4 Best Milks for Weight Loss

by Rakib Sarwar, RPh
Published on April 13, 2024
two bottles of milk

Everybody knows milk does wonders for your health, but did you ever think it could help you slim down? This is especially true for some off-the-beaten-path milk types (1).

Milk belongs to carbohydrate-lipids and contains high concentrations of lipids and carbohydrates, as its food group name itself implies. Therefore, you might wonder: How can milk help you lose weight? Isn’t it a paradox that a high-fat and carbohydrate food leads to weight loss? At first sight, yes, it is. However, if you give it a better thought, you will understand that milk is one of the essential foods you may wish to not give up on, even during your diet.

It is true that there are some tips you should stick to if you are trying to lose weight. For example, it would be best to drink only skimmed milk in the first stage of your weight loss process.

In this article, we will talk about losing weight with milk, proper consumption of milk, as well as healthy alternatives to the classic cow milk that will accelerate your weight loss process. In addition, we will talk about the ways of consuming those types of milk, namely coconut, soy, almond, and skimmed milk. Finally, we will also show an example of a healthy 4-day milk diet plan if you want to lose 3-4 kg in a super-fast, yet healthy way. Let’s begin!

How can the consumption of milk help regulate your weight?

First of all, let’s remind you that consuming dairy products in general, including milk, can prevent obesity and should be a part of your balanced daily diet, but in moderate amounts.

Calcium is essential for maintaining a range of bodily functions. We all already know that it is needed for bone growth, development, and strength, but not many people know that milk is also important for maintaining a healthy weight.

Namely, calcium participates in hormone regulation processes in our body. Hormonal balance is one of the most important parts of maintaining a healthy body weight (2). This is one of the shackles in the chain via which we can benefit from milk for weight loss.

Moreover, milk and dairy products belong to the low-glycemic food group and it is easy to adjust the caloric intake of these foods. This is one of the secrets behind the fact that a diet rich in low-fat dairy products, mainly low-fat milk, can divert the body fat cells to do their job in a different way, i.e. not to get accumulated in the fat tissues, but to break and decompose the fat!

It is a prejudice that full-fat milk and other dairy products are one of the causes of obesity. On the contrary, the so-called “good” fats help you lose weight!

Moreover, if you remove milk from your menu during your diet, you will most probably gain weight. Why? Since milk is the main source of calcium, lack of milk alarms your body, it gives it a sign that it must preserve the calcium stocks, which results in an increased calcitriol hormone secretion and metabolism. That hormone is responsible for stimulating the creation of fat cells. Simply put, lack of calcium and – milk, leads to gaining weight.

In other words, if you induce the secretion of calcitriol, the expansion of the fatty cells is triggered (3). This means that your fatty tissue will increase! On the other hand, if you take low-fat dairy products on a daily basis as one of the essential segments of your weight loss plan, you will get enough calcium. As a result, there won’t be calcitriol secretion and new fat cells will not be created. Finally, this leads to a gradual breakdown of the existing fatty tissue. Supported with physical activity and a well-planned overall diet program, this can help you lose weight in a healthy way.

Such a diet plan is especially important for women. Namely, we know that women, thanks to their reproductive nature and role, as well as the critical period of pregnancies and menopause, when it comes to calcium, need to pay attention to their calcium intake and metabolism.

If a woman practices a diet without milk or dairy products, her bones and overall hormonal status may become jeopardized. Therefore, milk plays a very important role, not only in the regular diet, but also in weight loss programs.

Types of milk that support weight loss

However, not every type of milk is the right milk for weight loss. The fat ratio is one of the things you may wish to pay attention to when it comes to losing weight and milk consumption.

Also, you should know that you can consume even high-fat milk during your diet if you decrease other high-calorie and high-fat foods you consume during the day. In this case, you will benefit from the high-protein ratio, without gaining weight (3). You can use this situation to build muscles, tone your body, and actually lose weight. For example, this is true if you consume coconut milk. At first sight, it may seem paradoxical to drink coconut milk during your diet, but you can actually lose weight if you follow a smartly designed weight loss plan.

