Is Your Protein Bar Stopping Your Weight Loss?

When it comes to eating protein bars when trying to lose weight, the side effects may surprise you. Most store-bought protein bars are designed for marathon runners and weight gain, despite what their labels say. Yes, even the seemingly healthy vegan protein bars.

I personally rely heavily on a grab-and-go protein bar when I'm starving and there isn't time to make a Complete Protein Shake or prepare a salad, especially when I’m running late, traveling, or cleaner keto choices aren’t available.

There is no shame in wanting or needing a grab-and-go protein option. I love the taste of protein bars, especially our Lean Bars. They satisfy my sweet tooth and fill me up, kicking cravings to the curb and naturally energized. Talk about sustainable weight loss; it doesn't get better or less expensive than that! The more Lean Bars I eat, the lower my chances are of eating my old favorite comfort foods that helped me gain so much weight. Because they are so good for my body, I never feel guilty, even when I've eaten too many. And I no longer crave cookies, candies, or desserts since we began making them 25+ years ago.

Lean Bars were created because of my personal need to chew on something delicious that didn't go away and seemed to get worse every time I tried to lose weight. Sadly, food always wins, so I set out researching protein bars across the globe, and the outcome shocked me. There wasn’t one single protein bar that had enough protein in it to count as a serving of protein. Or on the flipside, the protein they used wasn't good for weight loss or health. Almost all were loaded with inferior allergy-provoking ingredients like soy, or contained so many sugars, carbs, and fat (including unhealthy saturated fats) that they were worse for my body than eating a candy bar. .

Even the seemingly super-healthy $6.00 vegan bars are loaded with tree nuts, fats, dairy, dried fruits, and chemicals, all which spike blood sugar levels, stop weight loss, and block fat burning. Seriously? All of that in a healthy wrapper with millions of dollars on marketing to make you think the protein bar you eat with confidence is no better than a cookie, but costs ten times more.

A Cleaner, Leaner Solution was Born

LynFit Lean Bars are specifically designed for metabolic boosting weight loss and fat-burning. They are clean enough to be able to use on our popular Lose 1 Pound Per Day Plan, which means they must address the metabolic markers and help correct them. For example: help reduce blood sugar, not spike it, and so clean they are suitable for diabetics. They must reduce cholesterol, triglycerides, and blood pressure, reduce fatty liver, and improve gut health. All help take the brakes off of weight loss and make it easier to lose weight and melt off dangerous belly fat, something no other store-bought protein bar can do.  

Most people think that all protein sources are good when it comes to weight loss and fat-burning. Protein seems synonymous with good health, but nothing could be further from the truth. You're not going to like what you're about to learn if you've been buying the cheap protein bars sold in supermarkets or convenience stores. I know I sure didn't. 

Learning the truth about seemingly healthy protein bars, bites, and snacks helped me finally lose those last 10 pounds and burn off that handful (more than a few inches) of belly fat that I was killing myself to work off in the gym. 

Lean Bars are our second most popular LynFit product and have been since they were born, for good reason. Lean Bars are the only protein bar that boosts metabolism 25% and nutritious enough to be used as a meal replacement. We use the same premium grade metabolic boosting lactose-free whey and add five grams of prebiotic fiber, making very sure they are clean keto and metabolic boosting, which means they have to be low calorie, low carb, and low fat, yet high in complete protein and contain prebiotic fiber, both of which are the very best when it comes to health and weight loss. They don't spike blood sugar levels and improve every aspect of your health, both physically and mentally. No other protein bar does that. Fanatical? Yes, I am, and for selfish reasons on this product. I live on them!

Why so fanatical? Lean Bars have made such a difference in my life, weight loss, and fat-burning. They have improved every aspect of my health, including kicking my snack shame and guilt to the curb and helping to protect my self-esteem. Because I love them so much, I no longer fall off plan due to getting a craving for something sweet and yummy. When I'm "hangry" and cravings strike, I simply grab a Lean Bar. When I've had my protein shake and I’m still hungry, I grab a Lean Bar. When I’m traveling (especially airports and airplanes) I bring dozens of Lean Bars. When I’m stressed and I know I'm going to get into trouble with food, I go to a Lean Bar and dip it into a Protein Shake. 

