Studies show that choosing foods that help you lose weight is a good approach to weight loss. This one-year study for example showed that eating lean protein actually helped overweight individuals to reduce intra-abdominal fat. The Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDAs) for protein suggest that we should eat a minimum of 0.8 g/kg body weight, or about 0.36 g/lb. This is a minimum recommendation and people who follow this recommendation are only getting about 10 to 15 percent of their calories from protein. Eating more foods that help you lose weight is an easy way to boost weight loss in a way that is easy to maintain. The suggested RDA is a minimum requirement for a typical healthy adult. Growing children, pregnant and lactating women, very active individuals, seniors and people undergoing stress and anyone trying to lose weight could all use a bit more protein. In addition, eating more protein rich foods that help you lose weight helps curb hunger because they keep you feeling fuller for a longer period of time than carbohydrates do. In these cases, the protein intake should be increased to 1.2 to 1.8 g/kg, or 20 to 25 percent of caloric intake. Who Needs More Protein Donald Layman, PhD says increased protein intake can benefit patients with osteoporosis, type 2 diabetes, metabolic syndrome, heart disease and obesity. We also need more protein as we age because we lose our ability to utilize protein efficiently. “If you asked the average consumer who needs more protein, a 16-year-old or a 65-year-old, most people would say the 16-year-old,” says Layman. “In reality, it’s the 65-year-old. They likely need fewer calories, but they need more high-quality, nutrient-dense protein to prevent muscle wasting.” You will also need more protein if you are dieting. Even though you are losing weight intentionally, it is a stress on the body, and any stress will increase protein needs. What gives protein the edge over carbohydrates when it comes to weight loss? There are many reasons but satiety is probably the most important. One of the reasons why proteins are foods that help you lose weight is that they provide greater satiety than carbohydrates. Proteins make you feel fuller and more satisfied for a longer period of time. That spells appetite control. And a lower appetite means lower calorie consumption and that means weight loss.[2] The main reason that most diets fail within one year is that people can’t stick to their chosen diet. On a balanced high-protein diet, you will feel less hungry and have a better chance to stick with the diet. Here’s a list of some good for you, protein rich foods that help you lose weight: 1. Beans Beans are a protein rich food that happens to be high in fiber. They will help you lose weight because they’re slow to digest and they keep you feeling full for a longer period of time than many other foods do. The high fiber content means a low glycemic load which will help keep your blood/glucose levels normal. 2. Beef, Chicken, Pork, Lamb All meats are protein rich foods that help you lose weight. Try to buy meat from animals that were not raised on corn meal. All the large food producers feed their animals a high starch diet because it puts weight on more quickly. Unfortunately, this does not produce the best quality meat. This is not a natural diet for livestock. 3. Cheese, Cottage cheese and Yogurt Cheese is a good source of protein and it’s filling because of the fat content. I don’t recommend eating large quantities of it, but it’s good to eat with carbohydrates to lower the glycemic load and it is nutritious food. Cottage cheese does have a lot of salt, so I usually mix in low salt dry cottage cheese to reduce the overall salt content. 4. Eggs Eggs are one of the most perfect foods available. They’re nutritious and satisfying and they’re an affordable protein rich food. 5. Fish Fish is a protein rich food that is full of nutrients and Omega-3 fatty acids. Salmon, tuna, haddock, sardines etc. are all an excellent choice. 6. Nuts A lot of people used to avoid eating nuts because of the high fat content. We now know that eating small amounts of nuts actually helps you lose weight because the protein and fiber help you feel full longer. This reduces the chance of overeating and contributes to weight loss. It’s very important to eat balanced meals throughout the day. Unfortunately, most people tend to eat most of their protein in a single meal: dinner. That makes it pretty hard to get the 120 to 150 grams of protein you need to maintain a balanced diet. Breakfast is the poorest meal of the day for many people. Most Americans only consume about 10 g of protein at breakfast. That’s why it’s important to have foods like meat, eggs, cheese, yogurt and milk as breakfast foods. According to Layman, we need at least 30 g of protein in a meal to stimulate muscle building. Building lean muscle mass isn’t the only benefit of high-protein diets; eating this way also preserves lean body mass during weight loss[3]. Here are two very important advantages to eating more protein: Choosing foods that help you lose weight is an important part of successful dieting. It’s critically important to choose a diet you can stick with for the long term. Yo-yo dieting increases insulin and leptin resistance and this will only compound your problems over time. A successful weight loss program is based on changes you can live with and not on a temporary diet. Eating more protein helps you lose weight, is more satisfying and it’s easier to stick with long-term. That spells success, and it’s the easy way to be lean and healthy. [1] http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15303109 [2] Paddon-Jones D, Westman E, Mattes RD, et al. Protein, weight management, and satiety. Am J Clin Nutr. 2008; 87(5):1558S-1561S. [3] Layman DK, Evans E, Baum JI, et al. Dietary protein and exercise have additive effects on body composition during weight loss in adult women. J Nutr. 2005;135(8):1903-1910.Protein Rich Foods
Foods That Help You Lose Weight
Best Time To Eat For Weight Loss
Advantages To Eating More Protein
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Foods That Help You Lose Weight
[1] You can speed up the process even more by consuming low glycemic carbohydrates along with some good quality fruit.
