It can be difficult to maintain a well-balanced eating regimen with the majority of high-protein, low-carb diets. This is largely due to the fact that most of these approaches to weight loss can restrict or even eliminate foods essential to your health, such as fruits, vegetables and whole grains. According to the Mayo Clinic, a diet high in protein, while low in carbohydrates, is really only suitable for short-term weight loss goals.
Step 1
Determine your daily caloric needs based on your age in years, height in inches, weight in pounds and level of activity. Your level of activity is based on the amount of exercise you engage in each week (see "Tips").
Females: [655 + (pounds x 4.35) + (inches x 4.7) - (years x 4.7)] x level of activity
Males: [66 + (pounds x 6.23) + (inches x 12.7) - (years x 6.8)] x level of activity
If you're trying to lose weight, you still need to pay attention to your caloric intake, even with a high-protein, low-carb diet.
Step 2
Eliminate 500 calories from your daily caloric needs to start losing weight. By cutting this amount of calories each day, it adds up to 3,500 calories a week. This is equivalent to 1 lbs. of weight loss, according to the Mayo Clinic. You can cut a portion of these calories from each of your meals to add up to 500 fewer calories each day.
Step 3
Start your morning with low-fat yogurt, low-fat cottage cheese, protein-enriched oatmeal, turkey sausage or egg whites. These are far healthier sources of protein than bacon, sausage and whole eggs for your high-protein, low-carb diet.
Step 4
Make a lunch out of chicken breast, albacore tuna, soy burgers, mushroom burgers, lentils, black beans, kidney beans, lettuce, spinach, cabbage, tomatoes, broccoli and cauliflower. The meats and legumes are high in protein and low in fat, which adheres to the high-protein requirement of your diet. The vegetables are low in carbohydrates and high in vitamins, minerals or other nutrients, holding to the low-carb constraint while helping to ensure proper nutrition.
Step 5
End your day with a dinner that includes healthy sources of protein and plenty of low-carb vegetables. Try salmon, mackerel, lake trout or even lean cuts of beef, like tenderloins or rounds. Stick to avocados, mushrooms, asparagus, cucumbers, spinach and lettuce. If you plan on using a salad dressing, choose low-sugar versions to keep your carb intake down.
Step 6
Snack on almonds, pecans, sunflower seeds, fat-free cheese, celery, cucumbers, radishes, edamame, strawberries, watermelon, plums and apples. The nuts, seeds and dairy provide a great source of healthy-fat protein while the fruits and vegetables are not only low in carbohydrates, but also high in vitamins, minerals and fiber.
Step 7
Curb your sweet-tooth by eating low-carb fruits throughout the day, like cantaloupe, honeydew, nectarines, pineapples, peaches, blackberries and grapefruit.
Step 8
Incorporate 30 to 60 minutes of walking, biking, swimming or other aerobic activities most days of the week. This increases the number of calories burned, thereby prompting a further loss in weight.
Tips and Warnings
- Numeric Values for Activity Levels per Week • No exercise = 1.2. • 1 to 3 times = 1.375 • 3 to 5 times = 1.55 • 6 to 7 times = 1.725 • 7 or more times = 1.9 Great sources of protein include soy beans, lentils, black beans, kidney beans, split peas, chickpeas, salmon, mackerel, tuna, lake trout, herring, chicken breast, low-fat cottage cheese, low-fat yogurt and skim milk. According to the American Heart Association, keep your saturated fat consumption under 7 percent of your total caloric intake and your dietary cholesterol to fewer than 300 mg.
- Avoid proteins high in saturated fat and cholesterol. While eating a diet high in protein, be cognizant that many animal proteins can be relatively high in both saturated fat and cholesterol, such as hamburger, sausage, steak, beef roast, bacon and whole eggs. Consult your doctor before starting a high-protein, low-carb diet. Your health may not allow this type of weight loss program.
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