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The Power of Protein
Random fact of the day, protein in Greek means ‘of first importance’. The Greeks are renowned for their wisdom, so we should certainly not overlook this lesser-known fact.
Protein is a unique macronutrient that not only provides energy to the body but also supports vital growth and repair functions. It’s the essential building block for various tissues, enzymes, hormones, and more. The best way to think of protein is like bricks. When you eat protein, the small bricks you ingest are used to build various structures within your body.
Beyond growth and repair, protein also aids weight loss and should be hailed as THE weight loss nutrient. In fact, as the arguments about fat and carbohydrate rumble on, the one thing all researchers can agree on is that protein is vital to weight loss and the long-term maintenance of weight loss.
The current Dietary Reference Value for protein is 0.3 grams of protein per pound of body weight. But this measly figure is far too low. Increasing your protein intake at all meals and aiming for a total daily protein intake of 0.8 grams of protein per pound of body weight will have huge benefits to you on your journey with Reverse Health and beyond. That is around 120 grams of protein per day for a 150 lbs individual.
Let’s discuss exactly why that is:
How Can Protein Help You Lose Weight?
Protein is a powerful tool in your weight loss arsenal for several reasons:
Protein Increases Satiety and Reduces Cravings
Protein is the most satiating macronutrient. That means it fills you up the most, preventing hunger, cravings, and the cookie monster that so often creeps up on you!
It does this by increasing hormones PYY and GLP-1, which send signals to the brain telling it that it’s full and satisfied, and ‘don’t eat anything else,’ while also reducing ghrelin, the “hunger hormone.”
In one study, increasing protein intake to 30% of total daily calories reduced energy intake by 441 kcal per day. That is pretty astonishing!
Similarly, when people drank a whey protein shake an hour before going to a buffet, they ate 193-215 kcal less than if they did not consume the whey protein shake. This is thanks to the filling effect of protein and the clear signals that protein sends to the brain!
Your Body Burns More Calories Digesting and Metabolizing Protein
Imagine your metabolism is like a fire that burns inside your body. When you add more protein to your diet, it’s like pouring petrol on that fire.
The body uses a massive amount of energy to digest protein-rich foods, so eating them regularly and in larger quantities will increase metabolic rate. The thermic effect of feeding is around 20-30% for protein, compared to 5-10% for carbohydrate and fat.
Research has shown that increasing protein intake to just 29% of total calorie intake per day can increase metabolic rate by 212 kcal per day. That’s the equivalent of a 45-minute brisk-paced walk!
Metabolic rate is elevated for many hours after a protein-rich meal, so it’s important that you consume protein at regular intervals during the day and avoid having just one single, large protein meal. So you essentially fuel the furnace continually at breakfast, lunch, snacks, evening meal, and before bed.
Protein Maintains Lean Muscle Mass During Weight Loss
High-protein diets help stimulate the growth and repair of muscle tissue. But fear not, increasing your daily protein intake will not morph you into a muscle-bound bodybuilder, but it will help you develop a toned, defined physique that burns more calories.
Muscle mass is metabolically active, meaning it burns more calories than other tissues, such as fat. So increasing muscle mass by elevating your protein intake and doing some form of resistance training multiple times a week will further support your body’s calorie-burning power.
Although let’s not overstate the impact of this, relative to the aforementioned effects of protein on metabolic rate and appetite, lean muscle will only burn around 6 kcal per pound at rest. But nevertheless, increasing muscle mass is a very, very good idea.
Protein Stabilizes Blood Sugar and Energy Levels
Dietary protein helps to regulate blood sugar levels, particularly in those with type 2 diabetes, preventing large surges and crashes in blood sugar that can lead to unstable energy levels, mood disturbances, irritability, irrational decisions, and cravings.
In fact, combining protein with fiber-rich foods is the absolute best way to keep you fuller for longer, stabilize energy levels, and optimize mood.
