drink wholesome is good for weight management
Adding our protein powder to your diet can help manage you weight. Keep reading to learn why.
Protein powder for weight loss
In theory, losing weight is simple – all you have to do is eat fewer calories than you burn. This is called creating a calorie deficit.
You have to eat 3,500 fewer calories than you burn to lose 1 pound of bodyweight, and to lose weight at a safe rate (1/2 pound per week) you must achieve a daily calorie deficit of 250 calories. This sounds straightforward, but anyone who has tried to lose weight knows it is easier said than done because maintaining a calorie deficit makes you really hungry!
It follows that the first secret to weight loss is to prevent hunger. In order to do so while maintaining a calorie deficit, you have to eat lots of high protein foods.
Protein keeps you feeling full for longer than fats and carbs, so increasing the percentage of your calories that come from protein will prevent cravings and overeating. This is one reason why replacing a meal or part of a meal with a protein shake can help you lose weight.
more protein → less hunger → calorie deficit → weight loss
The second secret to weight loss is to build muscle. People with more muscle mass have faster metabolisms (burn more calories) because it takes more energy (calories) to build and maintain muscle than fat.
In order to build and maintain muscle mass, you have to eat protein because muscle growth can only occur if muscle protein synthesis exceeds muscle protein breakdown. This is called having a positive muscle protein balance, and is regulated by two mechanisms: resistance exercise (lifting weights) and amino acid availability (eating dietary protein).
Amino acids are the building blocks of protein, and there are 20 of them, 9 of which must come from food. These “essential” amino acids are the reason why you have to eat protein if you want to build muscle.
more protein (+ exercise) → more muscle → calorie deficit → weight loss
The third secret to weight loss is to simply eat more protein. Protein has a higher thermic effect compared to fats and carbs, meaning more energy is expended by the body in digesting, absorbing, and metabolizing it. Believe it or not, 20-30% of protein calories are burned just breaking it down and using it.
more protein → more thermogenesis → calorie deficit → weight loss
Exactly how much protein you need to eat depends on who you are, but most people need at least 0.36 grams of protein per pound of body weight per day. Use our protein calculator to calculate your recommended daily protein intake.
If you have a hard time meeting your protein needs, consider adding a protein powder like drink wholesome to your diet. Unlike most protein powders, drink wholesome is made with a short list of simple ingredients.
Most protein powders, on the other hand, are made with a cocktail of harmful food additives. Here is a list of the most common additives in protein powder:
acacia fiber, acacia gum, acesulfame potassium, artificial flavors, ascorbic acid, aspartame, calcium carbonate, carrageenan, cellulose gum, dextrin, dicalcium phosphate, dipotassium phosphate, erythritol, gellan gum, guar gum, gum arabic, inulin, locust bean gum, maltodextrin, mono- and diglycerides, ‘natural’ flavors, rice bran extract, rice dextrin, rice hulls, rosemary extract, silica, silicon dioxide, sodium alginate, sodium bicarbonate, soluble corn fiber, soy lecithin, sucralose, sunflower lecithin, tocopherols, tricalcium phosphate, xanthan gum, xylitol, zinc oxide
Food additives not only cause painful side effects like bloating and diarrhea, but also alter the composition of your gut microbiome – the collection of microorganisms living in your digestive tract. An altered gut microbiome is a leading driver of inflammation and has been linked to the onset and progression of chronic diseases, including obesity and type 2 diabetes.
★★★★★
“I like drink wholesome because of how filling it is. 1 serving is enough to keep me full until lunch. If you’re trying to cut back on snacking, I recommend adding some protein to your breakfast. It has made a huge difference for me.” – Monica
Protein powder for weight gain
Gaining weight, on the other hand, is all about achieving and maintaining a calorie surplus – eating more calories than you burn. In order to gain weight at a safe rate, you must achieve a daily calorie surplus of 250 calories. If you have a hard time eating this many extra calories, consider adding a protein powder like drink wholesome to your diet. Protein powder can be easily incorporated into smoothies, oatmeal, and other recipes for extra calories.
more calories → calorie surplus → weight gain
We also make meal replacement powders, which have more calories than our protein powders, and can be used to make meal replacement shakes. Adding a meal replacement shake to your diet is an easy way to increase your calorie intake because: a) it is easier to drink your calories than it is to chew them and b) it is easier to make a shake than it is to cook a meal.
If you are confused as to how protein powder can help you both gain and lose weight, think about it this way: replacing low protein calories with high protein calories (protein powder) will help you lose weight, whereas simply adding calories to your diet will help you gain weight.
In summary, our protein powders can help you achieve and maintain a healthy weight. They are made specifically for people with sensitive stomachs and gut issues like IBS. They are also a great option for someone looking to boost his or her protein intake without the extra processing and added junk.
★★★★★
“I was recently diagnosed with Crohn’s Disease and I use this product to gain some of the weight back that I’ve lost over the past few months. It’s been a lifesaver and I can’t say enough good things about how it tastes.” – Sameer