Losing weight with proteins: how does protein help with weight loss?

If you want to lose a few kilos, you need to eat healthier. Eating more proteins isn't necessarily healthier. However, they do offer support during weight loss. How that works, you'll read in this article.

Losing weight in a nutshell

Losing weight is actually quite simple. You need to eat fewer calories than you burn in a day. We also call it a negative calorie balance or a calorie deficit. You mainly do it by eating healthier, but more exercise also certainly contributes.

But how do you create a calorie deficit? First, you calculate your personal calorie needs. Then, you make adjustments to your diet so that you consume fewer calories in a day. Stick to this, and you'll naturally see the number on your scale go down. Easy peasy, right?

Losing weight with proteins

Eating more proteins to lose weight doesn't work. In fact, if you start eating more proteins without changing anything else in your diet, you'll only consume more calories and gain weight. However, proteins can still help. More about this later in this article.

Also read: 4 basic rules for healthy weight loss

Where can you find protein?

You get proteins from food. For instance, check out our list with over 70 protein-rich foods. Or make it easy and opt for a protein shake. For example, our Vegan Protein contains 20 grams of protein per shake.

Is a protein diet recommended?

People are always searching for new ways to lose a lot of weight quickly, preferably without too much effort. Losing weight with protein shakes, where you replace a meal with a shake, is one such diet that's going around. Just like a diet where you mainly eat protein-rich foods.

Neither of these is recommended.

By eating mainly proteins and fewer other substances, you miss out on important vitamins and minerals. You also lack carbohydrates, which are crucial for maintaining your energy balance.

Therefore, it's better to choose a healthy and varied diet. Or temporarily opt for weight-loss shakes that are a healthy meal replacement. Like Orangefit Diet.

Losing fat while retaining muscles

When your body gets too few calories, it starts burning fat. But it also burns muscles, which you certainly don't want. That's where proteins come to your rescue. Our muscles consist largely of proteins. By getting enough of them while losing weight, you ensure better muscle retention.

Especially more proteins after exercising

Planning to exercise more while losing weight? Great job! We recommend having a protein shake after exercising to replenish your proteins. Especially after strength training, which, by the way, is the most effective way to lose weight (Read also: losing weight with strength training). Timing isn't that crucial. You can even have your proteins before bedtime. Just make sure you replenish them.