Whey protein...does it help with weight loss??

I have heard a few conflicting theories or maybe rumors about whey protein shakes and what not.  Was wondering if any of you know much about this?

I've heard protein fills you up faster, but the same can be true with fiber too. Protein is great for building muscle (which in turn burns more calories). But if you have the protein and you don't work out or try to tone, it won't turn into muscle, it'll turn to fat instead.  I'm not sure about shakes and powder, as I've never tried them, but my answers are for protein in meats and stuff in general.

Hmmmm I'm not sure about that.  I have a teenaged son who lifts weights and he's been advised to use whey protein to bulk up.

Original Post by lbaxleyl1048:

I have heard a few conflicting theories or maybe rumors about whey protein shakes and what not.  Was wondering if any of you know much about this?

 Well if all you ate/drank was 3 whey protein shakes a day, yeah you'd lose weight, but only because you were drinking 300 calories a day.

Every package of whey specifically says not to use it in place of food, and some say not to use it for weight loss purposes.

Each scoop of whey comes in at 100-150 calories. 

Original Post by lbaxleyl1048:

I have heard a few conflicting theories or maybe rumors about whey protein shakes and what not. Was wondering if any of you know much about this?

To the best of my knowledge, protien is a macronutrient like fat, and like fat, it can turn into body fat if consumed in excess of what you burn. A good way to measure intake vs. output is the calorie, as this site does. There is still debate about how many of your calories should come from fat vs. protien vs. carbohydrates. Different experts, authors of diet plans, governments, etc. have different recommendations.

As a previous poster said, you might have heard that protien helps you lose weight because protien, simply put, helps build muscle in combination with working out/excercising, which in turn speeds up your metabolism.