Protein and Weight Loss – Understanding the Link

Protein and weight loss are very strongly linked. Most people know they need to eat enough protein, but perhaps don’t know (a) how much they should be eating, and/or (b) why they should be eating it and what benefits it actually brings them. Of course, understanding the benefits makes you much more likely to put them into practice than if I or a magazine article just tells you ‘eat more protein because it’s what you should be doing.’

Protein and Weight Loss – The Benefits

1/ Protein increases levels of appetite reducing hormones. So eating enough protein will make you feel fuller for longer and less likely to take in extra, unnecessary calories later in the day.

2/Protein reduces levels of the hunger hormone. So along with point 1, eating enough protein will make you generally less hungry.

3/ Thermal effect of food. Carbohydrates, protein and fat all automatically burn off a certain amount of the calories you have eaten purely during digestion. Figures for this vary slightly from different sources, but 5% for fat, 10% for carbs and 20% for protein is about the average. So that’s 20% of your protein calories gone and burnt straight away with zero effort on your part. This will obviously have a big impact on the calorie deficit you are trying to create if you are trying to lose weight.

4/ Maintains muscle mass. As you get older you will gradually lose muscle mass if you don’t fight against it. Protein intake is a vital tool to stop this happening as it helps to replenish and repair your muscles. (Weights/resistance training is a key part of muscle retention also).  

5/ Boosts metabolism. Partly as a result of having more muscle mass (the more muscle mass you have the more calories your body has to burn in order to maintain it), studies show an increase in protein intake is linked to an increase in metabolism. Again aiding your weight loss efforts.

6/ More protein = less junk. Partly because it fills you up more, as discussed above, but also simply because if you are eating a higher percentage of your total calories as protein, you will naturally eat less of the foods that lead to weight gain such as sugars and carbs.

So how much protein should you eat?

Studies vary a bit on this, but if eat 1 gram of protein per kg of your ideal body weight a day you will be fine. So if you want to get to 10 stones, that’s 63.5kg so you should eat 63.5 grams of protein a day. Obviously there is no need to measure everything to the exact 0.5kg. Once you learn how much protein is in different foods you will be able to estimate pretty accurately without adding it up every day forever. As always I recommend using myfitnesspal at least in the short term as this will add up and calculate your protein intake for you.

How much is too much?

Unless you are a body builder or looking to gain a lot of muscle, don’t go above 1.5grams of protein per kg of ideal bodyweight. Unless you are doing an awful lot of training this could lead to a protein overload and could even affect organs such as your kidneys.

What are the best sources of protein?

For 100 grams;

Chicken Breast – 23.5 grams of (protein)

Turkey – 22.5 grams

Beef – 21 grams

Cod – 18 grams

Salmon – 21.5 grams

Cottage Cheese – 12.2 grams

Milk – 3.6 grams

Yogurt – 4.5 grams

1 medium egg – 6 grams

These are just a few examples. Beans, lentils, some grains also contain plenty of protein (and are essential if you are vegetarian). Meat and fish are the easiest ways of getting enough protein, then adding in a bit more milk, yogurt, cottage cheese should comfortably get you to your goal. Of course the trick is making sure you are eating lean, healthy sources of protein as much as possible. Foods such as cheese are high in protein but eat 100 grams of that and you will obviously be taking in an awful lot of fat and calories as well.

Conclusion – Protein and Weight Loss

So protein and weight loss are unavoidably linked. Find out how much you are currently eating, and if you are low (as a lot of people are), take steps to get your protein intake up to the required level.

Any questions or comments please feel free to write below and I will respond asap.

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