Does a High Protein Diet Really Help with Weight Loss?
Well, that’s a trendy question among fitness freak. A high protein diet is quite helpful in terms of health.
You might have heard common tips like “eat 25g of protein with each meal”, “eat more protein,” isn’t it?
Where ever you are in your fitness routine, you might have heard once on this.
In fact, the most successful weight loss credit goes to a high protein diet. Still, it’s is skeptical to find its real worth and nature.
Nonetheless, Protein For Weight Loss Female works? Or, it’s just marketing gimmick?
Let’s find out through this detailed assessment.
Does a High Protein Diet Really Help with Weight Loss
Calories In, Calories Out— is there anything more?
Well, eating a high protein diet commonly means getting 30% of your calorie directly from protein.
Still, before we dive into finding whether the protein can help you lose weight, you need to comprehend the bigger picture.
Protein is just a part of the multi-faceted nutritional system. Actually, we were indicating towards you and your macronutrient requirement.
Whatever you consume breaks down into 3 macronutrients: Proteins, Carbohydrates, and Fats.
Unless you face certain medical conditions, you require all 3 to regulate proper health and functioning.
Lack of any of those can affect health function. Obviously, an imbalance of these can prevent you from achieving your goals.
However, the macronutrient has certain effects on your body becoming a deciding factor in terms of weight loss.
Protein For Weight Loss | Major Effects
Protein is the single and prominent nutrient for weight loss and even-toned healthy body.
In fact, a high protein diet amplifies metabolism, hinders appetite, and regulated weight-related hormones.
Moreover, it can intensify weight loss and trigger belly fat with several body mechanisms.
Here’s a detailed overview of the major effects of protein for weight loss.
#1: Protein Changes The Levels of Several Weight Regulating Hormones
The body weight is actively maintained by the brains, specifically, the area called the hypothalamus.
To determine when and how much to have, it processes several types of Infos.
In fact, some of these are crucial signals to the brain that are hormone-altering in the response to feeding.
Actually, a high protein diet elevates the levels of the satiety (appetite-reducing) hormones GLP-1, peptide YY, and cholecystokinin. Meanwhile, it lessens the level of appetite increasing hormones.
Obviously, switching carbs and fats with protein lessens the hunger hormone to a great extent.
While it increases the hormone of satiety making your appetite limited.
Hence, you experience a major reduction in appetite.
This is the primary aspect of how protein helps you lose weight by automatically reducing your calorie intake.
#2: Digesting and Metabolizing Protein Burns Calories
Once you have a meal, some calorie comes in use for digesting and metabolizing the eatables.
In fact, this is addressed as the term called the thermic effect of food (TEF).
Well, each source doesn’t agree on the same figure. Still, there is a clear assertion that the thermic effects of protein (20-30%) are greater compared to carbs (5-10%) and fat (0-3%).
Taking 30 % thermic effect of protein into account, we can say having 100 calories of protein gives you 70 usable cals.
In short, a high protein diet will burn almost 20-30% calories just for kicking off digesting and metabolizing protein.
#3: Protein Makes You Burn More Calories (Increases “Calories Out”)
Because of the high thermic effect and other aspects, a high protein diet boosts metabolic activity.
In fact, it further encourages fat burning even when you are asleep.
Moreover, studies indicate a high protein diet can further elevate metabolic activity. Also, it helps you burn around 80 to 100 calories per day.
In fact, this increases if you have a calorie surplus diet. In a study, overfeeding increased calorie burning by 260 per day given that the diet was high protein.
Obviously, with maximum calorie burning, the diet has a metabolic advantage over other diets being low in protein.
#4: Protein Reduces Appetite and Makes You Eat Fewer Calories
Protein can further lessen your hunger and appetite via different mechanisms. Eventually, you experience an automatic reduction in your daily calorie intake.
In other words, you begin to have lesser calories without consciously noticing it.
Several studies clearly show that with the increase of protein in the diet, people start having lesser calories.
Actually, this functions on a meal-to-meal basis, and also as a continued day-to-day decrease in calorie intake.
However, this sustains till your meal remains high in protein.
Another study concludes that protein at 30% in your diet reduces your calorie intake significantly.
In fact, it ranges around 441 calories per day which is really impressive and huge
In simple words, not only a high protein diet has a metabolic advantage but also they have an appetite advantage.
Eventually, cutting your daily calorie intake to other diets, we can firmly say protein for weight loss works.
#5: Protein Cuts Cravings and Reduces Desire for Late-Night Snacking
Unnecessary craving is what makes most weight loss goals fail.
This is one of the prominent and evident reasons behind people giving up midway of their weight loss goals.
Another vital issue is the mid-night snacking. Most of the people gain weight only because of their late-night snacking habit.
Obviously, this adds to the total calorie you had during the day going uncounted.
Undoubtedly, this is the major reason behind not being able to lose weight.
Surprisingly, protein has an impact on both craving and mid-night snacking habits.
Even studies show impressive and interesting facts in this term.
In fact, men whose diet was 25-30 of protein experienced a reduction in cravings by 60%. Also, there was a significant cut in late-night snacking by half.
Moreover, breakfast seems like the most vital meal to fill up with protein. Another study teenage girls clarified that a high protein diet can to a great extent lessen cravings.
