Very few so-called weight loss ‘truths’ are as pervasive as the one that protein shakes make you fat. Although they’re most often associated with the extreme size of bodybuilders, for some reason dieters the world over seem to believe that protein shakes lead to fat gain.

{Do you see fat? I see lean muscles aided by protein shakes.}

It is understandable why the uninformed believe this given the sheer size of bodybuilders, but the one thing these larger than life humans aren’t…is fat.

So keep reading to find out if protein shakes make you fat.

About Protein

Despite the fact that lean protein is an essential part of a successful weight loss regimen, many people still associate protein shakes with weight gain.

The truth is that our bodies require protein for the amino acids, which helps repair and renew your body each day. The biggest mistake most dieters make when it comes to protein is that they eat too little under the mistaken belief that protein makes you fat.

But, according to biochemist Dr. David Bender, author of Introduction to Nutrition and Metabolism, the bigger your body mass the more protein your body requires for daily functions. In order to get all 22 essential amino acids, the body requires that we get the ones which we cannot produce from food. This means protein in the form of fish, eggs and dairy.

If this isn’t possible for whatever reason, protein shakes are a healthy alternative.

How Protein Shakes Make You Fat

One reason that so many people believe protein shakes make you fat is that many dieters who rely on protein shakes to build muscle forget to do one important thing; count calories added from protein shakes.

As healthy as protein is for our bodies, too much of it like too much of anything else, can lead to weight gain. You see protein can be converted into carbohydrates when your blood sugar levels decrease, which happens when your diet is too carb-heavy. And those carbohydrates can be converted into fat when your blood sugar and insulin levels rise.

{Do protein shakes make you fat? Not when part of a healthy diet!}

So yes, too many protein shakes can make you fat. But a protein shake added to your diet to improve muscle-building will not.

Recommended Protein Intake

According to the Institute of Medicine, the recommended daily protein intake for adult females is 46 grams and 56 grams for males. These numbers increase to more than 70 grams per day for pregnant and lactating women.

So if you do consume protein shakes, make sure you’re not getting more protein than you need. Although if your level of physical activity is high, you may need more protein to see the results you want.

Protein &Weight Loss

One thing that people are surprised to learn when they ask do protein shakes make you fat, is that protein and protein shakes can actually help you lose weight.

We already know that lean proteins are great for weight loss because they have very little fat and sugar. But this is also the reason protein shakes can help you lose weight too; protein shakes usually contain whey which has 130 calories per scoop yet gives you just 4% fat and 1 gram of sugar while supplying you with 23 grams of protein!

Numbers like these means that your body is working hard to break down the protein without getting excess fat, sugar and carbs.

Some protein shakes make you fat because they contain lots of sugar or because you add whole milk, which has almost 13 grams of sugar per 8 ounce glass and just 7.9 grams of protein. If you’re looking for more protein in your diet but concerned that protein shakes make you fat, pay close attention to the protein and sugar amounts in your milk.

Or make your own protein shake, recipe here.

If you’re concerned that protein shakes make you fat read our Eat Stop Eat review to see if intermittent fasting can help you transition to a diet filled with lean proteins.