Excellent work! It’s all about making smarter choices.
I’ll try to remember this list over the holiday season 🙂
I loved this line and I wish more people would pay attention to it “A successful weight loss program is based on changes you can live with and not on a temporary diet”
Thanks. Lots of helpful tips in this article.
Much better idea than diet pills and plastic wraps.. and taste better too.
Good article. I will be dealing with many of these issues as well..
We have lots of high protein foods in St. Louis.
Love the idea of eating shrimp to lose weight.
Love the idea of eating more protein to lose weight.
I was surprised to see that seniors might need more protein than teenagers. Is this true?
It is Val. Teenagers need more calories, but seniors need more protein to rebuild muscle.
Greetings from Colorado! I’m bored to death at work so I decided to browse your blog on my iphone during lunch break.
I love the info you provide here and can’t wait to take a look when I get home.
I’m shocked at how quick your blog loaded on my cell phone ..
I’m not even using WIFI, just 3G .. Anyways, very
good blog!
I loved your post. Much obliged.
Wow, who would think of eating something to lose weight! Does this really work?
Yes it does Lucretia. We have to eat something to get energy and to rebuild tissues. The choices we make can either fill that requirement or not.
If you choose to eat foods that provide a lot of empty calories and not much in the way of nutrients, you will gain weight and harm your health.
If you make good food choices, like the ones described in this article, you will get the energy and the nutrients you need without consuming any excess calories that are not needed. A lower calorie intake will lead to weight loss over time.
I normally think about eating less when I try to lose weight. I’ll have to try a different approach, ’cause it isn’t coming off right now.
Eating less to lose weight is a common approach John, and it doesn’t work for most people, especially in the long run. You’re better off to eat as much as you feel you need to, but be selective about what it is you eat. It’s more about quality than quantity.
Interesting post. I’m going to try upping my protein a bit and see if it works.
More protein will help you feel full longer Bonney and it should help cut down on snacking. Speaking of snacking, you should try eating protein for a snack rather than carbs.
I was able to find good info from your blog posts.
Glad you found it helpful Aileen!
Excellent beat ! I love your website.
Thanks Simone. Glad you like the site!
Great info. I’ll have to give this a try.
Thanks Teodoro. High protein foods always make you feel fuller than carbs. Good luck on your weight loss journey!
Keep up the great work. I’ve added you to my blogroll.
Thanks for the encouragement Harley.
I’ve upped my protein intake recently and I find I’m not as hungry as I was after a high carb meal. Great post btw.
That’s great Cesare! Most people get hungry shortly after eating a high carb meal. Eating more protein will keep you feeling fuller longer and you might also be able to cut back on how much you are eating calorie wise.
Nice article with some good sugestions. I’ll have to give it a try.
Glad to hear it Mathew!
Thanks for the informative article. I enjoy your writing style.
Thank you Katherina!
Just wanted to say I love reading through your blog and look forward to all your posts!
Carry on the superb work!
Thanks for the feedback and the encouragement Norris 🙂
Thank you for another excellent article.
Thanks Jeffrey, glad you enjoy the website 😉
I am now not sure where you are getting your info, but I found the article very helpful.
Thanks Wilma, glad you found the article helpful. I do a lot of reading on the subject and I also pay close attention to how different foods affect me personally.
Very useful article, and it has helped me out loads. Great job.
You’re welcome Cedric. Knowing which foods to eat make a diet easier to follow and more enjoyable 😉
Just want to say your article is amazing. Thanks a million and please keep up the enjoyable work.
Thanks Jacelyn, glad you enjoyed the article.
This is a really well written article. I’m just starting to lose a bit of weight and this information gave me a few good tips.
Thank you for the post.
Good luck with your weight loss Emily!
Hey! I’m at work surfing around your blog from my new iphone!
Just wanted to say I love reading through your blog and look forward to all your posts!
Carry on the excellent work!
Thanks Mitzi, glad you’re enjoying the blog and your new iphone!