Diet Shakes Are Great For Weight Loss And Even Better With This Secret Used By Bodybuilders

What does a diet shake, a body builder and you have in common?

They can all put protein to the best use!

The American diet is sadly lacking in many key nutrients. Our love affair with foods that come in box, bag or styrofoam clam-shell has caught up to us and the CDC now reports that 67% of Americans are overweight. More than a third of us are obese.

In addition to the high fat and preservative content of many of the foods we eat that keep us tired and fat, we don't get enough of key nutrients, fiber and protein.

Thinking of protein as the fuel for muscle is only part of the story. Protein plays a role in every function in the body from building muscle to connective tissue. Meal replacement shakes have been used for a long time by body builders because the deliver substantial nutrition in a calorie-compact package. For greatest effect they add more protein.

What does this body builder secret weapon have to do with your weight loss goal?

Plenty!

The most common form of weight loss for those who self-coach is cutting portions or even cutting meals. It's a safe bet that what ever you were eating before wasn't as healthy or balanced as it could be, so reducing the quantity to cut calories only makes the overall problem worse.

If you weren't getting enough protein to begin with you now set yourself up to get even less and when you do that, bad things happen in your body.

As I mentioned, muscles aren't the only thing that use protein. Organs and connective tissues also need protein to work properly and actually have priority over the muscles when it comes to how much protein there is to go around. When you don't give your body what it needs, those systems steal protein from the muscles and you end up with flabby skin and a higher over all body fat content.

Body builders add protein to their shakes depending where they are at in the cycle of building muscle mass or leaning out for a competition. You can use the same trick to make sure you are getting enough protein to meet your body's requirements.

Using a diet shake as a meal replacement is a great way to lose weight. You can lower your overall caloric intake and improve your nutrition at the same time. Adding more protein will support building lean muscle and give you the healthy tone you are looking for.

A leaner body promotes more activity and burns more calories at rest. This will help you maintain your weight loss and healthy lifestyle.

How much protein do you need? Opinions vary, but according to Dr. David Heber, Director of the UCLA Center for Human Nutrition at the University of California, Los Angeles, guidelines are 100 grams a day for women and 150 grams a day for men.

Your personal needs will vary depending on your size, activity and personal goals. The best way to know your exact requirements is through a body composition analysis.

Take a page from the body builder's book of secrets and add protein to your diet shakes for faster, healthier results.

Tom Bradley lives in Provo, Utah and came to wellness and weight loss out of necessity but has hung around from passion. Tom's straight-ahead approach to wellness and nutrition to promote weight management and healthy aging is the simple solution for the trend of growing world obesity and chronic illness.

Want help losing weight? Subscribe to Tom's Easy Diet Coach Newsletter and get a FREE Body Composition Analysis and Wellness Evaluation for a successful launch of your last "diet" at EasyDietCoach.com