A High-Protein Diet Plan to Lose Weight
Introduction
One essential macronutrient for overall wellness is protein.
The Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2020–2025 state that adult females should consume at least 46 grams (g) of protein per day, while adult males should consume at least 56 g.
Building and sustaining the health of your body, including your muscles, skin, and bones, depends on the nutrient protein. It’s also a crucial component of your diet if you want to reach or stay at a healthy weight.
According to registered dietitian Annalise Pratt, RD, “Protein is invaluable when it comes to increased fullness and satisfaction after a meal.” “You have a better chance of losing weight if you know how to use this important nutrient as part of a balanced diet.”
Eating more than this, however, may help you shed fat and body weight while maintaining or even increasing your muscle mass, according to some research.
To find out more about how to consume a high-protein diet and how protein helps with weight loss, continue reading.
Protein: What is it?
An essential macronutrient, protein is involved in almost every process and function of the body. It is a vital dietary ingredient for a healthy lifestyle and plays a significant part in the recovery from exercise.
The building blocks of protein, amino acids, are made up of the elements carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, and nitrogen. The key functions of protein and amino acids include the formation of cellular transporters and enzymes, the maintenance of fluid balance, and the creation of body tissues.
Why Is Protein Necessary?
Amino acids, the building blocks of almost every cell in your body, make up protein.
Because of this, protein is regarded as an essential nutrient. If you don’t get enough of it from your diet, your body will have to take amino acids from your muscles, which are the primary source of protein that you store. This can lead to the loss of vital lean tissue and strength.
What makes protein crucial?
One of the three macronutrients, along with fat and carbohydrates, is protein. It is essential to the development, upkeep, and organization of your tissues and organs.
Protein serves a variety of vital biological purposes, including:
Repair and maintenance of muscles, bones, and skin; creation of antibodies and enzymes; transportation and storage of molecules; and regulation of hormones
Twenty smaller components known as amino acids make up the chain that makes up protein. Nine of these are regarded as essential amino acids. Your body is unable to produce them, therefore you must eat food that contains them.
What Effects Does Protein Have on My Body?
Along with fat and carbs, protein is one of the three primary macronutrients in your diet. Calories or the energy our bodies need to function are provided by these macronutrients.
Amino acids are the smallest building blocks that makeup protein. Proteins are made up of 20 different amino acids that can combine in certain ways. Because the body is unable to produce some amino acids, they are deemed “essential” and must be obtained from diet.
Every cell in the human body has protein. At every age and stage, maintaining optimal health, growth, development, and function requires consuming adequate protein each day. It functions in muscles, enzymes, hormones, antibodies, and the immune system and is a structural element of all cells and tissues.
Hormones and other messenger proteins help the body coordinate its functions by sending signals between cells, tissues, and organs. To help defend your body, antibodies attach themselves to outside invaders like viruses.
To lose weight, how much protein should I consume?
Each person has different protein needs. Your age, your level of lean muscle mass, your general health, and your level of activity all affect how much you require.
A maximum of 25 to 35 grams of protein can be immediately absorbed and used. Eating smaller portions of protein throughout the day is preferable to consuming large amounts at one meal.
Generally speaking, 10% to 35% of daily calories should come from protein. Each gram of protein has four calories. This implies that you should strive for 50–175 grams of protein per day if you consume roughly 2,000 calories.
You must expend more calories than you take in if you want to lose weight. According to experts, you should aim to burn 500 more calories per day than you consume. If you have a medical condition that may affect your protein requirements, including kidney disease, Pratt advises seeing a qualified dietitian or other healthcare professional before deciding how much protein to consume.
Your age, gender, amount of activity, and medical history all have a significant impact on your protein requirements, she says. Generally speaking, if you want to lose weight, you should consume between 10% and 35% of your daily calories from protein and expend 500 more calories than you consume.
Complete and Incomplete Proteins: What Are They?
Only 11 of the 20 amino acids that make up proteins—found in both plant and animal protein sources—are produced by our bodies. According to Matt, the remaining nine are necessary, which means we must obtain them from outside sources because our bodies are unable to produce them.
Usually present in animal-based proteins, a complete protein contains the nine essential amino acids that our systems are unable to produce. Plant-based proteins include some but not all of the nine required amino acids, making them incomplete proteins.
