Four Reasons To Eat More Protein On Your Weight Loss Diet
When on a weight loss diet, if there's one nutrient that you simply cannot go without, protein is it. There are many reasons why you should be increasing your protein intake slightly while aiming to for weight loss, all which we're about to cover.
Make sure you consider this list carefully because if there's one small change you can make with your diet to boost results, this is it. Obviously you should never consume incredibly large amounts of protein because both carbohydrates and fats are healthy as well, but making a good focus of your diet on protein rich foods is a wise decision.
Here are the four reasons to boost your protein intake.
Increased Control Over Hunger
The very first reason why higher protein levels when on a weight loss diet prove beneficial is because it'll really help you get control over your hunger. As you may already know, when you're on a diet and hunger strikes, that's when all better judgement just seems to fly out the window. A diet can seem so easy – that is, until hunger hits. Protein rich foods tend to have very little impact on insulin levels however, so are really good for helping to keep you feeling satisfied. You'll notice that after a meal of chicken and vegetables you're full for hours while after a pasta dinner, you're back in the fridge looking for more food within the hour.
Greater Thermic Effect Of Food
Another important reason to add more protein to your diet is because of the increased thermic effect of food. What this means is that every time you eat protein rich foods, your body burns so many calories just digesting it. For protein, it tends to burn off 25 calories for every 100 that you eat! That's quite a bit just for the process of digestion. With carbohydrates and fat the body will only burn about 5 and 2 calories respectively, so you can clearly see the difference this will make with weight loss.
Better Recovery From Workouts
The third reason to increase your protein is because it'll help you recover from your workouts. When you're giving it your all in the gym day after day, you want to make sure your muscles are repairing themselves optimally. If they aren't, you're going to find that you just keep breaking the tissues down and rather than getting stronger, you may just get weaker. Aim for at least one gram per pound, if not a bit more to maximize recovery.
Lower Food Cravings
Finally, the last reason to up your protein is because it will help you beat food cravings. When you're not experiencing all the hunger you used to on your high carb diet, you will find it far easier to say 'no' to the foods you should be. When you're ravenous though, that's a whole other story. By focusing your meals on protein rich foods, you'll have better control over your food selection, therefore speeding up the process of weight loss.
So keep these points in mind. The best sources of protein to include in your weight loss recipes include chicken breasts, egg whites, fish, lean red meat, and low-fat dairy. If you can get one of these in with each meal, you're doing great.Weight Loss Dinner Recipes
Our Expert
Shannon Clark, BPE, AFLCA Certified, is a personal trainer and writer out of Edmonton, Alberta. She's been in the health and fitness business for over 8 years and is passionate in helping others achieve their goals
Medical Advice
Before undertaking any exercise regime you should always consult with a doctor.
Weight Loss Help
Weight Loss Meals
Projects We Are Involved With
weightlossrecipes.co.uk is part of Askbob Limited, Company Number: 7623380.
