The Surprising Way Protein Can Help You Lose Weight Faster
Protein is kind of the It Girl of nutrients right now. It's the macro that's good at everything: building muscle, supporting immune function, sustaining energy levels, shoring up bone health, and much more. But when it comes to losing weight, does eating more protein help you lose faster or more effectively... or is it just a really good thing to eat more of in general for your overall health? The answer is a little of both.
Protein is a building block of life, and every cell in your body contains this macronutrient, according to the U.S. National Library of Medicine. (Carbohydrates and fats are the other main macronutrients, FYI.) Protein is necessary to help your body repair cells and make new ones, and it’s also crucial for growth and development.
Protein does a lot for your body, and, yes, it plays a role in weight loss, experts say. But losing weight isn’t as simple as adding more protein to your plate—there are a lot of other factors to consider.
So, what’s the sweet spot with upping your protein for weight loss? We tapped three doctors who specialize in weight loss, along with a nutritionist and personal trainer, for everything you need to know.
Meet the experts: Mir Ali, MD, is the medical director of MemorialCare Surgical Weight Loss Center at Orange Coast Medical Center in Fountain Valley, California. Rekha Kumar, MD, is an endocrinologist at NewYork-Presbyterian and Weill Cornell Medicine. Albert Matheny, RD, CSCS, is co-founder of SoHo Strength Lab. Michael Russo, MD, is a weight loss surgeon at MemorialCare Orange Coast Medical Center.
Here’s How Protein Helps You Lose Weight
The macro helps with weight loss in a few different ways. These are the biggies to keep in mind.
1. It keeps you fuller, longer.
Protein is highly satiating, helping you to feel more satisfied after eating than if you were to, say, have a bunch of carbs. “That sense of fullness can help you to consume fewer calories,” says Albert Matheny, RD, CSCS, co-founder of SoHo Strength Lab.
Research has found that having higher levels of protein when you’re restricting calories can improve your diet quality, which could lead to weight loss. Another study published earlier this year found that people who had the most success at losing weight over 25 months had more protein and fiber than other study participants, dropping nearly 13 percent of their body weight.
Feeling fuller for longer periods of time can even help reduce cravings for other less nutritious foods, adds Rekha Kumar, MD, an endocrinologist at NewYork-Presbyterian and Weill Cornell Medicine.
2. It takes more energy to break down than other macros.
Your body requires energy to break down the foods you eat, says Mir Ali, MD, medical director of MemorialCare Surgical Weight Loss Center at Orange Coast Medical Center. Some foods need more energy than others to go through this process, which is known as the thermic effect of food. Carbohydrates and fats require the least thermic effect, while protein has the highest, Dr. Ali says.
“Protein is a complex source of calories, so it takes more energy to break down,” Dr. Ali says. The exact number isn’t entirely agreed-on, but research shows the thermic effect for protein is about 20 to 30 percent; in context, this would mean that for every 100 calories of protein you consume, for instance, your body is using roughly 30 of those calories to process and metabolize it. (That number would be smaller for carbs and fats, meaning you don't expend as many calories processing those nutrients compared to protein.)
3. Protein interacts with hormones that control weight.
When you eat, signals are sent to your brain that influence hormones related to your weight. When you eat a lot of protein, your body actually increases levels of hormones like GLP-1, peptide YY, and cholecystokinin, which all play a role in helping you feel full. At the same time, protein lowers levels of the hormone ghrelin, which is linked to feeling hungry.
What's more: “Protein also stimulates the hormone insulin less than carbohydrates do, and insulin is a hunger-promoting hormone,” Dr. Kumar says.
4. It helps to prevent muscle loss and maintain muscle mass.
When you lose weight, you can lose muscle mass, but body fat loss is really the goal, Matheny notes. Protein can help support lean muscle mass in your body, as well as lower the odds you’ll lose muscle if you eat enough of it.
Having plenty of protein in your diet can support that muscle mass, which also keeps your metabolism in check, he explains. “Having more lean muscle mass helps you burn more calories,” Matheny says. “Your metabolic rate—which influences how many calories you burn—also goes up.”
5. It helps you burn fat.
Eating more protein generally means that you’re having less carbs and sugars in your diet. When you have less carbs and sugars, your body has to focus on burning other things for energy, like fat, Ali points out.
Ramping up your protein intake (and scaling back on carbs) “helps your body convert to ketosis, or fat burning mode, instead of carbohydrate burning as a primary fuel source,” Russo says.
How Much Protein You Need To Eat For Weight Loss
There are a few different recommendations floating around. The recommended daily allowance for protein (RDA) hasn’t changed in 30 years: That amount is 0.36 grams per pound of body weight or 0.8 grams per kilogram.
But mounting research is revealing that regular exercisers need more like 1.2 to 1.5 grams per kilogram of protein to support tissue growth. (That translates to about 30 to 35 grams of protein per meal.)
If weight loss is your goal, experts generally suggest aiming to have 1 gram per kilogram—of ideal body weight in protein a day, Dr. Russo says. (Note: That’s goal body weight—not your current weight.) But you may need to tinker with your numbers a little, depending on your level of activity, Kumar says. Meaning, if you’re trying to lose weight and you’re active, you may need a little more protein in your day.
Still, that’s a lot of protein. “Protein is a lot more filling than, say, sugary sodas, making it hard to have too much,” Matheny says.
How To Get More Protein In Your Diet
To ramp up your protein intake, Dr. Kumar suggests aiming to have protein in every meal. (You might be surprised at how you get barely any, or zero, in many traditional carb-forward breakfasts, for instance!) “Make sure the source of protein is providing nutrition such as lean meats, beans, and lentils, all of which are a great source of vitamins and minerals in addition to a source of protein,” she says.
Matheny recommends adding protein to your snacks, too. “Maybe it’s having meat and cheese or nut butter with your snack—something more than just having carbs,” he says. If you already are having protein but want to have more in your day, Matheny suggests simply adding more to your plate. “If you already eat chicken with your salad, increase the portion size that you’re already eating,” he says.
If you’re struggling to get more protein into your day or just want some extra guidance, the new WH High-Protein Meal Prep Manual is a great resource for you.
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