How Does Protein Help You Lose Weight?

 

By Anthony Tran

Protein is an essential nutrient to help you lose weight. According to the Insanity Nutrition Guide, your diet should consist of 40 percent protein. When you have the proper amount of protein in your diet, your blood sugar levels will remain stable, which will help with weight loss.

A study found that when people ate a diet that contained at least 30 percent protein they ate 400 less calories per day. They experienced less hunger, more satisfaction and they lost weight. Researchers have found that when people eat a high protein diet, their brain receives lower levels of hormones that stimulate the appetite. In another study, people on high protein diets lost more weight and fat than people on high carbohydrate diets. The loss of weight and fat are due to the increased feeling of fullness that a high protein diet provides.

When protein is eaten and enters the stomach, the body produces a hormone called PYY. PYY is believed to decrease a person's hunger. When a high protein diet is eaten, the body produces more PYY, which decreases hunger and help a person to lose weight.

Anytime you go on a diet, your body loses both muscle and fat. High protein diets help to preserve muscle mass. Protein contains amino acids. These amino acids help your body to build muscle. The more muscle you have, the more calories your body will burn each day. One of the most important amino acids for weight loss is leucine. When your diet is high in protein that is rich in leucine, your metabolism will speed up and your will lose weight. Good sources of leucine include whey protein powder, cottage cheese and red meat. When you maintain your body's muscle mass, your metabolism will stay revved up. Protein also requires more calories to digest than an equal amount of fat or carbohydrate. This means that fewer calories are available to your body.

Studies have shown that a high protein diet with less than 150 grams of carbohydrates will help with weight loss, improve heart health and stabilize blood sugar levels. This high protein diet will help to lower levels of triglycerides in the blood. This help the brain absorb leptin more easily. This means that you will feel fuller on fewer calories. When leptin levels increase in the brain your metabolism will rise and your appetite will decrease.

The Insanity Nutrition Guide recommends that you eat five meals a day. All meals have roughly the same calorie count. When you eat a balanced meal every few hours, it will keep your metabolism steadily burning fat. Each meal and snack that you eat should contain protein.

Good sources of high quality, low fat protein include eggs, egg whites, skinless chicken or turkey, fish, lean red meat, nuts and beans. Look for protein that is low in saturated fats. There are also many protein powders and bars that can be added to your diet.

A high protein diet is a delicious way to lose weight. You can enjoy eggs for breakfast, chicken for lunch and steak for dinner, all the while knowing that you are helping to stoke your body's fat burning furnace. This high protein diet will help to get your metabolism running in high gear and help to keep your appetite in check.