In mid-June, I decided to revisit the Tim Ferriss 30 in 30 experiment. The 30 in 30 refers to getting 30 grams of protein ingested within 30 minutes of waking. Doing this is supposed to help you lower your appetite and lose weight. Although real food is ideal, Ferriss says it is OK to have a whey protein shake for convenience.
When I first tried the 30 in 30 experiment, I discovered my appetite actually increased. I gained weight. Was it the fact I was eating much earlier in the day or was it the whey protein? In the post Revisiting the Tim Ferriss 30 in 30 Experiment? I started to think it might have been the whey. So based on the recommendation of HealthNutNutrition, I bought some casein protein and restarted the experiment.
Due to moving twice, getting food poisoning, and losing my scale, I don’t have any valuable weight data, but I will report that casein does a MUCH BETTER job at suppressing my hunger than whey. Whey might be fine for post-workout quick nutrition (personally I think ice cream is a superior choice), but it sucks when it comes to holding down my appetite. At least it did for me.
I’m not the only that has noticed the effect casein has on hunger. From The Value of Casein Protein by OneResult:
The second reason casein is a great addition to any supplement routine is its appetite-suppression qualities. Unlike whey, when casein is digested it morphs into a gel on the inside of your stomach lining (as opposed to dissolving right away as whey does). This gel-like substance sends a message from your stomach to your brain that you’re full, preventing you from overeating.
For this reason, many people find that they can go hours without food after having a casein protein shake…
I used this casein protein. Doesn’t taste great, but it doesn’t taste awful, which I guess is an endorsement when it comes to protein powders.
When the casein runs out, I will probably switch to cottage cheese. For a long time, I was avoiding cottage cheese because the Ray Peat folks have demonized carrageenan almost as much as PUFA. Carrageenan may still have risks, but they might be overstated. Even if it is problematic, I see using any potential unhealthy food such as carrageenan as a tool to a greater health goal, which is fat loss. Once the weight is dropped then drop the tool.
thomas
Aug 8, 2014 — 8:29 pm
I would like to know your opinion of a current book I am reading.
http://www.amazon.com/Perfect-Health-Diet-Regain-Weight-ebook/dp/B007USA6MM
It seems really well-written and informative.
MAS
Aug 8, 2014 — 9:45 pm
@thomas – I liked it, but I would increase the carbs a little.
https://criticalmas.org/2012/06/deep-nutrition-perfect-health-diet-and-the-end-of-overeating/
thomas
Aug 10, 2014 — 10:19 pm
Thanks! I knew you probably read it. I really liked how it told you why certain foods are bad for you rather than just how most books just spout avoid certain foods without the reasoning.
thomas
Aug 10, 2014 — 10:25 pm
In an unrelated matter, could you post a an ASKME link. Sometimes I think about of your opinion on certain things and there is no place to ask you questions. I have read your blog for a pretty long time. For example a question that comes to mind right now as I am listening to Steely Dan’s “Dirty Work” is what do you think is the best era for music. I think I am really prone to liking the late 70’s sound. Like Nilsson and The Eagles. Maybe I am just projecting though, I really am enamored of the idea of living in that era in Southern Cal when it was still cheap & beautiful.
MAS
Aug 11, 2014 — 8:55 am
@thomas – I have a Contact section on my About Page.
https://criticalmas.org/about/
I’m not that knowledgeable about music, but I do like late 70s SoCal rock.
This answer may seem like a dodge, but I consider now to be the best era of music. The reason is because we live in a digital world where we have have access to everything at anytime. Because there are no longer physical limitations (record stores and a handful of radio stations), when a certain song was released is no longer relevant to me. I can now bounce between genres and times in a fluid manner that I enjoy without thinking about eras.
thomas
Aug 11, 2014 — 1:26 pm
OK. Thanks for the off-the-cuff answer. That is more of an answer addressing distribution of music. I think maybe now can be summarized as the ascent of EDM. Every genre pretty much sounds the same or is a retrofit like the Strokes or Pharrell’s sound.
Jade
Aug 12, 2014 — 7:06 am
Daisy brand cottage cheese has no carrageenan; it’s cultured skim milk, cream, salt for the regular 4% version or the same plus vitamin A palmitate for the 2% version. If that helps.
Steve
Sep 16, 2014 — 12:34 pm
You should try NutraBio Micellar casein. They don’t use fillers or additives to their products. Also try proteinfactory’s native milk protein powder; it’s non-instantized with no fillers or additives
Sandra
Dec 28, 2014 — 8:36 pm
Hi! So I’ve been doing some research on Casein protein’s and I just happened to stumble upon your site! I really love the info you stated above as I am also trying to take protein to suppress hunger. I just wanted to know how well casein has worked for you? and does it really suppress your hunger for at least 6-7 hours and were you able to see any weight loss results? My main goal right now is to loose weight with minimal exercise, and after tracking my nutrition intake for a few weeks I saw that I am low on protein so this is why I am trying to take about 25g of casein protein powder. I am really looking for it to suppress hunger and create a deficit in my calorie intake. I know about meal replacement shakes/powder and so forth, but I still think casein will work better for me since I don’t want the excess calories in the MRP and they pretty much do the same thing(both suppress hunger). Would you say casein protein works well as a hunger suppressant? or is there anything else you would recommend? I’d really appreciate any input (:
MAS
Dec 29, 2014 — 8:39 am
@Sandra – I like Casein better than Whey for appetite, but didn’t find the protein powder to be that satisfying. Cottage cheese is better for me. Run your own experiment.
Bodybuilding Supplements
Jun 5, 2015 — 4:22 am
From my personal experience, casein protein supplements generally do not taste good and are more expensive than other protein supplements. But I must admit that is very useful to take casein between meals and before bedtime. But everything depends on what are you looking for… to grow or to maintain your muscles.
Steve
Jun 5, 2015 — 12:20 pm
I like casein better than whey. Nutrabio.com has great powders (no fillers, etc). I’ll make casein into a thick pudding w/milk sometimes; it’s almost as filling as cottage cheese.