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.

[1] You can speed up the process even more by consuming low glycemic carbohydrates along with some good quality fruit.

Protein Rich Foods

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.

Foods That Help You Lose Weight

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.

Best Time To Eat For 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].

Advantages To Eating More Protein

Here are two very important advantages to eating more protein:

  • Water Retention: A higher protein diet has a natural diuretic effect. One of the major problems with a high carb diet is that your body retains more fluids along with the carbohydrates.
  • Less Stress: Eating too many carbohydrates puts your willpower in a constant wrestling match because of leptin levels. The rising obesity rates clearly show that leptin is winning this battle. The best way to success is to avoid the battle with leptin by eating fewer carbohydrates.

How To Lose Weight By Eating

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.