If you're like most people who diet, you've probably asked, "How much protein should I consume to lose weight?" You want to know how much protein you can eat every day to lose weight effectively.
Overview
Since protein is being added to several of your favorite diet items at the grocery store, the response may be perplexing. It's natural to believe that consuming more protein is healthier. But this isn't always the case. Use these recommendations to determine how much protein you need to lose weight and how much protein you need every day to achieve your health and athletic goals.
Protein Will Help You Lose Weight
Make sure you know your recommended daily protein allowance before stocking up on protein supplements and diet-friendly high protein snack bars.
Protein should account for 10-35 percent of a healthy adult's calories, according to nutrition recommendations.
Some scientists claim that dieters lose more weight as they consume more protein-rich foods. However, the researchers kept protein levels within the recommended range. Dieters who ate 25 percent to 30 percent of their calories from lean protein lost more body fat and significantly increased the amount of calories burned at rest, according to three reports.
Diets with a lot of protein and a lot of dairy
Researchers compared dieters who ate a high protein (30%), high dairy diet to those who ate a lower protein (15%), lower dairy diet in a study of overweight and obese women. The women who ate a high-protein diet lost more body fat and gained more lean muscle mass than those who ate a low-protein diet. The low-protein group lost weight, but more lean muscle mass was lost.
The authors of the study believe that this lack of lean muscle contributes to long-term weight gain and the frustrating weight loss plateaus that so many dieters experience.
The low-protein category may have lost the potential to burn more calories during the day as a result of their loss of lean muscle mass. The high protein group, on the other hand, can burn more calories in the short and long term due to their improved body composition.
Remember that you will gain weight if you consume too many calories, regardless of the type of calories consumed. Even though some studies indicate that weight gain from lean protein is superior to weight gain from fat and carbohydrates, if your aim is to lose weight, eating the right amount of calories is still important.
Protein for Workouts
If you exercise as part of your weight-loss strategy, you will want to increase your protein intake. Athletes have higher protein requirements than average dieters. Dieters who exercise should still follow the 10-35 percent protein guidelines and keep their protein consumption at the higher end. You may also use a calculation to figure out how much protein you need.
Per pound of body weight, an average dieter needs 0.4 to 0.5 grams of protein. This equates to 0.8 to 1.0 g/kg.
Heavy exercisers and athletes can eat 0.5-0.8 grams of protein per pound of body weight, according to experts (1.2 to 1.7 grams per kilogram) Someone who trains for more than 10-12 hours a week is considered an athlete or heavy exerciser.
Supplements of protein
Many protein supplements are costly, and some can contain sugars and other additives that you don't need. Why waste money by consuming unnecessary calories? For weight loss, you definitely don't need a protein supplement.
You will fulfill your daily protein needs by including healthy protein foods in your meals and snacks. Many foods you already have in your kitchen will help you increase your intake. Do you know how much protein is in an egg, for example?
A single large egg contains approximately 5 grams of protein. The protein content of an egg white is approximately 4 grams. You can make a diet-friendly scramble with a single egg and a few whites and get 15 grams of protein or more without adding too much fat.
You may include a slice of lean chicken in your dinner or lunch menu. The amount of protein in a chicken breast varies depending on how much you consume, but a single 4-ounce serving usually contains 26 grams.
Verywell's Message
There are other reasons to avoid supplements and instead eat more protein-rich foods. Protein-rich foods are also high in other vitamins and minerals that are essential for a healthy diet. Iron, calcium, niacin, and thiamin are all found in lean meats, dairy, and seafood.