Let’s take a look at some quality and delicious types of milk that are rich in nutrients and that can be used as protein, vitamin, and mineral sources in different kinds of diets.

1. Coconut milk for weight loss

Consuming coconut milk is like getting a mini-blood transfusion. Why do we compare these two things? Namely, the molecular structure of coconut milk is similar to human blood plasma. This very fact is enough to understand the amazing features of this super-milk. However, you may need to know all the details about coconut milk for weight loss if you want to start consuming it within your diet.

Why is coconut milk good for weight loss?

Coconut is energy-rich food. We can say it is among the superfoods. In 100 grams, coconut contains 35 g of fat and about 350 calories (4). It is rich in fiber – it contains up to 9 grams per 100 g, and can quickly boost your potassium, phosphorus, manganese, and selenium levels. Composition of coconut milk is also rich in iron, zinc and vitamin C.

Moreover, coconut contains fatty acids. That’s why, in the past, people believed that coconut and coconut milk was not good for weight loss. These foods had gained a bad reputation because they contain a large amount of fat. However, this way of thinking is wrong. As a matter of fact, not consuming enough fat can actually cause increased body weight. Unique medium chain of fatty acids in coconut milk actually may help you lose weight, improve your immune system, reduce the risk of heart disease, and it will positively affect your skin and hair.

How to drink coconut milk?

If you are planning to introduce coconut milk into your diet, you should decrease the calorie intake from other sources accordingly. This is due to the high caloric value of coconut milk.

Moreover, we strongly recommend natural coconut milk rather than powder forms.

2. Soy milk for weight loss

Soy milk for weight loss has a positive effect during your diet due to the high fiber content. Moreover, drinking soy milk will quickly give you a feeling of satiety and that feeling will last long. Moreover, it is recommended to drink soy milk as it has an influence on the release of toxins. This is very important during your weight loss process.

Why is soy milk good for weight loss?

As we have already mentioned, soy milk contains a minimum amount of carbohydrates (5). At the same time, the monosaturated fatty acids that soy milk contains prevent gaining weight. Another advantage of soy milk over the classic, cow milk is the fact that there are no artificial hormones in soy milk. Unfortunately, in order to produce more milk, cows are given artificial hormones through injections. Of course, they have an impact on both cows and their milk, and also on us – people who drink it. You don’t have to worry about hormones when drinking soy milk.

How to drink soy milk?

You should not exaggerate with soy milk. It is recommended to drink up to 2 glasses of this type of milk a day.

3. Almond milk for weight loss

Pure almond milk contains only 30 calories per cup, which is less than half the calories contained in the classic cow milk. Moreover, it tastes pretty good taste, especially if you add it to a homemade weight loss smoothie.

Why is almond milk good for weight loss?

As already mentioned above, almond milk has a very low caloric ratio, compared with other types of milk, especially the classic milk (6). Moreover, almond milk does not contain lactose. A large number of people are intolerant of sugar found in classic milk, as it causes diarrhea and digestive system problems. As almond milk is obtained from the almond nut, it means that this plant origin milk does not contain lactose.

In addition, this type of milk is very rich essential nutrients. This is important during your diet. Almonds and almond milk are full of protein and vitamin E, magnesium, selenium, zinc, potassium, fiber, phosphorus, and calcium. As it contains the healthy flavonoids, it helps reduce the amount of the so-called “bad” (LDL) cholesterol in your blood and it protects the heart. All these factors benefit your weight loss process.

Finally, almond milk, thanks to a very small amount of calories and the fact that it has no cholesterol and saturated fat, is extremely healthy and good for use for those who are trying to lose weight. It is rich in nutrients and its beneficial effects on health will help you get fit and feel good.

How to drink almond milk?

If you are using almond milk for weight loss in your diet, make sure to combine it with some good protein source. Namely, almond milk is poor in proteins, unlike soy milk. On the other hand, you don’t have to worry about calories.

