want. Just make sure it delivers the protein you need with low calories and low sugar.

Claim #2: Weight Loss Shakes will help you lose weight

The answer here is, yes and no. Here’s what I mean.

If your intention is use a Whey Protein shake to replace a high-calorie meal then it will help you to lose weight. After all, if you are replacing an 800 calorie meal with 2 scoops of protein powder mixed with 16 ounces of water at 260 calories then you are going to lose weight.

But this is not an excuse to use the Whey Protein as a liquid diet. You need solid foods from multiple sources to get all of the nutritional benefits you need for your body to function in a healthy fashion. They would be completely unhealthy and very risky to your long-term health. 

How can you incorporate the protein powder into a weight loss program?

That’s simple. Remember that losing weight comes down to burning more calories than you consume. So you can use the whey protein to replace one large meal per day, plus as a recovery drink after your workout. And if you use the protein drink in that way, then you have an effective weight loss shake.

Now let’s discuss how to make a meal replacement shake and the things you can do to ‘jazz it up’:

The equipment you need is a blender, 4 ice cubes, 16 ounces of distilled water and the protein powder. While I do not use anything else, you can add certain fruits to the mix depending upon your personal tastes. 

What I do is add my dietary supplements, like a multi vitamin, first and then put in 2 scoops of the protein powder in the blender. I then add the ice cubes (to hold down the powder when I add the water) then finally measure out exactly 16 ounces of water and add that to the mix.

For those looking to add fruit like a banana, strawberries or blueberries, add then now put the cover on the blender and mix for 60 seconds or until the ice is crushed.

I then drink it straight from the blender with a straw, but you can pour into a thermos for later in the day if you like.

Also, feel free to experiment. A buddy of mine makes frozen pop-sticks out of his shakes as a healthy alternative to ice cream. 

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