Eating a peanut butter sandwich, for instance, helps you match up missing proteins to form a complete protein. Not all of the essential amino acids are present in bread’s entire grain, but neither are in peanuts. They complete the critical amino acids your body requires by completing each other’s gaps.
Combining legumes (beans, lentils) with grains (rice, wheat) or nuts and/or seeds with grains are other popular protein pairings.
According to Matt, it’s a good idea to eat incomplete proteins within a day or two of one another, but you don’t have to pair them in the same meal.
Complete protein sources include, for example:
- Meat: fowl, lamb, hog, and beef
- Fish: cod, salmon, and tuna, among others
- Eggs: Specifically, egg whites
Is It Possible to Eat Too Much Protein?
Indeed, eating too much protein can have detrimental effects over the long run as well as in the short term. The following outcomes could result from excessive amounts:
- High protein consumption strains the kidneys, particularly in those with underlying medical conditions.
- Dehydration: If you’re not drinking enough liquids, consuming more protein may cause your pee to produce more, which could result in dehydration.
- Digestive problems: Consuming too much protein, particularly from animal sources, might cause constipation or diarrhea.
- Nutrient imbalances can result from diets that place an excessive amount of emphasis on protein. There should be a balance of proteins, carbs, fats, vitamins, and minerals in a well-rounded diet.
Protein Source Examples
- Poultry and meat
- Seafood and fish
- Eggs
- Dairy products
- Lentils, peas, and beans
- Products made of soy and tofu
- Seeds and nuts
Supplements of Protein
Protein supplements come in a variety of forms, including drinks, bars, gels, powders, and more, in addition to food. For example, experts advise that men’s protein bars should ideally have at least 15 grams of protein.
The source of the protein can be either plant-based (from foods like peas, soy, or hemp) or animal-based (usually whey or egg). Although they are convenient and delicious, protein supplements come at an additional cost. Since you may obtain protein via food, they are not required on a high-protein diet.
The impact of protein on weight loss
Numerous ways eating more protein can aid in weight loss.
Fullness and appetite
Hormones like PYY and GLP-1, which promote feelings of fullness and satisfaction, are produced in greater amounts when you consume protein. Additionally, a 2020 review discovered that protein lowers ghrelin levels, sometimes referred to as the “hunger hormone.”
A natural decrease in food consumption may result from the consequences of a high-protein diet.
Rate of metabolism
According to a 2018 review, eating more protein may increase your resting metabolic rate (RMM) and basal metabolic rate (BMR). This can help you burn more calories as you sleep and for a few hours after eating.
Additionally, protein may raise the amount of energy your body needs to digest, process, and store food. Thermic effect of food (TEF) is the term for this. Protein has a TEF of 20–30%, which means that just digesting it uses 20–30% of its calories. In contrast, the TEFs for fat and carbohydrates are 0–3% and 5–10%, respectively.
Composition of the body
Protein can aid in weight loss by increasing metabolism, promoting fullness, and suppressing appetite.
According to a 2020 study, eating more protein helps people lose weight and fat while keeping their muscular mass. The scientists also point out that eating a lot of protein can help you lose weight over the long term and may even help you avoid gaining it back.
Your metabolism usually slows down when you cut back on calories. Muscle loss is partially to blame for this. On the other hand, eating more protein can assist in maintaining your metabolic rate and prevent muscle loss.
Additional advantages of protein
A diet aimed at weight loss may include dietary protein as a key component.
Although dietary protein has several advantages, weight loss is directly impacted by four major areas:
- Contentedness Lean mass
- Food storage’s thermogenic impact on body fat
Let’s examine each of these subjects in more detail.
Beyond its impact on weight control, protein may also be beneficial for:
- build more muscular mass
- lessen bone loss and muscle loss as people age
- Enhance the healing of wounds.
What is the recommended daily intake of protein?
Your daily protein requirements vary depending on some factors, including your age and sex. There is some debate over the precise amount as well.
0.8 g of protein per kilogram of body weight (g/kg/bawl) or 0.36 g per pound of body weight (g/lbs/bw) is the Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) for protein.
However, this amount is frequently misunderstood as the ideal number, according to the authors of a 2019 review. For most healthy people, it’s just the bare minimum of protein needed to avoid vitamin shortages and muscle loss.
