We've all seen them, every day, everywhere.
Ads of toned, muscular men and women, and we all wonder what their secret is.
9 times out of 10, we find out that they all drink some form of protein weight loss shake or another.
Go to your local nutrition store like GNC for example.
Their shelves are lined with them.
And the flavors, Baskin Robins and their 31 flavors don't have anything on these guys.
But what makes these "super-drinks" so special? There are millions of pages of studies about protein weight loss shakes and their effects, but the bottom line is, you need to maintain a steady, healthy diet to go along with those shakes.
Mayo Clinic Nutritionist Dr.
Katherine Zeratsky cites that there is no scientific evidence that the shakes actually help you lose weight.
She goes on to say that Weight loss is achieved by controlling your calorie intake and increasing the number of calories you burn through physical activity.
However, on the opposite side of the coin, proteins fill you up more than traditional eating.
You'll feel satisfied longer, and not as hungry during the day.
So by that regard, those protein weight loss shakes can in fact help you lose weight, because you consume fewer calories per day.
Of course, these shakes should be combined with a healthy combination of diet and exercise.
The general rule of thumb is, if you burn more calories than you consume, you will begin to lose weight.
But take heed - you should only use protein weight loss shakes as a meal replacement once in a while.
Because while the drink fills you up, you are not getting the nutrients that your body needs.
So here's a tip for you next time you see one of those ads with the buff men and women drinking those protein weight loss shakes.
Those people sometimes spent years trying to drop the weight.
Once its off, that's the easy part.
The key, as everyone should know by now, is diet and exercise.