Muscle Milk protein shakes and powder supplements started out purporting to be as exact a match to human breast milk as it is possible to be; they once included "purified bovine colostrum extract," which was made from the breast milk of cows. Muscle Milk is not much different in composition from plain milk, according to Ingrid Skoog, the director of sports nutrition for Oregon State University's athletic department. Adding Muscle Milk to a healthy diet and active lifestyle may not have proven benefits, but it shouldn't make you get fat.
Step 1
Calculate your activity level. A moderately active person engages in at least 30 minutes of vigorous physical activity on an average of three times per week. A person who does less than that is considered inactive.
Step 2
Figure out how many calories per day you need to maintain your current weight. The formula suggested by the University of Maryland Medical Center -- Maryland Heart Center is to multiply your body weight by 15 if you are a moderately active male and 13 if you are sedentary. Multiply your body weight by 12 if you are a moderately active female and 10 if you don't exercise regularly. Doing so gives you the number of calories you need to stay within to keep from gaining weight.
Step 3
Calculate how many fat grams you need to limit yourself to in order to keep from gaining weight. Multiply your total calories by 30 percent, or .30, to get the number of fat calories you can safely consume. Divide that number by 9 to get the total number of fat grams you can have every day. Remember that only 10 percent of your fat intake should be from saturated fats. Most flavors of Muscle Milk contain approximately 20 g. of fat, roughly 10 g. of which is saturated fat. Adjust the total fat grams and percentage of saturated fat in the rest of your diet to accommodate the fat and calories in Muscle Milk.
Step 4
Plan your meals around raw fruit, fresh vegetables, whole grains, essential fatty acids and lean proteins, with Muscle Milk as an alternative to junk food and empty-calorie snacks. Read the labels on any Muscle Milk products you purchase; fit the number of calories, calories from fat and percentage of saturated fat into your healthy diet plan.
Tips and Warnings
- Drink Muscle Milk or another protein shake as an afternoon snack when you're on the go to help you resist the pull of junk food snacks and drive-thru windows.
- Never use Muscle Milk or any other protein shake as a meal substitute; it does not offer the same nutritional benefits as whole foods.
Things You'll Need
- Scale
- Calculator
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