A High Protein Diet – It’s a Good Thing!The word protein comes from Greek words “pro” meaning first and “tein” meaning food. When it comes to weight loss the Greeks knew what they were talking about! Protein is indeed the first word - both for weight loss and for weight maintenance.
Eat More, Lose MorePerhaps the best known high protein diet for weight loss is the Atkins dietFirst published in the 1960s, the Atkins diet, which limits carbohydrates but allows unlimited consumption of high protein animal foods, has enjoyed a recent resurgence in popularity. And with good reason. In a survey of more than 32,000 dieters over a third claimed they had successfully lost weight by following the Atkins diet. And, in a randomized clinical trial, the Atkins diet produced greater weight loss at both 3 and 6 months than a low fat, high carbohydrate diet based on the US dietary guidelines. Since the publication of the Atkins diet multiple studies have clearly demonstrated that a low carbohydrate high protein diet leads to greater weight loss than either a low fat or a low protein diet. One study, for example, showed that over a six-month period, people who ate a diet that contained an unrestricted number of calories but contained 25% protein lost over 7 pounds more than those who followed an unrestricted diet that contained only 12% protein. And a similar study found that people who followed a low carbohydrate, high protein diet achieved significantly greater weight loss over a 12-week period than those who followed the National Cholesterol Education Program’s meat-restricted diet. While I definitely recommend eating a high protein diet for weight loss I do not recommend the Atkins diet for several reasons:
Following a diet – of any sort – does not lead to lasting weight loss.
Weight Loss MagicProtein appears to work its weight loss magic, at least in part, by increasing satiety. Protein has been shown to be more hunger satisfying than either carbohydrates or fat.As a result, people who eat a high protein diet experience less hunger between meals and eat fewer calories at the next meal than people whose diets contain less protein.
But Wait! There’s More!If all that protein did was to increase satiety so that we felt fuller and ate less that would be a good thing. After all, hunger and lack of satiety are the main reasons people give up on weight loss diets.But a high protein diet works its weight loss magic in other ways as well. Studies comparing groups given the same number of calories but different amounts of protein have shown that people lose more weight when more of the calories they eat come from protein rather than from fat or carbohydrates. In addition, more of the weight lost by those on a high protein diet comes from fat rather than from lean body tissue. The mechanism for this increased fat loss is not entirely clear, but protein appears to increase the body’s basal metabolic resulting in greater energy expenditure at rest.
The End of Yo-Yo Dieting!Adding more protein to your diet will not only help you lose weight, it will also help keep you from gaining that weight back!Increasing the amount of protein in one’s diet after losing weight has been shown to help prevent the weight re-gain that typically follows dieting. While it’s not clear if a high protein diet affects weight re-gain by increasing satiety, increasing one’s metabolic rate or by some other means, it is clear that increasing the amount of protein you eat is the way to finally lose weight once and for all!
Say “Good-Bye” to Belly Fat !
Another benefit of switching to a high protein diet is that it will help you lose fat from your abdominal region and will make your tissues more sensitive to the hormone insulin. Fat cells, particularly abdominal fat cells, produce chemicals that cause tissues to become resistant to the effects of insulin. When tissues become resistant to insulin, blood sugar levels remain high so the pancreas produces more insulin. This process results in blood levels of insulin that are higher than they should be. Insulin stimulates the synthesis of fat and blocks its breakdown, so high levels of insulin facilitate weight gain and make it very difficult to lose weight.
Protein Increases Sensitivity to InsulinIf you are overweight and carry much of that weight around your middle you probably have insulin resistance and higher than normal levels of insulin.You can improve your sensitivity to insulin and begin to lower your insulin levels by eating several small meals a day rather than a few large ones, by exercising, and - you guessed it - by adding more protein to your diet! In one study, men with high levels of insulin lost 28% more weight over a 4-week period when they followed a diet that consisted of 45% protein compared to a diet that contained the same number of calories but only 12% protein. And, in another study, people with insulin resistance had a 50% greater loss of body fat when they ate a high protein diet compared to a diet that was lower in protein - and this fat loss occurred mostly in the abdominal region.
All Protein is Not Created EqualTo lose weight you want to eat a high protein diet. But all protein is not created equal.What is high quality protein, what foods contain it and what are the best ways to incorporate those foods into a high protein diet plan? Click here to find out! Return to Foods That Burn Fat Main Page
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