Lindora offers a wide variety of delicious, nutritious and convenient protein products such as bars, shakes, soups, hot and cold drinks, all-vegetable products, pudding, etc. Although the Lean for Life eating plan is made up of meals that include lean protein, vegetables, lettuce, grains and fruit, many people enjoy using the protein products as a healthy and satisfying snack between meals or if an appropriate protein food choice is not available at mealtime. You can successfully follow the program with or without using the protein products, however. Some people choose to use a combination of protein products and lean protein food choices which they “mix and match” according to their desires and needs.
You may use the protein products while losing weight, as well as during maintenance. In fact, many people tell us their children and teens – especially those involved in sports – love to use the products as between meal snacks.
There are several reasons we recommend the Lindora protein products and people choose to use them:
1. Convenience. The products are easy to take along to use any time you need a healthy, delicious and satisfying snack during Weight Loss or Lifetime Maintenance. These products help you stay within the guidelines of your program. Many people eat out of habit more than because of hunger (the drive-thru, picking up a candy bar in the checkout line). Having a much healthier alternative is important.
2. Digestibility. Our protein products contain high quality “medical grade protein” which implies that the protein is more readily digested and taken up by lean tissue (muscle).
3. Portion size. Controlling one’s weight is about a lot more than knowing the right foods to eat. We can gain weight by eating too much of anything. The Lindora protein products are an appropriate serving size for the program and are low calorie, high protein, low carbohydrate and low fat in content.
4. Variety. Losing weight means limiting our food choices. There are only so many food options available. Having new and different tastes and textures greatly increases the likelihood our program participants will stick with the program long term.
5. Results. Without question, protein products produce more weight loss than whole foods do. That does not mean we use them exclusively. Most people use only protein products on the first three protein days then as snacks and on protein days throughout the program and afterward. There is a difference in the source of proteins, too.
In one study two groups using a moderate calorie, high-protein diet and resistance training group, using two different protein supplements, were compared to a low calorie diet alone. After 12-weeks, a group of 10 participants placed on low calorie diet alone lost an average 5 lbs. of body fat. A second group of 14 participants with the same number of calories with a high-protein intake (1.5 g/kg/day from casein protein) plus resistance exercise lost an average 14 lbs of body fat. In the third group of 14 men, treatment was identical to the second, except for the use of whey protein lost an average of 8 lbs of body fat. Weight loss was approximately 5.5 lbs. in all three groups. Muscle mass gains in the three groups did not change for diet alone, versus gains of 8 and 4 lbs. in the casein and whey groups, respectively. Strength also increased in the chest, shoulder and legs 59 % for casein and 29 % for whey. This significant difference in body composition and strength is likely due to improved protein (nitrogen) retention and overall anti-catabolic effects caused by the peptide components of casein. (Ann Nutr Metab 2000;44(1):21-9 Effect of a hypocaloric diet, increased protein intake and resistance training on lean mass gains and fat mass loss in overweight police officers. Demling RH, DeSanti L)