Beyond 2 g/kg/bawl (0.9 g/lbs/bawl), protein consumption might not offer any further advantages. Participants who drank 1.6 g/kg/bawl (0.7 g/lbs/bawl) shed somewhat more fat and experienced comparable muscular gains as those who consumed 2.4 g/kg/bawl (1.1 g/lbs/bawl), according to a 2013 study.
For both weight loss and general health, a high-protein diet should include roughly 1.2–2 g/kg/bw (0.6–0.9 g/lbs/bawl).
Thus, 68 kg (150 lbs) of body weight corresponds to 82–136 g of protein per day.
If you’re trying to lose weight and don’t know how many calories and grams of protein you should be eating, consult a qualified dietician or other healthcare expert. They can create a diet plan that suits you.
A sedentary individual needs 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight, which is equivalent to 0.36 grams of protein each pound. A sedentary individual weighing 150 pounds (22.6 kg) needs 54 grams of protein daily.
You need more protein if you’re active. Depending on how often they work, active persons should consume between 1.2 and 2.0 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight every day.
How to adhere to a diet rich in protein
You may tailor a high-protein diet to your personal dietary preferences and health objectives. For example, you can adhere to a
- A diet heavy in protein and low in carbohydrates can help you control your blood sugar levels.
- Plant-based, high-protein diet if you’re vegetarian or vegan; dairy-free, high-protein diet if you’re lactose intolerant
- The following fundamental rules will assist you in adhering to a high-protein diet:
- Utilize a food journal app or website to help you set, monitor, and sustain your protein intake targets.
- Consume animal and plant proteins in your diet; prefer high-quality protein sources over processed meats; and eat protein for the morning.
- Eat well-balanced meals.
What is the Protein Content of My Food?
Matt lists items that contribute to a well-rounded diet and their protein content. For comparison, a computer mouse weighs roughly three ounces.
- 3 grams of avocado
- One gram of banana
- 7-8 grams is ½ cup of beans.
- 3 ounces of cheese equals 18 grams.
- 3 ounces of chicken weighs 21 grams.
- 14 grams is one cup of cottage cheese.
- 7 grams of egg
- 17 grams of Greek yogurt
- One cup of milk (2% or whole) weighs eight grams.
- 2 grams of mushrooms
- Nuts: 7 grams is ¼ cup.
- One cup of oatmeal weighs 26 grams.
- 3 ounces of salmon equals 25 grams.
- 3 ounces of shrimp equals 20 grams.
- 3 ounces of turkey equals 21 grams.
In addition to combining nutrients for extended satiety and sustained energy, Matt suggests including protein with every meal.
“I frequently see persons with Type 2 Diabetes who are attempting to reduce their body weight. I suggest eating a matrix of nutrients and including protein in every meal. A single carbohydrate, such as a slice of fruit, for instance, enters your system rapidly and raises your blood sugar and appetite. A snack or meal that contains many nutrients, such as a carb and fat or a carb and protein, slows down the rate at which the carbs enter your bloodstream.
Here are some ideas for well-balanced snacks that incorporate proteins, lipids, and carbohydrates:
- Nut butter on an apple provides protein, healthy fat, and carbs.
- Whole wheat bread with avocado (good fat and carbs)
- Crackers and cheese (protein and carbs)
- Chia pudding (protein, carbohydrates, and good fat)
- Pineapple and cottage cheese (protein and carbs)
- Edamame (carbohydrates and protein)
- Berries and granola with Greek yogurt (protein, carbs, and good fat)
- Whole grain crackers with hard-boiled eggs (protein and carbs)
- Trail mix (protein, healthy fats, and carbohydrates; no candy)
Whey protein: what is it?
Milk contains two proteins: whey and casein. Casein is the curd while whey is the watery portion. Whey contains all of the essential amino acids, including leucine, which is crucial for the synthesis of muscle protein, and it digests more quickly than casein. Depending on the product, it has 20 to 30 grams of protein per serving and is beneficial to have after working out.
Whey protein can be classified into three primary forms: whey protein hydrolysate (WPH), whey protein isolate (WPI), and whey protein concentrate (WPC).
WPC keeps more of the healthy elements included in whey while having a lower protein content. WPI undergoes additional processing to eliminate more lipids and carbs, which raises the protein content.
