5 Ways Protein Can Help You Lose Weight

Protein is a macronutrient the body uses to build and maintain the health of bones, muscle, and skin.

If you're trying to lose weight, including more protein-rich foods in your diet can help increase satiety, which may lead you to consume less calories overall, which can result in weight loss. Protein-rich foods are also important in building lean body mass, which may help boost your metabolism, so that your body is more efficient at burning calories.

Here are five things you need to know about protein and weight loss, including ways to incorporate more of it into your diet.

Protein Increases Satiety

Several studies have linked high-protein diets to increased fullness and decreased appetite.

This may happen through an increase in satiety hormones, such as glucagon-like peptide- 1 (GLP-1) and cholecystokinin (CCK), and a decrease in the hunger hormone ghrelin.

In addition, protein increases the amount of calories your body burns, which can also contribute to decreased appetite and weight loss.

One review highlighted that satiety typically increases after meals containing 25% to 81% protein.

Another older study found that an increase in dietary protein from 15% to 30% led to participants reducing their daily calorie intake by 411 calories. Study participants also lost an average of 11 pounds over 12 weeks.

Your Body Burns Calories Digesting and Metabolizing Protein

When you eat food, your body uses calories to digest, absorb, and metabolize it. This is known as the thermic effect of food (TEF).

Protein has a higher thermic effect than fat and carbs. Studies suggest that about 20-30% of protein calories are burned during protein digestion. Meanwhile, fat has the lowest thermic effect, around 0-3%, and carbohydrates have a thermic effect of 5-10%.

Protein Maintains Lean Muscle Mass During Periods of Weight Loss

When you lose weight, you lose both fat and lean muscle mass. Studies show that people with overweight or obesity can lose 20-30% of their muscle mass during periods of weight loss.

Muscle tissue is metabolically active and burns more calories than fat. Having less of it will slow calorie burn, making it more difficult to lose weight.

Incorporating resistance training into your workout routine and following a high-protein diet can prevent a loss of muscle mass. This can help keep your metabolism from slowing down and improve your body composition.

In particular, several studies support a protein intake above the current guideline of 0.8 grams per kilogram of body weight per day during weight loss.

One 2020 study in middle-aged men with overweight or obesity found that a low-calorie, moderate-carb diet that supplied 1.42 grams per kilogram of body weight daily led to a greater preservation of muscle mass than a low-calorie mixed diet that provided 0.96 grams of protein per kilogram daily.

Protein Can Increase Metabolism

Because of its higher thermic effect and ability to maintain lean muscle mass, a high-protein diet can boost your metabolism. This means your body will burn more calories throughout the day, even while you're asleep.

Studies have shown that high-protein diets can increase daily energy expenditure by 70 to 200 calories, with higher protein intakes being associated with a greater increase in metabolism.

Protein May Prevent Weight Regain

Losing weight is hard. But keeping it off is even more challenging. One review of long-term weight loss studies noted that over half of the weight lost was regained within two years, and 80% was regained by five years.

Another study found that an increase in protein from 15% to 18% of daily calories reduced weight regain after weight loss by 50%.

Why You Need Protein

Protein is a macronutrient, which means your body needs large amounts of it to function optimally.

Every cell in the human body contains protein. You need protein to help your body repair and build cells and body tissue. Protein is a major part of your muscle, bone, hair, skin, and internal organs. It is essential for proper growth and development, especially in children, teens, and pregnant people.

Protein is also involved in many bodily processes, including:

• Fluid balance
• Blood clotting
• Immune system response
• Vision
• The production of enzymes, hormones, and antibodies

How Much Protein Should You Get

 The amount of protein you need daily depends on your age, gender, body size, and activity level.

The Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2020-2025 recommended that 10% to 35% of an adult's calorie intake come from protein. For weight loss and satiety, some studies suggest a daily protein intake of 30% of your total daily calories.

You can calculate the grams of protein you need for weight loss by multiplying your daily calorie needs by 0.3 and dividing that number by 4, as there are four calories in each gram of protein.

To calculate your protein needs based on a 2,000-calorie diet:

• Multiply 2,000 X 0.3, which equals 600 calories from protein
• Divide 600 by 4, which gives you a total of 150 grams of protein per day

Alternatively, you can aim for a specific protein target based on your weight. Aiming for 1–1.2 grams per kilogram (.45 to .55 grams per pound) of ideal body weight is commonly recommended for weight loss.

Talk with your healthcare provider or registered dietitian to determine how much protein you need each day. Too much protein may cause problems in people with kidney disease or are at high risk.

How to Get More Protein

Increase your daily protein intake by incorporating a source of protein into all of your meals and snacks.

The following foods contain around 14 grams of protein:

• 2 ounces of meat, fish, or poultry
• 2 large boiled eggs
• 1/2 cup of tofu
• 1 cup cooked beans or lentils
• 2 ounces of cheese

Greek yogurt is also a good source of protein, containing around 20 grams of protein per container.

If you find it difficult to hit your protein target, you can also try mixing protein powder into oatmeal, smoothies, water, or milk.

A Quick Review

Protein is an essential nutrient that is vital to many bodily functions. A high-protein diet can aid weight loss by increasing satiety, boosting metabolism, and more.

You can increase your daily protein intake by incorporating lean protein sources into meals and snacks. You can also mix protein powder into smoothies or milk to help you hit your daily protein targets.

Talk with a registered dietitian or healthcare provider to determine how much protein is suitable for you.