#6: Protein Makes You Lose Weight, Even Without Conscious Calorie Restriction
Protein plays a bilateral game i.e. “calories in vs calories out” equation. In fact, it lessens calories in and elevates calories out.
Obviously, this reason is even to prove how high protein for weight loss works.
Even when you aren’t consciously taking a meal portion.
In one research of 19 obese folks, elevating protein consumption by 30% resulted in a significant reduction in calorie intake. In this research, individuals lost around 11 pounds over a period of 12 weeks.
Here, what comes to our notice is they just interchanged protein in their diet, not restricted their meals or something.
Though results aren’t always dramatic to this extent. However, the majority of the studies show high protein diets work in terms of weight loss.
Higher protein intake is also linked with lesser belly fat. The harmful fat accumulates around the organs and results in several diseases.
Said that losing weight isn’t a vital factor. It’s keeping the weight off in the long term which really matters. Many people can diet for the short term and lose weight.
However, it isn’t worth it at all when you stop dieting, you again end up gaining weight loss.
Surprisingly, a higher protein diet significantly prevents weight regain.
Another study, where a modest increase in protein (15 to 18% of calories) resulted in weight gain by just 50%.
Hence, High-Protein, Low-Fat Foods not only helps in weight loss but also keeps it off in the long run.
#7: Prevent Muscle Loss and Metabolic Slowdown
Weight loss doesn’t always mean equal fat loss.
When you are losing, your muscle mass lessens equally. However, what you have to reduce is body fat, both subcutaneous fat (under the skin) and visceral fat (around organs).
Undoubtedly, losing fat is a con of weight loss, you won’t want to encounter.
Another prominent drawback of weight loss is the reduction in metabolic activity. In other words, you have fewer calories reduction than you have lost before.
Often, it is referred to as starvation mode and can result in several 100 lesser calories burn each day.
Eating lots of proteins lessen muscle loss, which keeps your metabolic rate at the top. Eventually, it helps you to lose your body fat.
Another way, to reduce muscle loss is by doing strength training. Also, it’s quicken slows down when you lose weight.
For this reason, having a high protein diet and vigorous strength training are vital factors in terms of effective fat loss plans.
Not only protein for weight loss boosts your metabolism but it also makes the fat underneath shrinks to least.
Without protein and strength, you would end up looking skinny fat person instead of being fit and lean.
Conclusion: Does Protein For Weight Loss Work?
Summing up all effects of a high protein diet for males and females, we can come to a point.
Protein for weight female and male work!
Increasing the amount of protein in your diet can significantly cut your appetite and even reduce your late-night cravings.
Further with metabolism-boosting effects, and preserving lean muscle mass, it aids in weight loss.
Its effects lie in enhancing overall weight loss with a number of advantages. In fact, relying on a high protein diet not only lessen your weight but also prevent further weight gain.
With such possibilities, there’s no doubt why every fitness freak, recommends going for protein diet only.
If you are new to your weight loss journey, going for a protein diet can really help in sticking with your goal giving long term results.
Protein Foods List For Weight Loss
Increasing your protein consumption is quite simple. You just require a greater amount of these protein-rich foods.
In fact, you can try these:
- Meats: Chicken, turkey, lean beef, pork, etc.
- Fish: Salmon, sardines, haddock, trout, etc.
- Eggs: All types.
- Dairy: Milk, cheese, yogurt, etc.
- Legumes: Kidney beans, chickpeas, lentils, etc.
If you are having low carb food, you need to pick fattier cuts of meat. If you aren’t then go for lean meat cuts as far as possible.
Actually, this makes it easier to keep protein quantity higher in your diet without providing many calories.
Moreover, taking protein supplements can really a good shot, if you struggle to reach out for protein goals.
Having High-Protein Diet Plan For Weight Loss, with whey protein is good. In fact, it has shown several benefits including induced weight loss.
Even though eating more protein is quite easy than you think.
In fact, integrating this into your life and regular diet won’t only help you lose weight but has long term health benefits.
For initial days, you need to use or take the help of a calorie/nutrition tracker. Weight and measure everything, you have.
Obviously, this will keep your goals in track and protein targets proper.
This tip is for initial days only after sometimes you will get a subconscious idea of what to feed and in what quantity.
At last, we have answered a few queries… Do have a look over these!
Protein for Weight Loss| FAQs
Q1: Which protein is best for weight loss?
Many folks utilize protein powder to bulk muscle. However, this also benefits in terms of weight loss goals.
These include Whey, casein, and egg proteins, and also plant-sourced protein including soy and pea.
These are brilliant types of protein that can help you lose weight significantly.
Q2: How much protein should I eat a day to lose weight?
Your diet should include at least 30% of the protein of your overall meal.
You can aim to have between 1.6 and 2.2 grams of protein per kilogram ( 73 and 1 grams per pound) of your weight.
For athletes and heavy workouts, the amount ranges between 2.2-3.4 grams of protein per kilogram (1-1.5 grams per pound).
Particularly when you are in the cutting phase or trying to lose weight or fat.
Q3: Can you lose weight eating protein?
Protein is the best easiest and simples way to lose weight.
When it is about fat loss, and having an attractive leaner body, protein serves the best.
Not only just it reduces hunger but also elevates your metabolic activity.
Eventually, you lose weight rapidly while acquiring a leaner and attractive frame.
We hope that who has learned everything about protein for weight loss.
Don’t forget to drop your valuable opinion in the comment section.