Can you really lose weight with protein?

There are many articles and weight loss programs out there that advocate the use of low or no-carb plans to achieve weight loss. But what they often DON'T talk about is the importance of including enough protein in that same diet plan - when you lose with protein, your weight loss is much enhanced.

Here's a few of the reasons why...

If you simple starve your body, as in a simple low calorie or low carb diet, then it still has to source energy from somewhere to keep functioning. Part of that energy comes from converting the fat you are trying to lose, but some also comes from converting the proteins in your body into glucose - when you lose with protein depletion like that, your body is literally eating itself, including some of the vital organs - not good!!

It is easier to lose weight with protein in your diet because protein is slow to break down in the body, so it satisfies your appetite for longer, making you less likely to snack. We've experienced this - eating a full breakfast will get you off to a great start to the day, but that bag of doughnuts won't!a

Muscle consumes a lot more calories than fat - which makes sense: fat is basically just sitting there, whereas muscle helps you to move around! And muscle is made from... protein! As you start to lose weight with protein in your diet, this gives your body the building blocks it needs to add lean muscle mass, which helps you lose weight more quickly.

So - ditch the carbs and just eat protein, right? Not quite - your body needs fuel and if you remove all carbs from your diet then you are in danger of not just losing weight with protein, but losing too much protein as your body scavenges for the fuel it needs to function.

As always, the key here is to understand just what the different elements of your diet are doing and balance them - enough carbs to give your body the fuel it needs, lean protein to develop that muscle mass and regular exercise raise your calorie usage. More calories burnt, fewer taken each day - there's the key to sustained, healthy weight loss!