Ways to Increase Your Protein Intake
Understanding your protein requirements is only half the fight; you still need to choose how to transform that information into dietary decisions.
Start by identifying high-protein foods you like to eat and understanding where to find the greatest protein sources. You can get high-quality protein from a range of foods, such as plant-based proteins like beans, lentils, nuts, and seeds, or animal-based sources like meat, fish, and dairy.
The following resources will assist you in identifying foods that are the highest in protein:
- Snacks high in protein
- Sources of vegan protein
Next, start utilizing macro-friendly software to track your daily intake and learn how to portion your meal selections to match your macros.
Do you want to step it up? This free book, which includes food lists and professional guidance on how to lose weight, will help you keep to your protein and calorie objectives and achieve results more rapidly.
In what ways does protein aid in weight loss?
When included in a balanced diet, protein can help people lose weight. Increasing the amount of protein in your diet could benefit you:
- Feel satisfied for longer.
Protein can help you feel fuller for longer because it takes longer to digest than other nutrients. You may be able to avoid snacking and reduce your caloric intake by doing this.
Long-term consumption of a higher-protein diet has been associated in studies with reduced food intake and weight loss. People on high-protein diets ate less at meals and more in between meals, according to one study.
Pratt points out that when you don’t eat enough protein, you’re more prone to eat more other things to satisfy your hunger.
- Maintain a lean body mass.
You may lessen the accumulation of bad fats in your body, particularly around your midsection, by eating more protein. Since protein is necessary for muscular growth, it can also help you avoid losing muscle mass when you lose weight.
- To digest meals, use more calories.
When you eat, your body converts food into energy by breaking it down, absorbing nutrients, and burning calories. Thermic effect of food (TEF) is the term for this.
Protein has a greater TEF than carbohydrates since it requires more energy to digest. You’re burning more calories just by consuming protein.
- Reduce bodily fat storage.
You might occasionally take in more calories than you expend. Reducing the number of calories that are stored as fat is crucial for weight loss.
The three primary macronutrients—proteins, carbs, and fats—are processed differently by your body. Even if you consume too much protein, you will retain less fat since protein is considerably more difficult to store as body fat than fats or carbohydrates.
An example of a high-protein diet
This is an example of a menu that offers roughly 100 g of protein daily. The portions can be changed to suit your needs.
Monday
- Three eggs, one slice of whole-grain toast, one pear, and one tablespoon of almond butter for breakfast.
- Lunch consists of an orange, fresh avocado, and cottage cheese salad.
- Dinner consists of grilled zucchini, sweet potato, and 6 ounces (170 g) of steak.
Tuesday
- Breakfast is a smoothie made with strawberries, one cup of coconut milk, and one scoop of protein powder.
- Lunch consists of an apple, mixed greens, olive oil, and vinegar, and 4 ounces (114 grams) of canned salmon.
- Dinner will include quinoa, Brussels sprouts, and 4 ounces (114 grams) of grilled chicken.
Wednesday
- Breakfast consists of 1/4 cup chopped nuts, 1 cup plain Greek yogurt, and oatmeal.
- Lunch consists of 4 ounces (114 grams) of chicken combined with 1 avocado, peach, and red bell pepper.
- Brown rice and turkey pumpkin chili for supper.
Thursday
- Breakfast consists of an omelet with three eggs, one ounce of cheese, black olives, salsa, chile peppers, and an orange.
- Brown rice and leftover turkey pumpkin chili for lunch.
- Supper consists of broccoli, lentils, and 4 ounces (114 grams) of halibut.
Friday
- Breakfast consists of 1 cup cottage cheese, 1/4 cup sliced apples, cinnamon, and chopped walnuts.
- Lunch consists of carrot sticks and 4 ounces (114 grams) of canned salmon topped with sprouted grain toast and healthy mayo.
- The supper will be spaghetti squash, chicken meatballs with marinara sauce, and raspberries.
Saturday
- Breakfast is a frittata with half a cup of chopped potatoes, one ounce of cheese, and three eggs.
- Lunch consists of spaghetti squash, leftover chicken meatballs, marinara sauce, and an apple.
- Supper is a corn tortilla fajita with 3 ounces (85 grams) of shrimp, bell peppers, grilled onions, guacamole, and 1/2 cup black beans.
