Protein Weight Loss Diet

Losing weight is an uphill battle for many people and there are so many different weight loss diet plans available to assist with weight loss. One type of diet that has become very popular due to it’s fast weight loss is a high protein weight loss diet.

With a protein diet a person is to eat foods high in protein and to keep away from carbohydrate foods. Some diets will include days that are purely protein only and days of protein mixed with other foods.

A protein only diet will generally consist of meats, eggs and low fat dairy. A healthy diet should include fruit and vegetables so protein only should only be used for a certain number of days and not as a long term diet plan.

How Do Protein Foods Help You Lose Weight?

Proteins reduce your appetite and so if you are eating high protein foods you will produce ketonic cells which are a natural appetite suppressant. By suppressing the hunger feeling you will eat less and this will obviously help to lose weight. After just two or three days on a protein only diet, your hunger should diminish and you can then follow a diet much easier without the constant threat of hunger.
Because of the complex structure of proteins the body will work harder to digest them than with most other foods, therefore burning more kilojoules.
Proteins are also reasonably low in kilojoules compared with fats and carbohydrates.

Protein Food Sources

Dairy, eggs and lean meat are the three main sources for protein. Protein foods include:

low fat dairy products, such as skim milk, low fat yoghurt and low fat cottage cheese
eggs, egg whites are in fact the only food that is pure protein
poultry, mainly chicken and turkey
fish
seafood
lean meats, mainly beef and veal

Protein Shakes

Some diets will suggest eating protein rich foods while others might suggest using protein shakes for weight loss. Protein shakes are used as a meal replacement and can provide a simple way to lose weight. Usually a shake is used to replace two meals a day, great for someone who doesn’t have a lot of time to prepare meals.

Protein shakes to contain calories though and if using them to lose weight then it is important to read the ingredients to make sure you aren’t taking in too many calories. You don’t want to replace all meals with a protein shake, you still need to eat nutritional foods.

Health Risks Associated With Protein diets

The biggest health risk with a high protein diet would be the lacking of essential nutrients that your body needs. This is why a protein only diet should only be eaten for a short period (three to five days) and then combined with vegetables and other essential foods. Even by changing your diet daily and have one protein only day followed by one day that includes fruit and vegetables will ensure that your body is receiving it’s required vitamins and minerals.

The other health risk is a risk of kidney problems by consuming too much protein. To reduce the risk of kidney problems it is vital to increase your water consumption and make sure you are drinking at least 1.5 litres of water a day while on a high protein diet.

Do Protein Diets Work?

A protein weight loss diet is very good for rapid weight loss but a protein only diet is not recommended long term. Eating protein only foods is missing out on many healthy, nutritional foods that your body needs. It is fine to use protein only for a few days to give yourself a kickstart with a diet, but don’t stick with protein only for any longer than that. It is possible to combine a protein only diet with a nutritional diet by having one day protein and one day that includes fruit and vegetables, like the Every Other Day Diet, then you are receiving good nutrition and still losing weight.

It is wise when starting any new diet to consult your doctor and let them know the type of diet you are going to do and what your goal weight is. Your doctor may be able to recommend a particular diet and help you to reach your goal weight.