Protein For Weight Loss

If you're trying to eat to lose weight, low-calorie filling foods are your best friend; in particular, lean protein sources are among the very best foods for weight loss. I'd always heard protein being promoted as an essential for bodybuilders (which I'm not) but this nutrient seems to be one of those well-kept weight loss secrets. I've done plenty of research and written many articles about how lean protein foods can help you slim down, and more importantly I've tried it myself, and yes, IT WORKS! Protein is the most satiating nutrient, meaning it helps you feel full, so you can eat less food and still feel satisfied and you can last longer without feeling hungry. Here's why: protein-rich foods take more time to digest and metabolize so your body actually burns more calories processing them, plus they take longer to leave your stomach, so you fill up sooner and stay full longer. Now here's the caveat: you have to choose lean protein foods (those that are high in protein but also low in calories) if you want to lose weight. Some of the best sources of lean protein include white-meat chicken and turkey, seafood and fish, pork tenderloin, lean cuts of beef, beans, eggs, quinoa, tofu, low-fat cheese (including cottage cheese) and low-fat yogurt (choose Greek yogurt - it's got way more protein than the regular kind but is thick and creamy, so it doesn't seem low-fat).
Aim to take in between 0.5 and 1 g of protein per pound of body weight every day and try to include lean protein foods in every meal and snack to keep you full all day long.

Personally, I find that protein-rich meals really do fill me up for hours, especially when compared to high-fiber, low-protein meals. I think the key is combining both nutrients in every meal and snack, although if I had to pick just one, I'd definitely pick protein over fiber; your body might respond differently so try eating a few high-fiber and high-protein meals separately and see which you find more satisfying.

Thanks to avlxyz for the above photo, which is published under Creative Commons License.