4. Skimmed milk for weight loss

Skimmed milk is regular milk that passed through a process of removal of fat. Namely, this type of milk is free from fat. It can contain up to 0.5 gram of fat, which means that this type of milk is almost fat-free (7).

Why is skimmed milk good for weight loss?

Skimmed milk is good for weight loss if you are practicing a low-fat diet. It is definitely one of the best options for weight loss as it is delicious, can be used in various ways, and it is very low in calories (7).

How to drink skimmed milk?

You can drink up to 4 glasses of skimmed milk a day, depending on other ingredients of your diet. You don’t have to worry about fat content, as skimmed milk is one of the best options if you are looking for low-fat milk.

Milk diet plan

If you want to lose weight quickly, a milk-based diet (it is actually a diet based on dairy products) can help you. Milk contains vitamins A, B, C, E, calcium, and many minerals, but also proteins. If you drink 1 L of milk a day, you will have enough protein for the whole day.

Milk may help you lose weight because it combines vitamin D and calcium. Calcium leads to a feeling of satiety, so you won’t be craving for snacks, while vitamin D is proven to help lose weight.

In addition, dairy products are useful for the entire digestive system. If you consume it on a daily basis, milk reduces the cholesterol level in your blood, strengthens the bones, the nervous system, normalizes the function and improves the microflora of the digestive system. All these benefits will also be helpful if you are on a diet. This diet also works wonders for your skin and even helps to get rid of acne.

The effect you can expect with the milk diet child is losing three to four kg in three to four days.

Note: Before each meal, take a glass of mineral water.

Day 1:

  • Breakfast: 1 yogurt, 1 banana, tea with honey or coffee with milk, no sugar.
  • Snack: 1 pear, 1 yogurt.
  • Lunch: 100 grams of strawberries in milk, 200 g of cheese, 1 cup of milk.
  • Dinner: 1 boiled egg, cucumber salad and cream cheese, 1 cup of milk.

Day 2:

  • Breakfast: 1 cup of milk (250 ml minimum), parsley toast with butter, tea with honey or coffee with milk, no sugar.
  • Snack: 1 fruit yogurt (you can prepare it yourself at home).
  • Lunch: toast with 200 grams of cheese, one egg, 1 yogurt or a glass of milk.
  • Dinner: chicken breast (roasted), 1 yogurt or a glass of milk after dinner.

Day 3 is the same as day 1, while day 4 is the same as day 2.

Tips:

  • You can combine milk with fruit and cereals.
  • You can use milk with other valuable foods that promote weight loss, such as chia seeds.
  • You can use different types of milk in your diet, adjusting the caloric intake of other foods to the caloric intake of the milk.
  • Eating yogurt will also strengthen your digestive system, which plays an important role in the weight loss process.

The Bottom Line

Milk is, definitely, one of the most nutritious, delicious, and essential foods you should consume on a daily basis. This is also true if you are trying to lose weight.

There are many different types of milk you can replace the classic high-fat and high-calorie cow milk with. For example, some of the best ones are skimmed milk, soy milk, almond milk, and coconut milk.

Each of them has its pros and cons. Some of these types of milk have very low calorie and fat ratio, while others have high-fat ratios, but are full of nutrients. One thing is in common for all of them – they’ll all help you lose weight in a fast and healthy way.

However, you may wish to modify your diet and choose other ingredients according to the type of milk you opt for. Some of these types of milk have high protein ratios, while others are poor in protein. Therefore, make sure to pick a suitable type of diet in accordance with the milk type.

References

(1) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3948984/
(2) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4807700/
(3) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4963870/
(4) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3824402/
(5) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1838825/
(6) https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/34f9/7eabcc9334becdc57b5f80fa4de043f5615b.pdfhttp://www.scirp.org/journal/fnshttp://dx.doi.org/10.4236/fns.2016.76048
(7) https://academic.oup.com/jn/article/140/7/1234/4688953

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