Protein May Prevent Weight Regain
Not only does protein help build bodily tissue, but many hormones are also made from protein, including the happy hormone serotonin, which can be made from tryptophan, a small brick of protein (amino acid).
Serotonin is known to influence mental health, reduce anxiety, and promote positivity and relaxation, support sleep, and so much more. Serotonin is so important to numerous aspects of our overall well-being.
Serotonin deficiency is also associated with depression, anxiety, and other issues, which in turn will impact your diet, exercise, activity, and day-to-day lifestyle, making it more challenging to stay motivated and on track.
Why You Need Protein for Weight Loss
Protein is essential not just for weight loss but for overall health. It supports muscle growth, repairs tissues, and produces enzymes and hormones.
How Much Protein Should I Eat a Day to Lose Weight?
We know that a total daily protein intake of 0.8 grams per pound of body weight or 30-40% of total daily calories is a good target and that splitting that up over 3-5 meals will help increase calorie burning.
Target: 120 grams of protein per day and 30 grams of protein per meal
- Steak = 40 grams
- Chicken breast = 30 grams
- Can of tuna = 30 grams
- Scoop of whey protein = 26 grams
- Salmon fillet = 25 grams
- Cod fillet = 22 grams
- Fat-free Greek yogurt = 15 grams
- Beans (½ cup) = 8 grams
- Low-fat milk (16 oz) = 7 grams
How to Get More Protein in Your Diet
Protein-rich foods include meat, fish and shellfish, dairy products, beans and pulses, and supplements like whey protein.
Protein timeline for maximum benefit:
- Breakfast: 30 grams of protein from eggs, meat, Greek yogurt, or similar.
- Lunch: 30 grams of protein from meat, fish, shellfish, beans and pulses, or a combination.
- Snack: 30 grams of protein from eggs, Greek yogurt, protein shake, or similar.
- Evening Meal: 30 grams of protein from meat, fish, shellfish, beans and pulses, or a combination.
- Before Bed: Whey protein shake with low-fat or plant-based milk.
Does Protein Help You Lose Belly Fat?
Protein helps reduce overall body fat, including belly fat, by increasing satiety, boosting metabolism, and preserving lean muscle mass.
Does Protein Burn Fat Without Exercise?
While protein itself does not directly burn fat, it helps in weight loss by boosting metabolism, reducing appetite, and preserving muscle mass. These factors combined can lead to fat loss, even without exercise.
Conclusion
In order to lose weight and keep it off, you really need to harness the power of protein. Not only will it help you burn more calories each day, without moving a muscle, but it will also keep you fuller for longer, prevent cravings and make dieting easier, improve energy and mood, and even muscle tone.
At Reverse Health, we have formulated our meal plans to specifically take advantage of the protein power by developing and delivering high-protein meal plans that provide 35-40% of total calories per day from protein. As a general rule, we also recommend at least a hand-sized serving of protein-rich foods at each meal and snack.
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The content in this app is provided as lifestyle recommendations for informational purposes only. It is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. For any medical concerns, always consult with a healthcare professional. The sources that informed our meal plans and recommendations are available at: reverse.health/research.
FAQs on Protein and Weight Loss
How much protein should I eat a day to lose weight? To lose weight, aim for 0.8 grams of protein per pound of body weight, or about 30-40% of your total daily calories from protein.
Does protein help you lose belly fat? Protein helps reduce overall body fat, including belly fat, by increasing satiety, boosting metabolism, and preserving lean muscle mass.
Does eating protein help lose weight? Yes, eating protein helps you lose weight by increasing your metabolic rate, reducing hunger and cravings, and maintaining muscle mass during weight loss.
How can I get 120 grams of protein a day? To get 120 grams of protein a day, consume protein-rich foods such as meat, fish, dairy, beans, and supplements like whey protein across multiple meals.
What are the best protein-rich foods for weight loss? The best protein-rich foods for weight loss include chicken breast, fish, Greek yogurt, beans, lentils, and protein shakes.
