All protein
diet is all the rage right now and for good reason; it promotes rapid and
sustainable weight loss. However, choose
your weight loss program carefully. Not
all protein diet are created equal and some are actually downright unhealthy.
Generally, all protein diet usually means low or no carbohydrates. And while it’s OK to totally eradicate carbs from your diet for a few days to speed up initial weight loss, any longer than that is not recommended without seeking medical advice
Despite
their bad press, good carbs (vegetables, whole grains and fruit) are still an
important part of any healthy eating program, even one that focuses on weight
loss. Just go easy on them and say NO to
refined carbs (white bread, pasta, rice) as much as possible, in particular
sugar (in the form of soft drinks, fruit juice and sweets).
The Power Of All Protein Diet
The moment
it leaves your fork, protein starts winnowing your waistline. High-protein
foods take more work to digest, metabolize, and use, which means you burn more
calories processing them. They also take longer to leave your stomach, so you
feel full sooner and for a longer amount of time. The cumulative effect has
obvious benefits for anyone who is watching her weight.
In a study
published in Nutrition Metabolism, dieters who increased their protein intake
to 30 percent of their diet ate nearly 450 fewer calories a day and lost about
11 pounds over the 12-week study without employing any other dietary measures.
And if,
like most successful dieters, you're burning calories as well as counting them,
protein is doubly essential for making sure you lose fat, not muscle. Your body
uses the amino acids in protein to build lean muscle, which not only makes you
stronger and more toned but also fries calories even when you're not
active—unlike lazy fat. Ultimately, this keeps your metabolism humming along at
high speed so you can burn off the occasional cookie, no problem.
How Much Protein Do You Need?
You need
protein at all stages of life. It's the major component of all cells, including
muscle and bone. It's needed for:
Growth
Development
Immunity to fight off infections and
protect the body
The
Institute of Health's Dietary Reference Intake (DRI) recommendations allow for
a wide range of protein intake. The range is anywhere from 10% to 35% of total
calories for normal, healthy adults.
For
example, on an 1,800-calorie diet, you could safely eat anywhere from 45 grams
(10% of calories) to 158 grams (35% of calories) of protein per day.
But the
Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) for protein is:
Men: 56 grams a day
Women: 46 grams a day
Most
Americans have no problem getting this much, but would struggle to take in
enough protein to make up 35% of their calories.
Is it
possible to eat too much protein? There are no dangers associated with higher
intakes of protein -- unless you have kidney or liver disease.
To get the
potential weight loss benefit, experts advise aiming for around 120 grams of
protein a day. If you want to increase your protein intake, do it slowly over
the course of a week.
To be on the safe side, check with your doctor before following all protein diet.