How does protein impact your weight loss?

Over the last 25 years, dieting has changed immensely. Once upon a time, diets were meant for unhappy housewives who would take dangerous, over-the-counter pills filled with amphetamines, diuretics, hormones, benzodiazepines, barbiturates, laxatives and much more. These pills were not only legal, they were encouraged as a way to safely and easily drop weight.

But now, in the 21st century, diets are for everyone. It’s not just housewives and teenage girls anymore. Athletes, CEOs, men and women, old and young, now regularly diet as part of their healthy lifestyle. We have learned the dangers of overeating and the toll that added weight can have on your health and your body, and so today’s generations are being much more proactive when it comes to dieting.

While dieting has become much safer and more common, there are still discrepancies over which diets are just fads and what kind of diet actually works. Since different diets work for different people, we may never have concrete evidence that says a certain diet plan works for everyone. But, there is plenty of peer-reviewed, scientific evidence for one food type: Proteins.

When the Atkins diet first came out, it blew people’s minds that you could consume proteins and still lose weight. That changed the whole way we thought about dieting. Almost overnight, the typical diet plan went from vegetables, rice cakes and diet soda to steak. Today we’ve evolved from the Atkins Diet to the Keto Diet, which is a similar, protein-based plan. So while health experts and doctors may disagree on different diets, one thing is certain: Proteins help you lose weight. It’s not magic, and you still need to burn more calories than you take in, but proteins can play a huge role in your weight loss journey.

A diet that is rich in protein increases your metabolism, reduces your appetite and alters hormones that are crucial for weight loss. When you replace fatty foods and carbohydrates with lean protein, you reduce the hormones that cause hunger and boost the hormones that give you a feeling of satisfaction. With less appetite and a quicker metabolism, you know have the pieces in place for a successful diet.

When you eat and digest proteins, the body is using energy to make that happen, leading to more calories being burned. This is known as the ‘thermic effect.’ Proteins have a much more substantial thermic effect, meaning more calories are burned from the digestion process than with carbs. Some common foods that are high in protein include: Chicken, turkey, lean pork and beef, fish, beans, nuts, dairy products, greek yogurt, broccoli and shrimp.

On top of everything else, what makes proteins so great when it comes to dieting is that it’s an easy lifestyle change. For many people, dieting needs to be a lifestyle choice, not just something you do to keep your New Year’s resolution. Because proteins are so delicious, readily available and nutritious, it’s the perfect dieting choice for long-term success. Plus, proteins are ideal for building muscle, adding bone strength and can even help to lower your blood pressure.

So if you want a diet with a large choice of healthy and delicious foods, one that increases metabolism, reduces cravings and is simple, there is really only one choice: Stick to the proteins!