Canton Medical Clinic

PROTEIN INTAKE FOR NATURAL WEIGHT LOSS

Protein is your key to having a tasty and easy way to weight loss. If you want to lose the extra fat and attain your ideal body, protein is the king of nutrients. You don’t have to restrict your diet, rather keep on adding to your diet with the bonus of getting to eat food that tastes delicious. Just by adding protein to your diet, the differences over months and years can be astonishing.

With the guidance of your Weight Loss Specialists, you can have personalized meal plans with the right amount of protein. While fats and carbs have controversial health effects, the benefits and importance of protein are universally acknowledged. Numerous studies suggest that a high protein intake reduces appetite, boosts metabolism, and alters several weight-regulating hormones. Protein assists you in losing weight and belly fat. It is the one nutrient that can benefit your entire weight loss and maintenance journey if taken adequately as per the advice of your Weight Loss Specialist.

Here are a few reasons why protein helps in weight loss.

1. Reduces Appetite and Hunger Levels

The three macronutrients, namely protein, fat, and carbs have a different impact on your body. Out of these, protein is the most fulfilling as it helps you feel fuller with less food. Protein reduces the level of ghrelin which is a hunger hormone and boosts the levels of a hormone that makes you feel fuller named peptide YY. These have a powerful impact on the appetite. A study conducted found that increasing the protein intake from 15% to 30% of calories resulted in higher weight women unintentionally eating 441 fewer calories each day.

If you intend to lose weight or belly fat, incorporate high levels of protein in your diet instead of carbs and fats. It can be as simple as adding extra bites of fish to your bowl of rice.

2. Increases Muscle Mass and Strength

Eating proteins help build your muscle mass. It maintains your muscle mass and encourages muscle growth during strength training. If you are trying to lose the extra pounds, having a higher protein intake can prevent muscle loss and puts your focus more on reducing the fat. Protein also benefits those who are keen to be more physically active, trying to gain muscles, and lift weights.

3. Reduces Unnecessary Cravings

Are you wondering how to curb those unnecessary cravings and urges to snack? Craving food is not your body needing energy but your brain wanting a reward. These cravings are often difficult to manage and control. This can lead to late-night snacking and adding extra calories to your body. The best way to prevent such cravings is to ensure that they do not occur in the first place. How is that possible? One effective way is to introduce more protein into your diet. Studies have shown that increasing protein during meals like breakfast reduces cravings and late-night snacking. Feeling unnecessary hunger? Eat more eggs in the morning!

4. Boosts Metabolism and Fat Burning

Eating boosts your metabolism only for a short while as your body uses calories to digest and utilize the nutrients from the foods. This is known as the thermic effect of food (TEF). However, this does not apply to every food. Protein has a much higher thermic effect compared to carbs or fats and leads to a significant boost in metabolism and increases the burning of calories. This can be around 80-100 calories burned daily. In a study, the group with a high-protein intake burned 260 calories daily more than the low-protein group.

5. Protein Helps Maintain Weight Loss

As explained previously, a high-protein diet boosts metabolism which leads to a reduction in your cravings and calorie intake. Ultimately, you will start to lose weight and gain your ideal body. Studies have shown people have unintentionally lost weight just by increasing protein intake. Protein is also beneficial for intentional calorie restriction. A study of a period of 12 months of 130 people with higher weight showed that the high-protein group lost 53% more body fat than a normal-protein group consuming an equal number of calories.

Weight loss is just the start. Maintaining weight is a greater challenge that protein assists with. Studies have shown protein is great for both weight loss and maintenance. If you want to gain your ideal weight, consider making protein permanent in your life.

HOW TO INCREASE PROTEIN?

You are not alone in wondering this. Truthfully, not having the right idea of high protein foods’ impact on your body can have adverse effects. Not all types of protein will be ideal for those suffering from illnesses or diseases. Eating eggs, for example, can be detrimental if you have high cholesterol. Moreover, if you end up consuming more protein than your body needs, it can lead to intestinal discomfort, unexplained exhaustion, nausea, and headache, and can increase the risks associated with more serious chronic conditions such as cardiovascular disease and seizures. What is the solution?

VISIT A WEIGHT LOSS SPECIALIST

If you want the most sustainable and healthy weight loss journey, visit a professional! Your physician will provide the most suitable plan according to your health, body, and needs. They will ensure personalized meals with the right amount of nutrients, keep a regular checkup of your weight with BMI and other advanced tools, and create the perfect accountability and motivation medium for you.

With home-based weight loss, you risk the chances of the weight returning back or causing your body irreparable harm. Your Weight Loss Specialist will guide you on how to best increase protein, which foods to consume, and how to have the most effective diet according to your health. Ultimately, you will lose and maintain weight successfully.

Get in touch with a Weight Loss Specialist now!

Nida Latif, MD

Dr. Latif is a co-founder of Canton Medical Clinic. She is a graduate of The Aga Khan University Medical College and has been practicing medicine since 2004. Dr. Latif completed her Family Practice residency from a Michigan State University campus and is board certified in Family Medicine. She has always been passionate about prevention and “lifestyle” medicine. For this reason, she pursued and board-certified in Obesity Medicine in 2018. She also performs wet cupping therapy (Hijama) on women and children.