The one thing I've learned about hunger and cravings is that even (or especially) when they are stress driven, sometimes the best thing you can do is feed them. By making a healthier choice of grabbing a Lean Bar instead of the not-so -healthy foods and paring it with a hot cup of tea, I feel replenished and restored, both physically and mentally, without wrecking my health or weight loss goals.

Having plenty of Lean Bars on hand and available removes the decision making, so I know exactly what to grab versus always thinking about what to eat, or what not to eat, or dealing with frustration or guilt or living in snack shame from mindlessly eating foods that trigger more cravings. Lean Bars have saved me in more ways than I have time to write about. I no longer shop and stock the snack foods that sabotaged my weight loss. Lean Bars allow me to stop feeling controlled by food all the time.

Now that you know why I'm obsessed with Lean Bars, keep reading to see what science says about eating LynFit Metabolic Boosting Lean Protein Bars.

Eating a LynFit Lean Protein Bar Boosts Metabolism 25% and Prevents Metabolic Slowdown

As we age and reduce calories to attempt to lose weight, we run the risk of losing lean muscle mass and strength, slowing our metabolism down unless we do something about it.

The technical term for age related muscle mass is sarcopenia. Muscle loss isn't limited to just aging. Research proves that we (men and women) run the risk of losing muscle every time we fast too long, starve ourselves, or our protein intake is inadequate, or we reduce calories.

Studies also prove that by increasing our protein consumption, in addition to lifting weights (aka resistance entraining), it helps preserve lean muscle tissue and can even replace muscle that's been lost. But here's the catch: If you try to do this with food you wind up consuming too many calories and gain weight. Or you end up increasing your fat intake, which leads to weight gain and elevated cholesterol levels.

Most food today requires prepping, cooking, and clean up, and aren't as usable by our bodies or as easy to prepare, costs more, and isn't as measurable, or as easy to track as using a Lean Bar or Complete Protein Shake, which is why people lose more weight in less time using proteins like Lean Bars and Complete Protein versus using food. That's why science and research focus on protein supplements heavily. A study in Clinical Nutrition states that protein powders, bars, and supplements (like ours) are very useful when it comes to preventing sarcopenia/muscle loss, and that whey protein is the best choice when it comes to increasing muscle protein synthesis (metabolism).

That's exactly why we use it! It's all about the amino acid profile and proteins PER (Protein Efficiency Ratio), which can also be found in our Lean Protein Bars, Complete Protein, and thanks to innovation, our Vegan Complete Protein Powder. It's the only vegan protein that's complete and boosts metabolism!

All LynFit proteins boost metabolism 25% (think whole-body metabolism versus just weight loss), which means they help maintain and preserve muscle as we age. And as long as you're fueling your body with our proteins, they prevent your metabolism from slowing down and blocking weight regain. LynFit proteins: 

• keep metabolism boosted and higher.
• make it easier to lose and maintain weight/weight loss.
• balance and maintain regulated blood sugar levels.
• rebalance and regulate hormones (including cortisol/stress hormones).
• naturally energize our body and fuel brain health.
• improve mood.
• alkalinize the body (most proteins do the opposite).
• improve gut health.
• strengthen bones.
• reduce inflammation and improve healing.
• strengthen hair and nails and help promote regrowth.
• tighten and firm the skin.
• improve heart health.
• ease depression and improve mood.

All of these makes it easier to remain active.

While all these benefits should apply to all proteins; sadly, they don't. However, these benefits do apply to the premium whey protein used in LynFit Whey Protein Powder, Lean Bars, and the amino acid profile found in our Vegan Protein. 

If You're Not Eating a Lean Bar, You Could Gain Weight Versus Losing It

Almost all other proteins are made using inferior proteins that are unsuitable for protein powders. Inferior cheap proteins like casein/milk, soy, or vegan sources (which aren't complete unless amino acids are added, or ingredients are blended to make them complete, which always translates into high calories that are often higher than candy bars) are used.

I've seen protein bars marketed as low calorie and yet each bar was four servings versus one and no one would ever suspect that because of their small size. It's not uncommon to see snack bars contain 400 or more calories and 14+ grams of fat, which is 130 more calories than a regular snickers bar.