Sunday
- Protein pumpkin pancakes with 1/4 cup chopped pecans on top for breakfast.
- Lunch consists of 1/4 cup sliced pineapple and mixed nuts combined with 1 cup plain Greek yogurt.
- Supper will consist of sautéed spinach, potatoes, and 6 ounces (170 grams) of grilled salmon.
- You may increase your protein consumption and aid in weight loss by eating certain high-protein snacks.
What dangers come with consuming a diet high in protein?
For most people, diets high in protein are safe and beneficial.
As an illustration, a 2019 review contrary to popular assumption, a high protein intake beyond the RDA does not result in kidney difficulties in those with normal kidney function, according to a Trusted Source study.
However, if you have been diagnosed with moderate to severe renal disease, you may need to follow a low-protein diet to maintain kidney function.
A review of 2022Additionally, processed meat, total meat and meat products, and nondairy animal protein were associated with an increased risk of kidney stones, according to Trusted Source. Dairy protein, however, was linked to a decreased risk of kidney stones.
If you have renal illness, consult a medical practitioner or qualified dietitian about your daily protein intake.
Conclusion
One essential nutrient is protein.
Increased protein consumption has been associated with positive impacts on aging, hunger, weight, body composition, and general health.
Spread out your protein consumption throughout the day, select high-quality sources, and balance your intake with carbohydrates and healthy fats to get the most out of a high-protein diet.
FAQs
Is 100 grams of protein sufficient to reduce body fat?
Anyone seeking to lose weight should consume at least 100 grams of protein per day because it helps to guarantee that fat is lost rather than muscle. Additionally, it can help you feel fuller for longer, which will make it easier to stick to your diet and lose weight.
Does eating a lot of protein help you lose fat?
Consuming more protein than the recommended dietary intake has been shown in several clinical trials to improve body composition by lowering fat mass while maintaining fat-free mass (FFM) in both low-calorie and standard-calorie diets, in addition to lowering body weight (BW).
Can you burn fat with protein without working out?
According to research in the British Journal of Nutrition, eating enough protein can help you healthily lose weight without working out in several ways. Satiety: Foods high in protein are typically more full, which can help regulate appetite and lower caloric consumption in general.
Would too much protein be harmful?
Since many high-protein diets are heavy in total and saturated fat, consuming more protein can also raise blood lipid levels and increase the risk of heart disease. Extra protein consumption puts those who are already at risk for renal disease in further danger since it can strain the kidneys.
Is it true that protein burns abdominal fat?
More decreases in total and abdominal fat mass were observed in patients receiving a high protein diet (27% total energy content) as opposed to a regular protein diet (16% total energy content) in a trial of 215 overweight/obese subjects randomly assigned to one of two hypo-caloric diets for 12 weeks.
What is my daily protein requirement?
What is my daily protein requirement? A modest 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight, or 0.36 grams per pound, is the Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) for protein. A nutrient’s recommended daily allowance (RDA) is the quantity required to meet your basic nutritional needs.
By age, how much protein is required?
According to a recent study, persons between the ages of 18 and 30 should consume 0.8 to 0.93 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight; after that, the amount should increase to 0.85 to 0.96 grams per kilogram. Another study suggested 1.2 to 2.0 grams per kilogram of body weight every day for people over 65.
Reference
- Spritzler, F. (2023, December 20). A High-Protein diet plan to lose weight and improve health. Healthline. https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/high-protein-diet-plan
- Rd, C. R. (2024, May 11). How much protein should I eat to lose weight? Verywell Fit. https://www.verywellfit.com/how-much-protein-is-best-for-weight-loss-3495783
- Dieter, B. (n.d.). Protein metabolism: How to optimize protein intake for muscle gain and weight loss [Video]. https://blog.nasm.org/nutrition/how-much-protein-should-you-eat-per-day-for-weight-loss?utm_source=blog&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=organic&utm_content=safeandhealthyweightloss
- How much protein do you need daily? Ideal protein intake for muscle growth, weight loss, and managing chronic conditions. (n.d.). https://www.unitypoint.org/news-and-articles/how-much-protein-do-you-need-daily-ideal-protein-intake-for-muscle-growth-weight-loss-and-managing-chronic-conditions