How much protein should you eat if you want to lose fat?
When you decide you want to lose weight, it can be confusing to know how much to eat: as little as possible right? Wrong. Actually, what you eat during a cut is integral to the composition of the weight lost. Here’s why.
Protein is a key macronutrient and has a plethora of important roles in the body from repairing tissue to creating hormones, we need it. We also have no mechanism to store protein in the body, unlike carbohydrates and fat. This means that we need to ensure we’re eating enough protein on a daily basis, so we have the fuel for our bodies to continue running optimally.
When it comes to weight loss, how much protein you consume can make a significant difference. Research shows that a high protein diet is the most effective for fat loss because protein consumption increases the speed of your metabolism, increases satiety and reduces appetite. It does this by boosting thermogenesis and altering the production of a number of hormones like ghrelin and leptin, both associated with hunger and fullness signalling.
A study published in the International Journal of Obesity compared a group of participants eating a high protein diet versus a group eating a normal protein diet, both in a caloric deficit. The high protein diet group lost more weight, were able to sustain the weight loss over the span of a year and decreased their blood pressure, blood lipids and inflammation more so than the group on a normal protein diet.
How much protein should you eat if you want to lose fat?
So why do higher protein diets have this effect?
The thermic effect of protein is more significant than that of carbohydrates or fat. The thermic effect refers to the amount of energy required to digest and absorb an item of food. Essentially protein is harder to process than fat or carbs, with up to 35 percent of the total calories consumed being used immediately, just to digest it. By default, this boosts your metabolism.
Furthermore, research shows that protein increases the production and release of key satiety hormones like GLP-1, ghrelin, leptin and PYY. These hormones make you feel more satisfied from a meal, resulting in a decreased total caloric intake and less hunger between meals. Clearly if you’re dieting, this can make a significant difference.
When you are eating in a caloric deficit that is low to moderate in protein, you are likely to break down muscle mass. This may make you lose more body ‘weight’, so the number on the scale will go down, but you’ll just be losing muscle rather than fat.
This puts you in a less optimal environment for weight loss because as a result of the decline in muscle mass, your metabolism will decrease, as it requires less energy to sustain expenditure. Studies show that high protein caloric deficit diets preserve lean body mass and maintain a higher basal metabolic rate. When also combined with regular exercise, this puts you in an optimal, accelerated environment for fat loss.
So protein is important for weight loss. A protein intake of around 30 percent of total calories is recommended, or roughly 0.8 to 1 pound of protein per pound of body weight.
Want to lose fat according to science? Let’s work together. Working with a Board Certified Holistic Integrative Health and Nutrition Coach can help you understand nutrition from a scientific, evidence-based perspective, to give you the tools you need to reach your health and fitness goals.