Will Whey Protein Shakes Help You Lose Weight or Make You Gain Weight?

Mr. X is young and ambitious. He wants to lose the extra kilos stored in his body for quite some time now. He hears about the benefits of protein and buys a pack of whey protein and joins a gym. He drinks whey protein shake daily but visits his gym just 2-3 days a week. 2 months gone now and Mr. X weighs more than he weighed 2 months before.

Feeling bad for him? Hold on till you hear the story of Mr. Z. He wants to gain desperately and get rid of his lanky hands and legs. He want broad shoulders too. He took up whey protein and started consuming whey protein shake on a daily basis and workout too, to become muscular. 3 months gone, he still gets shaken up by the wind. He hasn’t gained at all. Poor Mr. Z!

Now, Mr. Y who was looking to buy whey protein, is in splits- whether to buy or not? The obvious option that is confusing him is Is Whey Protein going to make him lose or gain weight?

Let’s solve Mr. Y’s problem through this post. A lot of you out there reading this might be the Mr. Y or even Mr. X and Mr. Z.

Before we tell you what whey protein actually does to your weight, let us understand what whey protein is crafted for.

Whey protein is a very popular supplement among the community of gym goers especially. Considering its numerous advantages for bodybuilding, fitness freaks are going gaga over it. We are more or less aware with the benefits of protein for our body.

Protein is a very essential component for our body as it helps with lean muscle building and yes-controlling weight too. Whey protein has been considered the best form of protein because:

• It contains essential amino acids which our body needs but cannot produce on its own
• It is a high quality protein
• It has higher bioavailability, which means that it digests faster as compared to other proteins
• It has lower carbs and fats content and higher protein content
• It serves as a great replacement of meals
• It helps with building lean muscle mass and speeds up muscle recovery process

Considering the exposed benefits and popularity of whey protein, the market is flooded with whey protein powders of various brands and types. People choose amongst them with an aim to be successful at building muscles.

There have been various debates discussing the effects of whey protein on the body weight. Some claim that it increases the weight and others tell just the opposite tale.

Before we make a verdict, let us understand the concept of weight gain and muscle gain.

Your total body mass is made up of two components:

• Fat mass
• Fat-free mass (comprises of bones, muscles, viscera and water)

What makes your total weight is:

• Bones and organs: Your bones and every organ has its own weight and unless you want to donate a few organs or chop off your limbs, the story of your weight remains unchanged.
• Muscle mass: This is what everyone is after!
• Body fat: This is what you really want to dump.

When there is a reduction in your body fat and increase in you lean muscle mass, that is a healthy weight loss. And when you get over your skeletal structure and increase your muscle size and mass without adding too much of body fat, it is a healthy gain.

Talking about whey protein in this context now, what you need to understand is that whey protein powders are no magic products. They are a kind of food which are meant to fuel your body with essential protein that you require to build muscles, but often miss out on your daily diet.

So technically they have no direct affect in you gaining or losing weight. It depends on what your goals are how you are consuming whey protein. 

Whey protein supplements are available in powder form and even bars. People mostly go for whey protein powder as they can be blended into a shake or smoothie and serve as pre and post workout tonics.

Whether you will gain weight or lose depends on your daily total calorie intake. If you consume more than you burn, you will most likely gain weight whether or not taking whey protein. On the other hand if you consume less than what you are burning, you will end up losing weight. Thus, it is very important to maintain a check on your calorie intake.

Workout is the next big thing. If you consume whey protein along with more than required calorie intake and you don’t workout, don’t expect to lose weight. You will end up gaining a few pounds. A right balance between calorie intake, whey protein consumption and workout routine will determine your body weight status.

So now lets understand what went wrong in the case of Mr. X and Mr. Z.

Mr. X wanted to lose weight and in the quest of it started consuming whey protein believing that it will help him reach his goal. He wasn’t regularly working out and never kept a track of his daily calorie intake- result, he ended up gaining instead of losing.

