Consume More Protein and Lose Body Fat.
Nobody Said Parenting Was Going To Be Easy.
Alright, so unless you’ve been living under a rock. (which might be the case, and for this I am sorry) We’ve all heard about the different diet fads out there. There’s the Keto Diet, Vegan Diet, Paleo Diet, Atkins Diet, the Vegetarian Diet, South Beach Diet….heck, you name it, the Mac ‘N Cheese diet.
I’m sure all of them work to some extent or another…for at least a period of time.
But, science is now showing that INCREASING PROTEIN INTAKE WILL REDUCE BODY FAT.
Now, I am not a medical doctor, nor do I have a Ph.d. in biology…so take this for what it is worth. Call it info-tainment. But, the following information is cultivated from reputable sources.
Okay.
Here it is.
PROTEIN, BABY, PROTEIN
Protein has it’s hand in just about EVERY biological process in the body.
Protein makes up approximately 20 percent of the human body. Excluding Water and Fat, Protein makes up the majority of the human body. There are many different kinds of proteins within the body. But, the body needs to CONSUME ESSENTIAL AMINO ACIDS (aka Proteins) through diet in order to make these, many kinds, of proteins.
Protein is needed for the repair, growth and maintenance of the cells.
Here is a list of some of the (many) processes that proteins contribute to in the body:
Antibodies: these proteins fight foreign “invaders” of your body, like in allergic reactions.
Repair, maintenance, and structure: proteins are the main building blocks of your muscles, bones, skin, and hair.
Hormones: chemical messenger proteins allow cells and organs to communicate. For example, Growth Hormone — which can affect your muscle gain and fat loss results — and Follicle Stimulating Hormone — a hormone important to your sexual health — are both protein hormones.
Enzymes: while all proteins are not enzymes, all enzymes are proteins — and proteins are catalysts (“kickstarters”) for chemical reactions in your body.
Transportation and storage: some proteins carry important molecules where they’re needed — think hemoglobin (red blood cells) carrying oxygen to cells, then carrying carbon dioxide away.
So, basically, if you are not consuming enough protein you are already behind the 8 BALL in terms of overall health.
How does consuming more protein help you to LOSE WEIGHT?
A high protein diet boosts metabolism, reduces appetite and changes several weight-regulating hormones
A higher protein diet actually increases levels of the satiety (appetite-reducing) hormones GLP-1, peptide YY and cholecystokinin, while reducing your levels of the hunger hormone (the dreaded) ghrelin.
Not to mention the thermic effect of food.
The thermic effect of food is the energy required for digestion, absorption, and disposal of ingested nutrients. Its magnitude depends on the composition of the food consumed:
Carbohydrates: 5 to 15% of the energy consumed
Protein: 20 to 35%
Fats: at most 5 to 15%
In short, protein increases the metabolic rate by 20-35 percent, while carbohydrates and fat do it by less than 15 percent, roughly.
The ideal daily protein intake is around 0.8 - 1.0 grams per pound of body weight per day, and eating more than that doesn't necessarily correlate to better body composition. Plus, your body still needs some carbs and fat to function. That means; I am 170 lbs. I should consume between 136 grams and 170 grams of protein per day.
I don’t think I would like to consume 4 large Chicken Breasts per day (approximately 43 g). So one of the easiest ways to get those grams of protein in is Protein Shakes. YES, NATURAL IS BETTER. Of course. You’re better off eating animal sources of protein because of the high leucine content. Leucine is actually a strong indicator of the quality of the protein you’re consuming because of its ability to raise muscle anabolism.
But if you are in a pinch, grab a shake.
The Power of Extra Protein.
In a study performed at the Performance & Physique Enhancement Laboratory, two groups of aspiring female physique athletes were tested. One group ate a high-protein diet consisting of 1.1 grams of protein per pound of body weight, while the other group ate about half that amount.
All the women performed the same workouts four days per week in the lab. By the end of the study, the group eating more protein had gained 4.5 pounds of muscle, while the low-protein group only gained about 1.5 pounds of muscle. That means - all things being equal - extra protein changes body composition….pretty drastically.
Interestingly, a higher protein intake can also help prevent weight regain. In one study, a modest increase in protein intake (from 15 to 18% of calories) reduced weight regain after weight loss by 50%
So, to wrap this up.
Consume more protein. Shoot for .8-1.0 grams per pound of body weight.
Try and get it from natural/animal sources. But, if that gets difficult just shoot for a Protein Shake.
Give it a try.
What have you got to lose?? If it works…GREAT!! If it doesn’t, hey you gave it a shot.