Protein is an essential macronutrient that we need to consume enough of every day. Typically, higher protein diets are associated with individuals looking to build muscle.
But, did you realize that protein can also be a weight loss hack?
Here are 6 reasons a high protein diet boosts weight loss.
Why Eating a High-Protein Diet Helps You Lose Weight
Reduces Appetite
Protein is an incredibly powerful macronutrient. Not only does it help your body repair damaged tissues and fuel new muscle growth, it can also help limit overeating. In fact, protein is the most satiating macronutrient.
Scientific research notes that consuming a diet that’s higher in protein compared to the standard American diet can help reduce appetite and support weight loss/weight maintenance.[1,2]
Impacts Hunger and Weight-Regulating Hormones
Research shows that eating protein increases anorexigenic hormone like glucagon-like peptide-1, cholecystokinin, and peptide tyrosine-tyrosine, which reduce appetite. It also helps decrease levels of the orexigenic hormone ghrelin.[3]
The end result is greater satiety signaling and reduced food intake. The combination of these two effects helps support weight loss and weight maintenance.
Increases Calorie Burning
Protein requires more calories for your body to process and digest than either carbs or fats. In other words, consuming a higher protein diet compared to a similar calorie-diet that’s lower in protein, requires more energy. Over time, this can help to increase your overall daily energy expenditure, which supports weight loss.
Reduces Late-Night Cravings
We’ve all been there. You’re doing good -- sticking to your diet, tracking your calories, working out. Then, as evening approaches you start to get those cravings for something sweet, indulgent, and loaded with calories.
This could be a sign that you’re not eating enough protein during the day.
Research shows that increasing protein to 25% of daily calorie intake can reduce cravings by 60% as well as decrease the desire to snack at night by 50%.[4]
Maintains Lean Muscle
Losing fat means that you must consume fewer calories and you ingest each day (it’s basic thermodynamics). However, when you’re in a calorie deficit, you’re at an increased risk of muscle loss.
The reason for this is that muscle requires a lot of energy (calories) to maintain, and when you’re in a deficit, your body is looking to conserve energy, not waste it unnecessarily. This is why a high protein intake (and resistance training) are essential during a fat loss phase. These two habits send a powerful signal to your body that it needs to hold on to its lean muscle and use excess body fat to make up for the calories it’s not getting from food.
Less Likely to Be Stored as Fat
Compared to dietary fat or carbohydrates, protein is considerably more difficult for your body to store as fat. This is due to the energy-intensive nature of protein metabolism in the body. Ultimately, eating a high-protein diet makes it less likely that you’ll accumulate extra fat, even if you overeat by a few calories (however, it’s unlikely that you’ll overeat if you’re consuming enough protein given what we discussed earlier).
What's the Ideal Amount of Protein for Weight Loss?
Current recommendations for daily protein intake are 0.36 grams of protein per pound (0.8 grams per kg) of body weight.
This amounts to:
- 56 grams per day for the average sedentary man
- 46 grams per day for the average sedentary woman
Suffice it to say that this amount of protein is woefully inadequate for active individuals looking to build muscle or lose fat while retaining as much lean mass as possible. The above recommendations are for sedentary individuals seeking to satisfy basic living requirements.
If you’re serious about your health and fitness goals, your protein intake needs to be significantly higher.
The International Society for Sports Nutrition (ISSN) and other experts recommend protein intake between 1.6-2.2 grams of protein per kilogram of bodyweight -- that’s more than double the “recommended” amount.
To keep things simple, aim for 1 gram of protein per pound of bodyweight.
So, if you weigh 175 pounds, aim to consume 175 grams of protein per day. Ideally, this amount would be evenly distributed across your daily meal plan.
How to Calculate Your Daily Protein Intake
There are many ways to track your daily protein intake, including good ol’ pen and paper. But, if you’re looking for the easiest way to track your protein intake, we suggest downloading the 1UP Fitness App.
In addition to quick and easy macro tracking, the 1UP Fitness App also provides customized calorie intakes to help you meet your goals along with training programsand an extensive exercise library to help you during your workouts!
How to Add More Protein in Your Diet
If you’re currently consuming a lower protein diet, here are some ways to increase your protein intake:
- Start your day with protein -- this could be as simple as having a serving of protein powder, like 1UP Whey or Clear Protein, with your normal breakfast or having a protein shake on the way to the gym before morning cardio
- Build every meal/snack around protein -- making protein the foundation of every meal helps you stay focused on the most important macronutrient. From there you can “fill out” your meal/snack with complex carbs and healthy fats
- Smart substitutions -- swap in leaner (higher protein) cuts of meat like chicken breast, fish, or sirloin in place of fattier cuts like ribeye or ground beef.
The Bottom Line
Protein is an essential macronutrient that our bodies need enough of everyday to ensure optimal function, health and performance. Consuming enough protein each day not only helps our bodies to recover from intense exercise and build lean muscle, it also can support weight loss and weight maintenance by regulating hunger/satiety signals, boosting metabolism and maintaining lean muscle mass.
To make sure you’re getting enough daily protein, make sure that you’re making protein the foundation of all your meals and snacks throughout the day, and if you’re ever in need of a quick, delicious, and affordable protein fix, make sure to check out our diverse line of protein powders, including whey protein, clear protein, and vegan protein.
References
- Leidy HJ, Armstrong CL, Tang M, Mattes RD, Campbell WW. The influence of higher protein intake and greater eating frequency on appetite control in overweight and obese men. Obesity (Silver Spring). 2010 Sep;18(9):1725-32. doi: 10.1038/oby.2010.45. Epub 2010 Mar 25. PMID: 20339363; PMCID: PMC4034047.
- https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0031938420304376?via%3Dihub
- Moon J, Koh G. Clinical Evidence and Mechanisms of High-Protein Diet-Induced Weight Loss. J Obes Metab Syndr. 2020 Sep 30;29(3):166-173. doi: 10.7570/jomes20028. PMID: 32699189; PMCID: PMC7539343.
- Leidy HJ, Tang M, Armstrong CL, Martin CB, Campbell WW. The effects of consuming frequent, higher protein meals on appetite and satiety during weight loss in overweight/obese men. Obesity (Silver Spring). 2011 Apr;19(4):818-24. doi: 10.1038/oby.2010.203. Epub 2010 Sep 16. PMID: 20847729; PMCID: PMC4564867.