Get Hungrier and Crave More

Almost all protein bars (not Lean Bars) appear super healthy and claim they have minimal ingredients and use no added sugars. But almost every bar you’d actually eat contains the worst kinds of high fructose corn syrup, and at the end of the day, even if the sugar they use comes from fruit, it still spikes blood sugar levels, blocking weight loss and fat-burning and creating a weight gain environment within your body.

Why do they use it? It's cheap stuff, allowing them to sell a protein bar for a dollar or two. You and I both know you cannot buy any kind of protein for pennies, even if you had your own cows and chickens. Fruit (all kinds) is a cheap sweetener, and most consumers think it's healthy. Findings in Nutritional Research now proves that fruit and its cousin, high fructose corn syrup, are one of the primary causes of obesity today, and increase appetite. 

While some sugar is okay (we like moderation), these tiny seemingly healthy protein bars are anything but moderate. I like to think of protein bars and shakes as a safety net or tool that makes it easy to reach your goals, not be the cause of your weight or health problems. Most contain a purée made up of mostly high fructose corn syrup, modified food starch, and wheat gluten, which is used to hold them together when baked. This despite the healthy-looking labels.

In clinical nutrition terms, one food bar can contain up to 12 grams of added sugars, the same amount you'd get in a serving of Oreo cookie crunch, fruity pebbles cereal, or a can of regular soda.

How do they get away with it? Politics, and marketing. Sadly, most of these big business owners (and I know several of them personally) do not eat the products they make, nor do their wives. Some buy ours!!!

Slow Metabolism and Prevent You from Losing Weight and Block Fat-Burning

Most of us know that consuming too many foods with added sugars and saturated fats can contribute to countless metabolic health issues/diseases such as obesity, type 2 diabetes, heart disease, fatty liver disease, and chronic inflammation. Some of the leading sources of these ingredients that we aim to avoid are foods and food products that are sold (marketed) as healthy. These include protein bars and snacks, pre-made protein powders, shakes, green powders, juices, gummy vitamins, and supplements that should be correctly labeled as cookies, cakes, and pastries instead, if they were honest.

Bottom line... don't get fooled by the popular buzz words protein, organic, fruit, healthy, and non-GMO. Check the nutrition facts on the package and expect that the big manufactures will take full advantage of the 20% rule, which is, they are allowed to be 20% higher in calories, carbs, and sugars and still be allowed to use those marketing terms as bait. 

As a general rule, when it comes to losing weight, melting off belly fat, and wearing the clean keto title, your protein bar and powder should contain:

• Protein should be no less than 15 grams per serving and no more than 25 grams from a premium source of whey that's been microfiltered to remove all traces of lactose. We use our Complete Protein to make our Lean Bars for these reasons. It's also the reason we can say Metabolic Boosting.
  
  
• Fiber should preferably be from a source like prebiotic fiber, which doesn’t spike blood sugar levels. Instead, it blunts them and keeps you feeling fuller longer while improving gut health, strengthening immunity, balancing inflammation, and much more. Aim for five grams.
  
  
• Fat should be less than five grams and from good fats versus saturated.
  
  
• Carbohydrates should be as low as possible and/or contain fiber to negate them. For instance, Lean Bars contain 21 grams of carbohydrates, but they also contain 8 grams of prebiotic fiber, leaving you with a net carb of 13 grams from a low glycemic source, so it won't slow weight loss or block fat-burning.  

Don't take my word for this... try it for yourself! LynFit Lean Bars:

• are gluten, soy, and hormone-free.
• provide maximum strength hunger and cravings control.
• are clean keto and metabolic boosting approved.
• are lactose-free and diabetic-friendly.
• are not baked and never expire when stored in the freezer (stamped with a best by date).

You'll feel fuller longer, cravings will vanish, you'll have more natural sustained energy, and experience improved digestion and gut health.

And my favorite part... it's been my experience that the more Lean Bars I eat, the more weight I lose. Try it for yourself! Swap out your other snacks for a Lean Bar instead and watch what happens. You'll be ready for the beach!

 

 

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Lisa Lynn, Clinical Metabolic Nutrition & Fitness Expert and Associate Chaplain. Best known for her 18+ years as Martha Stewart’s trainer, who was responsible for Martha’s over-50 amazing physical transformation that caught the attention of Dr. Oz, leading to her many appearances on the Dr. Oz Show. Lisa is not just another trainer; she herself lost 40 pounds and has kept it off, even with a sluggish thyroid and menopause.
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