How to Gain Weight by Drinking Protein Shakes

How to Gain Weight by Drinking Protein Shakes

 

Putting on pounds can be hard to do, especially when your appetite is low. Click here to learn how you can add weight by drinking protein shakes.

Keyword(s): Protein shakes

Gaining weight can be easier said than done for some people.

If you’re hoping to increase muscle mass, you should consider drinking protein shakes.

They can help you gradually gain weight, which is ideal if you have a low appetite.

For this reason, we’re offering some top tips on how to gain weight by drinking protein shakes.

How Do Protein Supplements Work?

You might be hesitant to invest in protein shakes, as you may be unsure if they work.

For this reason, you might be happy to learn that they actually do work. If you follow our helpful tips below, they can help you to gain muscle at a healthy pace.

What are the Benefits of Protein?

Protein is comprised of amino acids. These building blocks can perform various functions in your body, as they can:

  • support the production of red blood cells
  • support your immune system
  • maintain healthy skin, hair, and fingernails

It can also maintain healthy, strong muscles in combination with diet and exercise.

How To Gain Weight Using Protein Shakes

Young adult girl driking protein shanke in gym after hard training

Make a Plan

How much weight do you want to gain?

You must identify how much before you start aiming to gain weight.

Once you know how much weight to gain, you will know how many calories to consume each day.

If you want to put on a pound per week, you will need to consume an extra 500 calories each day.

If you only want to pile on a half pound a week, you should consume an extra 250 per day.

Most protein shakes will indicate the calorie count in each bottle. As a result, you will know exactly how much to drink each day.

You’ll be turning weight into muscle in no time at all.

Use Protein Shakes as a Supplement

Protein shakes will fill you right up and provide your body with the fuel it needs to perform in the gym.

The great thing about protein is that it makes you feel satisfied for longer. For this reason, it can be more filling than fats and carbohydrates.

That’s why they’re ideally used as a dietary supplement, and not as a meal replacement. They can be a great option if you feel full rather easily.

Drink a shake as a mid-morning snack each day. You could even sip a shake alongside your lunch or dinner.

You’ll feel fuller for longer. You’ll have more fuel for the gym, and you’ll gain weight with ease to aid your performance.

Maximize Your Muscle

The best way to pile on the pounds is to put on lean muscle over body fat.

Protein shakes can provide a healthy way to put on weight and develop muscle.

To prevent the weight turning into body fat, you’ll need to strength train two or three times each week.

The good news is, strength training doesn’t burn many calories, so you don’t have to worry about weight loss.

Enjoy a Balanced Diet

There’s always the temptation to indulge in some healthy snacks.

Yet, you should avoid temptation and stay away from fast food, baked goods, and chocolate.

The saturated fats can often interrupt your metabolism. They’ll also detract from your vitamin and minerals intake, whilst boosting triglyceride levels.

For this reason, you must aim to enjoy a balanced diet that’s full of nutritious ingredients.

If you do want a tasty snack, you could always bake this pumpkin protein bar recipe.

Aim to consume natural foods from every main food group. You can even add the ingredients to your shakes.

For instance, you could add banana, cocoa powder, nut butter or milk into your protein shakes.

The Right Amount of Protein

Want to know how much protein you should consume each day?

Not a problem. We here at Protein Factory have the answer.

We recommend consuming between 1 to 1.5 grams of protein per pound of your lean body mass.

For example, if you weigh 150 pounds and have 10% body fat, you will need a minimum of 135 gram of protein per day. You should also have no more than 205 grams.

Protein shakes will be more beneficial pre-workout, during a workout and post-workout.

It’s beneficial before, during and after a workout as it has a faster absorption rate. Yet, you can enjoy it at different points of the day.

Our recommendation is:

Breakfast – whole food

Mid-morning – protein supplement

Lunch – whole food

Mid-afternoon – whole food

Pre and post workout – protein supplement

Dinner – whole food

Supper – whole food

Don’t Overdo It on Protein

It’s important you don’t overdo it on the protein shakes in combination with a balanced diet.

Your body will only use a certain level of protein you consume. How much it uses will depend on your diet, gender and activity levels.

It will also store unnecessary calories that will turn to fat – even if the calories come from protein.

If you have a diet that’s more than 50% protein, it’s likely you will gain weight.

Remember, your liver is responsible for processing protein. If you overwork your liver with too much protein, it won’t be able to remove toxins.

As a result, it will result in excess amino acids, ammonia, and insulin becoming left in your body. Unfortunately, this can affect your brain function.

Drink a Shake After a Workout

You will obviously want to experience the best results from a workout.

A high-calorie protein shake can aid a workout, as it can help muscle building and recovery.

The optimum time to drink a protein shake is between 15 to 60 minutes after exercise.

Not only should you enjoy a protein shake, but you should also consume carbohydrates.

For instance, treat yourself to a piece of fruit, as it can help to replace depleted glycogen stores.

As a result, it will help to provide your body with much-needed energy for your next workout. This means you can continue to gain both weight and muscle.

Don’t Skip Exercise

Protein shakes are not a replacement for exercise or a nutrition plan.

If you want to turn weight gain into muscle, you must exercise.

A failure to do so will result in the weight gain turning into body fat.

Choose from Different Flavors

The one thing preventing you from enjoying protein shakes could be the taste.

If you like milkshakes then you won’t have a problem with the shakes, which help you gain weight gradually.

You also won’t have to worry about becoming bored of the same flavor.

We here at Protein Factory can provide many different protein flavors for you to enjoy.

You can invest in different flavors to vary your diet, and you’ll even look forward to the taste.

For instance, you can enjoy flavors such as vanilla and chocolate.

Can You Gain Weight Without Protein Shakes?

You don’t need protein shakes to gain muscle mass. Yet, they can give you a good head start.

It can be difficult to consume up to 400 grams of protein per day through cooking alone.

If you can consume more than 200 grams per day through food, protein shakes can help double the weight gain.

Whole foods can provide more nutrients than a protein supplement.

The best dietary proteins to consume will come from fish, poultry, meat and eggs. You could even follow this delicious high protein bread recipe.

Yet, they’re not always convenient or practical for your lifestyle.

If you have to eat 6 times or more per day, protein shakes can be a simple solution.

Yet, if you want to gain muscle, consume no more than three protein supplements per day – or 40% of your daily meals.

Protein shakes can also be a more cost-effective solution than dietary foods.

You can build up an affordable stockpile of protein shakes. This means you won’t have to break the bank on a considerable amount of dietary foods each week.

How to Pick the Best Protein Supplements

It’s important to be aware that not all protein supplements are the same.

Some may contain artificial sweeteners or protein spiking. (You won’t find these at Protein Factory)

That’s why you should look for the finest powders that will aid a healthy lifestyle. A failure to do so will only prevent you from developing a healthy body, and it won’t help with muscle growth.

Do your homework to ensure you are investing in a reliable product from a reliable company. If in doubt, cut your losses and look elsewhere.

Bottom Line

There are many protein shake flavors to try that can perfectly fit into a lifestyle.

This is ideal for people who struggle to consume enough protein to gain weight.

A balanced diet and strict exercise plan can turn the weight gain into healthy muscle.

Yet, you must be careful not to overdo it on the protein shakes, and you must avoid foods high in saturated fat.

If you follow all our helpful tips, we’re confident you’ll be a force to be reckoned with in the gym. You’ll also feel happier in your body, as you can gain weight to boost your confidence and performance.

Do you have any top protein tips to share? Have protein shakes helped to boost your performance? We’d love to hear your advice and stories. Feel free to write a comment below.