Things would have worked for him if he would have consumed a few lesser calories than his body’s requirement along with taking whey protein and then working out at the gym regularly. This would have helped him shed body fat and gain muscle mass.

Mr. Z was skinny and usually skinny people have a faster metabolism and they face difficulty gaining weight. Such people are required to consume a calorie-rich diet. Mr. Z took whey protein and worked out regularly but wasn’t keeping a track of his calorie intake. He might have been consuming less calories and burning more and as a result ended up not gaining weight.

In context to Mr. X and Mr. Z’s stories, let us tell you how you can use whey protein to gain or lose weight.

How whey protein can be used to lose weight?

Disclaimer: One thing that you must acknowledge is that weight loss is a gradual process and there are no miracle products that will make it happen faster for you. Whey protein will help you with weight loss only when you take a proper diet and workout on a regular basis.

• Whey protein has been found to enhance fat burning process when consumed before workout. The fat is burnt at a faster rate when you consume whey protein before your workout session, a process that is else-wise known as beta oxidation. The fatty acid molecules break down through beta oxidation and produce acetylene-CoA, which is very crucial for enhancing your metabolism. Whey protein should be used as a source-protein to enable the process of beta oxidation in your body.

• Whey protein helps in suppressing your hunger and cravings as a result of the enhanced secretion of Cholecystokinin (CCK) hormone which regulates the hunger. The secretion of this hormone is increased by consuming whey protein. CCK controls your hunger by stimulating the digestion of fat and protein. Whey protein also restricts the secretion of ghrelin hormone, which is responsible for stimulating appetite. This reduces the cravings. As a result of these, you are able to maintain your weight and even lose.

• Whey protein also helps in spiking up the amount of calories that your body converts into heat energy, known as thermogenesis. Under diet-based thermogenesis, your body converts calories into energy. In exercise-oriented thermogenesis, your muscle cells burn calories so that your body can produce more energy to have muscle contraction. Intake of whey protein helps in burning more calories which helps you with weight loss.

How whey protein can be used to gain weight?

If you fall under the category of ectomorphs, gaining weight is usually harder for you. Consuming whey protein can help you get favorable results but only if you consume it right. Do not extensively workout and also do not ditch workout completely. Consume whey protein after your meals. Keep your diet in caloric surplus and know how much you are consuming daily. You don’t want to end up burning more than you consume or else you will lose weight instead of gaining.

The trick to gaining weight with whey protein is to play with the timings of its consumption. To increase weight consume it after your meals. Whey protein should be a part of your diet. Mix it up with milk which will supply you with extra calories and will keep you full. Why staying full here helps you is because you would stay away from unhealthy snacking. When you munch on carb-rich and sugary snacks or foods, you end up gaining unhealthy weight.

Taking whey protein along with a high-calorie diet and moderate workout will help you have a healthy gain. You can try and add dry fruits, peanut butter, banana, etc, in your shake to increase its nutritional value, calories and taste.

So it depends on your lifestyle, diet and pattern of consumption that decides what whey protein will do to your weight.

Cheers!!! We have helped Mr. Y decide to buy whey protein and how can he use it to his benefit.

Whatever your goals are, what really is going to make a difference is the combination of three things: your diet, workout routine and consumption of whey protein.

Without a rich diet and exercises you cannot expect either results, be it gaining weight or losing it. To help you fulfill your goals, MuscleBlaze has introduced Biozyme Whey Isolate, designed especially for Indian dietary habits.

MuscleBlaze Biozyme Whey Isolate gives you 50% more absorption rate with 60% lower stomach discomfort. You will also experience 60% higher BCAA absorption with MuscleBlaze Biozyme Whey Isolate. It is designed exclusively for your bodybuilding goals. With the goodness of whey isolate and a rich Ice cream Chocolate flavor it helps in building lean muscle mass and assists faster muscle recovery.

Keep eating healthy, work out hard and score with MuscleBlaze Biozyme Whey Isolate.