How To Fast With Protein Shakes For Weight Loss

When it comes to losing weight, the most important factor is your calorie balance. You need to eat less calories than you burn to drop pounds. Incorporating some sort of fasting protocol into your diet may be beneficial, too, as this helps reduce your calorie intake. However, if you're not ready for a full-on fast, you could try drinking protein shakes during your fasting periods to reduce hunger pangs.

This involves eating as you would normally one day, followed by a very low-calorie day the next. During this low-calorie, or fast day, Kellow suggests eating small amounts of nutrient-dense foods like fruits and vegetables, along with proteins like lean red meat, fish and poultry. You could, however, substitute these proteins with a protein shake. The macronutrients include protein, carbohydrate and fat. When looking for a shake to use for your fasting protocol, you need to pick one that's high in protein, but low in carbohydrates and fat.

Dr. Michael Mosley, creator of the Fast Diet, recommends that on fasting days, women eat 500 calories and men eat 600 calories. Whatever shake you choose needs to be low enough in calories that it won't push you over your calorie limit. When you finish your fasting or low-calorie period, it's likely that you'll be hungry, which can lead to binging or over-indulging, sending your weight loss off course.

The Harvard Medical Publications website recommends eating protein at breakfast to curb your appetite for the rest of the day -- and the same theory applies when breaking a fast at any time. Include a protein shake in your post-fast meal to help ensure that you don't overdo your calorie intake for the rest of the day.

Before switching to a fasting diet, or introducing new supplements into your diet, check with your doctor or a dietitian. You don't need to fast to lose weight, or even include protein shakes in your diet, but both could potentially be beneficial. According to a study published in the July 2005 edition of "The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition," while alternate-day fasting in non-obese subjects did increase fat oxidation, participants also experienced increased hunger on fasting days throughout the entire study.

Therefore, having a shake or two on a fast day, perhaps with some other protein-dense foods, low-calorie vegetables or salad items, may enable you to get the benefits of fasting without the hunger pangs. Lose Weight. Feel Great! AGE lbs. WEIGHT ft. How to Drink Slim Fast Three Times a Day Can You Lose Weight Drinking Protein Shakes to Replace 2 Meals a Day? What Is the Best Protein Shake for Losing Fat?

This may not be possible for someone who doesnt live alone. I dont live alone and there are some foods in my house that I love but cant afford to eat right now (such as peanut butter and Nuttella). I could eat them, but I dont believe they are worth the calories.

To deal with the temptation, I block them out of my view by putting them in the back of the closet where I wont see them and I will forget about them. I found this really helps when you cant get rid of a food because its not for you.

How this diet was Inspired: This is a diet that I have come up with over the course of 2 years. It took in a lot of research and ideas from many places. It has helped me lose 70 lbs before. Over time it has been modified to its current state now.

I have discovered that one can really eat a lot of food and lose weight as long as calorie intake is restricted. This is accomplished through salads and fruits. I also did quite a bit of personal experimentation in the kitchen for recipes as well as testing the effects of different caloric intake and exercise levels on weight-loss and health of my body.

Starting your day with a healthy breakfast sets the tone for the rest of your day, and it can help you lose weight as part of a low-calorie diet plan. Although no single "perfect" breakfast exists -- choose a healthy meal you love and will eat on a regular basis.

The ideal breakfast provides high-quality protein and is low in sugar, according to the Harvard School of Public Health. A breakfast shake can fit the bill, especially if you make it at home, using fresh produce and other quality ingredients. Fruits and veggies should take center stage in your morning smoothie. These foods offer beneficial nutrients, such as vitamin C and potassium, which benefit your overall health, plus dietary fiber for weight loss.