3 Reasons Why Eating Protein Helps You Lose Weight
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Protein: Your Secret Weight Loss Weapon
On today’s episode of Live Lean TV, I’m sharing 3 reasons why eating protein helps you lose weight and is your secret weight loss weapon.
Feel free to share this video blog post with your friends 😊.
All right, let’s just jump right into it.
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One of my favorite secret weight loss weapons, that I’ve been following for 8 years, has to do with nutrition.
In fact, it is a Live Lean Law to eat more of this specific type of food.
I’m referring to a diet higher in protein.
A diet higher in protein is a healthy way to help you lose weight, and keep it off forever.
Health Benefits Of Protein
Research shows a diet higher in protein can lead to a lower risk of:
A diet higher in protein may also help lower your bad LDL cholesterol.
It’s time to set the record straight on the health benefits of protein.
Many nutrition experts agree that the official recommended dietary allowance (RDA) of protein is low.
Even though the RDA may be as little as 10-15% of calories from protein, a lot of people, especially women, don’t even consume enough protein to reach those minimum guidelines.
3 Reasons Why Eating Protein Helps You Lose Weight
Here are just 3 of the reasons why eating protein is such a powerful macronutrient to slim your waistline and help you lose weight.
#1. Protein Is A Highly Thermogenic Macronutrient
Protein has a high thermic effect.
This simply means the body burns a lot of calories just to digest and metabolize the protein.
Look at it this way.
If a chicken breast has 120 calories, a decent percentage of these calories are already burned just to digest it.
#2. Foods High In Protein Are Filling
Foods high in protein are slower to digest, thus leaving you feeling fuller, for a longer time.
This also means protein sources are hard to over consume.
#3. Protein Helps You Build Calorie Crushing Muscle
Protein is made up of amino acids that are critical to building lean and strong muscle.
Not only will muscle make you look and feel healthier, muscle also increases your metabolism, so you’ll be burning more calories even while you sleep.
The problem with consuming most healthy sources of protein such as beef, poultry, fish, and eggs, is they are not typically convenient foods.
Unfortunately, it’s an easy habit to throw a sugar filled fattening granola bar into your briefcase or hit up the vending machine at work.
However, if you are truly committed to changing your body and your health, you must change your habits.
If you work a 9-5 job, I recommend you get into the habit of:
- Preparing your proteins in advance
- Cooking them in bulk
- Storing them in glass food storage containers
- Bringing them to work for lunch and snacks
Best Types Of Protein To Eat For Weight Loss
What types of protein should you eat?
Be aware.
Just because the package says 10g of protein, it doesn’t mean it’s high quality.
Not all protein is created the same.
Animal protein sources are the highest quality because they are a complete source of protein.
This means they contain all 9 essential amino acids required to build muscle.
The highest quality protein sources include:
- Beef
- Chicken
- Turkey
- Fish
- Eggs
- Protein Powder
- Whey Isolate Protein Powder (use 25% off code: LiveLeanTV25)
- Egg White Protein Powder (use 25% off code: LiveLeanTV25)
- Pork
If you look at the nutrition facts information for nuts and grains, it may show they contain 5-8 grams of protein per serving, however they don’t contain all 9 essential amino acids.
Vegan And Vegetarian Protein Sources
Also, if you are a vegan or vegetarian, you will have to get good at pairing different protein sources to create a complete protein.
For example, when rice and beans are combined, they create a complete protein source.
However, when they are eaten separately, they do not create a complete protein source.
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How Much Protein Should you Eat?
I recommend you start off by aiming to consume:
- 1 gram of protein per pound of bodyweight
For example, if you are 180 pounds, strive for 180 grams of protein split between your meals and snacks throughout the day.
If you are more active, increase your protein consumption.
Start Your Day With A Breakfast High In Protein
Here is your Live Lean tip.
Ensure you start your day with a high protein breakfast.
Consuming 30-40g of protein in the morning will help control your blood sugar levels and manage your hunger throughout the day.
This will also help ensure you are burning stored fat for energy, not your muscle.
Here’s a link to my delicious meat and nuts breakfast recipe.
Bottom Line On Why Eating Protein Helps You Lose Weight
Get in the habit of adding a protein source to each of your meals and snacks.
A few of my favorite quick high protein snacking options include:
Here’s a link to my protein cookie recipe.
There you have it Live Lean Nation.
Join Team Live Lean For More Recipes, Meal Plans, And Workouts
Team Live Lean is where you need to be if you want access to:
- Approximately 200 high protein meal and snack cooking lesson recipe videos
- Weekly meal plans telling you exactly what to eat
- Done for you weekly grocery lists
- 30 day workout programs
- And so much more
Go join the other like minded Live Leaners and change your health at Team Live Lean.
We can’t wait to see you over there.
I am so grateful that you tuned in to today’s post.
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Get ready.
Thank you for being awesome, and keep Living Lean.
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Question Of The Day:
- How much protein do you eat in a day?
- What are your favorite go-to protein snacks?
Share your experiences in the comment section below.
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Brad Gouthro is the founder of Live Lean TV, a media company focused on helping men and women “Live Lean” 365 days a year. Brad’s programs and content have helped millions of people all over the world learn how to get in shape, and more importantly, sustain it for life.
Protein is an essential nutrient for many reasons. It can also go a long way in losing weight, as detailed here, especially since it can make the body feel fuller.