Losing weight is not easy. That’s why it’s important to have the right information. However, between the hundreds of senseless diets and magical fat burning products, relevant information is rare.
Fortunately, in this article, you will discover how to lose weight healthily thanks to proteins!
Only one effective solution to lose weight: the calorie deficit
Let’s start by establishing a good foundation. This is not news to anyone, yet, many men are lost when it comes to structuring their diet to lose fat. The principle is simple: eat fewer calories than you burn. There is absolutely no need to restrict yourself or opt for a grass-based diet. Burn more calories than you consume and you will lose fat. It’s as simple as that!
Obviously, it’s easier said than done. That’s why, firstly, it’s important to understand what we’re putting on our plate. Our meals are mainly made up of carbohydrates, lipids and proteins. The proteins and carbohydrates provide the same number of calories (4 kcal for 1g), while lipids provide a bit more (9 kcal for 1g).
Just a reminder, the goal is to avoid an intake that is too high in calories. So, it is necessary to regulate your intake of lipids. I stress on regulating and not eliminating, your body needs fat to function correctly. As for carbohydrates and proteins, they provide the same number of calories, as I’ve said. But, we will see later that the benefits of proteins are more interesting for our case.
How to lose weight quickly when you are a man?
How to lose weight quickly when you are a man?
How to lose weight quickly when you are a man?
Eat more (protein) to burn more (calories)
This is what is called the thermal effect of food. Eating, breathing, digesting, etc. are metabolic mechanisms that require energy from the body. These stimulate the metabolism and therefore burn calories.
Interestingly, proteins are harder to digest than carbohydrates and fats. Therefore, the body has to burn more calories to absorb them. Consuming more protein is a good way to further boost your metabolism and therefore burn more calories. For comparison, fats require very little effort for the body to digest and they are the most calorific macronutrients.
Eating protein can reduce daily calorie intake!
Indeed, proteins are more satiating than carbohydrates and lipids. Remember, to lose weight, you need to be in a caloric deficit. Therefore, eating foods rich in protein allows you to feel more satiated over the long term. You will therefore feel less hungry than if you were to eat a packet of chips.
For example: if you eat eggs in the morning, it is possible that you may feel less hungry during the day than if you had eaten processed cereals.
Another tip to reduce the amount of food that we consume: eat slowly! Indeed, the act of eating slowly gives the stomach time to send a message to the brain saying: I ate too much. If you eat your plate in 30 seconds, the message will not yet be delivered to the brain. That’s why, afterwards, we feel too full and regret having eaten so much.
Proteins help prevent muscle loss and metabolic slowdown!
When you want to lose weight and you follow dietary regimens with a lettuce leaf per day, you also lose muscle. Generally, we prefer to lose fat and keep the muscle mass, and for this, proteins are your best friends.
Without necessarily going into too much detail, animal proteins contain all the essential amino acids for the body. The term “essential” means that the body is not capable of creating them. It is therefore important to provide them through your diet or dietary supplements.
Among these amino acids, we notably include BCAAs (leucine, isoleucine, and valine). Essentially, these are the key amino acids (especially leucine) for development, recovery, and muscle maintenance.
You should also know that your body, for its part, does not want to lose weight. The more it can store fat and energy, the better it feels. So, when you start a strict diet with very few nutrients, the body responds by reducing caloric expenditure to maintain an energy balance. In other words, when you eat very little, you burn fewer calories than when you eat to your satisfaction.
I know I’m repeating myself, but the main thing is to properly select your food. Eating more protein can therefore be very useful in this scenario. Indeed, as we have seen, proteins are macronutrients low in calories and very substantial. Finally, they require more work to be digested by the body, which is perfect for speeding up your metabolism… and therefore losing weight.
What are good sources of protein?
Increasing your protein intake is very simple. You just need to prioritize and incorporate more protein-rich foods, for example:
- The meat : chicken, beef, pork, turkey, etc.
- Fish: salmon, trout, sardines, etc
- Eggs : don’t be afraid to eat eggs, they are super foods.
- Dairy products : milk, cheese, yogurt, etc.
- Legumes : red beans, chickpeas, lentils, etc.
To accompany your protein source, you can choose good carbohydrates such as rice for example. The best thing is to reduce (and not eliminate, I insist) carbohydrates and favor vegetables. If you decide to consume less carbohydrates, you can indulge in fattier meats (like beef). If you tend to load your plate with carbohydrates, prefer lean meats. The aim is always the same: do not restrict your diet while choosing nutrient-rich and low-calorie foods.
Moreover, vegetables have this particularity of quickly filling the stomach and are very low in calories.
Finally, I would like to remind you that while consuming more protein can help you lose weight, you should avoid eating too much of it every day. Even though it’s not fundamentally dangerous, it’s mostly unnecessary!
In conclusion: why do proteins help in weight loss?
Proteins are very interesting for weight loss. They stimulate the metabolism, are very satisfying and very low in calories. This fits perfectly into the “caloric deficit” strategy and the fat loss goal.
Proteins also help you maintain your muscle mass which tends to decrease when you start losing weight.Regardless, remember to enjoy yourself during your diets. If you hate your diet, you won’t last long before you return to your bad habits.