Protein shakes are a common solution if you are serious about losing weight and toning your body.
Many assume that consuming protein shakes will lead to bulking up the body & designed only for men. In fact, many protein shakes are now used by many women for toning up their bodies.
Women who are seeking to lose fats naturally without diet pills or un-natural approaches, a protein shake can be the best solution. It’s very reliable and convenient strategy to curb appetite and avoid nasty cravings for crabs & junk food.
Here is the thing,
You’ll find tons of protein shake choices, and you’ll eventually get confused.
Now let me clarify to you on what basis you can should the best protein shake for weight loss:
1- There are various types of protein shakes, each with their own unique aspects and potential benefits. Thus, will discuss in details later in this article.
2- To lose weight, choose shakes with no added sugars or dextrins/maltodextrins (sweeteners made from starch). Don’t pick those with added branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs), as they help promote muscle growth and weight gain.
3- Protein shakes can be helpful for time-poor people who tend to miss or skip meals. However, you need to make sure that protein powder is easily mixed in milk or water.
4- Taste does matter, so in the recommended list below, I made sure to advise on the tastiest protein shake.
Table Of Contents
Expected Benefits From Protein Shakes:
✅Best natural appetite suppressor you can ever use.
✅Enhances your muscle to fat ratio. Thus it will help to burn stubborn fats.
✅Needs a lot of energy to digest, thus burning more calories in the body.
✅Best option to maintain your weight loss program.
Best Protein Shakes For Weight Loss
1- Whey Protein
There is a 6 months study done on obese individuals, and its conclusion was drinking 56 grams of protein shakes of (whey protein) led to 5lbs (2.3 kg) of fat loss without making much effort & sticking to the usual routine (1).
The reason behind your cravings is due to ghrelin hormone. Whey protein makes sure to curb the hormone and gives you less motive to feel hungry (2).
One of the down-sides of going on a weight loss program is losing your lean mass. That is frustrating because you will look pale, skinny and your metabolic rate will be even slower than before.
Whey protein shake can get preserve your lean mass & if you decided to combine with resistance training, you could increase your strength and muscle mass (3).
Post-exercise your body will be tired and you will need to relax for recovery. Whey protein enhances your recovery time and gets you physically active (4).
Conclusion: Whey protein shakes are perfect for achieving your weight loss goals, however, it’s milk-derived and not suitable for vegans.
2. Pea Protein
Pea protein is an animal-free supplement made from extracting the soluble pea protein from yellow split peas.
Yellow split peas are born of the legume plant Pisum sativum. Cultivated for food since 6,000 B.C., they have long provided people with a low-cost, nutrient-rich form of plant protein, necessary for good health (5).
It’s hypoallergenic, meaning that if you are dealing with food allergies or not sure about your allergies, this is 100% allergy-safe.
Although, Pea proteins are not the best source of protein, yet it has 3 essential amino acids your body needs; leucine, isoleucine and valine.
Without these 3 amino acids your body will not be able to have a proper protein synthesis (6).
Pea protein shake is also associated with effective appetite suppression and satiety feel.
Conclusion: If you are not interested in Whey protein due to allergies or simply don’t like milk-derivatives. Pea protein shake would be your #2 best option to achieve your weight loss goals.
Recommendations: Battle Ready Fuel Vegan Protein
3. Collagen
Collagen drinks are a new trend that has been heavily discussed in the doctors’ show (7).
Collagen is a vital protein that keeps your joint and tissues intact. The largest organ of your body (the skin) is entirely relying on collagen. It gives you the texture, elasticity, and structure.
Although collagen is promoted as the best drink for your skin, it’s also the best drink for losing fat and gaining muscles.
The infamous amino acid “hydroxyproline” is found in collagen. Many studies show the powerful impact of this amino acid on having a healthy skin tone (8).
What I like about collagen protein is that it’s a pure form of protein. It doesn’t contain any sweeteners or additives. And the vital part it makes you feel full.
A study assessed hunger hormones in 10 overweight individuals and concluded that consuming collagen doesn’t decrease your hunger hormones directly, but what it does is it increases your satiety hormone. This will make you feel full.
Conclusion: Collagen protein is a great idea if you want to hit 2 birds with one stone. It enhances your skin texture & glow. It also helps to achieve your weight loss goals.
Recommendations: Battle Ready Fuel Collagen
4. Egg White Protein Shakes
Egg whites fit the bill for an ideal weight-loss food. Egg whites may also be recommended if you are watching your cholesterol.
And yes I’m talking about that clear, thick liquid that surrounds the bright yellow yolk of an egg.
Nowadays, they turned all of this into Egg white protein powder to make it more convenient to boost your protein intake.
Like whey protein, egg white protein is an excellent source of branched-chain amino acids that help stimulate muscle growth (9).
Egg whites are considered a complete protein, meaning all 9 essential amino acids are included. Add to that, it’s dairy-free, which makes it safe for the ones having lactose intolerance.
However, some people complained of the taste of Egg White Protein Powder, but if added with shakes or smoothes it’s unpleasant taste fades away.
Conclusion: Egg white protein powder can be a suitable option if you dislike dairy and don’t like vegan protein sources.
5. Hemp Protein
This is another excellent protein source for Vegans.
Its origin is from the Hemp plant, which is from the cannabis family.
However, do note that Hemp plant doesn’t contain THC, the substance that has psychoactive properties like marijuana (10).
The interesting part about Hemp protein is that it’s rich with Omega-3 fatty acids. This lowers your risk to depression, cognitive decline or heart disease.
I intentionally added hemp protein as #5 simply because the amount of protein you’ll get from it is 14 grams per 28-grams of serving size. That’s 50% protein of the serving size.
That is low compared to Pea protein which is 65%+ and Whey protein isolate which is 90%+.
Conclusion: Hemp protein is another vegan-friendly option. I would recommend it if Pea protein is not suitable for you. However, many supplements nowadays mix hemp protein with pea protein to get the maximum benefits. You can find this mix here.
Bottom Line
Using the right protein shake will definitely get you closer to your weight loss goals.
These protein shakes that I recommended earlier, are considered high protein concentration and easy to use.
Of course, the intention is not to recommend protein shakes over whole foods. I personally balance between both.
Using Protein shakes is a smart way to avoid opting for low-quality foods, especially if you at work and on a busy schedule.
